The Cons of Episodic Migraine

I genuinely feel awful for people who suffer from horrific migraine attacks day in and day out. I literally cannot imagine the toll it takes. I am so glad there is a community like this one to support everyone in that situation, and long may it live!

But even having been both a supporter and a supported member of the community, I feel like I have a "secret." My dirty confession is that I don't get migraine attacks very frequently these days. In conversations with fellow "episodic migraine teamies," we all feel a bit shy saying we experience a more episodic migraine pattern.

The stigma of episodic migraine

An episodic migraine pattern is generally described as experiencing less than 15 days of head pain per month. That feels chronic enough for sure, but...much of the world believes (not necessarily here, but the sting of worry remains):

• We should feel "lucky." We get good days.
• We "don't have it too bad." We get good days.
• We shouldn't complain because compared to "so and so," we have nothing to complain about.

Those comparisons have some edge of truth to them. But that doesn't mean our individual migraine experience is less worthy of conversation.

The challenges of life with unpredictable attacks

Experiencing episodic migraine attacks now and then actually does have some drawbacks. (!) Yes, I dared say it. Because our symptoms are less frequent, we have fewer data points to help us find a solution.

If you don't experience an attack regularly, it is incredibly hard to eliminate other factors and narrow down your specific triggers. Identifying more subtle triggers simply takes much longer when you only get a few attacks a month.

This should be good, yes. Fewer days of pain, distress, and fewer days of aura is not just good, it's excellent! This is especially true for food-related triggers. No denying it. And I wouldn't want to trade my current pattern. Not for a second.

Overcoming the "lucky one" label

I've known people with mild chronic migraine symptoms and completely debilitating episodic migraine symptoms. I feel for all of them - for all of you.

But sometimes I feel almost like the horror of chronic migraine means that people with episodic migraine get lumped together as the "lucky ones." I don't want those people to be forgotten or unsupported.

I'd really love to ask a quite sensitive question of our loving and supportive community. I know that with insomnia, there is almost a "competition" between sufferers over who takes more medications, who sleeps less, or who has suffered longer. If you are a person with chronic migraine, do you have any negative feelings toward those of us who have episodic migraine?