Migraine

Hello Everyone!

I'm new to this site, but have been getting migraine headaches since i was about 9. I am in highschool now and school is very difficult since i have a headache almost everyday.

One of the major things i was told to do was to keep my schedule the same. The problem is that I have a job, i have different amounts of homework, and other things that make keeping a schedule the same very difficult.

Does anyone have any suggestions of ways to keep schedules the same in high school? Anything that has worked for you or a family member?

Thanks for any help!

Hi, Lotsofmigraines, welcome to the forum. We're glad you found us. Take a few minutes to look at the Start Here folder, so that you get the most out of your use of the forum.

My migraines didn't become problematic until middle age, and I truly can't imagine going through school with them. It's going to be hard to keep your class, work, and homework schedules the same all the time, but could you at least set regular times for going to bed, getting up, and eating meals? Having those things the same would probably make a big difference. I always found I got more accomplished when I maintained a regular schedule for those things. It will mean getting some work done earlier than it's due, but that's OK.

Here's an article that may be of interest to you. It's directed to parents, but there's no reason you can't benefit from it, and share it with your parents:

Back To School With Migraines or Headaches

Finally, let me share this article with you:

Learning About Migraines and Headaches - Where To Start

Take care, and keep those questions coming!

Thankyou for the reply! I do keep meals and sleep as close to the same time as I can.

One more question for you with a little background. I have gone to the doctor and he just told me my migraines were most likely genetic and gave me a preventative medicine that worked for the first year or two but recently stopped working. I went back and he raised the dose. Within a month i was having a bad reaction to the higher dose so he put me back to the lower dose. Should I try going to a pain clinic of some sort or keep trying with him? It just seems like i'm not getting anywhere with him.

Thanks!

Good Evening,

From what you are saying it probably would be a good idea for you to explore seeing a Migraine Specialist, There are over a hundred prevenatives, so there are many options for you out there.

Good luck. High School is tough and adding work to the mix makes your schedule difficult to manage. Would your work be willing to give you a more routine schedule to help you plan out time better?

Take care, and remember we are always here for you.

Cindy

Your doc is right, Migraines are a genetic, neurological disease. But, if his only treatment options for you are the one preventive, Cindy may be right that it's time for you to move on. There are over 100 preventives used to treat Migraine that can be used alone or in countless combinations. Take a look at this list:

Migraine Preventive Medications - Too Many Options To Give Up!

Do you keep a headache diary? I know it may be adding more work to your already loaded schedule, but diaries are very helpful for identifying triggers and patterns, and give a clearer idea of the effectiveness of meds. We have a great one available on this site:

Your Migraine and Headache Diary

Have you noticed a particular time of day your Migraines start, or get worse? Schools have a whole list of potential triggers - fluorescent lighting, late or early lunches, dehydration, etc. This sounds simplistic, but perhaps you can plan snacks into your day or carry a water bottle with you. If your school doesn't typically allow this (I know many don't), there are ways for you to get accommodations, and we point you and your parents toward some resources, as well as give some suggestions, to get those in place for you.

Let us know how else we can help, ok? And welcome to our forum.

Welcome to the forum!

Wow! You sound just like me when I started to get Migraines!

Mine struck at about 13 years old, but proceeded to get worse as I have gotten older.

School was no fun - noise, gym, lights - not to mention I didn't know then that I was having Migraines, so I would tell my mom "I have a headache" and not go to school, which I think at the time she thought I was faking. She knows better now after seeing the daily meds and doctors I go through.

Trying to balance school, a job, friends, and activities and still get your rest is very hard to to! I did it for many years - and I ended up giving up either school or work for it. It was too much for me at the time. I wish you luck on working this out. I know how hard it is!

MJ brought up an excellent point about always having water with you. Not only for dehydration purposes - but also so you always have some if you need to take a triptan or something.

Cindy gave you our patient recommended Migraine and headache specialists link - if you are not getting anywhere with your doctor please check the list and see if there is someone else you can go to.

Migraine and Headache Specialists: What's So Special?

I don't know how much you have learned about Migraine Disease yet, but I want to give you some other information that you may or may not be aware of:

Migraines lasting longer than 72 hours with less than a 4 hour break in pain (not including sleep) is called Status Migrainous. If you have a Migraine lasting this long, at any time and you can't break it - seek help ASAP. Migraines lasting this long can lead to Migrainous Stroke.

See: Status Migrainous: The Basics

I wanted to give you the article below to look through too. I think at this point, almost all of us here - or at least 95% of us are on preventive treatment. Then, there is abortive treatment which is the medications, such as triptans, you take when you have a Migraine attack. And last but not least, is rescue medication - this one is big for me. I have dealt with many a doctor whom saw no need for this - but also didn't tell me about Status Migrainous.

As far as I'm concerned - every Migraineur should have rescue medication.

Preventive, Abortive and Rescue Medication: What's the Difference?

Please keep us posted on how you are doing, ok?

We look forward to hearing more from you!

Thanks for all the advice and information! A few more background things and questions: I have tried Imitrex, but i got VERY sick afterwards and it did not get rid of the headache. Also I do get headaches about the same time everyday, around 10:30 usually and they do not go away unless i sleep the full night. I lately have been going to bed around 7:30/ 8:00 when i don't work because my headaches will be so bad. If I sleep for an hour or two it will sometimes dissipate a little, but not much. The only medicine i have to use when i get a headache right now is advil.

So, on to the questions. First, If I had a problem with Imitrex will I be about to take other Triptans?

Second, is there any reason why they would be about the same time everyday? I have had them for a couple years, and they have always been about the same time.

And lastly, will doctors normally give out the Rescue medications or is it something i should ask them about?

Thanks

Welcome to MyMigraineConnection.

If Imitrex isn't the triptan for you, that doesn't mean one of the other ones won't work. I had tried a few without success, then tried Axert and it worked wonders. So the answer to your questions is, you can try other triptans as long as you have your doctors consent.

Skipping meals is not a good thing to do and I'm certainly not suggesting you are doing this, but I have a teenager and I understand how wacky your schedules get. A regular sleep pattern is very important too. Making sure you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day - even on the weekends is important for Migraine prevention. I know that is a tall order for teens, but when you have Migraine disease it becomes a necessity. Have you ever kept a Migraine diary? It is a pretty easy thing to do, then you and your doctor can see what is and isn't working for you. To download our free diary, click HERE

Rescue medications are used when triptans cannot be taken or don't work. This article may help explain things a bit better:Preventive, Abortive, and Rescue Medications - What's the Difference?

Let us know how else we can help, ok?

Hi,

I'm a junior in high school and I starting getting daily migraines when I was in 7th grade. I've found that I just have to do what it takes to keep a regular eating and sleep schedule. I have found that varying when I do homework, work etc. does not matter.

I know how hard it is to go to school with migraines. Is there something around you at 10:30 that could be triggering your migraines. I know that I would get a migraine if I was in a classroom where the teacher used a SMART board to teach. Looking at it for the class period would give me a migraine. The same thing would happen if I was in a classroom where I sat directly under a fluorescent light. Also, if in that class I sat next to someone who was wearing strong perfume or cologne or smelled of cigarette smoke. If you found that one of these things was a problem, maybe your seat could be changed. I have something called a 504 plan that specifies exceptions that need to be made for me should I start to have problems in a certain class. For me, one of them is having my seat changed if necessary.

I hope some of this can give you some ideas.
Good luck!

Michelle,

You bring up a great point. Knowing what our triggers are and then trying to avoid them can help tremendously. I can avoid some of my triggers but others I have found impossible to avoid like the change in barometric pressure.

Like you, strong smells can trigger my Migraines so now when I'm going to a public place like the movies, I wear my own perfume on my wrist and put it up to my nose if someone else is wearing a perfume I can't tolerate.

Sleep is another trigger for me. To little sleep or interrupted sleep and I'm almost guaranteed a Migraine. My Migraine Specialist has put me on preventive medications to help me sleep better at night.

Here's some information on triggers:

Common Migraine Triggers

Stackable Triggers

Transformed Migraine Related to Sleep Problems

Take care,