Migraine

Hi everyone. I am Katie, a 32 year old professional, with a history of headaches & migraines. They are getting to be more and more frequent, and I'm getting frustrated. My experiences are surely not as bad as some other newbies, but they are bad enough to be affecting me professionally, somewhat socially, and definitely emotionally. I was looking for somewhere to meet other people who understand what it's like to have chronic headaches & migraines.

My headaches/migraines are always on the right side, from my occiput to my eye, and the vein (or artery?) on the side of my nose right next to my eye pops out and throbs. I have had auras, but it is rare. I am definitely sensitive to light, and someimes get nausea/dizziness and vomiting. They last from 1/2 day to nine days and tend to respond to meds but then return, especially when I stand/walk or bend over.

My mom had migraines prior to/during menopause, and it seems like anything that can trigger a migraine triggers one for me. First, they started with weather related headaches or too much physical exertion (for the past 15-20 years). Then, I noticed food/drink-triggered occurrences. Now, for the past 10 months, they have been accompanied by muscle spasms in my neck and down my upper back, and have become more regular with my menstrual cycle.

I have taken prescription and OTC meds that help, but have been told that I can not go on a prevntive med because we are trying to conceive. I am getting frustrated with the increased frequency, and sometimes feel judged by friends (my husband and I are very social and my headaches often get in the way). I'm sure it's annoying for them and sometimes I wish I could transfer my pain to them for just one minute so they know what it's like.

I could go on forever, but I will stop here. Just looking for some support. I wish you all good luck with finding effective treatments!!

Hello and welcome to our forum family, Katie! 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.

Please take a few minutes to review our policies and guidelines along with the other information in the START HERE folder. For information about Migraines, a good article to begin with is Learning About Migraines - Where to Start

You have found us, and we do understand!

Any time your migraine pattern changes, and this includes intensity and frequency, that means it's time to talk to your doctor. It does get frustrating when things start to slip up, but if you do your best to get on top of things early, you just might have better success at getting things under control again much more quickly. Whether or not your experience is more or less difficult than others', it's still affecting you and your life, and you're important, and worth the effort to do something about it.

Everything you describe can certainly be attributable to migraine. As for triggers, it should help both you and your doctor if you kept a migraine diary and really took the time to look critically at what's going on around you. This can really help you to sort out triggers, as well as things that might make you more susceptible to triggers. If you don't currently keep a migraine diary, here's some INFO TO HELP get you started.

It is hard when others who don't understand seem judgmental. We've all been through the experience of running into those kinds of people. We do have an article on dealing with these kinds of people that might help some. Headache and Migraine Education For Those Who "Don't Get It".

While it's true that a lot of preventative medications are avoided when people are trying to conceive, there might be some supplements that might be okay with your doctor. For example, magnesium and B-2 are commonly used for prevention. You might ask your doctor if those are contraindicated, and whether he or she would be comfortable with you going that route. Another hopeful thing is that many women find that their migraines lessen during pregnancy. That isn't true with everyone, but we've heard it from quite a few of our members.

Support is what we do best around here. You just go ahead and get comfy. If there's anything you're looking for and can't seem to find, ask away!

Hi Katie, I just wanted to stop by and say hello and welcome you to the forum family! It's great to have you here. You'll find we're a friendly bunch of folks so feel free to ask any questions you may have, we're here to help and offer a shoulder to lean on.

You may find these articles interesting too:

• Anatomy of a Migraine

• Common Migraine Triggers

For my weather related Migraines, my Migraine Specialist prescribed Diamox and it works fairly well for me. I don't know if you'd be able to take that while trying to conceive or not.

Welcome again!