Worsening Episodic Migraine
For quite some time, my migraine episodes seemed to be becoming more and more frequent. That seems to have tapered off and actually gone back down to just a few per month. The thing I have noticed more recently is that when I do have a migraine, it is considerably more debilitating than it used to be when I got one before.
Which came first?
I couldn’t say with any certainty which thing affected or contributed to the other, but I have gained a large amount of weight, and I find myself feeling down/depressed or stressed out more often than I ever did before. The seemingly never-ending construction going on at home still from Hurricane Harvey and the ever-tightening financial limitations, I’m sure, are definitely factors.
Are my attacks worsening my depression?
It is hard to say if the stress from the house, work, and weight are causing the depression and more severe migraines or if the migraines being worse than usual are contributing to the depression. Some days it is simply harder to get out of bed and face the day than others.
Is the weight gain related to stress?
The weight gain could simply be a coincidence and completely unrelated, but that is really hard to say. My eating habits and daily routine have not changed, but I would be lying if I said my stress levels and mood had not changed significantly. It has definitely affected both the amount and quality of sleep I have been getting nightly.
How have I managed my migraine?
Up to this point, my episodic migraines have most of the time been bearable. I would get a debilitating migraine on rare occasions. Like many other people who suffer with these types of migraine, I would have to retreat to the migraine cave and call it a day.
How have my attacks evolved?
This newest evolution of migraine takes away any chance of fighting through it. It goes directly from a minimal throbbing in the middle of my head, to me having to sit down and close my eyes in a matter of minutes. There is also very little warning. What’s worse is that the beginning stages of these migraines feel like nothing more than a good old fashion headache in the beginning.
Due to the mild start to the migraine, I typically take Motrin like I would for any other headache. Unfortunately, by the time I realize what is going on, the migraine is in full swing and my abortive is only able to dull the pain a little instead of breaking the cycle like it used to do.
Why have abortives become challenging?
I don’t want to sound like my abortive is no longer helpful because that is simply not the case. If I recognize that a migraine is coming and take my abortive right from the start, it still makes a world of difference in breaking the cycle of a migraine. The problem I am currently having is simply not recognizing right away that what I am feeling is the start of a migraine. Unfortunately, as many others who suffer already know, once the migraine is there, the abortive medications are much less effective.
Does anybody else struggle at times to realize when a migraine is coming until it is too late?
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