Migraine patient from Estonia

By anettkru

2 min read

I am 22 years old and I've had migraine for years. The reason why I joined in migraine.com is, that in Estonia, doctors and also the society don't take migraines so seriously. That is why I feel like nobody understands what I'm going through and nobody nor nothing could help me.
I remember that during the basic school I had headaches quite a lot but nothing so serious. But it all started when I went to high-school. Many could say that the reason for migraine to come is stress because you have a lot to do during the high-school. But I was a really happy girl, grades were fine, I did workout almost every day and I ate well. I am quite sure that my migraine started because of genetics since my mom has the same problem.
When I really felt that it affects my life badly, I went to a doctor. She sent me to brain MRT and to neurologist. The result was that they didn't see anything during the MRT, so I have a migraine. I know it is terrible to say but I even felt sad because there wasn't something else in the brain. Why? Well because if there was, then maybe there would be a higher probability that it is curable. Or at least there would be something to do and try. But when it comes to migraine.. so far I feel that nothing helps.
I have gone to my doctor many times and said that it has gone worse. I can't go to school or work or do anything because I'm in pain all the time. I said that please, write a receipt for the most efficient painkiller there is because I can't live like that. But her answer is all the time the same: I don't know anymore what medicine to give to you because you've tried almost all of them and nothing helps.
And that's the way it is. She has nothing else to give to me because all the medicines I've tried, haven't helped. What should I do now?
My migraines are sometimes for 5 days a row. You can imagine what kind of despair I'm in during that time. It is a usual thing that I eat almost a whole box of painkillers a day in hope that the pain will go away. But it won't. Since I've had many different medicines and painkillers, my kidneys are very weak and hurt all the time. From the beginning of that year, I haven't taken any painkillers anymore, except the one that is water-soluble. I let my body to rest a bit from all the chemistry I've poured into.
In Estonia, at one point, there is a dead end when it comes to cure or relief to migraine. I have googled a lot about migraine and many have said that medical cannabis helps. But I have no access to it in Estonia. What if it really helps? Right now I just don't know anything else since I have tried all the medicines my doctor wrote me.
Please share with me, how doctors cure migraines in your country?

All the best,
Anett

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Katie M. Golden Moderator
Anett, I'm so glad you found our site and can connect with others who understand what you go through. Currently there is no cure for Migraines. The best we can all hope for is to manage them better. It's possible that you are making your Migraines worse by using so many painkillers. Certain drugs can cause rebound headaches also known as Medication Overuse Headache (MOH). <a href='https://migraine.com/headache-types/rebound-headaches' target='_blank'>http://migraine.com/headache-types/rebound-headaches/</a> I can sympathize with you in wanting to just take more painkillers to make the headache stop. But over time, your body will need more and more of them to feel better. While it can be very difficult, trying to get off these types of drugs (or at least reducing your usage) could actually help you. Definitely talk to your doctor when you start doing this so they can help you through it. I've personally done it and it's hard, but honestly I felt so much better taking a lower dose. We have two topics in our Forum section that may help you to connect with others having similar problems. One about MOH and the other about Cannabis use and Migraines. There isn't too much research proving that weed helps Migraines, but there are plenty of people who feel it takes away their pain, at least for a short period of time. <a href='https://migraine.com/topic/moh-what-to-do' target='_blank'>http://migraine.com/topic/moh-what-to-do/</a> <a href='https://migraine.com/topic/marijuana/#post-55441' target='_blank'>http://migraine.com/topic/marijuana/#post-55441</a> I hope that some of this helps you. Best Wishes! -Katie <a href='https://migraine.com' target='_blank'>Migraine.com</a> Moderator
philippone Member
Hi Estonia, I have suffered from migraines for 18 years and headaches my whole life. I have any where from 5-10 a month. I have been trying all kinds of natural things to help. Best one yet - Upper Cervical Chiropractic. I have been going since June 2014 2x a wk at least. I have experienced some months with only migraine symptoms and no migraine that came on and they have lessened some in intensity. I have tried so many things-also diet and stay away from few food things. I believe things like sinus allergies also can make a migraine worse & maybe there is something that is triggering the migraines. The Upper Cervical Chiropractor also can work on sinuses and he works on my jaw (I also have TMJ). This is a different gentler treatment than regular chiropractic. For me chocolate and aged cheese. I was on Maxalt migraine meds for years and just created more and more migraines. I will pray that you will find the right help.
kristindieng Member
First, know that you are not alone. If you are having 15+ migraines a month, you are suffering from chronic migraines. And know that, in general, 20% of all women get migraines, and of this 20%, 4% of migraine sufferers have chronic migraines. So there is a large community of women (and men) with your exact same migraine diagnosis, and we're all desperately trying to find effective treatments and ways of managing the disease. My best advice? Research articles on "migraine triggers," and see if you can start to identify some of your triggers so that, hopefully, you can reduce the number of migraines that you are having. Next, keep in mind that a "migraine brain" is a brain that is hypersensitive. For people that only get the occasional migraine, those people are likely less sensitive to things overall, and may only be sensitive to the occasional "trigger" (i.e. a certain food, environmental factor, etc.). If you are chronic, your brain is likely now sensitive to just about everything, and reacting to things left and right. In order to try and reduce your sensitivity, you need to try and stabilize your environment. Meaning, keep the same bed time every day, and wake up time (do not under or over sleep). Keep hydrated all day. Make sure you're not skipping meals. Try and eat healthy. Try not to be overactive, even if you are playing catch-up with everything after a long pattern of migraines. Slow down, even everything out. Next, are you taking vitamin supplements? Do some research about which are the best vitamin supplements (and the amount you'll need to take of each). But start with at least 400mg of magnesium/day (most migraine sufferers are deficient in magnesium, and we need more to address the migraines). Take 5,000 of Vitamin D/day. Look into Riboflavin, various types of Vitamin B and things like feverfew, butterbur, etc. Right now we don't have a way to make a migraine brain not have migraines (i.e. addressing the genetics behind it). So we are left with doing our best to MANAGE the disease. Some people have a less severe form of the disease, and can manage it by avoiding triggers and taking the occasional medication. Others have a much more severe form of the disease (chronic), like yourself, and therefore management is a more more intense, time intensive effort involving managing lifestyle patterns, schedules, diet, environmental factors and, yes, medications (something both preventative, taken daily, such as Topamax, or various blood pressure medications taken off label; or pain treatment related, like Imitrex, Relpax, etc.). Once you address the things you CAN control, listed above, then I would seek out additional medical help... new migraine specialist doctors (you have not mentioned whether you have research Botox as a treatment, or even if it's available in your country), pain treatment centers, physical therapists, acupuncture providers, chiropractors, massage specialists and more. Different things work for different people, so it's a matter of trying new things and not giving up hope. Best wishes that, with commitment and effort, things will improve. And, if you have already tried everything I have listed, without success (which is my case I'm sad to report, although the vitamin supplements and lifestyle changes have provided at a least a minimum of relief), then try and make it through day after day until hopefully new, more effective treatments become available and research opens new venues of success.