Britain, You are not going to like this. And America, and all, do read....

So we are nothing more than a minor ailment, taking up all the doctors time...
Please read....if you aren't in England you are lucky this doesnt effect you personally, but feel our indignation.


http://www.selfcarecampaign.org/uploads/20100316_self_care_campaign_white_paper.pdf


Also our Migraine Trust's response...

http://www.migrainetrust.org/C2B/document_tree/ViewADocument.asp?ID=259&CatID=93

No wonder we never get anywhere with attitudes like this.
Have they considered if they treated us seriously and properly in the first place, we wouldn't keep going back.
Having said that, I cant recall the last time I went to my GP because of migraine, It is a waste of my time, never mind hers...

Sorry for the rant. It has caused a lot of anger here...

P

Migraine is lumped in as a minor ailment, in between acne and constipation? That is OUTRAGEOUS!

I'm in America, but reading that absolutely infuriates me. And that document was produced by DOCTORS no less.

I mean seriously, WTF?!!

WOW! A MINOR AILMENT! I am livid for you.

Yipes!!! In nasty M status today so functioning capabilities are low....

Um, if I receive an injury or have some new condition that pops up, I go to the doctor to make sure that it's only minor. I've had sprains feel like I've broken something. I know I made a huge pain of myself at my last sprain because I knew there was something more than that going on and my gp got tired of seeing me and suggested seeing an ortho - ended up having surgery as something was more wrong.

Migraines...so glad I'm in the US but I can see this happening here if they get this health care reform business passed. I went to my gp twice for them. The first time they came back - he was glad to give me a triptan and his own home remedy. When things got worse, he tried what he knew and when it didn't work, sent me to a specialist. In my head (and maybe it's the pain talking this morning) but this is how it's supposed to be. If you have a problem or concern, you see your gp. They will try what they know and once they exhaust what they know they send you to someone who knows more.

In my experience, if I get sick, I will try an OTC and if that doesn't work or things get worse see my gp or go to an urgent care. Perhaps the problem (and we are starting to see it here in the US) is that there are less new doctors that go into general practitioning and the systems are feeling the burden as there are more people and less doctors. This last bit is just speculation....very scary however.

O.M.G

I've fired off a response to that already. How offensive! How terribly terribly offensive... I feel embarrassed that it came from the UK and ultimately the NHS I so valiantly try to defend...

LHx

Wow... that is scary and freakishly insulting. Like jwar says WTF!!! I don't like to wish a migraine on anyone but the idiot who wrote that deserves a really nasty one with all sorts of associated neurological effects. . Then maybe that minor ailment wouldn't seem so minor.

I'm infuriated for you.
Alli

I have gone through 4-way by-pass, hernia, hemorrhoid, broken knee, and removal of a kidney because of cancer (no meds required, lucky me) surgeries. I recovered fine from all of the surgeries. However, the surgeries were not as debilitating as the constant headaches.

I am sure other forum members have similar stories and feel the same way about the headaches.

It is embarassing, among other adjectives and emotions.....
To have this from doctors......Oh to be in England, now that Spring is Here....

Bet if and when they get a migraine or anything else they have plenty of access to "self care"

WTF? Constipation is ranked higher than Migraines?

Quacks, total Quacks. I stopped reading after I saw that chart. I don't care how many letters they all have behind their names, they suck.

Doesn't give much credibility to our assertions for it to be taken seriously does it? Thinking of employers particularly. Aaargh.

Liz

Outrageous- (I'm suffering today quite badly, so this will be short.)

The WHO (World Health Organization) states that chronic migraine is the fourth most disabling illness in the world. I believe they ranked them something like: Psychosis, Dementia, Quadriplegia , and Migraine. (I remember being shocked and saddened to read that- shocked and saddened, but finally understood.)

Perhaps this information needs to be more widely disseminated. (I don't have the ability due to pain and the other symptoms to look up the reference right now, but it's easily accessed with a little research time if you are interested.)

Love to all of you,
Anna

I've read that World Health Organization thing all over the web, but I would love to actually see the list the WHO put out with all the ranked illnesses. I've tried finding it online to no avail. If anyone has it, please post.

Words fail me.

I live in America (with very good insurance and health care), and I have a question for this idiot. If you don't want people wasting your time in your office, why do you make them come in to prescribe anything or suggest anything? You could eliminate 75% of all doctor visits with phone calls or e-mails. And since when is migraine an ailment? I thought it was a disease. To lump it in with common inconveniences, is pathetic. I wish a migraine on this person!!

Me too Linda....A week's worth. There appears to be a panel of so called doctors involved here.
This country has gone mad.....
At our expense.
p

Regarding levels of disability:

http://www.wfneurology.org/pdfs/publications/menken.pdf

The last paragraph is especially interesting. Originally found it elsewhere while doing research for my thesis- granted, this is subject to interpretation and/or opinion.

There is more out there, but unable to locate it now due to massive pain. Sorry.

I agree no words....

Anna,

Thank you for linking that despite your horrible headache. The data in Table 2 is striking.

Jayme

If they only knew... But maybe they wouldn't care anyway. Bunch of idiots!

Chris

Migraine Action (another UK based charity) have also posted a response:

http://www.migraine.org.uk/index.php?sectionid=1062

LH

It's always easy to spot someone who's never walked a step in our shoes. Unfortunately they have a medical degree hanging on their wall.

I'm not just annoyed as a migraine sufferer. Look at all the 'minor illnesses' they list. Constipation, yes, could just be minor, could be a serious tumour. Acne, could just be a few barely noticeable spots, could be major scarring etc and leave someone feeling suicidal. Same with dermatitis.

What the authors have failed to notice is that all of their 'minor illnesses' have a range of impacts and severities. We've all met migraineurs that "just have an aspirin and it goes away". For them self help and OTC meds are a great option and I agree that it will help the NHS is people with that type of symptom do that. But I would class their problem as a MINOR SEVERITY or MINOR IMPACT one, not a minor ILLNESS that negates all the suffering of those with that illness who have severe suffering. It's incredibly short sighted of the authors not to recognise this and does those who suffer greatly a great disservice.

I do agree with the principle of getting those with minor severity of symptoms to self care and see a pharmacist rather than a GP, but this is a ridiculous document. It also doesn't seem to acknowledge the main reason many people see their GP rather than a pharmacist, which is financial - if someone gets free prescriptions what is the incentive to go to a pharmacy and pay for your meds? Little will change without a change in prescriptions charges and how OTC meds are financed.

What a missed opportunity by the authors to actually put forward a meaningful point.

Amy

Before I read the chart carefully, I thought that by "migraine" they meant haedache.
When I saw that there was an item for HEADACHE and a separate one for MIGRAINE I jumped on my chair

These things disappoint me and also discourage me as I feel that a cure and/or new treatments are not close.

Bye

On the flipside, the House of Commons have just published the following:

http://ww2.migraineclinic.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/APPG-report.pdf

It's a long read and small text, so only for those currently not brain-fried!

LHx