My Experience in Battling Migraine

Hello,

I have suffered from migraine since I was a young child. I am now 51 and while being post menopausal has decreased the intensity of the pain somewhat, I still suffer almost daily from them. I will explain what has worked for me regarding medication and lifestyle. Imitrex (or Imigran the generic, and much cheaper, brand) has helped, taken at onset, from 50 mg to 100 mg, but follow carefully the dosage for this drug.

From age 30, I experienced migraine almost every day. This is while I worked part-time and attended post-secondary. Prior to Imitrex being available on the market in the 90s, I had to visit the hospital often to get relief, spending 6 hours in the emergency ward, sometime once a week.

About 6 years ago, my doctor prescribed an anti-depressant, Mirtzapine. This has reduced the frequency of migraine, but this drug cannot be taken at the same time as Imitrex. Taken together is dangerous and you will go into shock that would require immediate emergency medical care and a blood transfusion.

I find that oversleeping triggers a migraine for me, so I sleep only 7 1/2 hours each night, which is good for me. Sleeping longer almost always induces a migraine. And it's funny that I have read in earlier posts that doctors say that sleep helps to allieviate migraine -- for me, sleeping a long time is problematic. While that could be related to teeth grinding, I am sure it is from too much sleep.

My concern now is whether suffering from so many migraines has caused damage to the brain. I have read that the pain of a migraine is similar to suffering from a concussion. So doctors advise that taking medication at onset is very important, the longer the pain, the more damage is caused. I don't know if that's true, but I have read that in a medical journal, conducted by a Swiss doctor some years back.

Also, I cannot endure intense physical activity. As I've gotten older, my migraines are triggered very easily. When I was younger, I could exercise longer, but this is no longer the case, at the same time being PM has reduced the frequency somewhat. So my advise to others is to get the right medication, take it at the right time, and live a moderate life, also avoid sunlight and camera flashes. Not to mention alcohol and other harmful stimulates and food additives.

Cheers, Lita.