Aside from the pain itself, which issue is the most difficult for you as a migraineur?

I hope this helps you, Redhead,

The biggest problem I had as I suffered migraine was in the combination of medications and the resulting side effects.  The migraine medication triggered depression; the depression medication triggered dehydration; the dehydration triggered migraine.  I was on a vicious cycle and was holding the prescription in my hand for the 8th medication when I decided I needed to take another route to wellness.  I purchased magnetic insoles, a magnetic necklace, purified my water and started taking organic barley grass whole food supplements.  Within one year I had successfully eliminated all medication and have had NO migraine headache in over two years.  I also have been able to manage situational depression without medication. The lost time from work, lost wages, lost opportunities and lost relationships were a steep price to pay for the knowledge I have gained.  I am so grateful to be off all meds and will gladly share my story with anyone who wants to hear it.  Good luck with your writing.  Angels on your shoulders.

Earthmother

In no particular order:

Relationships- family, friends and spouses at times feel helpless and distance themselves because they do not understand as well as the ones who don't seem to care or have any desire to understand and learn more. Then guilt comes as a result of relationships falling apart.

Finances- finding medications, treatments and physicians are all very costly, as well as affecting a job/career and the ability to be there, much less move up the "food chain"

Jobs/Hobbies- it is hard to do ANYTHING when migraines take over your life. Losing jobs is difficult because again, that ties in to money and relationships as well. Losing hobbies puts things into perspective...How bad is it that I can't do things I (used to) enjoy?

I think, for most, there is less fear and anxiety about having migraines in general BUT it's more of a "when are they going to hit?" I am engaged and have been terrified that I will have a "bad one" on my wedding day.

Medications/Treatments/Triggers- I have found that taking different medications and treatments is hard on your body in general. Starting and stopping medications, losing and gaining weight, side effects from each thing. AND Finding triggers..wow, that one is fun. How many diaries have I been through? ha ha

If I had to pick ONE thing, I would have to say that my finances in general have suffered more than anything. I had hit rock bottom at one point and lost everything, I am still trying to dig out of medical bills and probably will for some time to come.

I hope this helps!

 

A good part of it is trying to get people to understand that it's NOT "just a headache". I think my husband got the idea when I ended up spending 2 days in front of the toilet and he had to take me to the ER for fluids and meds.

I WISH they were "just headaches"!

The other part would be the frustration of trying to find something that works. I've tried so many things, with no success. The neuro now wants to try me on beta blockers, but the asthma specialist says hell no. I tried calcium channel blockers, but they tanked my blood pressure: I have low blood pressure to begin with, so dropping it more makes it so that I literally can't function.

I can count the # of diaries I've kept, the "migraine diets" (which the current neuro wants me to redo again, but restrict my foods to only rice, oatmeal, potatoes and chicken and do that for 6 mo. I said NO, not for that time period, and I've done it before, why do I have to do it AGAIN??!)

Topamax is probably going to be the next one I try. I just hope something works, and that whatever works has minimal side effects.

It's just all so frustrating.