Migraine

My name is Amy. I have had migraines since about middle to high school(15yrs) and I got them from my dad. Since I moved up to the Twin cities in Minnesota, my migraines have mutated into being very scent triggered. And have gotten worse/very sensitive. I cannot be around anyone with perfume, cologne, fragrance or even stinky car exhaust. I avoid malls, restaurants, grocery stores, and pretty much where there will be lots of people. I am currently trying to train my boxer to be my nose for me. As in training her to detect the stink and let me know before I smell it myself. It may be a long feat, but it's worth a try. I'm a fan of shopping online and staying home if it means I can be migraine free.
My dad has tried everything for his headaches and is basically a guinea pig for whatever new meds come out to try. He was forced to retire early because of the migraines and lost his disability wages/health insurance also.
I am hoping I do not have to go down that road in the future. For now Imitrex works for me and I am hoping it will stay that way. Sometimes I just say my tumor is growing...just to keep it light and be able to laugh even though it really hurts.

that's all for now,

Amy and Penny (my boxer)

Hi Amy,
What a wonderful thing to do with your boxer! I'd be curious how you are training her to scope out the scents that trigger your migraines. I know scents really do me in - I just tend to host everything at my house and avoid malls and crowds!

Glad to know the Imitrex seems to work for you!

Welcome!

Cyndi

Welcome to MyMigraineConnection.

Our goal is to provide everyone with the information and support that we all need to manage our Migraines and/or headaches. To that end, we consider this a “safe harbor,” where nobody tries to sell us anything, and we all use “family-friendly” language so parents are comfortable letting their children read the forum with them.

START HERE folder. For information about Migraines, a good article to begin with is Learning About Migraines - Where to Start.


It sounds like it is time for both you and your dad to see a true Migraine specialist. If your doctor isn’t able to help you, it may well be time to consult a Migraine and headache specialist. It’s important to note that neurologists aren’t necessarily Migraine and headache specialists. Take a look at the article Migraine and Headache Specialists - What's So Special?. If you need help finding a Migraine specialist, check our listing of Patient Recommended Migraine and Headache Specialists.

The most important thing is to have an accurate diagnosis, these doctors can help with that. Then you can be on your way to a better preventive and treatment plan.

Let me know what you think, ok?

Welcome to our forum family!

I am now wondering if I can train my cat to be my nose for me, since you are trying to do that with your dog! I too trigger easily from fumes, perfume, certain cleaning products (almost anything with bleach) and traffic smells (brake fumes, trucks - burning rubber from tires screeching to a halt, so I am right there with you!

Online shopping is one of my favorite past times! Also, that means not dealing with people and shopping at your leisure, which I am a huge fan of!

We have some great information on our site. If you need specific information on a drug or Migraine info, the search at the top of the page is great. Learning all you can about this disease is our best weapon in treating, and hopefully one day, curing it.

Imitrex Oral This link tells you detailed information about Imitrex

Migraine Preventive Medications: Too Many to Give Up! This is a list of all the medications currently being used as Migraine preventives. If you are getting more than 3 Migraines a month, or even one really bad Migraine a month, you should talk with your doctor about preventive medication, if you are not already taking them.

I am glad you found us! Please let us know if you have any questions about the links we have provided, or anything else for that matter! We are a very friendly group and look forward to hearing more from you.

Hi, Amy and Penny (who is a very beautiful doggie!)!

I think that's really cool that you're teaching Penny to help you out. I'm sensitive to strong scents, too. I don't trigger so much off of them, but during a migraine, I find my tolerance to be much lower than usual.

Like Nancy, I don't think you have to settle for limiting your venturing out into the world. I think it's worth it to seek out a true migraine specialist that can help you to get things under better control, at which point the sensitivities may just settle down and allow you more freedom. Finding the right preventative regimen can really help with this. I've had triggers settle down once my preventatives were working better.

Hi Amy,
Just adding my welcome to the pile. I hope you're successful in teaching Penny how to notice scents for you. I really hope it works out. I agree with the other girls that maybe a Migraine Specialist is the way to go. A lot of us here have been able to lead relatively normal lives once they've found the right mix of meds for us. I'm still working on that.

I'm glad you found us and hope you pop in often. It's wonderful here.

Meli

Hi Amy,

I too am extremely sensitive to smells, as it sets off either a migraine and/or an hemiplegic attack for me. There are meds a migraine specialist can give to you to help you not be so sensitive. They didn't work for me. Although my public contact is limited, I use a respirator mask. It looks strange to others around me, but at least I can go about what I need to do. I just keep it around my neck and pull it up if I have to.

I think it's so cool if you can teach Penny to your primary nose.

Have a great day, Tonya