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Draining the Life Out of You

Draining the Life Out of You

I am a fairly energetic person, or at least I was before the migraines became so consistent. Even through the episodic migraines I have lived with for years now, I always managed to find a way to power through and be productive on most days with the exception of the really bad migraines. On the occasions that I get the extreme migraine, it definitely knocks me off of my feet until my medication can eventually get it under control again.

Will my abortive medication work today?

Lately, I have discovered a downward spiraling trend with my migraine pain. My abortive, which used to work exceptionally well, has started to lose its effectiveness. I still count on my medication to break the cycle of most of my episodes, but on the rare occasion that I have a bad attack, the medicine is beginning to falter. I have been able to count on my medication for quite some time to get the job done. Unfortunately, things are beginning to change. On some days, the medication works great, while on other days, the medication barely even takes the edge off.

Does sleep help the migraine pain?

The result of the medicine beginning not to work as well leaves me to endure the pain for considerably longer, which can lead to a depression or just a generally unhappy mood. It has also begun to take its toll on me physically. I find that more and more, even after a good night’s sleep, I have no energy in the mornings when I get up. The pain becomes a drain on my energy regardless of how much sleep I can get at night.

How am I getting through the day?

The alarm goes off, and I sit up and turn the alarm off just like before, but lately, I've been spending the next fifteen to twenty minutes sitting there on the side of the bed with my face in my hands. I spend this time trying to grasp that the new day has arrived, and it is time to get started once again. These are the days where I spend almost half of my day fighting falling asleep at work. Unfortunately, eating does not seem to help one way or another, beyond the fact that if I do not eat, I am almost certain to end up with another migraine.

What can I do about it?

At this point, I am not sure what to do about it. I am afraid to ask my doctor about trying a different abortive medication because on most days, the one I have really helps. But on the days that my current medication does not help, it almost seems to make things worse. I have also experienced that anytime I try explaining the feeling drained or exhausted from the migraine pain, the doctors simply want to prescribe antidepressants. It is like the doctors do not realize or understand that the pain from a severe migraine can drain you physically and emotionally without you having to be officially depressed daily.

Do your migraines drain you physically and emotionally?

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