Migraines have changed my whole life & being

By anniehandscombe-petherick

2 min read

I am 43. I got my first migraine about 2.5 years ago. The first one lasted 6 weeks & I continued to get them regularly. After many medication trials I now am taking Deralin, Catapres, Physeptone & an anti-depressant for clinical depression/anxiety. I also take paracetamol or ibuprofen & sometimes have to have a morphine injection or Phenergan to knock me out.

I have been through a lot of stress for the past 7 years, losing my children's father to a brain tumor & many adverse affects this had on my boys' lives & behaviors as well as my own.
It was found during the 1st year of migraines that I was also pre-menopausal, now menopausal.
Generally I get a terrible visual aura sometimes one eye sometimes both, spots or lines or just blurriness. I generally vomit & my blood pressure drops drastically.

I have isolated myself due to both the migraines & the depression and have found myself presently very depressed & recently had suicidal thoughts. I have a partner/friend for 10 years and it is very hard for him to understand, along with the other issues. We don't live together and I am finding he is staying away more as he doesn't know how to deal with my migraines/depression and the whole package deal. My 2 teenage boys also find it hard. I often have to ask for help for transporting as they are heavily involved in sports and extra-curricular activities which I have somehow managed to keep going.

I had to give up work 2 years ago as the migraines were just too frequent. I am at my worst at the moment as far as my mental health goes and find I have isolated myself so much that people don't bother ringing anymore. Reading through stories on Migraine.com has made me realize I am not alone. I have put on weight & desperately want to set goals to get fit & healthy again. IN Australia at the moment it is extremely hot and I find the days of over 30 degrees unbearable. We area heading into 7 days of 35-45 degrees and I know to prepare and shop etc today. Kids are back to school in 2 days so that has to be done too.

It isn't until you experience a migraine that u realize that they are so so so much more than a headache. The screen is now an array of big black spots so I will come back another day :(

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Nancy Harris Bonk Moderator
Hi Annie, First I'd like to say I'm so sorry to read about the loss of your children's father, please accept my condolences. I can't imagine how difficult that must be. Please know you aren't alone feeling isolated and desperate as migraine disease can raise these feelings for many of us, including myself. But if you feel you are unable to cope with things or are going to hurt yourself or others, please contact a crisis hotline or talk with someone you can trust. We have a post on this topic here; <a href='http://migraine.com/blog/migraine-crisis-help/' target='_blank'>http://migraine.com/blog/migraine-crisis-help/</a>. I found this site online for crisis help in AU; <a href='http://www.lifeline.org.au' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>http://www.lifeline.org.au</a>. Depression and anxiety are often found to be comorid conditions with migraine. This means they can occur at the same time but are not caused by one another. Let me share a link with you on this for more information; <a href='https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-comorbidities-anxiety/' target='_blank'>https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-comorbidities-anxiety/</a> and <a href='https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-comorbidities-depression/' target='_blank'>https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-comorbidities-depression/</a>. Coping with chronic illness is not easy to do and many of us are not automatically equipped with these skills - no one expects to be chronically ill. In my opinion, it's a good idea to seek counseling from someone who specializes in treating people with chronic illness in addition to taking medication if necessary. It's amazing how helpful talk therapy can and the benefits we can get from it. This combination seems to work for me and others I work with. One of the problems may of us run into is called medication overuse headache (moh) which was formerly called rebound headache. In wanting the head pain to go away we may find ourselves taking too much medication to relieve the pain. Moh may occur if we take migraine abortive medications (like Imitrex) and pain medications, whether they are over-the-counter or prescription, more then two to three days a week. The problem then becomes an endless cycle of pain that is difficult to break and our migraines are harder to treat. Does that make sense? <a href='https://migraine.com/blog/help-how-can-i-not-overuse-migraine-medications/' target='_blank'>https://migraine.com/blog/help-how-can-i-not-overuse-migraine-medications/</a>. Educating people about migraine is another task altogether. It as if those who haven't experienced a migraine attack don't seem to "get it." They are unable to understand that a migraine is much more than a headache. Migraine is a genetic neurological disease where our overly sensitive brains are triggered by certain stimuli like a drop in estrogen, changes in our sleeping patterns, becoming dehydrated, skipping meals, certain foods and many other things. An important part of a migraine management plan is being able to identify our triggers and try to avoid. When you get a minute take a look at this information on migraine triggers; <a href='https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-management-essential-trigger-management/' target='_blank'>https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-management-essential-trigger-management/</a>. I could go on, but I've overwhelmed you enough already!! After you've read this let me know how I can be of more help, Nancy

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