The Cons of Episodic Migraine

I genuinely feel awful for people who suffer from horrific migraine symptoms day in and day out. I literally cannot imagine it.

I am so glad there is a community like this one to support everyone in that situation. 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: I don't get migraine 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

Episodic migraine is generally described as less than 15 days of migraine experience per month. That feels chronic enough for sure, but...a lot 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 things are comparators that have some edge of truth to them. But that doesn't mean our individual experience of migraine is less worthy of conversation.

The challenges of life with unpredictable attacks

Experiencing migraine now and then actually does have some drawbacks. (!) Yes, I dared say it. We have fewer data points to help us find a solution.

What is a trigger? What isn't?

If you don't experience something regularly enough, it's hard to eliminate other factors and narrow it down. It is harder to identify more subtle triggers because we have fewer data points. If you get three migraines a month, it takes much, much longer to identify subtle triggers.

This should be good, yes. Fewer days of pain and distress. Less aura days. That 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. Not for a second.

Overcoming the "lucky one" label

But 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 with the 'lucky ones' - and 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. Who takes more meds, who sleeps less, who has suffered longer?

If you are a person with chronic migraine, do you have any negative feelings toward those who have episodic migraine?