My Chronic Migraine

About four years ago, as I was entering my freshman year of high school, my work load, learning environment, and social network changed. I remember sitting in class one day and having an awful headache - one I had never experienced before in my life.

Eventually, these headaches became daily. I asked some of my friends and even my teacher (whom I am close with) if their headaches ever felt like this. I wake up with a dull headache every morning; however, my migraines do not slowly occur--the pain pops out of nowhere.

A migraine usually begins with an aching all over and then moves to a shooting pain in my right side, with pain in my right eye. I do not have aura or ocular migraines, however. I have sensitivity to light and sound as well as moodiness with everything and everyone. I lose my ambition and motivation and prefer to sit and do absolutely nothing. Literally.

Over the years, I have tried countless medicines (mostly serotonin uptake ones, and anti-depressants as well as anxiety medicines). One medicine I was one raised my blood pressure, so I had to take a blood pressure medicine as well. (Then my mom realized that the fact it was raising my blood pressure wasn't a good thing, so I got off it). I'm currently on Amitryptaline, which I was on for the first two years of my migraine life; however, my body adapted to it during that time. A year and a half later, I'm back on. So afraid my body will adapt again; as I feel it is the only medicine that has ever truly helped.

I am also on Imitrex injections/pills, which I take as needed. They cure me like no other; however, since I get daily migraines, I often use them too much which then results in having to take a certain medicine pack for a week which will break my Imitrex cycle. I have tried a chiropractic as well. I feel the only thing I have not tried is acupuncture.

I used to exercise a lot, still had migraines. I was on the varsity cross country team and ran roughly two to three hours every day. Now, I do not exercise any more than two to three days a week, and still have the same migraines. I drink plenty of water, I am sure to keep my body hydrated.

As of now, I'm sick of this. I don't want to let this monster control my life any more. I am 18 years young and want to live my life my way. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I have a Cyclic Migraine (even though my neurologist diagnosed me with tension migraines) because that only occurs-usually-during the first twenty years of your life.

If any of you have absolutely anything to say to help me, I will be forever in gratitude.