My Story

By katiejo5678

Hi there everyone, I am thrilled to find this site. I was diagnosed with migraine when I was 10 by a primary care doctor. Since then my diagnosis has been up in the air. I regularly go to urgent care or the ER because when I get these headaches, my blood pressure goes through the roof. Once they treat me with torridol it usually improves to the point where I can function. I work full time as an emergency road service dispatcher, I have an 8 year old that constantly worries about me a 15 month year old that still wakes up several times a night and a sweet husband that has become impatient with my condition. I also have bipolar disorder and my aura includes visual problems and a brief hypomania. My primary care doctor and psychiatrist think a mild form of epilepsy may be causing the daily migraines but seems far fetched to me.

My family is far away and I feel like everyone just thinks I'm being a baby. Any suggestions? During this season of hope, I think it's so important not to let these sad feeling define who we are and I am hopeful that sometime soon there may be an explanation for the pain. Love and hope to you all. Thank you for listening!

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Nancy Harris Bonk Moderator
Hi katiejo5678, Thank you for your kind words - we're happy to hear you find <a href='http://Migraine.com' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>Migraine.com</a> helpful! I understand how difficult it is to live with migraine disease. It can take its toll on family and friends. I've found it helpful for my family and friends to learn about migraine disease so they have a better understanding of it. Would your husband agree to that? We have plenty of information here to help. I can direct you and your husband to these articles; <a href='https://migraine.com/?s=caretaker&submit=Go' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>https://migraine.com/?s=caretaker&submit=Go</a> and <a href='https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-empathy-why-its-hard-for-people-to-get-it-and-how-to-help/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-empathy-why-its-hard-for-people-to-get-it-and-how-to-help/</a> and <a href='https://migraine.com/blog/family-and-friends-that-do-not-understand-migraine-disease/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>https://migraine.com/blog/family-and-friends-that-do-not-understand-migraine-disease/</a>. It sounds like it may be time to seek out the expertise of a true migraine expert if you haven't already. Primary doctors and general neurologists may be fine doctors, but have a hard time being experts in one area because they treat so many other conditions. A true migraine expert is board certified in headache medicine, which is different than being certified in neurology. These articles include information on how these doctors are different and how to find one; http://migraine.com/blog/how-are-migraine-specialists-different/ and <a href='https://migraine.com/blog/really-find-headache-specialist/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>https://migraine.com/blog/really-find-headache-specialist/</a>. Have you been able to keep a detailed migraine diary to try and identify any patterns these migraine attacks have and what your triggers are? When we are able to identify our migraine triggers and learn to avoid the one we can, we may be able to reduce our migraine attack frequency and severity. If you haven't kept one yet, I would encourage you to so. You can read more here; <a href='https://migraine.com/blog/keeping-migraine-diary-basics/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>https://migraine.com/blog/keeping-migraine-diary-basics/</a>. I hope this helps, Nancy
jean
This might be of interest. Migraine and epilepsy have several things in common: they often co-occur and share similar symptoms, each is generally undertreated, one is often misdiagnosed as the other,1 and various medications are effective in treating both disorders.2 Recent research may help elucidate the relationship between the two and shed light on more appropriate diagnosis and treatment options. “Patients with migraine are more likely to have epilepsy, and patients with epilepsy are more likely to experience migraine,” Pavel Klein, MD, director of the Mid-Atlantic Epilepsy and Sleep Center, told Neurology Advisor. In fact, people with seizure disorders are twice as likely to experience migraines which can often lead to misdiagnosis.3 Love, Hope and Courage to you.

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