Teresa's Journey with Migraine Triggers and Treatment

I first met Teresa in a small forum on Facebook for local moms. She was advertising her online infant sleep course. I signed up for Teresa's class and learned the magic of tracking my daughter's sleep, being mindful of her cues, setting realistic expectations, and much more.

Getting to know Teresa

During the course, I got to know Teresa and found out she also has migraine and I've seen her talk openly about parenting, sleep, migraine, and mental and physical health on her social media pages. She agreed to an interview and we spoke on September 23, 2019.

Below are some highlights from the conversation (Note: the conversation is slightly condensed for flow and readability). To read her full bio and more about her services, you can also visit her website at stewartfamilysolutions.com.

Teresa's experience with migraine

I'm almost 38 and I got them [migraines] right before I turned 13, pretty much with the onset of my first period. And at first, all through high school, they pretty much were a monthly occurrence very much tied to my menstrual cycle.

I, unfortunately, get migraines with auras about 60% of the time. I either get zigzags or sometimes a really annoying big white spot in the middle of my vision and then I can't see or make out anything. I get tongue numbness, vertigo, nausea. I sometimes vomit. My hands get weird, my jaw goes numb, all that fun stuff.

What have you done in the past and maybe more currently in terms of treatment of your migraines, not just medical but also coping strategies and any kind of self-care that ties into your migraines?

Sensory triggers

Part of it has definitely been a long road of trying to figure out my triggers beyond the hormonal component. I'm sensitive to smells such as bleach, paints, and any harsh chemicals.

Certain foods have definitely been triggers. Some things like onions, even just the smell of onion, will trigger a migraine. I pretty much can't drink any alcohol anymore. It started initially with red wine but is now all alcohol. I have to be careful with my caffeine intake because too much or too little seems to be a recipe for a migraine.

Stress and sleep

I’ve spent a lot of time journaling, figuring out triggers, and trying to avoid things as much as possible. Stress is also a big component in my migraines and some other chronic stuff that I have. So I try to be mindful of not just working out and trying to eat healthily, but managing my stress.

Ironically, sleep issues are another trigger—and I'm a sleep consultant so one would think I’d have all of this figured out. But there are certain times related to my menstrual cycle where I don't sleep very well. And I have to be mindful of that because not enough sleep and the hormone changes combined is a recipe for migraines, too.

Working with doctors

I struggled to find the right doctor for quite a while. I was dismissed by a lot of doctors. I have a few co-morbid conditions including fibromyalgia and some other autoimmune stuff, but I didn't really have a lot of success with rheumatologists. But recently, over the beginning of last summer, I connected with a new-to-me neurologist and he was amazing. He really saw things in a very integrative manner.

Her treatment journey

I'm currently back on Imitrex, which is something I was on years ago. But when I got pregnant the first time in 2006, I was told that you're not really supposed to be on Imitrex during pregnancy or breastfeeding. (Author's note: The thinking on Imitrex and pregnancy is evolving). After I was pregnant and done breastfeeding my daughter and I went back on it, it no longer worked for me at that time. And I've tried it a couple of times since then and it wasn't effective.

But the doctor I saw in June said, "Let's just try one more time. Your body's always changing." And right now, in the last three months, that has been a lifesaver for me. It's not a preventative, it doesn't stop them from happening, but it has been very effective in the last three months. It’s keeping them to only about three to five hours versus the two to three days that I was experiencing in the last year. However, in the back of my mind, I kind of have that fear, now it's working great, but what if it stops working again?

To read more of Teresa's story, click here for Part Two, where she will talk about parenting, coaching, and more!