Preventative Medicine - Why Had I Waited So Long?

For the last 14 years, I have suffered from debilitating migraine and have really tried to manage this using a natural/holistic approach. This has meant using herbal remedies, watching particular foods that I eat, upping my water consumption, and generally trying to be healthy and natural in my approach.

Involving a new doctor

I put my migraines (sometimes as many as 3 a week), down to my age and changes in hormones. I am 53 years old and I also have stage 4 endometriosis. Recently, having moved houses and location, I was lucky to not have a migraine most days. So, I plucked up the courage to speak to my new female GP and discuss if there was anything that could be done to alleviate my migraine.

Asking the right questions

I mentioned that I suffered 3 migraines a week, she asked, "Do you mean 3 a month?". When I said, "No, 3 a week." She asked me, "How do you manage/cope with that?" I had honestly never been asked this by a health practitioner before and felt like shouting out, "Wow, finally someone is listening!"

Then she spoke about preventative medication. My first reaction was: "I don't want to take an anti-depressant...", which I knew doctors prescribed for migraine. She explained I wouldn't have to take anti-depressants, but another medication called Propanylol.

Ready to try anything

Anything was worth trying, as I had honestly come to my wit's end. I sometimes use to think, "Why, is this happening to me?" I was either having to go to bed, lie down in a dark room, quite often my headaches induced vomiting, which on many occasions would last 12 hours or more. One of my natural ways of dealing with migraine was to immerse my head in ice-cold water, in order to cool down my hot head and lessen the throbbing pain. It is also worth mentioning that I managed my migraine around my full-time work.

A huge difference

The reason I am writing this article is to tell fellow sufferers about my long-winded "Migraine Life Experience". However, that has recently changed, partly due to the preventative medicine I am now taking. What a difference this has made to my life. I am now experiencing fewer migraines, about 80% less. This had made a tremendous difference in my life. I can now plan more activities in general and have returned to being sociable.

I have always enjoyed the company of others, but migraine sadly takes away the spontaneity of being sociable. Moving to a new location, 10 minutes from the sea has also meant I now enjoy swimming in the sea, (daily if I can), as the cold water is great to relax the neck muscles. I am very optimistic about my future health and will continue to take my preventative migraine medicine.

Why did I wait?

One of the questions I am now asking myself is: "Why did I wait so long to discuss preventative medicine with my previous GP?" They (he) had prescribed Sumatriptan, (which by the way, always made me feel sick), but I never ever heard him talk about preventative medicine.

Could I have saved myself literally, YEARS of suffering?

Now I realize, YES, I could.

If you are reading this and would like to comment, please feel free. I am happy to share information with fellow sufferers, in the hope that we can support each other to feel and be free of pain.