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Migraine
by
Oliver Sacks
The many manifestations of migraine can vary dramatically from one patient to another, even within the same patient at different times. Among the most compelling and perplexing of these symptoms are the strange visual hallucinations and distortions of space, time, and body image which migraineurs sometimes experience. Portrayals of these uncanny states have found their way...more
Paperback, 368 pages
Published
October 5th 1999
by Vintage
(first published 1970)
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This book was originally written in 1970 with subsequent revisions in '85 and '92. Given that it's slightly outdated I wasn't sure how relevant it would be, especially considering all the different migraine medications they have now. I couldn't have been more wrong!
The wonderful thing about Dr. Sacks is that he's not all about standardized, generalized drug-treatment and he has a full respect for nature. He considers each case and patient as an individual human being with all the unique...more
The wonderful thing about Dr. Sacks is that he's not all about standardized, generalized drug-treatment and he has a full respect for nature. He considers each case and patient as an individual human being with all the unique...more
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I just briefly started reading this book on the subway, until I feared the swaying motion, screeching, piercing lights, incessant babble, and ear-splitting singing of the blind beggar might bring on a migraine.
We can't blame it on florescent lighting, traffic jams, or the office because it’s been around at least since Hippocrates.
If you experience migraines, either occasionally or constantly, this book can be an eye-opener to better understanding and coping with this myst...more
We can't blame it on florescent lighting, traffic jams, or the office because it’s been around at least since Hippocrates.
If you experience migraines, either occasionally or constantly, this book can be an eye-opener to better understanding and coping with this myst...more
Recently I had what was diagnosed as an ophthalmic migraine, or a scintillating scotoma. This was the second event in about 2 months. There was no pain associated with it, and apparently it is not a dangerous condition, but it was certainly attention-getting. I had been interested in this book for several years, so I took the occasion to read it. While I am an Oliver Sacks fan, this is my least favorite of his books so far (I've read almost all of them). His strength is when he looks at som...more
As a chronic migraine sufferer, I found Sack's work to be a huge disappointment. His information was outdated and biased towards the traditional attitude that migraines are stress induced. Migraines are so much more complicated than originally thought, a complex chemical and electrical reaction that can be set in motion by extremely diverse causes from brain tumors to multiple sclerosis to spinal injury, not to mention hormonal changes, trigger exposure, and altitude sickness, just to name a f...more
I wish that I had read this book 7-8 years ago when I first started experiencing migraines. I wish that the numerous doctors and specialists I had seen had also read this book. Oliver Sacks doesn't provide a magic answer for the cause or cure of migraines, but his discussion of the different types of migraine, as well as contributing factors to migraine attacks, brought up some good points which cleared up some questions my doctors were never able to answer satisfactorily. Most interesting, of c...more
I've been reading quite a bit of Oliver Sacks lately and now I realise I've been reading the populist works. He can do easy read and he can do medical. This one is medical.
However, I read it all the way through and I found it very interesting, even though there were quite a few medical terms that went right over my head. I think I was able to read the whole book simply because I do have migraines, so it all seemed personal, even the bits I didn't find entertaining and didn't really und...more
However, I read it all the way through and I found it very interesting, even though there were quite a few medical terms that went right over my head. I think I was able to read the whole book simply because I do have migraines, so it all seemed personal, even the bits I didn't find entertaining and didn't really und...more
Kristen
added it
I bought this book on a whim a couple of Fridays ago because I was in a bookstore and it had been on my list of things to read for a long time. I brought it home and immediately started reading it. And then, when I went out with some friends, I got a migraine that lasted through Sunday. Argh.
I'm not sure I'll finish the book -- evidently the power of suggestion is strong for me. But the illustrations are really great -- I've always wanted to be able to show people what my vision ...more
I'm not sure I'll finish the book -- evidently the power of suggestion is strong for me. But the illustrations are really great -- I've always wanted to be able to show people what my vision ...more
I have to admit I started out strong with this book and then took the longest break ever. Then, I finally went back to it. The information in it is truly fascinating but it isn't the most fun read of all time. Musicophilia was interesting but had some fun.
Oliver Sacks covers a lot of material. He goes over more case histories than I can count and discusses migraines as history essentially. He discusses the neurological makeup of a migraine and an aura in as much information as...more
Oliver Sacks covers a lot of material. He goes over more case histories than I can count and discusses migraines as history essentially. He discusses the neurological makeup of a migraine and an aura in as much information as...more
I'm a chronic migraine sufferer, so I found this to be a must-read. I didn't find it too out-dated, & the history behind diagnosing migraines was fascinating. Dr. Sacks' enthusiasm for the subject, one that is misunderstood &/or brushed aside by much of the medical community that I've encountered, made me smile. This book is not for someone looking for a cure for migraines, but for those who are interested in the history and research behind the afflication.
x Sash
x Sash
Definitely more of a scientific book rather than the sort of colorful case studies for which Sacks is rightly famous. It's fairly dense and empirical, but goes a long way towards revealing the depth and complexity of migraines - they aren't just a type of headache! Worth scanning by anyone who suffers from them. For me, it pulled together a number of threads of my experience and sufferings that I did not realize were intimately related.
As a migraine sufferer I was interested to read what the illustrious Dr. Sacks (also a migraine sufferer) had to say on the subject. I did a speed-read of it in the library, skipping the stories. It was written in the 1970s -- too long ago to cover the modern prescriptions drugs that work pretty well with minimal side effects. But it was interesting to read about the history of migraine research and the various categories of migraines and their effects. It was a little too close for comfort.
Anche se questo libro non mi ha fatto passare le mie emicranie ricorrenti ho apprezzato il fatto che dopo aver presentato diverse ipotesi inerenti le cause di tale malanno, purtroppo nessuna o forse tutte possono scatenare la bestia. Sembra che l'emicrania derivi dal bisogno del cervello di essere "resettato"... Bastava dirmelo che lo spegnevo!
Ad ogni modo come sempre amo l'approccio scritturale del nostro Oliver e i suoi libri li leggo con piacere anche se, purtroppo, l'emicrania pe...more
Ad ogni modo come sempre amo l'approccio scritturale del nostro Oliver e i suoi libri li leggo con piacere anche se, purtroppo, l'emicrania pe...more
I wanted to read this book for years — I love OS and migraines are so interesting — but the pages were enchanted with sparkly pixel-vision. Finally, by reading very short installments in the neutral space of the Brooklyn Public Library have I been able to share in its wisdom.
Mike
rated it
A really fascinating, in-depth look at a common but mysterious illness. Sacks is one of my all-time favorite authors because of his thoughtfulness and thoroughness. He writes about medicine as both a science and an art, the study of patients just as much as, or more than, disease. (He explains that the primary method in treating a migraine should be to LISTEN to the patient.) The book starts with a historical account of the study of migraines and descriptions of its many forms. But the most inte...more
Supposedly the best book ever written for the layman on migraine headaches. Although the prescriptions may have evolved since this book was written it's still well worth reading.
Extremely good for its history of migraine and migraine treatment. I appreciate his openmindedness about what migraine is. I got bogged down in the technical detail, though.
Very informative and interesting, a little hard to read. By the end, I wasn't sure what theories he actually supported by the time of the second edition.
One of the best books yet written about migraine. It helped me tremendously when I was having a tough time with them.
If you are interested in the technical aspect of migraines, you may like this book.
author takes the reader into the varied world of migraines--what they are like
Jess
marked it as to-read
I tried to read this book. It gave me a headache. True story.
This might be an interesting read for a medical student or a practicioner, but for me it was a trial. A non stop litany of terms, treatments, and tinctures that left me with a headache of my own. Very disappointing after how much I have enjoyed all of his other books.
to be told later....
Really interesting book on the mysterious migraines, but g-d Sacks is wordy.
Erin
marked it as to-read
Originally published in 1970, it is interesting to happen upon case studies dating as far back as 1778. It's an enlightening book for me seeing as how i'm a migraine sufferer. I am constantly identifying symptoms such as sleep paralysis which I could never understand the occurrence of, but now realize I suffered from this specific symptom often when my migraines were more frequent.
it's a really hard read since it's so much medical terminology and case studies, but very interesting and informative. i get migraines all the time and it's helping me understand them better!
This is a study in migraine phenomena rather than a self improvement book. It's very, very technical at times (I'm so not a medical doctor or psychiatrist) but extremely insightful. I especially am loving the history of the study of migraines, even back to the second century of Aretaeus and his 'heterocrania'.
I started this book, but it had as part of the premise that a good part of migraines were stress-related. While I believe stress can be a migriane trigger, having stress be a main cause was not helpful, especially when, as someone with migraines, I have found other, far more significant, triggers.
I like Oliver Sacks, but this book just has a lot of misinformation. It's old, so that might be part of it. He's a pop neurologist, which lends to some really interesting stories, but if you're a real person looking for real information on migraines, look elsewhere.
I believe Oliver Sacks is one of the greatest clinical writers and what a subject...Migraines...He has brilliant insights into how we function mentally and discusses the migraine. It was fun to read about something which has been plaguing me, personally for years.
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Oliver Wolf Sacks, CBE (born July 9, 1933, London), is a British neurologist residing in the United States, who has written popular books about his patients, the most famous of which is Awakenings, which was adapted into a film of the same name starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro.
Sacks was the youngest of four children born to a prosperous North London Jewish couple: Sam, a phys...more
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Sacks was the youngest of four children born to a prosperous North London Jewish couple: Sam, a phys...more
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