That M Word: A Migraine Blog

Tea for Two

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 08:00:53 -0400

If you could invite one living person to your house for tea to explain migraine to them so they could truly understand it, who would it be?

I have a few candidates:

My current coworkers: they know my triggers (smelly food in the contained office for example) and refuse to adapt (we get a lunch break, you know!)
Some of the crueler doctors I’ve encountered: in particular my ER doctor from August and my former neurologist
My former co-workers from my old law firm: Some were kind and understanding but mainly because they had relatives with migraine. The others were completely intolerant and/or confused.

As for #3, I left that job (and the legal career) in part due to migraine. There’s a few reasons I’d like to talk to the old coworkers.

My migraines started during law school. All I wanted was to be healthier again. The final straw was in August 2011 when I was hospitalized with the most intense migraine of my life, requiring oxygen because I was going in and out of consciousness. This was clearly not “just a headache.” After that, I knew I could never go back to law.
When I resigned, my firm wouldn’t “let” me. They asked to talk to my mother since I was “not well enough” to make such an important decision. I had to resign three times before they would “allow” it. I wish I could explain to them what my hospital experience was like while at the same time asserting myself as a capable, independent adult.
One woman in particular commented that I just couldn’t handle the stress.
Some of the staff sent me a get well card after I resigned, which was a kind thought, but you don’t recover from chronic pain the way you recover from a broken leg.

Who would you want to explain migraine to so that they truly understand it?

My First Migraine

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 07:55:00 -0400

I’ve had headaches ever since I was a little kid, but I vividly remember my first migraine. I was in college, watching the Pittsburgh Steelers play in the Super Bowl. A few friends and I watched it at a fraternity house. Our “dinner” that night was typical college fare: pizza and beer. As soon as the Steelers won, all of us went running to lower campus to celebrate with the rest of our friends.

When we got there, we found students started rioting, jumping on cars, and setting things on fire. I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it, so I went back to my sorority suite to go to bed. I also noticed my head was hurting, but I was used to having headaches.

My sorority suite was in a residence hall located smack in the middle of all the riots. The noise outside seemed to aggravate my head even further. Suddenly I started to feel nauseous. I figured it must have been the beer I drank, but I had actually only had one beer, so that didn’t make too much sense to me.

Normally, I would sleep off a headache, but the pain was so intense, I actually was unable to fall asleep. Eventually with time, water, and some over the counter medicine, my pain went away. It wasn’t until almost a year and a half later, when my migraines got really bad in law school, that I realized what I had experience during Super Bowl 2006 was a migraine.

What was your first migraine like?

Happy Migraine Awareness Month! This month I’ll be...

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 07:54:02 -0400

Happy Migraine Awareness Month!

This month I’ll be participating in the Migraine Awareness Month Blogging Challenge from Teri Robert and Ellen Schankenberg. I encourage all of you to participate along with me and share the links to your post on my blog too. Let’s help make migraines visible!

Adventures with Imitrex

Thu, 31 May 2012 07:46:01 -0400

On Tuesday night, I had my first “real” migraine in a few weeks. I’m proud of how far I’ve come in terms of reducing stress and triggers in my life, but two triggers will always be my kryptonite: weather changes and hormones. Tuesday brought a nasty bout of thunderstorms to the Pittsburgh area, and the barometric pressure changes were out of control.

As usual, I put off taking an Imitrex until it was almost too late. While I was waiting for it to kick in, almost every little thing bugged me. I must have heated something in the microwave and taken it out with four seconds to go, because the microwave kept blinking 00:04. That somehow seemed to make my migraine worse. One of the kitchen cabinet doors came unhinged that morning and I hadn’t fixed it yet. That seemed to aggravate me too. Why do all of these seemingly innocuous things not only bother us but add to our pain when we are in the throes of a migraine attack? (Some researchers suggest clutter is painful to migraineurs during an attack!)

Once the Imitrex began to work, I knew I needed to eat something or else I’d get nauseous. I’ve never shared this before, but the first time I bite into something after I take an Imitrex is EXTREMELY painful. Does anyone else have this experience?

Thankfully, my migraine was gone, but I was left feeling like I’d been hit by a train. Oh, the joys of migraine postdrome.

How have your migraines been? Does clutter affect your migraines? Does eating post-Imitrex bother you? How is postdrome for you?

Roller Coasters and Migraine: Testing my Limits

Wed, 30 May 2012 07:47:01 -0400

I really tested my migraine limits this weekend.

My favorite family tradition was our annual trip to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. We would spend a few days at one of the resort hotels every year riding roller coasters, enjoying the water park, spending time at the beach, and trying all of the local restaurants.

Over Memorial Day weekend, my boyfriend and I decided to go back. As a kid I loved roller coasters more than anyone I knew, and the park held great memories for me. We decided to buy the “Fast Lane” pass so that we could get on all of the rides more quickly. What I DIDN’T realize was this meant was that we’d be riding four times as many rides in a day and that the rides I had so loved as a kid would now be migraine triggers for me.

I had to stop several times to sit down and catch my breath between rides. During the first day, I secretly hoped we could just sit at the beach for the second day instead of riding even more. I didn’t think my head could take it.

But at the end of our first day, I was put to a greater test than I could have imagined. At around 9:30 pm, we found ourselves stuck 300 feet in the air at the very top of the blue coaster on the left, the Millennium Force. I have felt completely helpless many times the past few years because of migraines, but this was a totally new feeling of helplessness! I was shaking uncontrollably, partially because of fear and partially because of the cold wind. I kept using my yoga breathing to try to relax my shoulders and neck to prevent a migraine. There was some concern that we would be manually removed from our seats and taken down the 300 foot hill (I still don’t know how that would happen because there are no steps!).

Luckily, 35 minutes later we were up and moving again. I did end up going back to the park the second day, but my stamina wasn’t nearly as long. Even though I am temporarily in migraine “remission,” I guess I will need to be much more careful in the future at amusement parks, since we migraineurs are constantly living lives of prevention.

Have you been able to go to an amusement park since your migraine or chronic pain diagnosis? Do the rides affect you? Have you found ways to prevent flare ups during a day at the park?

For More Info:

"…[T]he reason you get migraines is because your brain chemistry is abnormal. Your Migraine..."

Tue, 29 May 2012 07:57:01 -0400

“…[T]he reason you get migraines is because your brain chemistry is abnormal. Your Migraine Brain is hypersensitive to triggers and when it encounters them, it gets agitated and sets off an attack. Triggers do not cause migraine. They ignite it - like putting a match to dry kindling. Triggers only work when a person is already primed and ready to have a migraine.”

- Carolyn Bernstein and Elaine McArdle, The Migraine Brain

Happy Memorial Day! Hope you all have a migraine-free Monday!

Mon, 28 May 2012 08:01:01 -0400

Happy Memorial Day!

Hope you all have a migraine-free Monday!

"They get angry and distant because they don’t understand that I am suffering and can’t..."

Fri, 25 May 2012 07:52:57 -0400

“They get angry and distant because they don’t understand that I am suffering and can’t do everything I used to. Some think that I fake it to get people not to smoke around me, that I’m a picky eater, to get out of doing things for others. I believe that some people think I fake it for meds. That only makes it worse because then I’ll get stubborn and refuse to take meds and suffer more later. I just wish that people like that would get one migraine, the one that puts them down for the count, and see how they feel after that.”

- Kristine Hatak, “A Guided Tour of Hell: Migraine, In The Words Of Its Sufferers”

Sleep and Migraines

Thu, 24 May 2012 07:54:09 -0400

One change I have been terrible at making is getting a good night’s sleep (7-8 hours) at the same time every night, even weekends.

There are so many articles out there about the importance of a regular sleep schedule for migraine prevention. Some major recent studies found that not getting enough REM sleep changes key proteins that suppress and trigger chronic pain.

However, don’t go overboard. Too much sleep can trigger a migraine as well. It’s important for migraineurs to fall asleep and wake up at the same time every day, even on the weekends! Mid-day naps that last longer than 20-30 minutes can disrupt this schedule.

Do you manage migraines through a regular sleep schedule?

I’ve lost count of how many emotional breakdowns...

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:05:49 -0400

I’ve lost count of how many emotional breakdowns I’ve had due solely to health insurance. In the past two years, I’ve had four different insurance plans, and each new plan is worse and worse. I am so tired of not being able to buy a cheap insurance plan like the rest of the world because of migraines being a “pre-existing” condition.

Anyone else fed up? How do you deal with insurance issues (on top of your chronic pain)?

Summer Migraines

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:57:07 -0400

With temperatures reaching into the 80’s and 90’s this weekend, Summer is definitely here in Pittsburgh. Trying to take advantage of the nice weather, I set out for a run around the neighborhood with my boyfriend on Saturday afternoon. Since we were only out for about 40 minutes, I didn’t take any water with me. We were running on main roads in the heat of the afternoon and breathing in car exhaust fumes. Luckily, I did not get a full blown migraine, but I felt so sick I had to end the run earlier than expected.

How can migraineurs be better prepared for the summer months? Why does this weather affect us so much? Here are a few ways some people suggest preventing migraines in the summer:

Dehydration is a trigger: carry water at all times!
Humidity: barometric pressure changes are a huge trigger. We have to pay closer attention to the weather as migraineurs!
Sleep: people stay out later in the summer or don’t adjust to time zone changes as well. We know that consistent sleep patterns are essential to migraine prevention!
Beware of the fragrance in summer products like sunscreen and bug repellant.
Sun: too much time in the sun is a trigger for people: wear sunglasses or wide brim hats (in style right now!)

What are some of the ways you prevent migraines in the summer? How do migraines affect you during these months?

Works Cited:

Are Migraineurs Better Patients?

Mon, 21 May 2012 08:53:05 -0400

On Friday morning, I had a rare non-migraine related doctor’s appointment. In the weeks prior to the appointment, I jotted down notes and questions. Some were things that had been bugging me for years, and I had never previously addressed them. I realized that morning that ever since I was diagnosed with migraines, I have been more mindful of my body and anything that seems “off.” I have to wonder: do migraineurs make for better patients?

Migraine.Com calls this idea being an “empowered patient” and shares a few tips on that subject. My favorite is the idea of running your health like a business: carefully taking notes and learning as much as you can.
Health Central provides tips for having a successful doctor’s visit, which can really be applied to any doctor, not just a migraine specialist.

I think the concept of being a partner in your own health is crucial to your well-being. Have you noticed a difference in how you pay attention to your health since your migraine diagnosis?

Have You Ever Tried Lavender for Migraine Relief?

Fri, 18 May 2012 07:43:54 -0400

When I’m doing yoga, I love to use a silk lavender eye pillow to take savasana. As a chronic migraineur, I am sensitive to most fragrances, scents, and odors. I try to use as many fragrance-free products as possible. For some reason, lavender doesn’t bother me. In fact, it actually calms me to the point where I can feel my tense neck and shoulders relaxing.

Livestrong suggests that since lavender is so calming, it can actually help you get to sleep. All M Worders know that a good night’s sleep is essential to preventing migraines!
If a lavender scented pillow or candle is too strong, Everyday Health suggests creating a lavender vapor: 2 to 3 drops for every 2 to 3 cups of boiling water.
About.Com actually gives instructions on how to create a roll-on bottle of lavender to assist in migraine prevention/relief.

Are there any scents that you can tolerate as a migraineur? How do scents like lavender affect you?

Raynaud's Revisited

Thu, 17 May 2012 07:52:46 -0400

M worders, Runners, Raynaud-ers, I need your help! I’m noticing that when I run, especially longer distances, my Raynaud’s flares up. It’s May and I’m getting white cold fingers and toes. Since there is a potential link between Raynaud’s and migraine, I thought I’d turn to you! Is anyone else having this problem?

I did a little research and found a variety of potential remedies:

Linda Patch from “Don’t Stop Believing” found relief through taking 500 mg the amino acid L-Arginine three times a day
Runners World suggests using running gloves and even “Hot Hands” in the winter
Health Central suggests trying biofeedback or asking your doctor about more intensive medications
Finally, this New York Times post has a nice overview of Raynaud’s generally

It’s my understanding that Raynaud’s patients should wear mittens because gloves actually make the problem worse by isolating the fingers. I’m not sure about the effectiveness of wearing mittens while I’m running either. Also, I would HATE to be on a medication like a blood thinner for this type of problem. There has to be a more simple solution, right?

Is anyone else having Raynaud’s flare ups (even though the weather is warmer)? Have you been able to find relief?

A New Type of Pain Scale

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:03:05 -0400

A New Type of Pain Scale:

Isn’t it frustrating when you go to the ER with a horrible migraine attack and the only way the doctor can measure your pain is through an ambiguous pain scale? Or when you go to your neurologist and they want to know your average pain number for that month?

Victoria Saxton from Migraine Monologues found this great new pain scale that I wanted to share with you. Because of the helpful descriptions, I really think I can use this to jot down my headache and migraine attack pain.

Do you use a pain scale to track your migraines or chronic pain?

A Migraine Accomplishment

Tue, 15 May 2012 08:04:00 -0400

I used to love running even when my migraines were just starting… and then I got on Topamax. Because of the medication, my sweat glands closed and I couldn’t overheat. It’s not just Topamax: I tried other medications like Vivactil and Effexor too. The effects of these medications combined with my migraines took their toll, and for the past 4 years, I was unable to exercise much. (Not exercising can lead to migraines, by the way).

Then, with the help of my general physician, I took my last Topamax pill on March 18, 2012. The next day, I started a Couch to 5K running plan. The hardest part was starting out, but I really stuck to it. I made time for it no matter what else I was doing that day. Since March 18, I have only had one migraine, and I have to imagine running has helped.

As you probably know, I ran the Komen Race for the Cure in Pittsburgh, my first 5k ever, on Sunday morning with my boyfriend in honor of close friends and family who have had breast cancer, including my mom! I am so excited that I didn’t get a migraine and I was able to finish at my target pace. I just wanted to thank everyone for supporting me and encouraging me even when I was nervous. I faced some obstacles that I couldn’t even dream up, but my health is better than ever. Thank you so much for your support! More races to come!

Feather Earrings, Headbands, and Preventing Migraines

Mon, 14 May 2012 08:03:32 -0400

When I was out this weekend, I couldn’t help but notice all of the great trends that I can’t wear. Women complemented their dresses with trendy feather or dangly earrings and added headbands, both thick and thin styles. Ever since I was little, wearing earrings that are made of anything besides gold has given me a headache. Wearing most kind of headbands gives me a headache as well. I know this sounds high maintenance, but it’s true. And now EVERY headache I have becomes a migraine, which makes it all the more frustrating.

I am so proud of myself for being migraine free for this long, but it doesn’t mean I’ve “cured” my migraines or I’ve become suddenly immune to them. Being a migraineur means living a life of prevention. I really can’t emphasize that enough. Every single decision that I make relates in some way to my migraines: what I wear, like what I eat, and what I drink.

Sure, not being able to wear some kind of fashion trend isn’t the end of the world. I’m not trying to be overly dramatic. The continual deprivations and restrictions we migraineurs have to put on ourselves is what gets me frustrated. It’s particularly frustrating trying to explain some of our more ridiculous restrictions to others; you can almost guess their reactions. Some of my favorites are here and here).

What are some of the more unconventional things you have to do to prevent migraines? Do you ever get weird reactions from people?

How to Survive Wedding Season as an M Worder

Fri, 11 May 2012 07:47:00 -0400

My boyfriend and I started getting “Save The Date” cards for upcoming spring and summer weddings. My immediate thought process goes something like this:

“Oh how awesome for [Insert Friend Here]!”
“AHH, is it possible for me to get through their special day without a migraine?”

Weddings have generally been a source of M Words for me, and it’s not really surprising is it? Weddings are chock full of migraine triggers!

Incense at the church (smells)
Church being too hot/cold (Topamax)
Outdoor ceremony/reception (barometric pressure/weather)
Drinks at cocktail hour (alcohol)
Lack of migraine-friendly foods (food intolerances)
Loud music (noise)
Not enough water during the day (thirst)
Coffee at reception (caffeine)

That’s just a list I came up with in about 60 seconds, so I’m sure I’m missing major ones. It’s obviously not our day as M Worders, it’s about the bride and groom. But you have to take care of your own health first before you can be of use to anyone, including being a good friend to the bride and groom. So what can we do?

At the Ceremony:

Consider sitting toward the back so you can step out for some fresh air (or step into air conditioning) if necessary. I have passed out in a church before from being too overheated (thanks Topamax) so I don’t believe that subtly sneaking out for a minute for the sake of your health is rude.
Take water. I take a waterbottle with me everywhere. EVERYWHERE. To work, the mall, out to dinner, and yes even to church. I certainly don’t mean to be disrespectful, but it’s an absolute necessity to prevent M Words. (Thirst = trigger)

At Cocktail Hour:

Re-consider your drink selection. I have stopped drinking alcohol completely. Nearly each sip of alcohol I’ve taken in the past few years has ultimately led to a migraine. This is not worth it for me, but I choose to put my health first. I also do not drink any soda (Caffeine/Aspartame = Trigger). At a cocktail hour, I’d typically just ask for water.
Those trays of fried goodies and bacon-wrapped deliciousness look appealing, but I head straight to the fresh veggie and fruit stand (if there is one). You might even want to pack a little snack to take with you. Waiting too long to eat between meals is a trigger.

At the Reception:

If the music is too loud (noise = trigger), it’s okay to step out. You have to put your health first - keep telling yourself that!
Politely decline the after dinner coffee (Caffeine = Trigger). Water is your friend. This is the time when I might have to take an abortive migraine pill, such as sumatriptan/Imitrex. Don’t forget to pack your migraine meds (along with your water bottle and snacks - and the wedding gift!)

Luckily, my boyfriend is a pro at the role of Date Of M Worder. He goes outside with me if the music is too loud, and he’ll switch plates with me if I get something I can’t eat. I am so lucky - it would be very difficult for me to get through a wedding without him at this point!

Do you have any upcoming weddings? Do you have any tips to share on how to survive (and enjoy) weddings as a migraineur?

Gluten Free for Migraines?

Thu, 10 May 2012 07:48:54 -0400

A hot topic in migraine news lately is the relationship between gluten and migraines. Do people with celiac disease tend to get more migraines? Is gluten a migraine trigger?

Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center say that headaches are much more prevalent in patients with celiac disease than patients without it, according to a recent study. They found that migraine is “a common neurological manifestation” in patients with celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Dr. Marcus from Migraine.Com clarified the difference between celiac disease, wheat allergy, and gluten sensitivity:

Celiac disease: the only proven treatment is a gluten free diet
Wheat allergy: requires avoidance of wheat only; rye, barley, oats are OK
Gluten sensitivity: not linked to higher risk of cancer like celiac is

She suggests a proper diagnosis by a doctor to see if you have any of the three.

I have never tried a gluten free diet, so I am really curious about your experiences with gluten and migraines. Have you tried a gluten free diet? How has it affected your migraines?

Works Cited:

Running and Migraines

Wed, 09 May 2012 08:01:55 -0400

I’ve been told that daily exercise is crucial to preventing migraines but OVER exercising can trigger migraines. Now, add to this the fact that for the years I took Topamax I was unable to sweat. Add further the fact that my neuro insisted that I exercise when I had a severe migraine (now THAT’S a joke). Because of all this, I am so confused about the interaction between exercise and migraine.

The day I took my last Topamax pill, I started this Couch to 5K running plan. This plan is based on time as opposed to distance. When I started, I was only able to run 1 minute intervals at a time, and now, 7 weeks later, I am up to running 27 minutes at a time.

I’m not sure if I can attribute anything specific to my recent “success,” only one migraine since mid-March. I’ve done a few things:

Kept a low tyramine diet (but re-introduced soy, bananas, and avocados in moderation)
Switched from vegetarian to vegan (mostly because I found out that I was lactose intolerant)
Consumed NO caffeine or alcohol, and
Exercised almost every day.

I have to wonder if exercising daily is part of the reason I’ve felt better? Because this plan is so gradual, I’m not overexerting myself which could lead to a migraine. Ladies, my migraines are always worse during that time of the month, and regular exercise has actually caused that time to be not quite as terrible. I’m also running my first 5K next Sunday - wish me luck!

Have you found that running or regular exercise affects your migraines? What’s your exercise routine? Can you exercise when you have a migraine (I DEFINITELY cannot)?