Drudgery - My life

By susankinnon-timmons

2 min read

I'll try to keep my story short and sweet. I am 42, I have been suffering from chronic migraines for almost two years now. I have done everything. I am not a very high stress person, I live in the day and let things go. The irony of my migraines is that I started getting them when I started to live really healthy. My kids had just gone back to school, I started going to the gym, trying to eat better, get to bed early, etc..etc... and with getting healthy came my migraines.

For the past two years I have gone to my PCP, a neurologist, a headache center, an acupuncturist, massages, an integrative medicine facility, my GYN and finally I just started seeing an osteopath.

I recently just started keeping track of my good days because they are so few it takes less time. My current pattern seems to be a 3 day migraine that starts in my neck. For the first 2 days I can take Imitrex/tramadol/fioricet to get through, usually the third day is 24 hours in bed. After that I get mild to moderate constant pain for 7-10 days that I try to get by with minimal meds (tramadol/fioricet). I may get a day, day 1/2 in between of relief then the cycle starts again.

I think it is hormonal, they all think I am too young to be having those kind of hormonal fluctuation that come with menopause?!?!?! Today is actually a good day and is the only reason that I am able to write this.

My biggest issue is that almost all the doctors that I see want to medicate me... I don't want to be medicated, I want to find out why the hell this is happening and what I can do about it, it is very frustrating. I feel like I must be paying for a crime in my former life!! The integrative medicine facility I am going to is treating me for yeast, which they believe I got an overgrowth of from all the antibiotics the doctors put me on when I first started getting these - they thought I had a sinus infection. They are also treating my thyroid - hypothyroidism - with the feeling that getting my thyroid on track may help the hormonal side of things.

My next avenue is going back to my GYN to see if I may have cysts or anything that could be causing hormonal fluctuations, then my next step after that is to go for a hysterectomy, I can't continue to live like this and to me the possible reward outweighs the risk.

I have a husband and four boys, 11, 9, 8 and 7... I know you are thinking that you now know why I get migraines... and of course I am busy etc... but I do take care of myself. I used to love life, now I just deal with it. I know that my husband and boys suffer from my mirgraines too, even thought I try to hard to not let it interfere... I don't like seeing my kids checking on me when I have one of those days that I can't get out of bed... making sure that Mom is OK, it BREAKS MY HEART!!!!

So that is my short and sweet story - yeah right - nothing short or sweet about it ;)

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Well honey good luck trying to find the cause! I have been trying that for 41 years! They either just don't know OR they are making too much money treating them! That's MY theory! I gave up trying to find out WHY I get them...Now I just want a CURE! Meanwhile I will just keep taking migraine meds...have you tried Relpax yet? That is what works best for me so far.
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I must say your story sounds way too familiar to many of us who suffer. I have been suffering for about 38 yrs. Menapause actually made my daily migraines even worse, just when you think you have a handle on t it slips away. Don't give up, I'm not so sure on a hysterectomy but, I am sure you have discussed this with someone who specializes in migraines not just a neurologist. Best wishes for a plan we can all live with................
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Since they start in your neck, have you had an MRI of your neck to see about a herniated disc or arthritis? My neck is a big trigger for me and I need weekly or bi-weekly head and neck massage to keep things under control. Good luck!
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I have suffered from them for 4 years (shortly after the birth of my second child) and find that yoga helps with a reduction in the intensity of my pain. Instead of paying a class or video for yoga, I just tried a 20 mins Beginner's session. I can't work my way up to 20 mins yet (between 8 and 17), but it has helped me. It's worth a try, and I am not quite so flexible either.
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I am the same age as you are and have similar patterns I at the same point in frustration that you are at! I am currently trying migrirelief it has helped my sister and a friend but it takes 3 months to fully work! I have had some success with brain wave technology. Its relaxation music that changes your brain waves it has helped me a bit no magical cure but has made some of the worst days more bearable. And its cheap in comparison to so much of the other migraine stuff out there $10 a download. The site is <a href='http://brainsync.com' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>brainsync.com</a> try it maybe it will help.
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 Thanks for the music resource. Anything that might make a migraine more bearable is worth a try.
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 thanks jen for posting this so i can share with my sister... it was great seeing you and laughing.... do you think they are ready for our nights around the fire???? love ya....
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Just so you know, your not alone. Your story is very similar to my own and I have no answers. Good luck...I'll be praying for you.
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I feel so much better since I started getting bio identical hormone pellets...i am 43 and now only get migraines the worst with weather change and allergies...still get them really bad but feel so much better with the hormones. just a thought. check out biobalance. Hope you get some answers and feel better.
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 what's bio identical hormone pellets??
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 Charlene Viera-Chase <a href='http://www.biobalancehealth.com/bioidentical-hormone-replacement/womens-hormones-menopause/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>http://www.biobalancehealth.com/bioidentical-hormone-replacement/womens-hormones-menopause/</a>
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I feel your pain. I've been trying to find relief for 20 yrs. Missing out on plans that I've already made, missing appts all the time bc you can't get out of bed, it is just something you wouldn't wish on anybody. I'm so tired of it, but don't know what to do...
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 Try smokin it away.... 😀
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I have also had that thought, like I am paying for something from a former life...Not that I actually believe that 😀
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I've had migraines for 25 years and life is hard sometimes. I know how frustrating it can be. Praying that one day we will all get some relief!,
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Same here, I am 44. We are checking hormones too. I too thought I was being punished for my former way of life. I don't believe in anything but meds and have found a Dr. who doesn't overmedicate and we have tried many things. Best of Luck to us all!
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I've had migraines for 25 yrs. For 15 yr.s they were with my periods. They got worse & didn't seem to have a pattern about 10 yr.s ago. After about a yr, I stopped all the drugs except Imitrex & for some reason got better. The migraines didn't cease, just got less frequent & responded to Imitrex. Then after my hysterectomy 11 mths ago things went haywire again & I have had a migraine 25 or more days out of 30 for 5 months. Don't rush to hysterectomy; I had to have one for other health reasons. Best wishes. There are more options now than in the past.
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I had a hysterectomy for my menstrual migraines - one of the best things I have done!
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careful with that firocet it is notorious for causing rebound headaches from hell...check your diet even healthy foods can be known triggers for migrainers....sugar substitutes are some of the worse also....yeast, aged foods, grapes , wine, some nuts, cheeses, some chocolate for me it's the dark bittersweet kind but milk chocolate is ok.....raisins and other dried fruits..look up the low tyramine diet..start their with an elimination diet and slowly add back new foods one at a time you may find one or more culprits hope that helps....
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been reading everyone's posts for those with the neck pain that is a symptom for many if you are chronic have you tried tizanidine? it's a muscle relaxant taken at night. it has worked wonders for my 14 year old who was in a migraine on many occasions for over a week with no relief....her migraines aren't gone completely but are fewer and shorter between...she also had some bio-feedback training....It's just finding the right combo for you and not settling for whatever they throw at you..do your research and say hey doc what about this..and if they won't listen then find a new doc....none of us should be treated with disreguard..migraines are extremely painful......
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Try Vitamin B2 - has been only thing that has worked for me long term - I just have to remember to keep taking it every day!
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 Yep, beer has a lot of vitamin B 😀

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