Getting worse after 29 years

By ellensr

1 min read

Hi,
I will be 71 in one week and my migraines have taken a different path. Twelve years ago I started getting 2 moderate per week instead of 1 severe migraine per week. About 3 years I started skipping a week and was I thought "they" are going away, and I may be able to have some kind of normalcy in my life.

What seems to have happened is that the Amerge I take (the only thing that worked) has stopped working completely. It leaves me with 3-6 days sick of misery. I have tried everything else and I am chemical sensitive.

The Cefaly device helped a bit for 3 months and then "they" got worse. So now I am trying to sell the device to someone who has an aura. It works best for those who get them. I do not know what more I can do. Elimination diets and Acupuncture did not help me. I avoid Tyramine, fermented foods. I even cut out yogurt for 1 month. Medication trials will not accept a 71 year old with other problems like Fibromyalgia. I give up!

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The Migraine.com team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

Join the conversation

Please read our rules before commenting.

bodhigirl Member
You reached out and shared your story, so you haven't given up yet and please don't. You have to be remarkable to have come this far with migraine and fibromyalgia and I imagine you have lessons to share.I haven't found anything that prevents or reduces my episodes, but there is something out there for both of us. I understand feeling worn-out, discouraged and exhausted. I hope you will be kind to yourself and take the time to recover and get stronger again so that you can press on. And, I hope that your misery is soon only a memory.
jean Member
Ellen, I am your age. When I was 17 stopped taking the monthly allergy shot for "sinus headaches" because the shots started causing headaches. For many years I was very episodic with short "sick headaches". Finally discovered they were migraines. In peri-menopause they turned monthly and eventually happened more often, lasted longer and were extreme attacks. For the last 18 months they have been daily silent or mild. Seems like a life time ago that I tried preventatives that didn't prevent only caused more problems and abortives that would work for awhile then stop. By 2000 had no insurance so tried exedrin migraine. It worked better than the Rx's. I also am chemical sensitive. I've tried different supplements and have settled mainly on magnesium, B complex, B12 and coQ10. Several years ago I changed my diet to whole foods plant based, no chemicals and minimally processed. I figure that the best thing I can do is keep my body healthy. I don't have fibromyalgia but do have neuromuscular problems because of too many injuries to the spine. I can understand the feeling of wanting to give up but don't have the temperament to actually ever give up. Take care of yourself.
lizflynn Member
Ellen I understand your terrible frustration and misery. I wouldn't wish this horror on anyone. I am 53 and have been dealing with these monstrous headaches since my earliest memories. As I've grown older they have also evolved, become stronger, longer lasting & more frequent and I've had to give up many foods and products and activities. I am also very sensitive to chemicals as well as to certain fumes, bright light and a variety of foods. We've all suffered through a long stormy spring this year which can be extra miserable for migraine sufferers but hopefully there will be many better weather days ahead for us. Since your body is sensitive to chemicals etc. it is possible that you have some food or chemical trigger that you are not aware of. As we age our tolerance changes. As much as an aggravation as it can be you might consider an elimination diet even if you have done it in the past. Some of my triggers are not commonly included in the foods to avoid lists. Hunger can also be a trigger for me so I try to make sure to have some healthy snacks during the day. One of my most sudden and fierce migraines happened minutes after I had applied spray on sunscreen. Are you staying hydrated throughout the day? Have you ever tried meditation? It did have a good effect for me and now that you've made me think of it I want to try to get back to it. It all seems so random and can make you feel so powerless and isolated. Other people just do not understand the magnitude of the misery unless they actually have migraines. Sadly there is no one answer or magic pill for us but we can't be done in by it. Hang in there. Fight the fight for yourself but please be gentle, patient and tender with yourself - you deserve it.
1. ellensr Member
 Thank you Hope & a Prayer. This is exactly the response that has lifted my spirits in the last few months. I am hoping things will change. Than you Luna, I am allergic to B12, but I do take B2, Magnesium and vit D. I have been vigilant since I was first diagnosed with migraines, fibromyalgia and Hasimottos 29 years ago. I gave up ALL processed foods, grew my own organic produce, I was a Vegan, then added back certain foods. I took many vitamins and went through many elimination type diets. I also started mediating daily, and I still do; except it is Mindfulness type now. While on the GAPs diet for stomach related problems, I gave up so many things and I still had very bad migraines. That is why I felt defeated.
2. ellensr Member
 Thanks Lynn, I do not know why I haven't seen these posts from May. They warm my heart. I know that I have allergies for 64 years, but mostly respiratory until 15 years ago when they turned into skin allergies, rash/hives. So, I keep my home and diet clean and free from any contaminates that I can control. I make my own shampoo, and many other cosmetics. I have been tested for many things that I do eat and have shown no real allergen that I consume. I will not do any more elimination diets at this point. I do find that I must drink more water than I used to, which is difficult for me for some reason. And the coffee enemas help since I have no more medications that work & have tried them all. I have been mediating for 29 years.
r-d-hayes Member
My dad(67), grandmother(83), and I(31) all have migraines. We have some of the worst that I have ever heard of until I came to this site. It saddens me, but also makes me smile to know that there are people out there like us. I thought my dad was crazy when he told me it was a migraine when I was verily four-years old. It wasn't until I was in my mid-twenties that I finally went to a doc. Yup, they were migraines. I know that feeling of wanting to give up, but you can't. There are younger people like me who look to others like you for guidance. I wake up everyday with a headache and have a migraine at least two to three times a week. I have four kids that I can verily take care of now. I use to not have them this bad.