Hi everyone :) New here...

Hello All,

I just discovered this forum and thought I'd introduce myself a little

I too suffer migraine and have done for the past 22 years! Such a relief to know there are others like me who have to fight this condition, there have been many times I thought I was the only person alive that had to endure this!

I had my first true migraine (an in bedridden, vomiting ect) at around age 20, though thinking back I'd been having bad headaches for a lot longer than that but they kinda developed into migraines over time gradually getting worse and more frequent over the years. I am now age 39 and getting a migraine at least once every 10 days or so that last 3/4 days sometimes more and sometimes less. Triptans work for me in aborting the headache if taking early enough but the problem I have is that often the headache returns the following day. I set myself a limit of not taking triptans more than 3 days in a row which occasionally means I have to literally wait for it to be over by laying in bed wanting to smack my head with a hammer until it goes away lol....you all know what I mean

I have no aura with my migraine and little warning when one is about to strike other than occasionally excessive yawning and extreme sleepiness.

I have identified many triggers and I have basically come to the conclusion that my brain can't cope with modern life seeing as almost everything that triggers me is man made! Florescent lights are a definate nono, paint fumes, petrol fumes, very crowded noisy places, travelling anymore than 10 minutes in any kind of vehicle, and many many more!! I am also highly sensitive to certain foods, chocolate, cheese, alcohol, processed meats, artificial sweetners basically anything that hasn't come directly out of the ground before I eat it

Unfortunately because of all these triggers I am now virtually housebound, I leave the house probably once a week for 2 hours to do the shopping with my partner and often risk a migraine just to do that as the supermarkets always have that horrible lighting and although I wear dark glasses in there it doesn't always help.

Thankfully I have a fantastic partner who looks after me and my family are very understanding as this condition runs in our family on my Dad's side. My late grandmother had migraine her whole life until menopause when they stopped ( I live in hope!!)

I am taking propanolol and amytriptylin (UK names, not sure how they are called in other countries) as preventatives, they do not have much effect on my migraines but they do help with my anxiety problems which only started when these migraines began.

Sorry if I've gone on a bit but its soooo nice to say all this and know that you guys understand what I mean I have only a few people close to me these days as I've had to distance myself from people who have no patience for this condition and tell me to take a paracetemol or worse that its all in head. Let them walk a week in my shoes I often think

There is no doubt that migraine changes your personality. I used to be very outgoing and sociable but you have to adapt to live with this and thanks to the internet and places like this to come to it really helps to make life easier

Pain free days to you all

Jul

Welcome to our forum, Jul. I am pleased you have joined us.

Please do not apologise for going on, we all know how good it feels to be able to unload safely the frustration of living with migraine (M). belive me there is nothing you say here, that would surprise us. Most of your symptoms and triggers sound very familiar.

Like you, I live in UK and I know what you mean about the difficulties of living with M in our time whereby our poor bodies are assaulted, wherever you go and whatever you do which means that we need to protect ourselves, and often live very constrained lives. Other people often find this incomprehensible, so M complicates all aspects of our lives and arrangements (when we have to cancel at the last moment, or not able to travel etc).

Like you I am also suffering from many triggers: processed foods, chemicals, smells and lighting can in not time at all trigger few days of suffering.

I am glad you've found us, you can visit as often as you feel becasue there is usually someone about to listen and sympathise.

Mini

Hi Jul. Welcome. I hope you find some hope and answers here.