Why I'm not sleeping
So I have to start by sharing that this site, stories, and articles have been a savior to me. I thank all of you who have shared.
Some things about me:
I have Narcolepsy with Cataplexy. After nearly 6 years fighting for a diagnosis for this, and getting proper treatment/medical team, I'm at least old hat at 'hurry up and wait'
I have a strong family history of migraines, had abdominal migraines as early as 3, and had my first honest to goodness migraine at 13, right when I started menstruating. But then they "went away" for these last 10 years. I would have occasional issues that all came back to migraines, but nothing serious until about 2012.
I don't know how most people's migraines work (there really isn't ONE way) but I am most affected by the prodrome, postdrome, and aura. By the time I develop head pain (if I do) my body is so beat that it doesn't mean much. I typically experience a 2-4 day prodrome/aura, and if no head pain develops, a 2 day postdrome. The list of prodrome symptoms on the site reads like my tracking diary, save a few. But my most two crippling symptoms are severe vision changes that last the duration of an attack, and....insomnia. Horrible, horrible insomnia. Because of the narcolepsy, I have a strict sleep schedule I maintain. If something disrupts that, I get a Migraine. But as soon as I develop prodrome symptoms, sleep is out the window, despite sleep medications from my neurologist. Am I the only one who drags myself to bed thinking "this could be a problem" only to have your eyes act like they'll explode if the lash lines touch? My neurologist has been dealing with my Narcolepsy for 3 years, but we just started trying abortive meds for migraines. They just don't help the insomnia.
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