Tell us about your symptoms and treatment experience. Take our survey here.

caret icon Back to all discussions

Migraine everyday

I was used to getting about 3 migraines a month (maybe more in fall and winter due to weather but only 1 or 2 more). Starting in August I was getting them more frequently and then in September I started to get them everyday. Some days were manageable but most were not. I continued to go to work and use over the counter medicine which didn't work, my prescription shot but those were limited, and I would go to the doctor's or urgent care for a shot and another pill to stop it but nothing to prevent it. In the meantime my neurologist appointment was scheduled for December 2. On top of the migraines I also suffer from anxiety and major depression with previous suicide attempts and suicidal ideations. I finally got to the breaking point in October and my psychiatrist recommended me for an inpatient stay. I was seen by neurologist and placed on a preventive protocol and had an appointment in November. I had some hope. I was off work for two months doing a partial hospitalization program. The preventive medication was slowly increased and the migraines lessened and they weren't happening everyday. I went back to work in December but I now had FMLA for migraines, depression, and anxiety. My anxiety was particularly ramped up during this time adjusting to everything. I would say I called off pretty consistently for one of my FMLA reasons (like once or twice a week) through the end of the year. In January the migraines slowly started to get worse again. I was getting them everyday at a low to moderate level but by the end of January the debilitating ones were back and I was calling off more making me more depressed again and losing hope. At this point the neurologist has me scared to death about rebound headaches so I am only using the shots and sleep for relief and the psychiatrist has me scared of serotonin syndrome because of the shots and my antidepressants so I don't take two in a day or two days in a row. I only get 6 shots a month and I having way more than 6 shot worthy migraines. Once again though my suicidal thoughts become very real and I end up back in the hospital. I am now back in the partial program. I am trying chiropractic care, massage, meditation, yoga, essential oils and I may try acupuncture. I did get a neurologist appointment with a more prestigious medical center very quickly and he added some meds and ordered an MRI (a CAT was done before and it showed nothing). I am at a complete lose. I haven't changed my diet, there is no consistency in the weather, and while I had stress I was off work for two months and still had them and I have had way more stress. I am 45 but I have no pre-menopausal symptoms. Blood work had been done and there is nothing unusual either. I can't work like this my job is too complicated when I have my typical migraine. I am at a complete loss. I am worried if nothing is found I will continue the cycle of hospitalizations. The only respite is the 30 minutes to about an hour after I wake up then the cycle starts again. I started a diary and I found an app so hopefully I may gain insight from those. Has anyone else been in a similar situation?

  1. Chrstnasu,
    I am so sorry to hear that you are going through this! Migraines and depression/ anxiety go hand in hand and when you can't get control of either one, it is so overwhelming. I'm really glad to hear that you have a great support system in place. You are very self-aware of when you need outside help.

    Your story is similar to mine. I got episodic Migraines and then one day they became chronic. I have some form of Migraine every single day for the last 4 years. I tried to work through it for a few years, but eventually had to stop working. Now I focus on managing my illness the best I can to have as close to a "normal" life as possible.

    You are still in the early phase of what is likely a period of intractable Migraines. I've heard of plenty of people getting through a phase like this and going back to functioning like they used to. Sarah just recently wrote about this: https://migraine.com/blog/the-ins-and-outs-of-intractable/

    The hardest part is that it can take a lot of trial and error to figure out what is going to work for you. You should be proud of yourself for trying alternative methods as well. Yoga and meditation are my go-to. You mention being hospitalized, but is that more for the depression than to treat the Migraines? Discuss with your doc what you should do when the pain gets unbearable. He could call the ER ahead of time to set up meds you should try to break this cycle. I've found that steroids- either IV or in pill form- can help. In the ER I get a cocktail of anti-nausea (like phenergan), anti-inflammatory (like toradol), IV of magnesium and sometimes a more powerful pain killer just to help me sleep.

    Here are some other links about possible treatments you can try. You may also want to consider Botox if you haven't already. Let us know how you are doing and if you have any questions.
    https://migraine.com/migraine-treatment/
    https://migraine.com/blog/will-botox-work-new-study-may-provide-clue/

    -Katie
    Migraine.com Moderator

    Please read our rules before posting.