Migraine is a common disease that affects more than ten percent of the population and is often misunderstood as a bad headache, even by doctors. Migraine disorders are more common in women than men but it can affect anyone of any gender. When you are diagnosed with migraine, it can feel overwhelming sometimes because doctors don’t know everything and sometimes patients don’t know what they need do in order to improve their pain. Some doctors are very dismissive of migraine pain because they don’t personally experience it and think that you can just live with the pain, which can make sufferers feel alone and think that no one gets it. I have been living with chronic migraine for a little over five years, and at the moment, my pain is well-managed, but it has not always been that way, and most things I have learned about migraine are from other patients not doctors. I struggled with severe pain for a few years, and it wasn’t until I learned what worked for me and what didn’t that I started to get relief. My preventative medication helps me get pain relief, but that is only one part of it, and most of the things that help me get relief do not require a prescription. In this post, I am going to share everything that I think every new migraineur should know.
Preventatives take time to work- When you are prescribed a medication for anything, sometimes people get impatient and think the medication they were prescribed is going to start working immediately, and I only wish that were true. Medication can help a lot of people get pain relief, but it is so important that you be patient and don’t give up on your medication a week after starting it, because sometimes it takes a while before you see positive changes. Some people with migraine disease have to try a couple of different medications before they find one that works for them, and you shouldn’t completely give up on it after a few days because sometimes it takes months. The preventative medication that I am currently taking has helped improve my pain levels, but it took over a year before I started noticing changes. When you live with pain, sometimes you get desperate for relief, and I get that, but it’s so important you try to be patient and take your meds consistently because I don’t know a single person who has taken a medication for pain that has gotten immediate relief. Preventatives take time to work, and you shouldn’t expect to see drastic changes within a week or two because most people don’t get results that quickly. Give your medication a month or so before you give up on it and try something else.
Find a community– Doctors sometimes can be very dismissive of migraine pain because they only treat the disease, but most doctors don’t actually experience it themselves, and sometimes don’t understand how it impacts your life. Find a migraine community that understands the challenges of migraine disease, because there is something about connecting with like-minded individuals that helps you feel validated and less alone. There are a lot of migraine communities online that provide support if you are unable to find one in person, and I encourage you to do so because you will get support that your family can’t give you. Migraine communities can be so powerful because although other migraineurs can’t take away your pain, they do allow you to connect with others to truly understand. I have learned more about managing migraine pain than I have learned from any doctor.
Figure out your triggers- There are a lot of potential migraine triggers, but not everyone is going to need to avoid the same types of things because we are all so different. In 2019, I stopped drinking alcohol because it triggers my pain, and I have noticed improvement, but not everyone will need to avoid alcohol. Find your triggers and avoid them as much as you can because you will never get relief if you don’t know what your triggers are and are constantly consuming things that cause more pain. It can be hard to completely avoid every possible trigger because there are a lot of potential migraine triggers, but it can be helpful to have a migraine diary and write down how different foods make you feel. Some people may not have to avoid dairy, while others do, but you will never know that if you don’t take the time to find out what triggers your pain, because knowing your triggers helps you to avoid pain.
Your diet plays a role– When it comes to managing migraine, a lot of people think that more pills are the solution to having less pain. Preventive medication helps some people prevent some attacks, but not everyone responds to medication. Migraine management doesn’t stop at pills, and you may still need to make some lifestyle changes. You should never expect your medication to work miracles because if you are doing things like skipping meals, that may be the reason your pain levels aren’t changing. Your diet plays a major role in your pain levels because a lot of the time, you can improve your pain by simply changing your diet, and more medication is not always the answer. Medication and poor lifestyle habits can sometimes be the reason you are struggling with pain, and changing that might improve pain levels.
It is okay to rest– When you live with pain, you are going to have good days where you can do more and bad days where you have to do less. People sometimes feel guilty for taking a rest day on a random Tuesday because we live in a world that thinks we always need to be doing something and frowns upon having a lazy day. When you live with pain, sometimes taking a random rest day is not a choice, and it is okay if you need to take a rest day because your pain levels are elevated. Rest days are not bad, and sometimes it’s necessary for preventing even worse pain. Never let people try to convince you that it is a good idea to push through pain because that is the absolute worst thing you can do.
Not all neurologists are headache specialists- When you go to a neurologist with migraine pain, sometimes people assume that the doctor is a headache expert and will be able to help them improve their pain. Some neurologists are headache specialists, but not all of them are, and sometimes your neurologist is an epilepsy expert and took maybe one or two courses on headaches. If you feel frustrated with your neurology team and have gotten no relief, it’s probably because they aren’t headache specialists, and you might want to consider finding a specialist who understands migraine and headache disorders.
When you are first diagnosed with migraine disease, it can be stressful because your doctor doesn’t tell you everything you need to know and is not always helpful. I always like to listen to what my doctors have to say because doctors spend years studying medical conditions but if my doctor is dismissive and gives me advice that I know doesn’t work, I won’t take their advice. Doctors know a lot about different medical conditions, but they don’t know everything, and most of the things I have learned to manage pain are things I have learned myself and from other patients. If you are struggling to get your migraine pain under control, it might be helpful to talk to another migraineur and see what they have tried because you can learn a lot from people in the community. What advice would you give a new migraineur? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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My Rockin Disabled Life 
❤️ it’s a tough diagnosis – but your ideas are all good advice ❤️
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