Hi Amber. I find it quite ironic that today is Migraine at work day considering I have just spend the last two days off work sick with a migraine. I usually average around 2-3 migraines a month, but some months I will get 2-3 migraines in just a week period. I would say that the last few years most of my days off have been migraine related. I find it’s not just the sever headaches that knock me off my feet, but the nausea and the dizziness. I also feel like a zombie for a day or two after, my brain feeling like it’s working at its lowest setting, and I tire very easily.
In some ways I’m lucky that my boss is understanding as his wife also suffers migraines, but I hate feeling unreliable and letting my colleagues down. Also because I live alone I can’t really afford time off too often or I don’t get paid enough.
I have also found getting help from my doctor to be frustrating, I have tried many different meds over the years but I am one of those unfortunate people who suffer side affects from everything and sometimes they can be just as debilitating as the migraine attack.
It is shocking that a condition that affects so many people is given so little attention by health care professionals and their training. And I do hate it when people react to it as just being a headache. If they only knew.
Thank you for sharing your experience Caroline, though I’m sorry to hear how debilitating it is for you. I’m glad to hear you have an understanding boss who knows you are genuine. You are far from alone in your experience of medication - though there has been some movement forward in recent years, the medication we’ve been given to date is mostly non-migraine specific with little more effect than increased debilitation. I have found it simply fascinating to research about and understand that through doing so (even if no other changes are made), you can expect to reduce attacks by half just through research and understanding more about its complexities alone - something to think about x
I know there are often said to be many f dietary triggers. I drink very little coffee, I don’t drink alcohol but I was surprised by the link with gluten. Due to hearing about this on your podcasts I am now cutting gluten out of my diet. I never realised how much food it was in until I started looking into it.
I find my main triggers seem to be hormonal and environmental.
It is nice to find others that are in a similar situation and to see what they have experienced and learnt and to see what I can learn and take away from it. Thank you
Oh wow, this has absolutely made my day that you have not only been listening to my podcasts but taken inspired action from it🙏🥲 I felt the same about sugar - it’s in EVERYthing. I read into hormones a lot as part of my research, influencing the changes I’ve made which (in time) have hugely helped rebalance my hormones, reducing attacks massively, I hope to share more on that side of things in time to come. If you ever have any questions, I would love to hear them. They can be so helpful to know what to write about next x
I definitely look forward to hearing more about what you have learned and experienced in regards the hormone thing. As it seems hormones are a possible trigger and as I’m now in my early 40’s so getting closer and closer to going through “the change” I do worry what impact it will have on my migraines. So any help and advice in this area would be greatly welcomed.
Hi Amber. I find it quite ironic that today is Migraine at work day considering I have just spend the last two days off work sick with a migraine. I usually average around 2-3 migraines a month, but some months I will get 2-3 migraines in just a week period. I would say that the last few years most of my days off have been migraine related. I find it’s not just the sever headaches that knock me off my feet, but the nausea and the dizziness. I also feel like a zombie for a day or two after, my brain feeling like it’s working at its lowest setting, and I tire very easily.
In some ways I’m lucky that my boss is understanding as his wife also suffers migraines, but I hate feeling unreliable and letting my colleagues down. Also because I live alone I can’t really afford time off too often or I don’t get paid enough.
I have also found getting help from my doctor to be frustrating, I have tried many different meds over the years but I am one of those unfortunate people who suffer side affects from everything and sometimes they can be just as debilitating as the migraine attack.
It is shocking that a condition that affects so many people is given so little attention by health care professionals and their training. And I do hate it when people react to it as just being a headache. If they only knew.
Thank you for sharing your experience Caroline, though I’m sorry to hear how debilitating it is for you. I’m glad to hear you have an understanding boss who knows you are genuine. You are far from alone in your experience of medication - though there has been some movement forward in recent years, the medication we’ve been given to date is mostly non-migraine specific with little more effect than increased debilitation. I have found it simply fascinating to research about and understand that through doing so (even if no other changes are made), you can expect to reduce attacks by half just through research and understanding more about its complexities alone - something to think about x
I know there are often said to be many f dietary triggers. I drink very little coffee, I don’t drink alcohol but I was surprised by the link with gluten. Due to hearing about this on your podcasts I am now cutting gluten out of my diet. I never realised how much food it was in until I started looking into it.
I find my main triggers seem to be hormonal and environmental.
It is nice to find others that are in a similar situation and to see what they have experienced and learnt and to see what I can learn and take away from it. Thank you
Oh wow, this has absolutely made my day that you have not only been listening to my podcasts but taken inspired action from it🙏🥲 I felt the same about sugar - it’s in EVERYthing. I read into hormones a lot as part of my research, influencing the changes I’ve made which (in time) have hugely helped rebalance my hormones, reducing attacks massively, I hope to share more on that side of things in time to come. If you ever have any questions, I would love to hear them. They can be so helpful to know what to write about next x
I definitely look forward to hearing more about what you have learned and experienced in regards the hormone thing. As it seems hormones are a possible trigger and as I’m now in my early 40’s so getting closer and closer to going through “the change” I do worry what impact it will have on my migraines. So any help and advice in this area would be greatly welcomed.