When you live with migraine or any type of chronic pain, some of the best gifts that you can receive aren’t expensive electronics, although these things are nice, but it’s any product you can use to better manage your pain. If you are shopping for a migraine friend in your life and have never experienced a migraine attack yourself, sometimes it can be difficult to know what to buy them because not everyone has the same triggers and gets relief with the same types of products. There is nothing worse than getting a gift from a friend that they were so excited about that you can’t easier because it’s a trigger for you. Most of my family reads my blog, and for the most part, people know what not to get me because I talk about that a lot on my social platforms, but occasionally, you will get a triggering gift from a friend who had good intentions but was uninformed. I love getting gifts that can help me manage pain, but when you don’t live with migraine, sometimes people don’t know what helps and what doesn’t. The holiday season is stressful for everyone, but people in pain experience a different kind of stress that someone without pain wouldn’t experience. What shouldn’t you get the migraine friend in your life for Christmas? In this post, I am going to share a few gift ideas that I would never gift someone with migraine.
Scented products- Perfume smells nice, but unfortunately, it is a common migraine trigger that affects about twenty-five to fifty percent of people. I can use some scented lotion, but it can’t be anything super strong because I am triggered by smells and can be in pain for weeks if you get me something that is too overpowering. I am picky about what type of perfume I use and typically will only use my natural perfume that I know doesn’t trigger me, and if you were to gift me anything else, I would probably not take the risk and re-gift it. Some migraineurs are not triggered by scented products, and you can get them perfume, but if you don’t know, it’s always safe to assume that perfume or scented candles are not a good gift idea for migraineurs. I prefer to use unscented lotion because, unless it’s natural, I am often triggered by scented products. Scented products can make your house smell wonderful, but people in pain often will not appreciate them because certain smells can trigger more pain. Scented products can trigger a lot of people with medical conditions, and sometimes it can cause some people to have reactions, so it’s safe to assume not to get a scented product for any disabled or chronically ill person unless they tell you to.
Alcohol- In 2019, I stopped drinking alcohol because every time I drank it, I would get severe pain that lasted weeks, and it was not worth it. Some migraineurs can have a glass of wine, but alcohol is a common trigger that affects about one-third of people living with migraine. Alcohol can be a great easy gift for people who are of drinking age, but I wouldn’t get it for a migraineur unless you are certain that they aren’t triggered by alcohol. If you were to get me a bottle of wine for Christmas, I would likely ask for the receipt or re-gift it to a friend because I can’t drink alcohol without pain.
Coffee– Some people believe that coffee can help relieve migraine pain, but that is only true for some people, because, despite popular belief, coffee does not cure migraine disease. I would be hesitant to get a migraineur coffee for Christmas because, although it may help some people, it can make it worse for others. I am able to drink a couple of cups of coffee without getting a migraine, but I do have to be mindful of how much I am consuming because I do have my limits, and if I were to have an espresso, I would almost instantly get a migraine. It is okay to get some people with migraine coffee for Christmas, but before buying it, you should always check to make sure it’s not a trigger because some people with migraine cannot drink coffee.
Anything with flashing bright lights- Most people know that you should never get someone who currently has epilepsy or has a history of them anything with bright flashing lights because it can trigger a seizure. You should also not get someone who currently lives with migraine disease anything with bright flashing lights because a lot of people are light sensitive, and it can be triggered by it. I am light-sensitive, and although I will probably not have a seizure if you were to gift me a product with bright lights, I would likely get a migraine and would not use that product. It is always safe to assume that people with migraine or epilepsy are not going to want anything with bright flashing lights unless that product happens to come with sunglasses.
If you have a migraineur on your Christmas list sometimes it can be difficult to know what to get them because not everyone is going to have the same types of triggers, but if you want to help them, it’s so important that you find out. Some people may be able to drink alcohol and have a cup of coffee, while others can’t even have one sip without pain. If you want to get a migraineur something for Christmas that isn’t going to trigger them, the best thing you can do is ask them, because not everyone is going to have to avoid chocolate. Chocolate can be a trigger for a small amount of people, but there is not enough evidence to diffidently confirm that chocolate is migraine trigger that you should avoid, because even though one person can’t have it, that doesn’t mean it’s a trigger for everyone, and no one can. What would you not get a migraineur for Christmas? I hope these gave you a few ideas on what not to get migraine for Christmas, and if you have any other suggestions, please let me know in the comment section below and share it with your friends.
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