Imagine being only 28 years old with a 6-year-old and a 4 month old, and suddenly one day you feel a sharp pain in your head. You feel weak, dizzy, lightheaded. You are nauseous. The light is sickening. It’s like there’s an ice pick in your temple. This is what happened to me.
I laid down in bed for a bit. The pain just increased. Early in the evening, my husband decided to take me to the hospital. Since we had never been through this before we had no idea what was wrong. We were scared. I thought I was having some strange kind of aneurysm or stroke. I was weak. I couldn’t walk. Looking at lights hurt my eyes, but I had this horrible ocular pressure even when my eyes were closed. I had dry heaves. The twenty-minute ride to the hospital took forever. It seemed as though every car we passed had their bright headlights on, even though I had sunglasses on and a hood pulled over my head. Once we got through triage and into a room. They where ready to take care of me. The Doctor explained to me what was going on. They gave me a IV, Dilaudid (for pain), Zofran (for nausea), and Benadryl (just in case there’s an allergic reaction to anything). After all that you would think I would feel amazing, but I left there feeling like I been hit by truck. I was exhausted. Who knew that was just the beginning? Do you or someone you know have migraines? Do you remember your first migraine?
I’m supposed to be in Washington DC right now preparing to meet with members of Congress tomorrow and Tuesday. Attending Headache on the Hill is a huge honor. To be able to represent other migraine patients in the state of Illinois and explain to Congress that I am only one of more than 38 million people in the U.S. that have migraine. I have Chronic Migraine, which means that I have 15 or more migraine days a month. There are approximately 4 million people that have Chronic Migraine in the United States.
Anyway, all of those statistics mean I’m not alone. This is something I already knew. I know the members of Congress already know this too, but I think they need to be reminded. They also need to be reminded that we need more funding and treatment options. We’ve had some progress recently with new medications, but it isn’t enough. We need more. The CGRP’s that have been approved and released within the last two and half years are wonderful but don’t help enough people. There have been some new triptans released. However, Triptans aren’t for everyone either.
We need more funding for pain research overall. I’m in pain every day. If it isn’t due to migraine pain. It’s Fibromyalgia or Osteoarthritis causing me pain. Opioids are not the answer. We need better options for chronic pain. We need treatments that will help us instead of giving us more problems.
There’s so much more that needs to be addressed. Fortunately, there are many amazing people there that will be able to be the voice for those of us that are unable to make there in person and fortunately I’ll still be able to participate from home. I’ll be emailing representatives in Congress and the Senate soon. It’s imperative to me that I remember. Although I cannot be somewhere in person I can still make a difference.
I’ve composed a list of common home remedies for migraine. In this post, I’ll let you know whether or not I’ve had success with each treatment. Please keep in mind that everyone is different and what may work for me may not work for you and vice versa. Take time to research each home remedy on your own. Speak to your doctor before starting any new treatments.
Cold/Hot Compress – Using a cold compress often helps me in the early stages of a migraine. I have several cold packs in my freezer at all times.
CoEnzymeQ10 (300mg a day) – Unfortunately, this doesn’t work for me. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it for yourself.
Vitamin B2 (400mg a day) – Unfortunately, this doesn’t work for me. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it for yourself.
Magnesium (400/600 a day) – Unfortunately, this doesn’t work for me. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it for yourself.
Ginger (for nausea) – This sometimes works for my nausea. It is difficult to call though because my nausea is unpredictable. My nausea is all or nothing. I either have no nausea or it’s horrible. I do like Queasy Drops by Three Lollies. They work fairly well. I take them when I don’t have prescription nausea medication available. I’ve posted a link below, but they are also available at Dollar General and Walmart.
Peppermint Oil – Occasionally works for me. It depends on the brand and the intensity of the attack as to whether it will be effective. When I am not nauseated, it is a good tool to have.
Fish Oil – Unfortunately, this doesn’t work for me. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it for yourself.
Headband – There are several types of headbands out there. I have a couple. The ones that work best for me are the cooling ones for runners. My favorite is the Mission Cooling Neck Gaiter. It’s not technically a headband but can be worn 12 different ways I love it because it’s versatile.
Caffeine – When my migraines started many, many years ago I could take a couple Excedrin follow them with a Coke and 3 out 4 times the migraine would ease up. I’m not so fortunate these days. Caffeine doesn’t always work, but it is one of those that sometimes it does help.
OTC’s – Speaking of Excedrin…it and similar OTC’s like Tylenol Headache or Advil Migraine are made to treat migraine. I pretty much always have off-brand Excedrin on me. It is something that can help depending on when I take it and the severity of the migraine.
Water – Drinking plenty of fluids is essential. I can tell when I’m dehydrated. I always have something to drink and try to drink even more water when I drink caffeine, because caffeine can dehydrate you.
Dark, Quiet Place – I love my bedroom. It is my safe place. It doesn’t always get rid of my migraine but it almost always eases it. I feel so much better in my room. Room darkening or blackout curtains are a must for someone with migraine. I have soft blankets. It’s quiet. I love my room. My sanctuary.
Sleep Well – Sleeping off a migraine is sometimes the only option. However, it can be tricky. If you aren’t careful you can wake up in more pain than when you went to sleep. It’s a roll of the dice.
Exercise/Yoga/Stretches – This is also one of those tricky ones. Depending on how I’m feeling gentle stretches sometimes help me ease a migraine. As long as it’s nothing too strenuous and doesn’t cause any pain you’re good.
Stress Management – This is a difficult one. Stress is something we all deal with. To tell someone they need to manage their stress better is silly. It’s not always easy. Everyone has different levels of stress and handles it differently. Personally, I handle mine by relaxing with my family, using social media, and writing this blog.
CBD/Marijuana – Depending on where you live and what is legal in your state. I live in Illinois where medical and recreational are both legal. I have tried both CBD and marijuana. Unfortunately, neither worked.
Manage Triggers – Knowing what your triggers are and managing them is a trial and error process. This is something that I am still learning even after 13 years of migraines. Migraines are always changing. At least for me anyway. I used to be able to eat some foods that I can’t now and some foods that I couldn’t I now can. It’s so strange.
Having a neurological disease like migraine is definitely a learning experience. I recommend being open to trying to new things and doing your best to journal what works and doesn’t work for you. It’s tedious but it is helpful to be able to refer back to. As I stated earlier, make sure to speak to your doctor about trying these remedies.
Did you know we have a club? Well, not technically, but kinda. The migraine community is amazing! The support system I have found with others on the migraine spectrum is amazing. I have learned so much from them. I am not alone in this disease. They are with me, and I am with them always. It’s great to know that you can call/message any of them at any time to vent about pain, doctors, medications not working, or the costs of medicine and that person will completely understand how you feel.
You can say to them, “This pain is like an ice pick right at my temple. It makes me want to take a melon baller to my eye.” They will just respond, “I understand. I’m sorry.” They won’t look at you like you’re crazy. Doctors can frustrate you even when you don’t have chronic pain. Just imagine when you talk to them constantly about changing medications or about new medications that are just being released. It’s nice having someone to discuss these things with. Someone that understands what you’re going through. The camaraderie of it. They just get it. Aside from that having someone to discuss none of this about is great too. They become your family, not just friends. They become your sisters/brothers. They are there. It’s like any other relationship.
These people are my people. They get me. They know exactly how I feel. They understand my struggles with work, with home life. They understand how difficult it is to take a shower some days. They get that it’s “not all in my head”. It’s in my back, my shoulders, it’s not just take an Excedrin and drink a coke to get it to go away kind of people. They don’t say, “Did you try that green drink?” Not that we don’t appreciate help but we’ve already tried it all. We can be ourselves without judgement and that lets us feel safe. We’re able to breathe a little more freely.
Migraine disease is horrible. It has altered my life forever. I will more than likely never be able to work full time again. I will never finish college. My children will never know what it’s like to have a healthy mom. However, because of migraines I have met these and many more beautiful caring people. They have become my closest friends and family. I would do anything for them. They are strong and brave. They can do anything. I am always amazed by how much they teach me and I’m forever in debt to them.
chronicallycatrina.home.blog 