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Calling All Those Without Migraine

Lisa Robin Benson- In a recent article titled "This is Our Time," headache specialist and advocate Dr. Young talks about some exciting movements going on in the migraine community and encourages us to all advocate when we can. I am also a firm believer in advocating for migraine, and I feel those with the condition can talk about it in depth and in a powerful way. I�ve met with many in the community and all are amazing at advocating. Just recently, I saw a huge movement to reclaim the #MigrainePose on Instagram and other social media. The news that migraine had become a beauty pose went viral and the hashtag was shortly thereafter taken over by people showing their #TrueMigrainePose with over a thousand... Read more

The Weight of Migraine

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10 Ways Migraine is Not �Just a Headache�

Kerrie Smyres- Migraine is a neurological disorder that�s largely inherited and migraine attacks are terribly painful and often disabling. Sadly, though, migraine is frequently dismissed as �just a headache� and migraineurs are told to take an aspirin and get over it. But those of us with migraine aren�t making a big deal over a measly headache. Here are 10 characteristics that separate migraine from a run-of-the-mill headache... Read more

The Word Headache

Elizabeth Roberts-Zibbel- It's not just a headache. This sentence has been a rallying cry for the last several years in the migraine community, fighting against the idea that migraines are simply bad headaches that we are somehow too weak to tolerate. The stigma surrounding migraine disease is pervasive. It is perpetuated by pain reliever ads (the recent Excedrin #DebateHeadache campaign for example); movies and... Read more

Spoons, and How to Start a Good Conversation

Dr. William B. Young- I have a patient with severe chronic migraine who I took care of many years ago. She got somewhat better and was able to complete her education, get married, and have twins. After that her migraine worsened, and we have not gotten her migraine into very good control. A few months ago, I judged she might be at a place where she could not work but might be able to volunteer to work a few hours for... Read more

Not Drug-Seeking.�Relief-Seeking: Feeling Judged When Seeking Medical Care

Holly Baddour- Most of us have experienced it: being treated as a drug seeker when pursuing treatment for migraine. Whether it be when searching for a new doctor, going to the emergency department for an intractable attack, or when getting a prescription filled, many migraineurs have experienced some sense of being accused of being a drug addict feeding a habit when all we want is relief from pain. I think we can agree that... Read more

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Living with Chronic Migraines

I am 21 years old and I have suffered with chronic migraines since I was 13. I felt alone until I found this website and read all of your posts, to be honest. I have such great family and friends around me, but as much as they say �we know how much pain you�re in,� they just don't. I don't want them to know how much pain I am in, I would not wish the pain of living with chronic migraines on anyone. I have tried a number of medications. Pain meds, prevention meds, herbal meds... Read more

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Chronic Diseases and Friendships

#purpleproject- I�ve lived with illness and debilitating symptoms all of my adult life. Thankfully, the onset of my primary diagnosis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, didn�t appear until around age 16. At that age, all you really care about is passing classes, fluttering your eyelashes at your crush and driving around with your newly-obtained driver�s license. Little time is spent on how life �could� be with an illness if you�ve not grown up knowing it. I didn�t grow up with a ton of diversity or education on what being disabled was, other than assuming things when I saw assistive devices being used by older people. I look back now and... Read more

CGRP: A New Direction for Migraine Treatment

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My Experience With...What's It Called? Topamax!

Tonilyn Hornung- I�m always forgetting my�um�wait�words. It�s a mad dash in the morning getting ready for school. Like an auctioneer, I�m calling out the next article of clothing my Kindergartener needs. I pause. I�m stuck on the name. I see those things that go on his feet sitting there. I know that I know the name. I simply cannot make my mouth say��Shoes!� My son calls out rescuing me... Read more

Gaining Independence with Migraine

Kyky Knight- Truth be told, for the past few years I have been heavily reliant on my partner and caretaker when it comes to getting through my day to day with migraine. From the time I wake up on many days to the time I am laying my head down to rest, I require assistance in both small and big ways. Sometimes it is... Read more

Three Ways Migraine Prepared Me to Be a Parent

Lisa Robin Benson- When we think of migraine we often think of the negative aspects: missed work or school days, cancelled plans, doctor bills, lonely days in bed, days in pain trying to push through, etc. In this video I wanted to explore, though, what migraine has taught me and how I think it makes me a better parent... Read more

Guided Meditation

Editorial Team- Meditation has been shown to have multiple benefits on a person�s health, both physical and emotional. Regular meditation can help relieve pain, increase positive emotions, and improve memory and concentration. Guided meditation is one of the numerous ways to incorporate meditation into your life. In guided meditation, someone talks you through a visualization or awareness exercise. This guided meditation below is... Read more

IV Hydration Therapy: An Approach for Migraine Treatment

Holly Baddour- I was at a fundraiser recently and at the silent auction, I noticed a unique item: an IV Hydration Therapy Session. I�d never heard of the approach, but the description suggested it could be useful for people with migraines. I bid on it and won. I did some research on the approach before I made the appointment. Interestingly... Read more

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Migraines and Depression

Sigh. (deep breathe. exhale) I have been communicating with my neurologist for several months that my migraines have been changing as I've gotten older. One major change is at the peak of a migraine attack I develop severe depression, and over time it has gotten intense. I reached out to my regular doctor and my OB/GYN as well in regards to the same issue. Anyone that has ever dealt with... Read more

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Lost in the Fog: Aphasia and Brain Fog

Tom Picerno- Aphasia is a condition where the communication center of the brain has neurological issues.�It normally occurs in people who have had a stroke. Migraine attacks have symptoms that are very similar to a stroke too. For me, the aphasia is accompanied by brain fog. These symptoms are definitely a one, two punch during a migraine episode. It is incredibly hard for me to function with these two working to disrupt my life. I�ve had to make at least a couple of trips to the emergency room because my wife was so concerned with my uncharacteristic and disoriented behavior. Luckily there have never been any signs of a stroke. I remember... Read more

Migraine Explorer

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Neck and Back Pain with Migraine: How Do You Deal With The Pain?

Kyky Knight- The pitch black except for sprinkles of white light from stars and the moon coming gently through my window make for a very soft and serene night scene---one of the more beautiful gifts leftover from winter is that night still begins early---and at this point I�ve been laying in bed through the night waiting for sleep to reach me for six hours already. I contemplate... Read more

Birdhouse: My Start with Migraine

Sawyer Matheny- It�s 7:45 AM in Pre-Calculus my senior year of high school. I�m drowsy from a bad night�s sleep thanks to late-night YouTube surfing. There�s this weird journey that you find yourself on when it�s super late, and you don�t want the next day to happen. Everything that wouldn�t seem interesting during a reasonable hour then becomes your entire world when you don�t... Read more

Living With Migraine: An Interview with Lisa Benson

emilydownward- I recently had the honor of speaking to Lisa Benson for the Health Union podcast, Living With. Lisa is passionate about raising awareness of migraine, and she shares her experiences of diagnosis, how her experience of migraine has shifted over her life, and how she copes with migraine as a new mom. Living With�is a podcast featuring the people and stories behind... Read more

What is the INvisible Project?

Katie M. Golden- The INvisible Project is a magazine that aims to make invisible illnesses more visible to the outside. Each edition tells the story of ten people or families who live with an invisible illness and highlights the good, the bad and the ugly through pictures of their daily life. Each participant is in a different stage in their personal journey; some inspire us, others are still searching and there isn�t always a happy ending... Read more

Are Blue Blocking Glasses for Screen Time Worth it?

#purpleproject- Several years ago, I was one of the very few who experienced adverse vision side effects after 1 session to help treat my hemiplegic migraines. If you�ve read my article, My Break Up With Botox, you also know that because of the damage it did, I have been left with what seems to be more long-term damage than short. This has left me with having to find a LOT of reading glasses and naturally for me, losing a lot of reading glasses. Because I also struggle... Read more

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A Little Self-Care

I always dread sending that text or email with the familiar words �I�m not going to be able to make it. I have a migraine.� I can already picture the rolling eyes. Feel their scorn or disappointment. Hear the conversation among my friends, co-workers, family, or boss. �She always has a migraine.� �That�s the third one this month.� �How bad could it be?� �Do you really think she has a migraine?� �Why doesn�t she just take her meds?� �How convenient.� Of course, I don�t know if any of this is said or not. But my mind immediately... Read more

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June is Migraine & Headache Awareness Month

Editorial Team- June is Migraine & Headache Awareness Month (#MHAM, #MHAM19). Let's help to stop the stigma by shedding light on the true impact of migraine and educate others about the REAL symptoms which go far beyond just head pain! We�ve got some great tools for connecting with others in the community and engaging ways to help make our voices heard all month long. Check out how you can... Read more

Migraine Explorer

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FDA Approves Emgality for Episodic Cluster Headache

Editorial Team- On June 4, 2019, the FDA approved Emgality (galcanezumab-gnlm) for the treatment of episodic cluster headache in adults. Emgality is a CGRP (calcitonin-gene related peptide) antagonist brought to market by Eli Lilly.�In addition to its prior approval for the prevention of migraine, this approval is significant because it is the first drug approved in the US for decreasing the frequency of episodic cluster attacks... Read more

Not Too Bumpy, Not Too Bright: Goldilocks Desperately Searching for a Migraine Friendly Car

Holly Baddour- Finding the right car is incredibly important for a migraineur. When in the throes of a migraine attack, if we have to drive ourselves home, the design of a car has the capacity to either make us more comfortable or exacerbate our pain. In this video, Holly asks for help in finding a migraine-friendly car. This important purchase is one with which we all wrestle- but when we add migraine... Read more

Yes, I Can with Migraine: Speaking from a Place of Power

Kyky Knight- Talking about migraine and work is one of those things that stings like a bee. It is difficult to prepare for and its impact lingers on well after it�s happened. I�ve had many, many conversations about migraines and the workplace with folks in the migraine community, as well as with colleagues who don�t live with the disease. There are a lot considerations for folks who live with migraine when it comes to working, like... Read more

Migraine Explorer

Editorial Team- Living with migraine can look different from person to person. Take this quiz to get your customized Migraine Explorer results which will help you navigate to information and sources of support while you manage your migraine. How many migraine days do you experience per month? How concerned are you about managing migraine symptoms? How satisfied are you with... Read more

Chronic Diseases and Friendships

#purpleproject- I�ve lived with illness and debilitating symptoms all of my adult life. Thankfully, the onset of my primary diagnosis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, didn�t appear until around age 16. At that age, all you really care about is passing classes, fluttering your eyelashes at your crush and driving around with your newly-obtained driver�s license. Little time is spent on how life �could� be with an illness if you�ve... Read more

I�m Here. How Can I Help? 5 Ways to Be Supportive

Editorial Team- There�s a lot of pressure and misunderstanding about mental health. Knowing what to say and do can be tricky. You can be a positive force for friends and loved ones by checking in about mental and emotional wellbeing. Here are five tips for navigating these conversations... Read more

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6 Weeks?

This is really not a story, but a question....... It's a first for me, I'm used to Migraines that hang around for a couple of weeks, but now I'm on eek 6, pushing 7. Most of the pain runs between 6 and 8 - on that crazy scale that they want you to use - but I can tell you that last Friday I was at 24! It seems to be the weather - Lows- and we've had a lot of them recently. Add the 24 to the sneezes of my allergies and it pops up closer to 34! Anyone have... Read more

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Have you ever tried Botox, Aimovig, Ajovy or Emgality as a treatment for migraine?

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□ No, I have not tried any of these as a treatments

□ I have not heard of any of these treatments

□ Unsure

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Enter Our TheraSpecs Giveaway!

Editorial Team- Get excited! TheraSpecs has so kindly & generously offered to partner with us again during Migraine Awareness Month in a fantastic giveaway! Do you deal with light sensitivity? If so, then this giveaway is for you! Three (3) winners will be randomly selected to receive a TheraSpecs gift voucher.�This voucher can be used towards the purchase of ANY selected style or pair of your personal choice. If you're not familiar with TheraSpecs, they are specially-tinted glasses designed for people with migraine because they block wavelengths of light that can trigger or aggravate attacks. Promotion Prizes will be awarded consisting of: One (1) Top Prize Winner, $100 TheraSpecs Gift Voucher. One (1) Second Prize Winner... Read more

Migraine Explorer

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Migraine and Menstruation

Kyky Knight- There are few things I dread more than being confined to my bed, exhausted and unable to get up and do what I need or want to do. This is an especially dreadful experience when coupled with pain. Unfortunately, due to chronic migraines, this is an experience that awaits me often, especially during the warmer months of the year. At least a few days a week, I find myself... Read more

Shades for Migraine: Join Us to Beat the Stigma!

Editorial Team- In 2017, the Association of Migraine Disorders created Shades for Migraine as a way to generate a viral buzz around a disease that affects more than 1 billion people worldwide. The campaign not only provides the migraine community with a fun, easy way to bring positivity to a normally dark and dismal subject but it also strives to reach the general public to fight the stigma and misinformation that surrounds the disease. Shades for Migraine challenges everyone to �show they care and wear a pair� of... Read more

Have a question? "Ask the Advocates" in our Facebook Live Event!

Editorial Team- Do you have burning or unanswered questions about migraine? If so, please join us for our very first exclusive Facebook Live "Ask The Advocates" event for Migraine & Headache Awareness Month! Our advocates, Katie Golden, Alene Brennan & Nancy Bonk will be joining us live to answer the questions you have always wanted to ask! From managing symptoms, avoiding triggers, trying different treatments, and more - we welcome you to ask them... Read more

Building a Relationship with Health to Live Well with Migraine

Sarah Hackley- Relationships are a constant part of life. We have relationships � whether good or bad, strong or frail � with spouses and partners, children, parents, siblings, coworkers, bosses, and friends. And, if we live with chronic illness, with our health. Having a relationship with my health wasn�t ever on my list of life dreams. Until I became chronic with migraine over a decade ago, it wasn�t something I even considered. My health wasn�t... Read more

How to Use Emgality Self-Injector

Holly Baddour- Many of us are sent home with the Emgality Self-Injector, a delivery device for the CGRP treatment medication, after perhaps one demonstration by our physicians. This video is a demonstration to illustrate how to utilize the injection device. In the comment section below, please share any questions or experiences you are having using Emgality or visit our forum on the topic here... Read more

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This House Is My Prison

My home is a safe place, But this house is my prison. I can control the surroundings, But my surroundings control me. I can be at peace here, But I'm living a nightmare. The solitude can be addicting, But I crave for someone. The pain echoes in my veins, But the silence is deafening. The beauty of the sun, Leaves me running to the dark. The wonderful smell of dinner, Makes me dread whats next. My body craves the light, But my head needs the dark. My body needs sleep, But my head can't... Read more

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Resisting the Urge to Curl Up

Holly Baddour- Getting and keeping the body moving is only growing in importance for me these days. As I continue aging and navigating the challenges of chronic daily migraines, I notice my body trending toward curling up, slowing down, and away from physical activity. And yet I have learned after years of doing just that (sitting nearly frozen in fear with the knowledge that movement would exacerbate pain), there is such goodness to be gained in pushing against that inclination;�goodness in embracing health and striving for wellness. Exercising is one of the few proactive steps I can take in response to... Read more

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Are Blue Blocking Glasses for Screen Time Worth it?

#purpleproject- Several years ago, I was one of the very few who experienced adverse vision side effects after 1 session to help treat my hemiplegic migraines. If you�ve read my article, My Break Up With Botox, you also know that because of the damage it did, I have been left with what seems to be more long-term damage than short. This has left me with having to find a LOT of reading glasses and naturally for me, losing a lot of reading glasses. Because I also struggle... Read more

Medication Assistance Programs & Barriers to Treatment

Marcia Kavulich- People living with migraine often bear a financial burden and can be routinely denied when trying to access treatments, especially the most recently approved class of drugs, CGRPs. I connected with Lindsay Videnieks, the Executive Director of the Headache and Migraine Policy Forum (HMPF) in order to get some answers on what people in the migraine community can do when they're facing barriers to their migraine treatment. Can you give our readers... Read more

Controlling My Sweet Tooth

Alene Brennan- I�ve always had a sweet tooth. It�s certainly gotten better over the years, but I still crave a little sweet treat every once in a while. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to enjoy naturally sweet foods to satisfy the craving without doing harm to your body or putting you at risk for triggering a future migraine. Natural fruit strips and ginger chews are my go-to�s. What are yours? ... Read more

What�s Your Secret: 5 Go To�s That Help You Manage Life with Chronic Migraine

Holly Baddour- We all have things we count on when we feel a migraine coming on. Over months or perhaps years of managing life with chronic migraine, we each have learned ways to comfort ourselves when we are feeling our worst. In this What�s Your Secret video, we share five favorites of one of our contributors in hopes of inspiring those in our community to brainstorm what works best for them... Read more

Bob Wold's Journey to a Cluster Headache Diagnosis

Marcia Kavulich- It is an exciting time in the migraine and headache disease world of treatment research. In addition to CGRPs being approved for the prevention of migraine in 2017, one of these CGRP drugs, Emgality, was recently approved in the US for decreasing the frequency of episodic cluster attacks. In the midst of these recent medical breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of speaking with Clusterbusters president, Bob Wold, about his personal journey with cluster headache and how.. Read more

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The Muddled Mind

This little article began as a note taking session while I was reading a book by famed neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks, and has evolved into a study of my own migraine experience. I agree with Dr. Sacks that the brain is "most incredible thing in the universe�, alongside love and maybe coffee. It is incredible to think (irony) that the three pound lump of fat and neurons rattling around inside our heads is the reason why our reality is, well, reality. The majority of people with migraine are born with a compromised nervous system. Something, somewhere, is not firing on all cylinders at all times. Researchers have now... Read more

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Migraine Explorer

Editorial Team- Living with migraine can look different from person to person. Take this quiz to get your customized Migraine Explorer results which will help you navigate to information and sources of support while you manage your migraine. 1. How many migraine days do you experience per month? 2. How concerned are you about managing migraine symptoms... Read more

On The Go With Migraine

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Advice People without Migraines Have Given Me

Tonilyn Hornung- I stopped telling people about my daily migraines, because I noticed a strange trend when I�d reveal my brain-grilling neurological disorder: the tips. The lovely woman I�d meet at a dinner party or the fun mom I met at carpool would suddenly be moved to give me tips on how to fix my head. These almost helpful instructions always started out the same way, �I don�t get migraines, but have you tried� Read more

Honoring My Sister's Migraine Journey on Remembrance Day

Billy Dwyer- Trigger Warning The content includes information related to mental and emotional distress and it might be upsetting to some people. On June 7th, folks throughout the migraine community will be recognizing �Remembrance Day.� It�s a day during Migraine Awareness Month, where we come together to honor those who have lost their battle with this life-altering disease... Read more

10 Ways Migraine Makes You Feel

Holly Baddour- Although there are over 36 million people living with migraine in the US alone, there is no one emotional response to navigating this incredibly challenging neurological disease. We are introducing �Migraine 10 Ways� � and inviting you to share ten emotions that arise as you manage chronic migraine. Using #migraine10ways, please join in... Read more

Enter Our TheraSpecs Giveaway!

Editorial Team- Get excited! TheraSpecs has so kindly & generously offered to partner with us again during Migraine Awareness Month in a fantastic giveaway! Do you deal with light sensitivity? If so, then this giveaway is for you! Three winners will be randomly selected to receive a TheraSpecs gift voucher.�Promotion Prizes will be awarded consisting of... Read more

Migraine Therapy Dog

Tom Picerno- When suffering with a migraine there are many ways to make it through an attack. This video is a short example of how I use my dog, Sam, as a therapy dog. He stays by my side during an attack, and he comforts me and keeps me much more calm than if I have an attack without him. He was not trained to be a therapy dog. He just became one as part of how he interacts with me. I believe animals have... Read more

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You Would Expect a Hospital to Get It

I few months ago I had to plan a minor surgical procedure. The idea of general anesthesia made me a little nervous. For the rest, I knew it was going to be a simple operation and I was pretty relaxed about it. The night before the surgery I manage to fall asleep easily and I wake up calm and refreshed. My stomach feels a little empty but all the rest is fine. My partner is... Read more

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An Open Letter to My Doctors

Shoshana Lipson- �Please don�t give up on me!� I find that thought going round and round in my head every time a doctor�s appointment is pending. It�s a silent plea that rarely is verbalized but which trails so many of us doggedly. Even when we've had good experiences with the medical profession this concept of "giving up" often lingers. Interestingly, it was a conversation with a pharmaceutical research scientist that helped me put it into perspective recently. He pointed out how migraine disease is often treated differently than other diseases. There is more of a tendency to give up, both ourselves, society and even healthcare professionals. It is more likely for people with migraine to be told to �accept� things as they are or accept minimal improvement. Personally, I've been really privileged to... Read more

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The Balance of Knowing Limits: Relying On Being Unreliable

Tonilyn Hornung- My family and friends can rely on me to be unreliable. I doubt they have me on speed dial when they need help moving a couch or need someone for a one person surprise party. I can�t be trusted to be there. I can, however, be counted on to change my schedule at a moments notice. My heart may desperately want to show up, but my head is constantly making other plans. The text I got read: Hey, would you be able to pick her up... Read more

CGRPs � Navigating Wellness for the First Time in Years

Holly Baddour- Many in our community who are experimenting with the new CGRP therapies are experiencing a sense of wellness for the first time in years.�With the emergence of freedom from pain comes a rush of new thoughts and conflicting feelings. In a desperate search for relief, most of us have tried multiple treatment approaches in the past with varied outcomes. Perhaps we experienced only a temporary reprieve from pain. Maybe we were so excited by a successful therapy that we celebrated loudly, announcing to the world that... Read more

Cluster Headache Diagnosis Today

Marcia Kavulich- In part 1 of an interview with Bob Wold of Clusterbusters, we learned how long it took for Bob to receive his cluster diagnosis. We wondered what it was like for people receiving a cluster headache diagnosis 40 years late rand if there has been any improvement. It�s getting a little better and hopefully, some of the stuff we�ve been doing is making it better - bringing awareness to the condition, all the advocacy work, and teaching doctors about it. Forty years ago most doctors hadn�t... Read more

What's Your Secret: Postdrome

Lisa Robin Benson- Postdrome is also known as the "migraine hangover." It's the last stage of a migraine after the attack abates. In this What's Your Secret video, we discuss tips and tricks for dealing with this nagging and often frustrating phase of the attack. What is your postdrome like, if you experience that phase? What are some of your tips and tricks for helping yourself feel better?... Read more

Lost in the Fog: Aphasia and Brain Fog

Tom Picerno- Aphasia is a condition where the communication center of the brain has neurological issues.�It normally occurs in people who have had a stroke. Migraine attacks have symptoms that are very similar to a stroke too. For me, the aphasia is accompanied by brain fog. These symptoms are definitely a one, two punch during a migraine episode. It is incredibly hard for me to function with these two working to disrupt my life. I�ve had to make at least a couple of trips to the emergency... Read more

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Featured story:
You Would Expect a Hospital to Get It

I few months ago I had to plan a minor surgical procedure. The idea of general anesthesia made me a little nervous. For the rest, I knew it was going to be a simple operation and I was pretty relaxed about it. The night before the surgery I manage to fall asleep easily and I wake up calm and refreshed. My stomach feels a little empty but all the rest is fine. My partner is coming with me to the hospital. We don�t have a car here so we call an Uber. Unfortunately, the car has one of these tree air �fresheners� that smell like mango and artificial sweet stuff. I find it terrible and as soon as we hop in I start feeling a little tension around the neck. But soon enough we... Read more

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Bob Wold's Journey to a Cluster Headache Diagnosis

Marcia Kavulich- It is an exciting time in the migraine and headache disease world of treatment research. In addition to CGRPs being approved for the prevention of migraine in 2017, one of these CGRP drugs, Emgality, was recently approved in the US for decreasing the frequency of episodic cluster attacks. In the midst of these recent medical breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of speaking with Clusterbusters president, Bob Wold, about his personal journey with cluster headache and how it lead him to create an incredible organization for people with cluster. In part one of this interview series, Bob shares his long journey to receiving an accurate diagnosis... Read more

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Migraine and Sex: It's Complicated

Kyky Knight- Well, I guess I will just say it plainly: migraine has impacted my sex life in irreparable ways. That is a heavy statement, but so is living with migraine disease. While migraine overtly impacts so many areas of my life, from my jobs to my diet, it also has a stark impact on some of the more intimate and hidden parts of my life, presenting difficult challenges to navigate in my long term relationship of seven years, as well as causing trouble in my... Read more

Some Migraine Questions May Not Have Easy Answers

Shoshana Lipson- Some questions are simply not easy to answer, and it�s strange to me that for some reason this is a cause of stress. I want to have answers � for myself and for others. It's important for me to be able to explain what is going on, when the migraine attacks started, and why they are not getting better. There is a driving desire to know what is currently unknowable. Maybe because somehow, in some way, this would give back some sense of... Read more

What�s Your Secret: 5 Go To�s That Help You Manage Life with Chronic Migraine

Holly Baddour- We all have things we count on when we feel a migraine coming on. Over months or perhaps years of managing life with chronic migraine, we each have learned ways to comfort ourselves when we are feeling our worst. In this What�s Your Secret video, we share five favorites of one of our contributors in hopes of inspiring those in our community to brainstorm what works best for them... Read more

Tell Us About Your Childhood

Lisa Robin Benson- This June, for migraine awareness month, we want to know when your awareness of migraine came about! In our 2018 Migraine in America survey, we found that 56% of respondents experienced symptoms of migraine before they turned 18, but only 26% were diagnosed before adulthood. Lisa talks about her experiences being undiagnosed with migraine as a child and how she had very little awareness of migraine until her late 20's. Watch her video and let us know what your experiences are. Sharing our stories is one... Read more

My Migraines Were Misdiagnosed For Years

Tonilyn Hornung- I�ll read the last pages of a book while still in the middle. I�ve been known to text friends to ask how episodes of�TV shows end. I�m not so good with not knowing. Which is why when my migraines started, I wanted to know the story behind them too. I�d stumped the doctor. I was informed my �migraines� didn�t fit the traditional mold: throbbing pain in the forehead, temples, and the back of the neck. My agony felt like the side of my head was roasting... Read more

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Reluctant Pain Warrior

I never asked for this, Never wanted it But it slammed me down And broke my spirit Endless days of agony and despair Loss of friends and relationships Lying in the dark; Alone Not much different than being dead Did I die and not remember? Am I in an endless hell loop? Hope and happiness have deserted me Oh how I want to be free How I need to be free Wrestling daily with ending the pain; Could I, Would I, inflict so much sadness and trauma on my family - just to get relief? Therefore I must become a... Read more

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My Migraines Were Misdiagnosed For Years

Tonilyn Hornung- I�ll read the last pages of a book while still in the middle. I�ve been known to text friends to ask how episodes of�TV shows end. I�m not so good with not knowing. Which is why when my migraines started, I wanted to know the story behind them too. I�d stumped the doctor. I was informed my �migraines� didn�t fit the traditional mold: throbbing pain in the forehead, temples, and the back of the neck. My agony felt like the side of my head was roasting and a hot spike had been pushed through my jaw. It was the jaw pain that had confused my General Practitioner. What I�d described won me a lovely parting gift in the shape of... Read more

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Superpowers of a Migraineur

Tom Picerno- When I think of all the things that migraine has taken from me over the years it�s easy to feel defeated. I�ve lost countless minutes of family time that I�ll never get back. I�ve missed deadlines at work, or just made them by the grace of God. I opted to stay in rather than go out and be social for fear that I would wind up having to cancel plans with friends. My circle of friends has grown smaller and smaller, and my family has... Read more

"I Describe My Migraine...."

Editorial Team- Just as no two people living with migraine are the same, no two people describe their migraine the same! We asked our Migraine.com community and on Facebook to complete this sentence, "I describe my migraine... "A glass grenade in suspended animation of explosion inside my head hijacking my body and life." "A pain that will almost destroy you." "Like a railroad spike driven into my left temple, that travels to behind my left eye, then left ear. And if haven't taken... Read more

Bob Wold's Journey to a Cluster Headache Diagnosis

Marcia Kavulich- It is an exciting time in the migraine and headache disease world of treatment research. In addition to CGRPs being approved for the prevention of migraine in 2017, one of these CGRP drugs, Emgality, was recently approved in the US for decreasing the frequency of episodic cluster attacks. In the midst of these recent medical breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of speaking with Clusterbusters president, Bob Wold, about his personal journey with cluster headache... Read more

Essential Oils Bracelet for People with Migraine

Alene Brennan- Essential oils are, well an �essential� part of how I manage my health including migraines. I find peppermint and lavender to be effective in eliminating headaches and reducing the intensity of migraines. So� when I discovered super cute bracelets that you could apply essential oils to, I was all in! I have two leather bracelets and one lava rock bracelet that I apply my favorite oils and it�s just an extra bonus to... Read more

Personalized Migraine Information

Editorial Team- With 40 million people in the United States living with migraine, it is important to be able to navigate this disease on a personal level as life with migraine can look different from person to person. For personalized migraine information, answering four short questions in the Migraine Explorer will suggest articles that are tailored for you, and will help guide you to information and sources of support while you manage your migraine. Explore your migraine... Read more

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Phantom Triggers

What can I say beyond that title? I know there are others out there who experience this. You think you know your triggers. You have no idea what your triggers are. Two days can seem identical. One day you get a migraine. Another you are migraine-free... Read more

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Here's What Happened When I Tried Keto: Part 1

Tonilyn Hornung- When my neurologist suggested I try Keto, I wondered how losing my money in Vegas was going to help my migraines. I quickly realized he wasn�t talking about the numbers game, Keno, but this regimen places one�s body in a state of ketosis. With my migraines, change was always slow but I was ready to roll the dice and give Keto a shot. Over the years, I�d tried other food-related migraine cure-alls. I had a go at the Drink Your Ten Times Your Weight In Water remedy that friends suggested. After six months, when my migraines hadn�t abated, and I had reoccurring dreams I was floating to Mars, I went back to drinking normal amounts of water. Just on the off chance that I had a food... Read more

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Resisting the Temptation of Comparison

Kyky Knight- Have you ever heard the quote �Comparison if the thief of joy�? When I was younger, I remember older adults in my life using this quote to encourage and validate me when I would find myself upset at the differences between myself and my peers - differences of which I tended to think I got the lesser bargain on. Why wasn�t I taller? Why did I have to wear glasses? Why wasn�t I good at sports? Being young brings many considerations about ourselves in relation to... Read more

My Spouse's Perspective on My Migraines

Lisa Robin Benson- My husband and I just celebrated our ten year wedding anniversary, and all told, have been together almost seventeen years! He's been with me in both pre-diagnosis and post-diagnosis, and in both chronic and episodic times. He's seen a lot in terms of my migraines and has been an incredible support for me. I also think he's learned a lot about migraine since my diagnosis. I thought I'd ask him a few questions to get his perspective on my migraines. Because it�s a one-sided change, it�s... Read more

Seven Tips for Parents

Editorial Team- Navigating life with a chronic condition like migraine can be challenging. Adding children and parenting stress into the mix can make it feel like an impossible task at times. No matter where you�re at in your battle with your condition, and what your personal challenges are, there are ways to try to plan for the struggles of parenting. Although each individual parent and child will have their own needs, there are some common tips for families of all shapes and sizes. One of the biggest frustrations... Read more

Does Survival of the Fittest Really Apply to People with Migraine?

Khalid Moomand- Now here is a question that I have asked myself a few times throughout the years.�While under the spell of a migraine, I really don�t see a whole lot of advantage in suffering from this debilitating pain. Nevertheless, it is obvious that genetics play a role in migraines and therefore subject to evolutionary natural selection and survival of the fittest. I have recently come across a research paper that discusses some of these advantages and would like to share them with you, fellow migraineurs... Read more

Prodrome, It�s Just the Beginning

Tom Picerno- Prodrome is the first stage of symptoms for a migraine attack. It can start hours or even days before the attack begins. It is subtle and often creeps into our lives without being immediately noticed. There is a laundry list of symptoms that can be part of this phase, and here are just a few to them: irritability, yawning, food cravings, light sensitivity, fatigue, muscle stiffness, nausea, and difficulty with reading and speaking. For me, I identify with yawning excessively and the muscle stiffness combined... Read more

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I Never had Migraines, UNTIL I had a CONCUSSION

Hi Before my TBI/concussion in the year 2000, I never even had bad headaches! I had mild headaches. And even then, not often. Unfortunately, I suffered a severe concussion in the year 2000. Back then, doctors, including specialists, knew nothing about symptoms, risks or treatments. I went BACK to work 4 days later, and worked in front of a computer 10 hours a day! I suffered without diagnosis or treatment until 2011, when new research identified concussions /TBI as a cause of permanent migraines. In people who never suffered migraine previously. A neurologist confirmed the diagnosis, and I started taking... Read more

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Prodrome, It�s Just the Beginning

Tom Picerno- Prodrome is the first stage of symptoms for a migraine attack. It can start hours or even days before the attack begins. It is subtle and often creeps into our lives without being immediately noticed. There is a laundry list of symptoms that can be part of this phase, and here are just a few to them: irritability, yawning, food cravings, light sensitivity, fatigue, muscle stiffness, nausea, and difficulty with reading and speaking. For me, I identify with yawning excessively and the muscle stiffness combined with fatigue. Even though I know these are prodrome symptoms I still don�t always catch on until I get into the aura phase of an attack or the attack itself. I�ve had migraine for several years and have undergone countless tests. There is the constant prodding... Read more

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Laying Back Into The Stream, And Letting The Sadness Be

Kyky Knight- As someone who spends a lot of time in their head (pun only somewhat intended), I have found myself going over the fact that migraine can be a very lonely and isolating disease over and over lately. For many of us, migraine can have a way of stealing our joy and happiness, and sometimes there isn�t much we can do in the way of preventing that pain or standing up in spite of it. Sometimes we are sad and totally out of energy to fight or... Read more

Getting Intimate with Migraine

Editorial Team- Check out our special section dedicated to navigating relationships, getting through to your partner, dating, intimacy, and more! Managing relationships can be challenging for anyone, but when you add Migraine to relationships, the dynamics are changed, adding even more challenges. There�s no questioning the value of good relationships to our health. The value of friendship has been studied repeatedly... Read more

Community Experiences: Cluster Headache

Editorial Team- Have you been diagnosed with cluster headache? If you have then you know that it is a pain like NO other and that it is considered one of the most painful medical conditions. Here is what you (our community) has to share about their experiences living and experiencing cluster headache. "I have started getting cluster headaches as 'warning' headaches before big migraines. Fortunately they've been quite short, but man are they painful!" "Cluster attacks are usually like clockwork and are more likely around the equinoxes... Read more

Release Tension with This Pillow

Alene Brennan- I find that neck tension is an early indicator and trigger for my migraine attacks. That�s why I was excited to give this acupressure pillow a try. It�s a cervical pillow with spikes on it that are designed to connect with acupressure points in your head and neck and therefore release tension. I have not tried it during a migraine, but I have tried in as a way to release tension before it gets to the level of a migraine. Every little bit... Read more

Cluster Headache Diagnosis Today

Marcia Kavulich- In part 1 of an interview with Bob Wold of Clusterbusters, we learned how long it took for Bob to receive his cluster diagnosis. We wondered what it was like for people receiving a cluster headache diagnosis 40 years late rand if there has been any improvement. It�s getting a little better and hopefully, some of the stuff we�ve been doing is making it better - bringing awareness to the condition, all the advocacy work, and teaching doctors about it. Forty years ago most doctors hadn�t... Read more

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Feeling Better Means Feeling Feelings

I've been on Aimovig for close to a year. It was working okay - down to four to six migraines a month (from 12 a month) but I was still having a lot of fatigue. At my visit to the neurologist a couple of months ago he asked how I was doing. Okay, I said. We talked and he decided to include my old preventative of candesartan into the mix with the Aimovig. As of today, I haven't had a single migraine with head pain episode. I have had a few days of migraine-like exhaustion that come with nausea and feel like the pain is coming, but it never does. I am very lucky and very excited but also sad, stressed and tired (usually things that went hand in hand with... Read more

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The Intersection Between How We Look and How We Feel

Holly Baddour- One of the bizarre components of migraine is that while we may feel as though our scalps are cracked open and bleeding, with daggers lodged in our eyeballs, we may look absolutely fine to the outside world. The contrast between how we feel on the inside and how we look on the outside can lead to confusion on many levels. For friends, family, and coworkers, our frequent claims of severe pain may arouse suspicion and a sense of disbelief. After all, how in the world can we be feeling so terrible while looking so normal? The disparity between how we look and how we feel does nothing to dispel the myth that migraineurs are faking pain. Other than eying those wearing hats and sunglasses inside, there is no easy way to identify... Read more

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Trying 70 Different Treatments for Cluster Headache

Marcia Kavulich- For 20 years, I tried 70 DIFFERENT prescription medications and hundreds of combinations. That�s really typical for people with cluster to get prescribed 3 or 4 different medications. If they get 10-15% reduction in cluster attacks, their doctor will keep them on that then add more and more prescriptions on top of what they�re taking. I was on 8 different prescription medications at a time trying to figure out different combinations that worked... Read more

Here's What Happened When I Tried Keto: Part 2

Tonilyn Hornung- �Did you start The Ketogenic Regimen? What are you eating for dinner?� my sister asked. �I started yesterday, and I think we�re ordering Chinese Food!� �You can�t eat that,� my sister said. She explained that sugar was an added ingredient in the sauces of my favorite dishes. When I called the restaurant to inquire they confirmed this. In fact, when I asked which meals had no sugar they suggested I eat a salad. I began to understand the severity of my new food program and a greater truth�sugar... Read more

Managing Migraine: A Marathon, Not a Sprint

Shoshana Lipson- Honestly, I�ve never been a huge fan of exercise, but I kinda understand the bare minimum. That exercise in some form is good for general health, and more importantly that it can help with pain management. I also understand that there is a huge difference between a sprint and a marathon. Just the word �marathon� makes me want to run for the hills (no pun intended). The reality is that learning to live with and manage migraine is exactly that. We want it to be... Read more

Performing Shakespeare with Migraine

Sawyer Matheny- �To be or not to be? That is the question. Whether �tis nobler in the�mind�to�suffer�the slings and arrows�� - William Shakespeare That's a partial phrase from one of the most popular, quoted, and influential pieces in all of western literature: Hamlet. This gargantuan work of the late, great English author William Shakespeare was something that I never thought I would seriously have to tackle. Growing up, all I really knew was that the plot had inspired the Lion King. A jealous uncle kills his brother in... Read more

Here's What Happened When I Tried Keto: Part 1

Tonilyn Hornung- When my neurologist suggested I try Keto, I wondered how losing my money in Vegas was going to help my migraines. I quickly realized he wasn�t talking about the numbers game, Keno, but about the regimen that places one�s body in a state of ketosis. With my migraines, change was always slow but I was ready to roll the dice and give Keto a shot. Over the years, I�d tried other food-related migraine cure-alls. I had a go at the Drink Your Ten Times... Read more

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Lifelong Illness

I stumbled on this site and thought I'd post my life with this illness and see if anyone else has the same experience as I've had/have. I believe I've been suffering with my "dizzy spells" since birth. As long as I can remember at least, pre-school thru 58 years. My mother would mark on the calendar because I was so frequent. As I grew older it became farther apart to almost completely ending. But then in 2002 they began coming back to almost how it was when I was a child. I've never officially been told this is a migraine, but symptoms are so similar... Read more

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Validating Pain With Migraine

#purpleproject- I think we�ve all been at a point when we verbally express our pain, even if we don�t do it often, and have been met with an unkind remark. Some aren�t meant to be unkind, but unfortunately �you and me both sister� is not an accurate response to someone's pain. I get it. It�s easy to try to acknowledge something you may have some understanding or meaning to blow someone off that way, right?� Yes, that�s how it comes off to us. But �getting it� with chronic pain and getting chronic illness usually takes validation from other people sometimes, in some shape or form. Or we can tend to retreat. And validation can be extremely hard when the pain isn�t always as visible to the naked eye, hence the term often used... Read more

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Bye Bye RELPAX

Sawyer Matheny- I was reading comments on my most recent post, enjoying being able to engage people about our shared migraine experiences when I came upon a comment in the sidebar. I was taken aback by the news that RELPAX had been recalled yesterday. But why?! This isn�t just peanut butter we�re talking here. This is my medication. This is my escape from a migraine-induced brain crash. My parachute from a migraine free-fall. More importantly, how come I hadn�t known about this sooner? The United States Food and Drug Administration had released an announcement regarding RELPAX... Read more

Is This What Wellness Feels Like?

Holly Baddour- Dear Loved One, I think I told you that I�ve been trying the new drugs made for migraine.�They�re called CGRPs. Researchers have basically discovered that people with migraine produce more of a certain type of protein than other people and these drugs block that protein. Three different drug companies came out all that once with these blockers (Aimovig, Emgality, and Ajovy) given by monthly injection. While they have the same aim, they don�t work for everyone in the same way. I�ve tried two of the three... Read more

Intractable Migraine: Is There Purpose in Your Pain?

Tom Picerno- It has been several weeks since the intractable migraine began its assault on my life. As if chronic migraine was not enough of a drain. Intractable migraine proved that I had more to give.� My head was undergoing a daily pounding, searing pain along with all the baggage that goes along with migraine. As bad as it was when I couldn�t do anything but cry myself to sleep, I always found the strength within me to make it another day. I would think to myself I�ve... Read more

Migraine-Related Fears Encapsulated

Kerrie Smyres- A friend once asked if I had migraine attacks in my dreams. I was surprised to realize the answer is no, though I do have frequent nightmares and vivid dreams during attacks. This continues to be true � I recently had the worst attack I�ve had in a while and the dream matched it. Please bear with me while I describe the dream. It�s a hotbed of migraine fears, so it�s worth sharing to highlight those concerns. I was hosting an Airbnb dinner party. I had maybe... Read more

Summer Chilling and Migraine

Alene Brennan- I love being outside during the summer months. There are so many activities to enjoy with family and friends. But I know that heat can easily trigger migraines for me, so I have to be careful not to get overheated. I�m excited that I discovered two cooling techniques to beat the heat this summer: Koltec cooling towel � ice towel for around my neck Arctic cooling vest � ice vest that keeps me cool to my �core� Does the heat bother you? What are the best ways you find... Read more

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Tales Of A Migraine

There is this lucidity one gets post migraine, as we watch it leave... The storm has not only stopped brewing, but you see the tornado departing, and the clouds clearing, to reveal this bright beautiful cerulean sky, in all its glory. And everything is clearer in a way where you realize beforehand you had been in a haze. The worst kind of haze, the kind that overtakes you slowly and convinces you that you're not in a haze after all, and what is normal after all? And you didn't realize you were seeing everything through the eye of a tornado before, until it has become so blissfully clear again... It's like a deserved beauty we get to experience after having fought with a beast. Too bad being at the precipice is... Read more

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GCA: A Cause of Headaches That's Not Migraine

Lisa Robin Benson- I recently came across a cause of headache that sounded a bit like migraine in it's description, but with a completely different cause and treatment. For the sake of awareness, I wrote something about it here on Migraine.com. If you or anyone you know are experiencing symptoms like these, whether or not you have migraine, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor as soon as possible. Unlike a migraine, which is a neurological event, giant cell arteritis (GCA) is an inflammation of the blood vessels around the head, especially around the temples. This can cause a headache that is new and persistent and can occur in multiple parts of the head. There are other possible symptoms such as... Read more

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3 Day Migraine: When the Rubber Meets the Road!

Shoshana Lipson- We all have our little secrets � things that we simply don�t want to talk about or don�t want others to know. Mine is dealing with the emotional impact of a long-term chronic illness and its friendly comorbid conditions! More specifically, anxiety and depression. It�s something I don�t like to talk to my doctors about because there is a tendency to blame everything on stress, and that is sadly especially true for women. I don�t like to talk to my friends about it because� well,... Read more

Once, I Left a Mop Bucket Running...

Kyky Knight- Many of us know migraine can be debilitating, and stressors such as work and school can trigger migraine symptoms. Conversely, migraine symptoms can also affect our ability to work. This relationship of negative influence can make it difficult to get through an average work or school day. What follows is a story of one very chaotic migraine experience I had while working, wherein I had a huge 'oops'... Read more

Bye Bye RELPAX

Sawyer Matheny- I was reading comments on my most recent post, enjoying being able to engage people about our shared migraine experiences when I came upon a comment in the sidebar. I was taken aback by the news that RELPAX had been recalled yesterday. But why?! This isn�t just peanut butter we�re talking here. This is my medication. This is my escape from a migraine-induced brain crash. My parachute from a migraine free-fall. More importantly, how come I hadn�t known about this sooner? The United States Food and Drug Administration had released an announcement regarding RELPAX... Read more

Parenting and Fatigue

Editorial Team- Being a parent is a tiring job, and often, life with a chronic illness comes with fatigue. Together they can be a recipe for complete exhaustion and feelings of defeat. Fatigue is an unrelenting feeling of tiredness or weariness that often does not improve with rest. Some describe fatigue as being �tired to the core� or �bone-tired�. Fatigue can be a symptom of a chronic illness, a complication of a condition, a medication or treatment side-effect, or due to constant stress. Fatigue on its own... Read more

Validating Pain With Migraine

#purpleproject- I think we�ve all been at a point when we verbally express our pain, even if we don�t do it often, and have been met with an unkind remark. Some aren�t meant to be unkind, but unfortunately �you and me both sister� is not an accurate response to someone's pain. I get it. It�s easy to try to acknowledge something you may have some understanding or meaning to blow someone off that way, right?� Yes, that�s how it comes off to us. But �getting it� with chronic... Read more

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The Burden of Being a Burden

Right now, I don't even know what to say. I just know something needs to be said or I'm going to sink into that black hole referred to so lovingly as depression. I received a voicemail today stating that the job I started not a month ago has terminated my employment. I had hoped, considering my new boss "understood" what I meant when I said I have chronic migraine disease because "she had it too", that she would be a bit easier on my absences. I longed for that understanding and felt trust, for once, without having to work for it. Turns out me being up-front with her... Read more

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8 Things Everyone Needs to Know About Migraine

Kerrie Smyres- Everyone, whether they have migraine or not, should know these eight things about migraine. If a person has a bad headache, they do not automatically have a migraine. Migraine is a neurological disorder that 12% of Americans have and research increasingly shows that it is genetic. When someone �has a migraine,� they are experiencing an attack of this neurological disorder. If someone does not have the underlying neurological disorder, it is impossible for them to have a migraine attack. Impaired vision, nausea and heightened sensory sensitivity (to light, sound, smells and touch) are the most well-known migraine symptoms. But, because migraine is a neurological disorder, its symptoms can be felt in any part of the body � it can increase the frequency of urination, change blood pressure or heart rhythms and cause... Read more

CGRP: A New Direction for Migraine Treatment

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Migraine Patients May Be at Increased Risk of Developing Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sarah Hackley- Headache is a common symptom of many autoimmune conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Whether that�s from the disease activity itself, the medications used to treat the disease, or a combination of both remains a topic for debate. However, head pain as a symptom of autoimmune activity is not the only link between the two. It turns out, there may be an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis in those of us living with migraine. A population-based, propensity score-matched cohort study compared two groups of 58,749 subjects to... Read more

Finding Empathy At The Infusion Center

#purpleproject- Beautiful smiles wearing masks as they get their ports accessed and other lines like mine hooked up. I�m in the company of other people there daily, whom I don�t know, but start to become the normal faces you see when you�re sick. Some days I sit wondering what their story is. Not all hospitals have the best privacy practices in infusion rooms, massively in part due to the shortage of nurses, budgets, and the inability to have private infusion rooms. Despite the miles I�ve put on... Read more

Being Okay With the Small Miracles

The Migraine Girl- It�s an overcast spring day here in Athens, Georgia, and I just took an Imitrex for the first time in weeks. Though I feel I should be elated at this news (OMG! I have only needed to take a triptan once in the last 6 weeks instead of twice per week!), I feel frustrated and scared. This happened to me a few weeks ago when I had a moderate-level migraine-the first in weeks�and had to take an Imitrex to abort the episode. Since then, I�ve been... Read more

5 Tips From My 5-Year-Old About Migraines

Tonilyn Hornung- My son is my guru. Over his little lifespan, my 5-year-old has taught me more about living with my migraines than any adult, self-help book, or fortune cookie. I�m thankful everyday for his nuggets of wisdom, because they come from a pure, unbiased place inside his heart.�Here are some of my kid�s best tips I�ve collected over the years. � My migraine was coming. Along with a boiling pain, it also carried with it the guilt that I wouldn�t be able to be a mother to my... Read more

Migraine-Friendly Road Trip Snacks

Alene Brennan- As a nutrition coach, I support individuals by using food as a form of medicine to manage their health conditions, from migraines and autoimmune disease. What I've seen across the board is it's easier to implement dietary changes when you're in control of their food at home. However, when you're traveling - especially when on vacation - it adds another layer of complexity that if you're not factoring in, you will be setting yourself up for disaster. Let's change that! Check out these healthy options you... Read more

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Great Big Tiny Victories

7am. Aura at retailer dismissed as fasting symptoms. 8am. Sugary breakfast (known trigger) 9am. Headache starts. 10.30am. Bedridden with debilitating migraine. Where's the victory? Well, between 10.30 am and 7pm, I managed to avoid the e.d. The pain, nausea, and vertigo along with a long list of neurological symptoms would have sent me to the emergency department in the past. This time though, I was able to suppress panic, follow my migraine action plan (m.a.p.), call a friend for yogurt delivery, and otherwise take care of myself. I live alone most of the time. The cognitive impairment that goes with Migraine makes self-administering therapies quite a challenge. Today, though... Read more

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Corporate looking person with a brain for a head is giving a presentation behind a podium regarding migraines.

Stigma for an Invisible Disease

Tom Picerno- Let me start out by saying that stigma is horrible. Why should people who suffer from invisible diseases feel guilt or shame for having them? I�ve had migraine for years. It started out as episodic migraine where I would have two to four attacks per month. That doesn�t sound terrible, but when it removes you from being productive at work or worse removes you from work that�s where I noticed the stigma really starting. I knew I was having migraines. My doctor was having me track my attacks because she was pretty sure I was having migraines too. The problem was that I was in denial. I didn�t want... Read more

CGRP: A New Direction for Migraine Treatment

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Saved By The Bell: School and Migraine

Kyky Knight- Educators in K-12 already do so much for children beyond the classroom, from affirming kids� hopes and desires, to sometimes counseling and even providing basic necessities like breakfast and lunch, teachers, school nurses, counselors and bus drivers are caretakers for many, many children almost year-round. These heroes help to build and raise kids in ways that can�t be represented through test scores and standardized assessments, and they deserve always gratitude and thanks for all they do in my opinion. I find myself in awe of the... Read more

My Thoughts on the Word "Headache"!

Lisa Robin Benson- Migraine Awareness Month is celebrated in the United States every June while the United Kingdom recognizes Migraine Awareness Week in early September. I want to talk about the word "headache." I share my thoughts below, and I'd love to hear yours. Do you get annoyed when people call your migraine attacks a "headache"? Or is it your descriptor of choice? Do you not care what words are used, as long as people understand that migraine is a serious disease that needs to be treated, like any other... Read more

Are you a Migraine Victim, Warrior, or Survivor?

Holly Baddour- Let�s clarify some definitions* before we move forward. For the purposes of this article, we are using these terms in the following ways: Victim: when we focus on how migraine negatively impacts us. Synonyms are instructive: �sufferer, injured party, wounded person.� Warrior: when we focus on responding to the challenge of migraine. Digging deep to find answers, triggers, solutions. �A brave or experienced soldier or fighter.� Survivor: when we focus on how to live with migraine. Incorporating past and present lessons, looking at life with migraine from a... Read more

5 Tips From My 5-Year-Old About Migraines

Tonilyn Hornung- My son is my guru. Over his little lifespan, my 5-year-old has taught me more about living with my migraines than any adult, self-help book, or fortune cookie. I�m thankful everyday for his nuggets of wisdom, because they come from a pure, unbiased place inside his heart.�Here are some of my kid�s best tips I�ve collected over the years. � My migraine was coming. Along with a boiling pain, it also carried with it the guilt that I wouldn�t be able to be a mother to my... Read more

Being Okay With the Small Miracles

The Migraine Girl- It�s an overcast spring day here in Athens, Georgia, and I just took an Imitrex for the first time in weeks. Though I feel I should be elated at this news (OMG! I have only needed to take a triptan once in the last 6 weeks instead of twice per week!), I feel frustrated and scared. This happened to me a few weeks ago when I had a moderate-level migraine-the first in weeks�and had to take an Imitrex to abort the episode. Since then, I�ve been... Read more

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Yesterday

I'm a lover of music that's what I find gets me by in my day to day life, but when my migraines are bad. Music is that last thing on my mind � well not literally, because at the back of my mind I'm usually singing a song, like right now as I think of a name for this Article "Yesterday" I start to sing: "Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as though they're here to stay. Oh, I believe in yesterday." As you understand, the point of the article is how although yesterday was not a good Migraine day for me, it was a good general day, as it was my... Read more

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CGRP Inhibitors and Realistic Expectations

Shoshana Lipson- I�ve never quite understood the fatal attraction of rollercoasters! As the mother of three boys, I spent the better part of two decades trying in any way that I could to avoid getting on one of those beautifully gut-wrenching, twisting, heart-stopping monsters! Somehow, it seems to me that trying to manage migraine isn�t so very different. There are ups and downs, twists and turns, some incredible views, but a lot of groaning and longing for the �monster� to end. Never was this more obvious than with the emergence of the new CGRP inhibitor medications in 2018... Read more

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Take the Chronic Pain In America Survey!

Editorial Team- We know the frustrations of chronic pain. Will you help others understand by taking our survey? Simply put, living with chronic pain is painful. But there is so much more behind the pain. We want to understand what it�s like for you. How does pain impact your daily life? Do you feel that your healthcare provider listens to your concerns? Have your relationships with friends or family changed because of pain? By taking our survey, you can... Read more

3 Of My Wackiest Migraine Triggers

Tonilyn Hornung- Over the years, I�ve become my own migraine detective. I do my best to follow the clues my body leaves in order to understand what works best to keep my migraines at bay. This is why I�m always on the lookout for migraine triggers. Migraine triggers are everyday things that can set off migraines, like lack of sleep or not eating regularly. Some of my main triggers happen to be my... Read more

Raising Awareness of Cluster Headache

Marcia Kavulich- In the last part of the interview with Bob Wold, we learn how his long road to a cluster headache diagnosis, and an even longer road to finally finding an effective treatment lead him down the path to forming Clusterbusters.org to raise more awareness for people living with cluster headache today. After I started treating myself and talking to other people online who found great success with... Read more

Recommendations for Going to a Ketamine Clinic

Kerrie Smyres- A friend who has chronic migraine was migraine-free for the first time in years the week she had ketamine infusions at an in-patient headache center. She describes that week as one of her happiest memories with her husband and daughter. But it�s only a memory for her, not an ongoing treatment because the clinic was three states away from her home and ketamine infusions weren�t available in her hometown. Since then, ketamine clinics have... Read more

Parenting While Managing a Chronic Illness

Editorial Team- Whether or not you have a child, most individuals would agree that parenting is hard. Although there is no right or wrong way to raise a child, new trends, latest research, and frequent comparisons to others can make a parent question how �good� of a job they�re doing. The stresses and demands of parenthood can be a lot for anyone to handle, especially those with a chronic illness such as migraine. Migraine can bring along... Read more

Navigating Let-Down Migraine

Holly Baddour- When flying on a plane, have you ever come in for a rough landing? Like hard enough that the plane bounced on the runway? Perhaps even bad enough that the safety materials dislodged from the ceiling? I have, and it�s not a fun way to land. That image comes to my mind every time I get a let-down migraine. It�s the same... Read more

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Migraines and Depression

Sigh. (deep breathe. exhale) I have been communicating with my neurologist for several months that my migraines have been changing as I've gotten older. One major change is at the peak of a migraine attack I develop severe depression, and over time it has gotten intense. I reached out to my regular doctor and my OB/GYN as well in regards to the same issue. Anyone that has ever dealt with the wheels of progress changing knows it's a painstakingly slow process. Long story short at the height of 4am migraine I lost my... Read more

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CGRP Inhibitors and Holding on to Hope

Shoshana Lipson- The balance of realistic expectations versus hope is a challenge that doggedly trails so many of us who live with migraine. Hopefully, you�ve had a chance to read my last article, �CGRP Inhibitors and Realistic Expectations.� As with any other chronic disease, having realistic expectations for living with migraine is SO important. However, the question I hear so often, and which I also keep asking, is this: How can I possibly keep hope alive in the face of an unpredictable disease, failed medications, stigma, and what often seems like insurmountable challenges dealing with insurance? How can we hold on to hope while bearing in mind realistic expectations? Is this even possible? It seems a strange thing to say, but now more than ever this is an exciting time if you... Read more

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What It's Like to Live with Hemiplegic Migraine

#purpleproject- Lately, the first obvious sign of a cluster of migraines coming is being very confused a lot of the time, feeling like I am in a maze of distorted mirrors at the fair. But unlike the fair, there aren't sweet treats, fun rides, or livestock to pet. I catch my aphasia. But it�s usually far too late and people have started to notice. I notice it just as much when I�m talking to my partner as he does. We�ve been together for about a year, so... Read more

Dear Migraine, ________ (fill in the blank)

Editorial Team- We asked our Facebook community and you sure answered! "Calling all migraine warriors! What's the one thing you would say to migraine?" Dear Migraine, _____ "You took smile, my freedom, my family, and my joy." "I want my life back." "That�s a loaded question LOL I don�t want to get banned from Facebook LOL" "Thanks a lot for nothing." "Enough already!! Do I have to move to a deep dark cave to escape you and all my triggers?" "You were not invited. You were never invited.... Read more

About to Try Emgality

Lisa Robin Benson- Recently I was prescribed Emgality by my headache specialist. I share my experiences below in the video about getting the prescription: how it all came about and my feelings, including hope and some nervousness. Emgality is the third of the new migraine drugs to come out in its class. It's a CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor) antagonist. It is administered as a once a month injection. Below the video, I'll share some more resources on the medication. I�ll definitely keep in touch on how it goes... Read more

Men and Migraine

Tom Picerno- Migraine is a neurological disorder in the brain. It affects almost two to three times more women than men. I've found that the majority of information out there, from articles to research studies, tend to focus more on women than men. I get that men are a minority among the hundreds of thousands that suffer from migraine and I�m fine with that. I believe talking about migraine and trying to get additional funding for research into migraine needs to be done, and I don�t mind... Read more

Sponsored: Living with Migraine�How to Stay in Your GO Zone

Supernus Pharmaceuticals- Sharing the experience of living with migraine is important to Jamie, Betsy, Laurie, Lisa, and Angie. Meet them here and learn what the GO Zone means to them. Real patients. Individual results may vary. They each take Trokendi XR� to stay in the Go Zone. Ask your healthcare provider about Trokendi XR, a once-a-day treatment for the prevention of migraine. Learn more about Trokendi XR, and see and read more stories about living with migraine... Read more

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The Headless Horsewoman

I am obsessed with Halloween. Every year, I elaborately decorate my cubicle at work - it's been a graveyard, where I cut through astroturf so it looked like I was rising from the dead to work; a mad science laboratory, complete with brains made of jello; the Overlook Hotel in the Shining (I actually found a Jack Nicholson wig to wear); and this year, it will be the haunted abode of a fortune teller. I love Halloween and all the creepiness that goes with it. So, today when I told my coworker that my migraine makes me want to take my head off and throw it at someone started me thinking - what if ghouls suffer from migraines? Maybe the headless horseman started out with a head, but due to the... Read more

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Woman patient standing firm and respectfully speaking to a doctor in their office

Respect and Power at the Doc�s Office

Kyky Knight- Feeling powerless at the doctor�s office is something many in the community can relate to. From being misunderstood, to being outright disrespected, self-advocacy when it comes to wellness can be draining and scary. That feeling can be compounded with uncertainty when uneven power dynamics are at play. I wanted to share a few tips that have helped me along the way, in times that I felt my appointments were not serving me well. Have you ever had the experience of saying something to someone, only to feel like it went straight past them? This is especially frustrating when this happens with a healthcare professional. I can�t tell you how many times I have shared details about dealing with migraine with my doctor, only to have them gloss right over it. In... Read more

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Tackling the Treatments, A Special Section

CGRP: A New Direction for Migraine Treatment

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The Cost of Wellness - Affording the CGRPs

Holly Baddour- Those who are experiencing wellness for the first time in years due to the new CGRP medications may be feeling as if they are living on borrowed time. This due to the fact that several of the drug companies responsible for these treatments have provided introductory offers to encourage patients to give their medications a spin. Emgality, Aimovig and Ajovy each offer some version of a 12-months free coupon. The question is, what happens after these offers expire and the medications become financially impractical for... Read more

Seeing Migraine in Media

Sawyer Matheny- I�m usually the kind of person to avoid traditional television entirely...I have never casually encountered a migraine advert in mainstream media. Yes, I have deliberately looked up information online when on the search for important information regarding my migraine struggle, however, I never stumbled on something like this in passing. Read more

I'm a Stay-At-Home-Mom with Migraines: Here's My Plan

Tonilyn Hornung- I�m a Virgo. This makes me a sensational planner with a fabulous attention to detail and an amazing knack for being right. Virgos are also modest. I�m not sure my Zodiac sign explains all my personality traits, but the stars were aligned when it came to the planning part. I tried to have plan in place so I could know what it might be like to have a baby while having migraines. Too bad Virgo�s don't have the ability to predict the future. When my husband... Read more

My Plan to Being a Migraine Free Bride

Alene Brennan- I�m getting married this January. My fianc� and I will each be 40 years old and our relationship started in college. So, needless to say, this moment has been a long time coming. We went our separate ways for years after college, but reconnected last year and quickly realized what we felt before was real, the timing just wasn�t right� and now the timing is perfectly right. We could not be more excited as we select our venue, book our honeymoon and plan for our... Read more

What It's Like to Live with Hemiplegic Migraine

#purpleproject- Lately, the first obvious sign of a cluster of migraines coming is being very confused a lot of the time, feeling like I am in a maze of distorted mirrors at the fair. But unlike the fair, there aren't sweet treats, fun rides, or livestock to pet. I catch my aphasia. But it�s usually far too late and people have started to notice. I notice it just as much when I�m talking to my partner as he does. We�ve been together for about a year, so... Read more

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Tina's Story: How Migraine Has Changed My Life

I have been suffering from migraines since July of 2017. When they started they just kept getting worse along with Vertigo. My MRI showed the smaller vessels of my brain are diseased so I been seeing a neurologist since. We have tried medications now we are trying the b2 vitamin and oxygen therapy when when hits. I have a very hard time cognitively and physically functioning. I try my hardest to deal with this problem but it is hard. I have migraines start up daily and once I put the oxygen on it does help but this is t how I want to live my life. I can�t go very many places because I am always am in a dark room. Once I get a bad attack that is pretty much... Read more

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□ No, my insurance has covered CGRP drugs.

□ No, I have been able to use the assistance programs for CGRPs.

□ I have not heard of CGRPs.

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What "Feeling Better" Means to Me

Jaime Sanders- There used to be a time in my life when I thought I would get better. When I would wake up feeling refreshed and not fear that pain, discomfort and fatigue would steal away from my day. Growing up, doctors gave me a false sense of hope telling me that I would outgrow migraine. I truly believed that my adult years would be pain-free. However, everything turned out to be quite different for me. Between the ages of 9 and 25 years old, I had episodic migraine. It quickly manifested into chronic migraine by the age of twenty-seven. The idea of "feeling better" was non-existent by then. Every day involved a significant degree of pain, disability, and frustration. There was hardly any level of feeling good, even on the "good" days.... Read more

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Tinnitus: Please Stop the Ringing

Tom Picerno- I�ve always experienced a ringing in my ears since a young age. It would come and go, but only as I got older did I notice the ringing was present during migraine attacks. It took me a while to put two and two together and figure that out. I use an app to track my migraines and that�s how I�ve been able to pick up triggers and the symptoms associated with migraine. Tinnitus is common in many types of headache disorders including migraine. I have... Read more

Migraine & Quality of Life Traffic Light System

Kerrie Smyres- My headache specialist introduced me to this color-coded system for rating migraine's impact on day-to-day life, the simplicity and usefulness of which are no less than brilliant: Think about how much migraine affects your life each day in terms of a traffic light. Days in which you're functioning with no impairment are green, those where you're not as active as when you're migraine-free but are still productive are yellow, and red days are the ones you spend wiped out by a migraine attack. You can... Read more

3 Reasons Migraines Aren't The Boss Of Me

Tonilyn Hornung- �You�re not the boss of me,� I told my migraines when they first started. Then I realized they kinda were. My migraines began in my early thirties, and I�d hoped I could stave off them off the way I�d done with a bad headache: a little extra caffeine, more rest, and two advil�not so much. This did nothing to tame the monster that was my migraine. I began to sink into a world of frustration because it seemed my migraines were definitely the boss of me. While... Read more

When Life is a Trigger

Lisa Robin Benson- Do you ever hit an unavoidable life situation that triggers an attack (or string of attacks)? It's Lisa here from migraine.com and I want to talk about a recent life situation that has triggered some attacks for me recently, and how I deal with the emotional fallout. Topics discussed in this video can be considered about further in these articles and videos: Becoming a New Parent with Migraine: What to Know and How to Cope Tools for Dealing with Light Sensitivity How Do You Cope with Migraine Setbacks in... Read more

The Cost of Wellness - Affording the CGRPs

Holly Baddour- Those who are experiencing wellness for the first time in years due to the new CGRP medications may be feeling as if they are living on borrowed time. This due to the fact that several of the drug companies responsible for these treatments have provided introductory offers to encourage patients to give their medications a spin. Emgality, Aimovig and Ajovy each offer some version of a 12-months free coupon. The question is, what happens after these offers expire and the medications become financially impractical for... Read more

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Operator Error: Must Reboot Now. Powering Down.

Yesterday was a day of 90% negative stress (civic business red tape, computer problems, pharmacy troubles, missed meals, bright sun, fumes, heat and cold, and way too much driving) with 10% positive encounters (a helpful psychologist, a sympathetic technician, snuggly pets, and a loving family). I was overwhelmed and exhausted by evening, yet I made it through without getting a migraine. Migraine Buddy app even chimed to let me know I'd been migraine-free for 7 days! I woke up feeling good. Decided to tackle some fall yard clean up. And..... Cue migraine. I know exercise can be a migraine trigger for me. I knew I was lucky to have avoided a migraine yesterday. I should have just spent the day relaxing. But... I love gardening. By the time the first tingle of a headache arrived,... Read more

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□ No, my insurance has covered CGRP drugs.

□ No, I have been able to use the assistance programs for CGRPs.

□ I have not heard of CGRPs.

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Botox and Ajovy; A One-Two Punch

Tom Picerno- I received my first Botox injections in June of 2018 after jumping through all kinds of hoops to get it approved. I had no expectations for the first round of shots partly because it has been a challenge to treat my chronic, intractable migraine. I was optimistic and as ever hopeful. In December of 2018, I received my first dose of the CGRP drug Ajovy. I was more excited about Ajovy than Botox, and I prayed I would not be in the twenty percent group of people that the drug did not work effectively. I was happy to find out that with a copay card the Ajovy shots would be free to fill! To break down my experience with Botox and Ajovy I�m going to start with Botox since that was... Read more

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Why Reyvow Is a Big WOW for the Migraine Community!

Shoshana Lipson- There is a new reason for hope! This October we saw the exciting FDA approval of a new class of migraine abortives, REYVOW, previously known as lasmiditan. The results from clinical trials show that Reyvow is able to stop some migraine attacks within two hours with only mild to moderate side effects. They also show that it may be safe for people who previously have not had access to tolerable abortive medications. This is huge news for the nearly 40 million people in the USA who... Read more

Is Cleaning a Migraine Trigger for You Too?

Alene Brennan- I used to think that I was �allergic� to cleaning. It always triggered a migraine for me. But that�s kind of too good to be true to be allergic to cleaning, don�t you think? As it turns out, it�s partially true. I wasn�t allergic to the act of cleaning, but I was having a reaction to the cleaning products. And it turns out I�m not alone. I�ve talked to many other migraine sufferers who have the same experience. So, I�ve swapped out my cleaning products for... Read more

Did I Cause This? Parenting Children with Migraine

Sarah Hackley- The other day, I watched helplessly as my son writhed on the couch in pain. His hands clutched his small head in a pose I am all too familiar with. His cries hurt my heart. That morning, I had woken at 6 o'clock to the sounds of him crying and yelling for me. When I entered his room, he was curled up on his side in bed � his hands pressed tightly against his ears��whimpering. He looked at me with tears on his cheeks and said,... Read more

FDA Approves New Migraine Treatment Lasmiditan (Reyvow)

Editorial Team- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new oral medication for acute treatment of migraine disease this week. In clinical trials, lasmiditan (brand name Reyvow™) was able to resolve the �worst� symptoms of migraine within two hours after taking the drug. These symptoms included pain, nausea, light sensitivity and sound sensitivity. This approval is important as this is the first new class of acute migraine treatment approved by the FDA in more than two decades. A total of 3,177 adults participated in two... Read more

Heartbreak and Migraine

Kyky Knight- Living with chronic pain can be like living with a huge brick wall on your back. It is heavy, hard, and makes getting through each day a monumental task. I used to think that living with pain all of my life meant I was well equipped to handle a lot of adversity, after all, I am used to dealing with emotional, physical, and psychological pain due to this disease. Strong are those who undergo outstanding trials I thought...that is, until I experienced the kind of... Read more

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Operator Error: Must Reboot Now. Powering Down.

Yesterday was a day of 90% negative stress (civic business red tape, computer problems, pharmacy troubles, missed meals, bright sun, fumes, heat and cold, and way too much driving) with 10% positive encounters (a helpful psychologist, a sympathetic technician, snuggly pets, and a loving family). I was overwhelmed and exhausted by evening, yet I made it through without getting a migraine. Migraine Buddy app even chimed to let me know I'd been migraine-free for 7 days! I woke up feeling good. Decided to tackle some fall yard clean up. And..... Cue migraine. I know exercise can be a migraine trigger for me. I knew I was lucky to have avoided a migraine yesterday. I should have just spent the day relaxing. But... I love gardening. By the time the first tingle of a headache arrived,... Read more

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□ Know it like the back of my hand!

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Five Things About Migraine I Don�t Understand

Lisa Robin Benson- Migraine is a weird, often confusing disease. Even though I've lived with it since childhood and been an advocate here on Migraine.com since 2014, there are still things about both migraine and how migraine is treated that don't make any sense to me. Such as... Take coffee: for some of us, the sweet caffeinated elixir is a godsend, for others, it�s a thick black poison that will bring on the head throbs. For a lot of us, it can be either�or both�depending on the day. The article, Caffeine: Trigger or Treatment?, goes into this conundrum in more detail. Another example is sleeping. A nap can stop an attack in its tracks or you can wake up from a peaceful slumber in pain. There's probably an explanation, but it eludes me. I�ve had... Read more

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Willing CGRP Guinea Pigs

Holly Baddour- One of our community members recently posted the following comment regarding taking one of the new CGRP treatments: �You, others and I who are risking taking these injections are going to help so many other people if all is favorable�I do not care about the side-effects or possible long term consequences (if there are any). I have taken the injections for 9 months and feel fine. There are a few side-effects but nothing like being disabled with crippling migraine.� This begs the question: If you are... Read more

Pediatric Migraine Registry Program

Jaime Sanders- What is pediatric migraine and how many children does it affect? Migraine is common among children, however, it often goes undiagnosed or untreated. About 60% of adolescents complain of headache at some point in their lives, with 8% of children being diagnosed with having migraine. Prior to puberty, the proportion of migraine among boys and girls are about the same. After puberty, in teenage years, migraine is seen to be more prevalent in girls than boys. In younger children, many of the symptoms are often GI... Read more

Should You Be Honest with Your Employer about Migraines?

Diana-Lee- The decision of whether to disclose your migraine diagnosis to a prospective or current employer comes down to weighing the pros and cons of each option. There are lots of good reasons to share this personal information, but there are also many reasons not to. There is a lot at stake in making this choice. It's a very personal decision. The pros of disclosing migraines at work Disclosing would explain why you're missing work and your limitations on the job. Your employer won't be caught off guard if... Read more

The Difficulty of Conversing During a Migraine Attack

The Migraine Girl- Though personality assessments have me riding the line between introvert and extrovert, most people who know me will tell you that, without a doubt, I am a poster child for extroversion. I am calmer than I used to be, less likely to draw attention to myself and less likely to be the entertainer at get-togethers, but I do love people and draw energy from talking to others. (The introversion does come along frequently, though, as I also need lots of time at home with my... Read more

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Has This Happened to You?

I started having Migraine with Aura when I was 23, I am now 40. I would get the zig-zag vision changes then once it subsided I'd get a headache on one side of my head. Over the years I've noticed that I get numbness and tingling or one side of my body just feels odd but does not always get the head pain. I also get brief zaps of head pain. I guess ice pick headache. A week ago I had an episode after I drank an ice-cold slushy. I experienced a sharp head pain in the right temple and numbness in the right cheek, then right arm, right the leg. Symptoms lasted less than a min. ... Read more

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□ Know it like the back of my hand!

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Postdrome: Is it Really the End?

Tom Picerno- Postdrome is the last phase of a migraine attack that can last for hours or even days.�It is also referred to as the migraine hangover.�During the postdrome phase, people experience fatigue, inability to concentrate, inability to comprehend things, mood swings, and a general feeling of malaise. I suffer from chronic, intractable migraine so for me the postdrome is almost never the end. It serves as a pit stop on the way to my next inevitable attack cycle. I liken it to Tarzan swinging from one vine, or migraine phase, to the next in a seemingly endless cycle of pain and whatever else migraine wants to throw at me. You see for me postdrome is not the ending, but I�m thankful that for many migraineurs it is just that. The sky starts... Read more

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CGRP: A New Direction for Migraine Treatment

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Returning to the Working World

Elizabeth Roberts-Zibbel- For a couple of years now, I have been employed, but working from home: writing about migraine, and coordinating advertising for a local online news journal, both of which I can literally do from my sickbed. Recently while working on the news site, I saw that our county library had sent me a 'help wanted' ad. As I was uploading it, I saw that the job they were hiring for was library page, which is not a term I was familiar with. The description said... Read more

The Art of Not Pushing: Slow and Steady

Tonilyn Hornung- As an adult, I figured I was done with juvenile warnings like �Don�t stay up too late!� or �Don�t drink alcohol!� or �Don�t sit too close to the TV!� But when my migraines started, my body took over these parental warnings. Since I wanted to avoid the searing-hot waffle iron that adheres itself to my head, I listened. Occasionally, though, I�d see friends enjoying their wine too close to the TV and feel left out. That�s when I would push myself. When my migraines became a... Read more

Who Am I Beyond Migraine?

Kyky Knight- Some huge changes in my life have prompted me to get a bit existential, and I have been pondering questions like: what is fear?, and who am I? I mean, besides someone who lives in chronic pain and who feels hurts a lot of the time...who am I? Sometimes living with chronic pain can be so consuming that we can lose sight of ourselves beyond the pain, stigma, and adversity. I�ve spent some time thinking about what defines me, my character, and who I am... Read more

Migraine is More Than Head Pain: The Many Symptoms of Migraine

Kerrie Smyres- Those who have never had a migraine tend to think of it as a raging headache. While sympathetic folks may understand that the pain is awful, even they don't realize that a migraine is not only a headache. While it is certainly a major aspect, pain is one of many symptoms of migraine. The pain is a big deal, but it is only a small part of this neurological disorder that impacts the entire body. Migraine: The Complete Guide, a book published by the American... Read more

The Battle of the Odors

The Migraine Girl- My cats bring me such happiness and comfort. Those of you with animals likely know how wonderful it feels to have a little being in your house who loves you unconditionally and often cuddles with you when you aren�t feeling very well. My two cats, Satchel (a handsome gray tabby) and Cubbie (a solid black dynamo), make me laugh all the time. And having to care for them can keep me in a routine myself. It�s hard to sleep more than I ought to when... Read more

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Work Stress?

I've had migraines since I was 40, but not officially diagnosed by a neurologist until I was 45. I've been to 3 different neurologists. None have been able to help me. My current neurologist says that the new drugs won't help me because I didn't respond to botox after 1 year of injections every 12 weeks. She said I need to eliminate work stress and suggested cutting back on my work responsibilities or retiring. I'm 61 and could retire in a year except for the unknown medical costs. But my biggest question....will be retiring from my job significantly decrease my migraine frequency (9-12 per month on average) ??? What if I retire and still get frequent migraines? I fear I will be more isolated than I am now. Read more

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□ A disease

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New Treatment Experiences Part One: The Success Stories

Editorial Team- The new CGRP treatments are certainly a hot topic right now. On Migraine.com's Facebook page, we reposted Holly Baddour�s piece, �CGRPs and Migraine: Navigating Wellness for the First Time in Years.� Her article sparked so many reactions. In a separate Facebook post, we also asked the Migraine.com community if you had talked to your doctor about trying new migraine treatments. Some of you spoke out about how these new medicines are changing your life. Others of you agreed with Holly's concerns about cost and insurance. Unfortunately, some have not found any relief from the new treatments. In this three-part series, we will be sharing comments from these community posts that included success stories, scenarios where trying new treatments led to no happy ending, and cost and insurance concerns... Read more

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Oops! Concussions and Migraine

#purpleproject- I�ve had some awful luck lately. By luck, I mean I would pretty much swap �luck� for �lack of coordination�. It began with clumsiness; me dropping things, partly because I�m a person who obsessively unloads bags from the car and WILL make it in one or two trips. So, there is my disclaimer - I�m a mess without migraine! Recently, I was outside gardening (which I�ve actively talked about in my writings as a form of self-care) and met the corner of the AC unit which is... Read more

Does Being Hangry Give You a Migraine Too?

Alene Brennan- I don�t know about you, but if I go too long without a meal or snack, I get hangry� and a prime target for the next migraine attack. I learned this early on and began my search for healthy, trigger-free snacks. I quickly discovered that most protein/snack bars contained chocolate and/or nuts � both of which are triggers for me. So, I had to get creative. Hummus and carrots worked. Guacamole and celery were good options too. But I needed something I could toss in... Read more

How I Avoid My Top 5 Migraine Triggers

Lisa Robin Benson- We hear a lot about migraine triggers, and one of the first tasks a doctor will often give a patient is to keep a headache diary to identify them. I've had migraines since I was a kid and I always knew there were certain things that would lead to my�"headaches." Once diagnosed, I tried an elimination diet, kept a migraine diary, and educated myself on common triggers and solutions. Below, I share my top 5 triggers and strategies for avoiding them while still being able... Read more

Drop Your Weapons at the Door: A Call for Compassion at Migraine.com

Holly Baddour- I recently posted an article about how walking is therapeutic for me in dealing with my migraine disease. One of our community members responded: �A WALK? I cannot relate. My Migraine is so overwhelming, I am on the floor screaming in pain.�� In response to her comment, another community member said: �How can you SCREAM when you have a migraine??� That exchange and others like it � seem to demonstrate an unfortunate and unnecessary defensiveness and need for one upping one another and/or questioning the nature... Read more

Tapering from Butalbital and Klonopin

Janet- I was told by my new neurologist that the butalbital is causing MOH..which I understand..he said to stop it...I asked how? He said just do it! I'm too afraid...I have begun tapering from 4 a day to 3 a day but everything I read says do this under medical supervision...I was on aimovig from July 2018-February 2019 they stopped because I started to feel super sick...we were in the process of moving and no headache specialist (ones that previously were my docs....Abraham Nagy was one)... Read more

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The Beginning of Aura

I'm 44 now but it started when I was 12. I was into freestyle bmx, skateboards doing tricks jumping that kinda stuff. Loved to jump and get as much air as possible. One day visiting family my cousin pulls out a pogoball. I jump and took this is cool. I'm jumping off the wall, up and down off the sidewalk. Next thing I know I'm heading to the street headfirst. I clipped the curb with the bottom of the pogoball and it slips from under me and throws me off balance. I fall forehead first landing on top left of my head at the hairline. Cousins freak out. I get up right away. It kinda hurt... Read more

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□ Somewhat poorly, it was mentioned

□ Very poorly, it was never explained

□ I did not experience any side effects

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Waiting For the Other Shoe to Drop: Migraine and Comorbid Conditions

Shoshana Lipson- Do any of you feel as though you are constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop? Do you live not only with migraine but also with multiple other health challenges? Does it sometimes feel as though your body is constantly betraying you and facing the future is scary? If so, you are not alone! Migraine is a challenging and complex neurological condition by itself, but sadly it also frequently brings with it a wide range of comorbid conditions which add to that challenge and complexity. So, what is meant by comorbidity? This term is used when two illnesses occur at a greater than coincidental rate than is seen in the general population. The indication is that at some level, somehow, the two conditions are actually related. Sometimes one condition can... Read more

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Migraine and Body Temperature Regulation

Tom Picerno- I�ve always had an odd symptom occurring with my migraine attacks relating to my body temperature. There are times when I would feel hot. This wasn�t like a fever but more like an extended hot flash. Other times I would feel cold and seemed to have a hard time getting my body to feel warm enough. It started me wondering if in fact, this was just another one of those weird migraine symptoms. My curiosity soon led me to the internet of course. After reading through... Read more

Keeping Hope Alive in a Chronic Migraine World

Jaime Sanders- Holding on to hope is a challenge when living with chronic migraine. No matter how often I have an attack, I can never get used to the severity of head pain, intense nausea, and pain caused by lights, sounds, and odors. It is always like the first time every time. Having this experience over and over again multiple times per month is draining. Not just physically but emotionally. I want to remain hopeful but it's difficult keeping it alive when it takes so many hits... Read more

Balancing Sugar and Migraine?

Sawyer Matheny- I have always loved anything sweet. When I was a kid, I would go on these sort of candy safaris, looking for any scrap of sugary goodness I could find throughout my house. If there weren�t a conventional, wrapped candy bar somewhere, I would resort to getting into my mom�s baking supplies and eat the powdered sugar! As I grew older, the quest for sugar became less and less realistic. What began as Sawyer and the Temple of Sweeties evolved into Sawyer's Tummy Ache Time.... Read more

30 Dirty Little Secrets About My Life with Migraine

Tammy Rome- I�ve done the "30 Things"�meme several years in a row, so this year I�m changing things up. I won�t be following the traditional question format. Instead, I�d like to air a little �dirty migraine laundry." I realize that by opening up, I'm putting a target on my back, inviting criticism of my personal weaknesses. I am choosing�to do this so that each of you will take it easy on yourselves when you fail to do it all just right.�None of us are perfect... Read more

What's Your Secret: Surviving the Grocery Store with Migraine

Lisa Robin Benson- The florescent lights alone can be enough to trigger or exacerbate a migraine for many of us at the grocery store, let alone smells and sounds. But we need food to live, right? Though triggers can be hard to avoid, in this What�s Your Secret video, we share six tips from one of our�contributors that helps her survive the grocery store with a migraine (or without triggering one)... Read more

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Cascading Migraines

First migraine 3+ yrs ago. Then one every other month. Then every month. Now averaging one every three days. I do get whole weeks migraine-free (increasingly rare). And I've grown glad to have migraines level 5-7 without vomiting. But this ever-increasing frequency of migraines is wearing away at my soul. Much sympathy for those with intractable migraine... Read more

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□ It has helped me alot

□ It has helped somewhat (I plan to be more active)

□ It has not helped (I want more support)

□ I am not sure (I am looking for information)

□ Rather not say (Ask me again in a few months)

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New Treatment Experiences Part Two: No Happy Ending Yet

Editorial Team- Migraine treatments are getting a lot of attention lately. With new options on the market, people in the migraine community have expressed feelings of hope and hesititation. On Migraine.com's Facebook page, we reposted Holly Baddour�s piece, �CGRPs and Migraine: Navigating Wellness for the First Time in Years.� Her article sparked so many reactions. In a separate Facebook post, we also asked the Migraine.com community if you had talked to your doctor about trying new migraine treatments. In part 1 of this 3 part series, we shared comments from migraine community members who spoke out about how these new treatment options have been life-changing. Unfortunately, there is no one size fits all when it comes to migraine treatment and some of you have not found relief from trying these new treatments. Here... Read more

CGRP: A New Direction for Migraine Treatment

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Oral CGRP Shows Promising Results

Editorial Team- Migraine is a complex neurological disorder, and in the U.S., migraine affects 39 million people, including children. Effective treatments are important to restore quality of life, address pain and discomfort, and relieve symptoms that go beyond a headache. For decades, there have been few treatment advances for migraine, but that changed dramatically in 2018 with the introduction of a new class of drugs targeting the CGRP receptor. To date, the FDA has approved these drugs for the prevention of migraine. A new study evaluates another... Read more

The Neverending Question of Pacing

Holly Baddour- Why can�t I learn this lesson? So many unexpected lessons have come from a life with migraine. This disease has taught me to rethink who I am. It has shaken me free from the way I once defined myself. Formerly, I primarily saw myself through the lens of my profession. Now disabled from my career, I assess myself more by how I live, rather than what I do. I also live now with gratitude at the forefront of my mind, rather than as an afterthought.... Read more

Completely Unofficial Made-Up Migraine Types: Case of the Missing Migraine

The Migraine Girl- I use an iPhone app daily to keep track of my migraine-related health. It used to be called �Curelator,� but it was renamed �N1-Headache� not too long ago. Every evening as I lie in bed, I use the app to answer a series of questions about my day�whether or not I had a migraine attack that day. One of the very last questions on the daily survey asks me to rate my migraine expectation for the following day: low, moderate, or high. These days my migraine health... Read more

No Longer Fearing the Unknown: How I Prepare for New Environments

The Migraine Girl- Another day, another flight. I�ve been traveling a lot lately (and find that solo time on an airplane is when I�m inspired to write articles�one of the many benefits of escaping my normal routine!). This morning I woke up at 3 AM (groan) in order to make it to my 6:45 AM flight�I live about 90 minutes from the closest major airport. While standing in the security line, I realized something about flying first thing in the morning: most people are freshly showered. Sounds like a... Read more

3 Crazy Cravings That Help Me Get Through My Migraines

Tonilyn Hornung- The last migraine I had I named Shirley. Shirley sent me straight to bed after supper. The nausea I was experiencing with Shirley was topping my migraine charts - unlike Laverne who had visited me a couple of weeks prior. She�d been a lot more tame. Every migraine I have has a distinctive personality. They�re so individual in their pain that I want them to have their own name, social security number, and Netflix account. However, there�s one way in which my migraine personalities do stay... Read more

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What Does It Mean To Be Pain Free?

Having lived with awful head pain from the time I was still in daycare, I have grown accustomed to living in a less than �feel good� state. I �even sometimes question whether or not I really know what it's like to be pain-free. Has my pain tolerance grown so much that I think the numbness and tingling pain, or the exhaustion and grogginess in the aftermath of days-long migraine attacks is �good� feeling? Certainly, for me it is, compared to the full-on, intense migraine pain that I feel often...but what about on its own?� I mean, when waking up on most days with throbbing pain, being in the autopilot zombie mode that says to just take medication and push through to the next step, what is a pain-less day... Read more

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□ Yes, (ADHD)

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□ No, (but my teen has ADHD)

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Aimovig: Is It My Happy Ending For Migraines?

Tonilyn Hornung- When my migraines first began, I was sure my fairy tale ending was just around the corner. I held fast to the idea that a new treatment would be the one that worked. When diet changes, yoga, natural hormone replacement therapy, acupuncture, praying to math unicorns, and a slew of other ministrations didn�t do the trick, I sought professional medical help. Each new medication my doctor suggested carried with it the potential of a new life and the promise of my legendary happy ending. This pill or that procedure would take me down a yellow brick road of salvation where my head would stop deep-frying itself, and I could finally live my fullest life with my family... Read more

CGRP: A New Direction for Migraine Treatment

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Taking Off the Mask: The Real Face of Migraine

Shoshana Lipson- Honestly, I wear a mask for much of the time. I�ve become much better at taking it off, but still it�s frequently there. Like an essential accessory to my wardrobe that I put on before emerging into the real world. Sometimes even before poking my head out the bedroom door! The mask tells others in society that I�m ok, even when I�m really not. It tells my family not to worry because today�s a good day, even when I could use their help. And it tells me that I am not in pain, and can handle anything that comes my way, even when that is patently not the truth! As my nails popped off that day, with nothing I could do about it, I realized that hiding behind a mask of being �ok� was just like that. I�m still me underneath. I can cover up, often extremely well, but the reality of living with migraine disease has not changed at all. It�s still lurking, like a monster, beneath the mask... Read more

Living the Chronic Life

Tom Picerno- Living life should be pretty easy right? I�m sure for many people it is and I don�t begrudge anyone who is living a normal life. I, however, am not one of those people. I am living a chronic life. It�s not that I made a decision one day to live such a life, but instead, the life and lifestyle were thrust upon me by fate, genetics or years of running my body into the ground. At this point, I�m really not sure, but I know... Read more

What Are the Symptoms of Silent Migraines?

jeremy- Common symptoms of silent migraines may include: Speech disturbance Migraine aura Vision changes Seeing flashes or flickering lights Seeing zigzag lines or waves, also called fortification illusions Seeing spots, stars, halos, circles, lines, shimmering, other shapes or colors Blurry vision Loss of vision Cloudy vision Other visual disturbances Seeing three-dimensional effects Seeing dark areas Migraine sensory aura symptoms such as Tingling or numbness Feeling pins and needles Odd sensations in a body part Clumsiness or weakness in the limbs Vertigo Other symptoms of silent migraines include: ... Read more

Prodrome: Migraine Warning Signs

Kerrie Smyres- As soon as I woke up yesterday morning, I was pretty sure a migraine was coming on. I couldn't put a finger on the exact symptoms, but I felt "off" and sluggish. As a chronic migraineur, I can't stay in bed whenever I feel "off" -- I'd rarely be vertical if that were the case. Within five minutes of hauling myself out of bed, however, tears began streaming down my face, a sure sign a migraine is on the way. Although it doesn't happen every... Read more

Migraine: Life On The Inside

Tom Picerno- I began having episodic migraines at age 43. My wife, however, started her journey with migraine in her teens. I have been with my wife since we were 14 and we are now both in our 50�s. We have always tried to be there to support each other no matter the situation, after all, we are partners in marriage! We have 3 daughters and two of them suffer from migraine just as my wife did when she was in her teens, 20�s and 30�s. They... Read more

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Share your story about silent migraine...

Many in the Migraine.com Facebook community have shared they experience silent migraine. We want to hear more about these stories of those who have migraine symptoms without the head pain: Read more

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□ Children

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□ Healthcare professional

□ Online support group

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□ Friends and other family

□ None of the above

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My First Month on Emgality

Lisa Robin Benson- In the video below, one of our contributors talks about her first month taking the new migraine preventive medication Emgality. Watch below to hear about her experience! If you are taking, have taken, or considering taking Emgality, we'd love to hear from you. We have an entire forum dedicated to Emgality here. You can also post in the comments below! Read more

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Advocate by Sharing Your Migraine Story with ICER

Katie M. Golden- The rising costs of medications are a hot topic right now and ICER needs to hear from patients about your need to be able to access new treatment options. You can submit your migraine story now until December 6, 2019. ICER primarily uses an economic approach when evaluating medicines that doesn�t take into consideration the variation between patients. Their model also under-values diseases that have a disabling impact rather than a lethal one. Put these two together and you can see why an ICER review in migraine disease is an unfair process. This is why it is vital you make sure they hear your personal story. ICER needs to understand how painful and disabling migraine disease is... Read more

A PCP, A Neurologist, and an Optometrist Walk Into A Bar

Kyky Knight- Migraine disease is an ugly and debilitating illness, and is known to steal joy, happiness, and opportunity. Often, when I think about the absurdities associated with living with and navigating migraine, I find myself getting angry and upset. As someone also living with anxiety and depression, the dark feelings come all too often, and digging up and away from them is a monumental task. There are so many aspects of living with this disease that seem unfair, and I tend to focus a lot on... Read more

Not Feeling Like Myself

Sawyer Matheny- I hate when my head is pounding and every thought feels like an internal mind-tornado. It�s here in this space that I feel most alone. An aura will begin and I�ll lose vision as if my brain is warning me. I�ll shut down most things that I�m doing; take my rescue meds, turn off the lights, and do my best to try to fall asleep as my skull drummer keeps a pulsating beat. I hate not being able to laugh or enjoy my day. I hate being out of commission. Life is too short not to enjoy it and it�s a migraine attack that really shows me this... Read more

Your Best Tips for Migraine Management

Editorial Team- We all know there is no �one size treats all� approach to migraine management, but sharing personal tips and tricks can often be helpful.� At Migraine.com, we�re typically in the position of offering opinions from our incredible team of patient advocates and physician experts.� Recently we decided to see what advice YOU � our community � had to share.� So we asked our Facebook followers, �What's the best �migraine advice� you've ever received?� While the number one comment was �decapitation� (something we would not recommend!), we... Read more

Why Did I Wait on Starting a Gratitude List?

Alene Brennan- There has been a lot of buzz about gratitude lists and journals. I heard great testimonials for their benefits. I read articles on how much they actually could improve health. Heck, I even recommended them to my clients and saw the positive impact they had on each of them. When it came to my personal life however, I couldn�t get the habit to stick. I had an existing morning and evening routine that I liked, so I guess I just saw this as another thing I... Read more

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Black Hole

My partner's name is Madeleine, she has been confined to bed for four years with ME/CFS. Her life was on hold and to make matters worse she developed a severe migraine two weeks ago, so severe that she can't stand the sight of any light, so now she is in perpetual darkness. She is taking prescribed medication which has finally helped with the pain but she needs some guidance of how to get out of this eternal blackness. If anyone has gone through this she would really appreciate their suggestions and support. She is at the end of her tether. ... Read more

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New Treatment Experiences Part 3: Insurance and Cost Barriers

Editorial Team- It's an exciting time in the migraine world! For the first time in decades, there are new treatment options for people living with migraine. While there can be feelings of hope for these new options, it's also important to acknowledge the barriers many in the migraine community may face in actually accessing these new drugs. In the last part of this 3 part series, we're sharing comments from migraine community members who pointed out their challenges with receiving insurance coverage as well... Read more

CGRP: A New Direction for Migraine Treatment

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Self-Care for the Holidays

Alene Brennan- The holidays can be one of the most joyful times of the year. It�s time with family and friends, enjoying delicious food at gatherings, and listening to uplifting music. It�s definitely one of my favorite times of the year. I�m that person that chooses to work retail just during the holiday season to help buyers select presents to their loved ones. I personally like to participate in every aspect of the holidays. One of those aspects is one that I decided to create myself. I guess you could... Read more

Migraine and Sleep Apnea

Tom Picerno- If you�ve suffered from migraine and especially chronic migraine then you know sleep disorders are pretty common. I�ve read that people can be eight times more likely to have a sleep disorder if they also suffer from migraine. There are risk factors, like snoring, that can trigger morning headaches or in my case... Read more

Diagnosis Isn�t a One-Time Thing

Sarah Hackley- �That�s a lot of blood,� I said to the lab tech as she filled up vial number 10. She laughed but nodded. It was a lot of blood. When I came in with my orders � a stack of papers weighing more than the homestead exemption paperwork that required two stamps to get across town � the tech at the front desk raised her eyebrows. As the labels for the tubes began to print, all three of the techs behind the desk looked shocked. I wasn�t... Read more

Totally, Completely Out of Control

Kyky Knight- Recently, I have had to come to terms with the fact that I am currently sick too often to take on as much responsibility as I have in the past. I used to pride myself on my ability to 'go the extra mile', to be the 'yes man', the one who would stay up late and wake up early to be on top of it all. I think in ways I was raised with the mentality that 'pushing through' was a sign of strength... Read more

Balancing Sugar and Migraine?

Sawyer Matheny- I have always loved anything sweet. When I was a kid, I would go on these sort of candy safaris, looking for any scrap of sugary goodness I could find throughout my house. If there weren�t a conventional, wrapped candy bar somewhere, I would resort to getting into my mom�s baking supplies and eat the powdered sugar! As I grew older, the quest for sugar became less and less realistic. What began as Sawyer and the Temple of Sweeties evolved into Sawyer's Tummy Ache Time.... Read more

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Will I ever have a life again?

I've had migraines since I was a child, I'm 48 now. I have memories of them. I'm sitting in bed with my mom next to me, rocking back and forth, crying in pain. Sometimes we'd be in the bathroom and she's holding a bucket in front of me and I'm on the toilet sick from both ends (sorry, gross) but, that's how bad they were... Read more

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□ Foods and drinks

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Tips for Timing Your CGRP Medicines

Lisa Robin Benson- CGRP medicines are a brand new type of migraine drug that�s on the market. The three that are out�Aimovig, Emgality, and Ajovy�are all administered as monthly injections. I�m about to take my third dose of Emgality. Through my own experiences, and talking with others in our forums and online, I�ve thought of and heard of a few tricks for finding your best timing of when to take the medicine. It�s important to mention that when deciding anything about when or how you take a medicine, you should always consult with your doctor first. These are new medicines and we are still learning about them, and... Read more

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Migraine: The Third Wheel In My Marriage

Tonilyn Hornung- I was an only child until my little sister came along. After she was born, I quickly discovered that younger sisters are super talented at being third wheels. With her cute voice and big approval-seeking eyes, she pleaded to play Star Wars with me and my BFF. When I got married she abandoned her post, but that�s when another third wheel joined in�my migraines... Read more

Surviving the Holidays with Migraine

Shoshana Lipson- For many of us who live with migraine, the holiday season can be bitter-sweet. Thoughts of complex family dynamics, multiple parties, and events, as well as navigating the shopping crowds can easily trigger pain and anxiety. Then we can�t forget to mention the endless hours of cooking, which can itself easily lead to stress overload. After all, how can we guarantee that we will be well enough to do all of this? In fact, any of this at all?! How much medication will we need... Read more

The Evolution of Migraine: Exploring Diagnosis, Treatment Options, and the True Impact

Editorial Team- Many people living with migraine are well aware it's not just a headache. From early onset during childhood to it taking sometimes years to receive an accurate diagnosis, migraine can have a serious impact on people�s quality of life. Migraine can often be misunderstood by loved ones, friends, and even doctors. Thanks to nearly 5,000 of you, we are able to share what life with migraine can really be like, from start to the present. And speaking of the present, while way overdue... Read more

Perspective Change: Taking A Vacation From Migraines

Tonilyn Hornung- It�s a rare moment that I forget I�m living with migraines. They�re as much a part of me as my elbows or my love for Chris Pine. If I�m not suffering through one, then I�m checking in with my body to assess my pain level. I need know if I�m up to an epic Lego date with my 5-year-old or a date night with my hubby. Living with migraines can be exhausting, even when I�m not having one. This is why I�d love to be... Read more

My Morning Routine...Sometimes

Kyky Knight- Waking up with painful migraines nearly everyday means having a morning routine that might look a little strange or different to those who don�t live with the disease. For me, extra time and care is usually needed in order for me to get ready for the day, and morning commitments are difficult to arrange because I never know how long it will take to get ready, or if I will be well enough to drive into town in a certain amount of time or... Read more

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Medication Timing and Emotions

Timing my rescue medications is a challenge. I have 5, 2 must be taken together (one mitigates the side effects of the other as well as reducing vertigo) 1 of those must be separated from 2 others by at least 30 min. I have to take it first in order to keep the others down, but it offers no pain relief only nausea and vertigo. Another must be taken before pain, but not at all if I had brainstem aura. Another is... Read more

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What triggers have you avoided that have been successful in preventing your migraine?

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□ Lights

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Frustrated? That's Okay!

Kyky Knight- I have heard from community members time and time again that they are just fed up with migraine. It�s unpredictable. It�s inconvenient. It steals time and joy, and it doesn�t respond well to attempts of relief for many folks. It is like a pesky enemy that knows way too many personal details, has successfully committed identity theft, and just won�t go away. Ugh. Given that migraine is just plain awful, it is perfectly okay to be frustrated. I know that many times in the community we talk about seeing the good through the pain, finding hope, and focusing on our strength, but sometimes all we want to do is tell migraine to kick the bucket! That�s okay. I find personally, that feeling mad can be a source of stress for me... Read more

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Migraine In America 2019: The Evolution of Migraine

CGRP: A New Direction for Migraine Treatment

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Hope, Faith, and Migraine

Tom Picerno- When I sit and think of all the things I�ve tried to ease the pain and disruption from migraine disease, it can be a bit overwhelming. I�ve tried and failed so many drug therapies, acupuncture, chiropractic, and massage therapy, to mention a few, but I always push onward with faith and hope. It�s strange that these two intangible things are always at the core of my journey. I suppose it�s because I lived most of my life relying on them. I guess you could call... Read more

Thankful For...The New Nerivio for Migraine!

Shoshana Lipson- It can be challenging to go through the holiday season while living with a disease like migraine. Sometimes we have to dig deep to ponder on the things we are thankful for! And yet, now more than ever before there is reason to be thankful! Not only are there new medications expected to be available soon, but just as exciting, there is a new non-medication treatment option: Nerivio by Theranica! One of the things that I have personally followed closely is the emergence of non-invasive medical... Read more

Appreciation and Reciprocation

Kyky Knight- If I am being completely honest, I can be a very difficult patient at times. When I am experiencing a particularly painful migraine, wherein I can't perform my usual tasks or meet my usual commitments, I often begin to feel all kinds of other painful things: depression sometimes takes hold, anxiety grips me and I feel stressed out about all the things I can't do. I find myself becoming short and snappy, and angry about small things, too. In short, I don't feel or act... Read more

Is This What Wellness Feels Like?

Holly Harding Baddour- Dear Loved One, I think I told you that I�ve been trying the new drugs made for migraine.�They�re called CGRPs. Researchers have basically discovered that people with migraine produce more of a certain type of protein than other people and these drugs block that protein. Three different drug companies came out all at once with these blockers (Aimovig, Emgality, and Ajovy) given by monthly injection. While they have the same aim, they don�t work for everyone in the same way. I�ve tried two of the three... Read more

Migraine Patients May Be at Increased Risk of Developing Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sarah Hackley- Headache is a common symptom of many autoimmune conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Whether that�s from the disease activity itself, the medications used to treat the disease, or a combination of both remains a topic for debate. However, head pain as a symptom of autoimmune activity is not the only link between the two. It turns out, there may be an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis in those of us living with migraine... Read more

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Tina's Story: How Migraine Has Changed My Life

I have been suffering from migraines since July of 2017. When they started they just kept getting worse along with Vertigo. My MRI showed the smaller vessels of my brain are diseased so I been seeing a neurologist since. We have tried medications now we are trying the b2 vitamin and oxygen therapy when when hits. I have a very hard time cognitively and physically functioning. I try my hardest to deal with this problem but it is hard. I have migraines start up daily and once I put the oxygen on it does help but this is not how I want to live my life. I can�t go very many places because I am always am in a dark room. Once I get a bad attack that is pretty much... Read more

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How to Handle Family�s Opinions on Your Health

Alene Brennan- They mean well. They really do. Or at least that�s what I tell myself. Truth be told, I have a very supportive family. But the ability to handle our families' opinions on our health � and especially our dietary choices... It affects all of us on some level whether it�s a daily interaction or one just around the holiday gatherings... Read more

CGRP: A New Direction for Migraine Treatment

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A New Take on the Headache Calendar

Holly Harding Baddour- Headache calendars serve many purposes. They help to keep a record of potential triggers, medications, and migraines and can help us communicate with our doctors. However, for those of us with chronic migraine, a headache journal can become a heartbreaking reminder of daily pain. In this video, I share the idea of keeping a wellness calendar to try to figure out why I had a well day/moment and to record what I was able to get accomplished. The visual reminder that a well moment/day occurred provides... Read more

Taking Care of Yourself With Migraine

Tom Picerno- There is so much baggage that comes along with migraine. Anyone who suffers from migraine I�m sure can attest to that. Migraineurs carry tremendous amounts of guilt, disappointment, and fear along with them each day. We fear when the next attack will be. We have to process the countless times we�ve been disappointed or disappoint others due to migraine. One of the biggest burdens we carry, I feel, is guilt. I personally hate feeling guilty about having this disease. It wears on me daily, but... Read more

A Real Sense of Community

Sawyer Matheny- Sitting in a dentist�s office is like one of my few personal hells. Along with porta-potties, a dental office gives me just heaps of anxiety. I don�t know which part unnerves me the most. Maybe it�s the foot-long Novocain needles or the teeth drills that can send electric shocks throughout my jaw. Or maybe the time where a dental hygienist told me that babies can sit through my procedure and I should be able to too. As clich� as it sounds, I was sitting in a... Read more

Relapsing Into Bad Habits

Kyky Knight- As of late, I am exhausted. I mean the kind of exhausted that is in a way spiritual. For folks out there who appreciate puns: like a quarter at an arcade, I am spent. I�ve been silently dealing with heightened fatigue from new medications, and daily throbbing head pain for what seems like an eternity. I�ve been incredibly stressed out from the constant buzz of a go-go-go society. I�ve had trouble sleeping due to migraine, and since I haven�t been able to sleep well, I struggle... Read more

Medication PTSD vs Guinea Pig Queen: It's All a Matter of Attitude

Shoshana Lipson- Honestly, my attitude about migraine treatment is not always all that positive � I�m sure that I am not alone in that! After decades of living with migraine (cycling back and forth between episodic and chronic), I have gone through more than my fair share of medications. Sadly, that also means I have had a good healthy dose of side effects � or maybe that should be called an �unhealthy� dose! I like to refer to it as medication PTSD, and the consequences of that... Read more

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Living With Migraine

I am a 56-year-old woman suffering from migraines for more than 20 years. I have tried everything, have gone to specialty clinics in different cities, nothing works this past year I have been more days in bed than out of bed. Recently I heard of a doctor who does migraine surgery, has anyone else heard or done that... Read more

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5 Ways to Describe Migraines to a Person Who Doesn't Have Them

Tonilyn Hornung- For those who have experienced migraine pain, I can say, �I have chronic migraines,� and there�s no further explanation needed. An instant recognition happens between us and that person understands my pain. I�ve learned that this same shorthand doesn�t exist with people who have never suffered from a migraine. My condition gets lost in translation, and because of this some friends and family still believe my migraines are just really �bad headaches.� When I first started getting migraines, the only language I had to describe one was, �It�s like a headache but way worse.� I was at a loss to describe the agony I felt and in trying to find some relatable way of speaking about them, I used headaches as an example. A migraine is not a �bad headache.� Still,... Read more

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Green Light Therapy for Migraine

Kerrie Smyres- "Researchers Explore A Drug-Free Idea To Relieve Chronic Pain: Green Light" declared the headline of an NPR story published in December. Like so many news articles on migraine, it seemed interesting but left me with a ton of questions. I dug around online and found the listing for the clinical trial, which spurred even more questions. So I went to the source. Dr. Mohab Ibrahim, the study�s lead researcher, is an anesthesiologist and pain specialist at the University of Arizona. He was kind enough to spend 40... Read more

What's Your Secret: Distraction

Holly Harding Baddour- In this What's Your Secret video, we discuss ways to distract ourselves when dealing with pain. Living with chronic migraine can often mean living with some amount of pain on a fairly constant basis. The most severe migraine pain, of course, means a dark room and being still - but if we are at a moderate pain level, how do we distract ourselves so that pain is not the focus of our lives? The answer to this question is unique to each of us as... Read more

Therapy Animals

Tom Picerno- In September of 2012, I was hit with an awful migraine attack. It lasted for a month and it was unrelenting. I fell asleep with the help of medication, but the migraine was still there. I would wake up with the migraine too. I bounced from medication to medication and from doctor to doctor trying to find something to help the pain and side effects of migraine. During my third week of the attack, the combinations of medications were starting to give me some short... Read more

Migraine and Sustainably Being There for Others

Kyky Knight- I have always been a particularly sensitive person, both personally and towards others. I would characterize myself as very empathetic and attentive to those around me, and I tend to think about a lot of situations involving others I know and care about for maybe too long of a time. I want to problem solve and fix issues when they come to my attention as soon as possible, and in general, I like to be a part of the process of getting things in order... Read more

College Life and Migraines

maria.deleon- The stressors of being away from home for the first time, coupled with not eating or sleeping well, along with an enormous workload can lead to the perfect storm - development of migraines. Even if you have had migraines prior to attending college, the above factors can unleash a reaction of recurrent frequent attacks. Both my daughter and I experienced worsening migraine attacks during the first semester of college. What can you do to prevent this reaction from occurring? Being a college student with all the rigorous... Read more

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And It Never Stops...

We were out for a Sunday drive and BAM the worst headache of my life and we still had to drive all the way home. NEVER had a headache like that before and thought "this is it, this is how I'm gonna die". That was my first trip to the ER for a headache out of what is probably now HUNDREDS!!!! I have had so many headaches it's just freakin crazy. It's a good thing I worked at a medical center! I had a hysterectomy & they thought maybe I'd get some relief with that but hell no. Years go by and we get it somewhat kinda sorta under control (not really I just took so much pain medications it was nuts) and BAM I get in a near-fatal boating... Read more

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□ Yes, CGRPs give us new hope

□ Yes, but not sure about CGRPs yet

□ No, I�m still struggling

□ No, not sure about new treatments

□ Not sure/don�t know

□ What are CGRP�s

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Finding Your Voice Part 1: A Ripple That Makes a Difference

Shoshana Lipson- �Gentle hugs to you!" Angrily brushing away the tears that welled up in my eyes, I tried to figure out why such a simple statement made my heart ache. Decades of chronic migraine and lack of understanding about a disease that is only now just starting to come out from the shadows had programmed me to accept that most people simply did not understand and� that I was alone. Alone in facing symptoms that could not be controlled and were too easily triggered. Symptoms that had left a trail of broken dreams in the wake of unanswered medical questions. �Gentle hugs to you!� That simple comment introduced a tiny ray of hope. Hope that maybe there were others out there who understood, who cared. A discovery of people who were willing to take... Read more

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Sawyer�s Fun Migraine Survival Tools

Sawyer Matheny- There�s something satisfying yet depressing about knowing what your migraine triggers are. Yes, I know know that direct sunlight can make my head pain start throbbing which makes days on movie sets pretty stressful. I mean, how long can I endure being in the direct sunlight running from monsters? People don�t get to have these life experiences every day, so I try and do everything that I can to be in front of that Hollywood movie camera. On these types of exhaustive days, I always... Read more

Stigmatizing Statements Kids Hear About Migraine

Editorial Team- It�s hard enough to be an adult with a migraine�but to be a kid suffering the same fate is leagues worse. So many kids who have migraine aren�t taken seriously by the adults�parents, teachers, and principals�in their lives. This only compounds the problem, causing many of you to suffer in silence, sometimes for years. It�s our hope that this and future generations of kids won�t have to deal with the same stigmatizing comments and hassle. We also hope that by talking about it, many of you... Read more

Trusting the Timing of Your Healing

Alene Brennan- We hear all the success stories of people who have changed their diet and by doing so, changed their health. So, we implement their exact changes and wait for their exact results. And we wait� and wait� It only took them two weeks to change their migraines. When will your migraines go away? It�s important to keep in mind that each person�s body is unique. No two people are the same - not even identical twins. There are so many factors that we don�t even think of that affect... Read more

Trying All the Triptans

Tonilyn Hornung- I�ll try anything once. This life motto works well when nervous about trying wacky foods or the latest dance craze. Once tried, I can either say, "Nope. Been there done that," or add my new like to my Like List. This mantra has done me a huge solid when trying out new treatments for my head. So, when my neurologist suggested that I should try different triptans to find the best one for battling my chronic migraines, I was ready to add a new like... Read more

How Chronic Migraine Made Me Sensitive

Amanda Workman- Growing up on a farm tends to create a tough personality, even in girls. My grandfather only had girls who in turn only had girls; therefore, we grew up sharing chores that were not always feminine. A lesson we learned early in life was to tuck and roll when things got tough and to get right back in the saddle afterward. Despite living almost 20 years with this at my core, when chronic migraine took over my life it made me sensitive. The first sensitivity that... Read more

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CGRP Worked--For A While

I was one of the first in my doctor's practice to start Aimovig. I knew that the CGRPs were arriving, and I was excited to have a new treatment option. At the time, I was having 3-4 severe migraines per week, and my quality of life was poor. I was managing to work, but I could not do much else. Most of my weekends were spent on the couch. I felt a difference as soon as I started Aimovig. I went days, even weeks without a migraine, and when I did get them, they were much less severe. I started doing things I hadn't done in years--walking to work, taking piano lessons, making bread--it was like a new life! Then I hit the end of... Read more

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□ What are CGRP�s

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I Am More Than My Diagnosis: A Year in Review

Editorial Team- As this community and our sister communities grow, one universal truth is clear: people are more than just their diagnoses. As 2019 comes to a close and a new year begins, we�re celebrating the many ways writers across our communities have found to speak back to their diagnoses, overcome new and evolving challenges, and support others to do the same. Nobody would ever choose this position, but those who live it find that there is only one direction: forward. Because life demands that you step into this role that requires strength, you find it. You call on it. You push yourself, and somehow, you get through � no matter what... Read more

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My 5 Month Emgality Update

Lisa Robin Benson- Over the summer I was prescribed Emgality by my headache specialist. I want to share how I've been doing now that it's been 5 months on the new medication. I thought my candid experience might help others learn more and weigh their own options, or know that they're not alone. In case you haven't heard, Emgality is the third of the new migraine drugs to come out in its class. It�s a CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor) antagonist. It is administered as a once a month... Read more

Ubrelvy: Ushering in a New Era of Migraine Abortives

Shoshana Lipson- Hot on the heels of Eli Lilly�s first-in-class migraine abortive, Reyvow, comes Ubrelvy by Allergan. Ubrelvy, also known as ubrogepant, is a CGRP receptor antagonist that targets the CGRP receptor site. It is the first �gepant� to receive FDA approval in this exciting time for migraine treatment, a time that is seeing a rapid change in the treatment landscape. It is strange to consider that there would ever be an �exciting� time to have migraine. However, for a disease that has not had any new... Read more

Cheers to 2020

Alene Brennan- I�m not a big fan of New Year�s resolutions. I get it, it�s a new beginning, and who doesn�t love a fresh start? However, I find them to be very short-lived. So, I just try to take a moment to review my previous year � what went well, what didn�t � and decide SIMPLE habits that I want to be super consistent within the new year. This year, that habit is staying well hydrated. I know, staying hydrated is really going to be a game-changer for... Read more

Fitting in Socially With Migraine: (Not) Whining About Not Drinking Wine

Tonilyn Hornung- I�m the only one drinking water at this party. Sure, the migraine medication I�m taking as a preventative (Topamax) can also prevent me from counting, but I can clearly count all fifteen people holding wine versus my one glass of tap water. I try swallowing that ol� familiar lump in my throat, but I can tell it�s here to stay. One of these things is not like the other, and I�m getting the feeling it�s... Read more

Cluster Headache and Oxygen Therapy

Editorial Team- Cluster headaches are excruciatingly painful, debilitating headaches that occur in clusters. They generally affect one side of the head and result in other symptoms that affect the same side of the face. They can awaken people in the hours after they go to sleep, often occur at the same time of day, and are experienced as either episodic or chronic. Cluster periods can last for weeks or up to a year, followed by periods of... Read more

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A Migraine Sufferer�s Year Long Journey on Aimovig

In October 2018, I signed up for the Bridge to Commercial Coverage program for Aimovig. It offered twelve free doses until my insurance carrier approved. My neurologist started me off with one 70mg dose. The program even offered a nurse to come to my home to help me with the injection. Even though I�m a wimp when it comes to shots, it wasn�t that bad. I also continued with yoga, acupuncture, and meditation, something that had already been reducing my migraines from 15 a month to 6. That first month, I didn�t notice much difference. But by the second dose in November, my migraines reduced from... Read more

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New Treatment Experiences Part Two: No Happy Ending Yet

Editorial Team- Migraine treatments are getting a lot of attention lately. With new options on the market, people in the migraine community have expressed feelings of hope and hesitation. On Migraine.com's Facebook page, we reposted Holly Baddour�s piece, �CGRPs and Migraine: Navigating Wellness for the First Time in Years.� Her article sparked so many reactions. In a separate Facebook post, we also asked the Migraine.com community if you had talked to your doctor about trying new migraine treatments. In part 1 of this 3 part series, we shared comments from migraine community members who spoke out about how these new treatment options have been life-changing. Unfortunately, there is no one size fits all when it comes to migraine treatment and some of you have not found relief from trying these new treatments. Here... Read more

On The Go With Migraine

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New Decade Resolutions

Sawyer Matheny- New Year�s resolutions have always been a fickle thing for me. Growing up, adults swore on the fact that with each beginning of the calendar year, they would strive to have a new purpose! A single element of themselves that they would work on. This promise always seemed to be more of a ritualistic ideology rather than an achievable goal for most. When I was of age to New Year�s resolute, I went for immeasurable things like 'be a better person,' 'be happier,' and 'treat people... Read more

5 Ways to Describe Migraines to a Person Who Doesn't Have Them

Tonilyn Hornung- For those who have experienced migraine pain, I can say, �I have chronic migraines,� and there�s no further explanation needed. An instant recognition happens between us and that person understands my pain. I�ve learned that this same shorthand doesn�t exist with people who have never suffered from a migraine. My condition gets lost in translation, and because of this some friends and family still believe my migraines are just really �bad headaches.� When I first started getting migraines, the only language I had to describe one... Read more

Migraine and Breaking the Glass Ceiling

Jaime Sanders- Ashley Stark has risen to the top of her field but not without struggle. Breaking through the glass ceiling is difficult enough, and for Ashley, experiencing migraine attacks that �were so bad at one point my neck went completely stiff and the pain was unbearable� made it even more challenging. Ashley�s days are HECTIC. On a normal day, she�s busy getting her kids ready for school, helping with homework, cooking dinner, and settling them into their nighttime routines all while managing her own design business. When... Read more

How to Advocate for Yourself at the Doctor's

Lisa Robin Benson- According to our 2018 Migraine In America survey data, 74% of those with migraine had to see more than one doctor before receiving a diagnosis. As we know, it can be challenging to advocate for ourselves at the doctor's to get helpful answers and treatments. I want to make a few suggestions in this video of what I've learned over the years can lead to a better treatment outcome and better experience overall. No need to get out a pen and paper, I'll outline below... Read more

Migraine-Friendly Pizza

Alene Brennan- I love pizza. But my migraines don�t love pizza. In fact, pizza � with all its gluten and dairy � are a surefire way for me to trigger a migraine. So, my search for a migraine-friendly pizza began. Spoiler alert! I found great alternatives including an allergy-friendly pizzeria. Jules Thin Crust Pizza is a pizzeria that serves gluten-free, dairy-free organic pizza crusts. If you�re lucky enough to live close by one, definitely check it out. The closest one to my home is about 45 minutes but it... Read more

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My Controlled Migraine Thru Acupressure

Hi All, I want to share my migraine symptoms and how I treat it thru acupressure. I have been getting migraines for the last 10 years. I get severe headache throbbing pain mostly one side of head, if I don't pay attention to it, it increases and I go to a point where I have to stop everything I am doing and have to go in a dark room and do acupressure. I am not a doctor but have been able to control my migraine using acupressure points.� I haven't taken any medication so far. Usually it takes me 10-15 minutes to get rid of my migraine. yaah! That sounds miraculous, I don't know how it works scientifically but I am able to control it in usually 10-15 minutes of applying acupressure. Basically when... Read more

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□ Yes, CGRPs give us new hope

□ Yes, but not sure about CGRPs yet

□ No, I�m still struggling

□ No, not sure about new treatments

□ Not sure/don�t know

□ What are CGRP�s

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Your Migraine is Showing

Holly Harding Baddour- A stranger told me he could tell I had a migraine the other day. Something about my eyelids, he said. I was conflicted about how to take it. Of course, in many ways, the fact that migraine is an invisible disease makes it very hard to convince others of its serious nature. How, after all, can we possibly be struggling with such crippling pain when we look absolutely fine? This conflict � between looking fine and feeling terrible � adds weight to the widespread belief that we are fakers. That said, I don�t think any of us would actually want to look as bad as we feel, even if doing so were to serve as the world�s most effective PSA for migraine. I hate to admit that my vanity would get... Read more

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Why Migraine Is Important: Changing My Mindset

Lisa Robin Benson- I recently identified a nagging thought. It had been hanging around for years, but it finally came to the surface. What was it? �Migraine is not important.� This thought is undoubtedly upsetting and unsettling. Where did this false but powerful sentiment come from? For example, the sentiment came from remarks by both strangers and acquaintances that made light of our disease. There was the professor who laughed that my art studio was �so dark and quiet,� the stranger who heckled me for wearing sunglasses at night, or the... Read more

Finding Your Voice Part 2: You Can Do It Too!

Shoshana Lipson- Who me? Find my voice?! If that sounds overwhelming to you then read on�it�s honestly not as scary as it sounds, and you too can find ways to speak out! If you haven�t read my first article, �Finding Your Voice Part 1: A Ripple That Makes A Difference,� you may want to read that first. Hopefully, it will help put the fear, shame, and exhaustion that so many of us live with on to a back burner - at least for now. We are so... Read more

Trusting the Timing of Your Healing

Alene Brennan- We hear all the success stories of people who have changed their diet and by doing so, changed their health. So, we implement their exact changes and wait for their exact results. And we wait� and wait� It only took them two weeks to change their migraines. When will your migraines go away? It�s important to keep in mind that each person�s body is unique. No two people are the same - not even identical twins. There are so many factors that we don�t even think of that affect... Read more

Tips for Caregivers From Someone Who Wouldn't Be the Same Without One

Kyky Knight- Being a caregiver to a person living with chronic pain is no simple task. From keeping up with symptoms and triggers, doctor�s visits, and medications, to offering emotional, physical, and intellectual support to folks living with constant pain, caregivers often give so much and are often acting selflessly for the benefit of others. For this reason, it is important for folks who fill this role, either professionally or by proximity to someone living with a chronic disease or illness, to be well-equipped and prepared with resources... Read more

On Again Off Again: The Temporary Reprieve of Migraine Treatments

Holly Harding Baddour- In this video, Holly discusses the phenomenon of introducing a new migraine treatment and experiencing a break from migraine only to have migraine-related symptoms return soon after. Does this happen to you? If so, what do you think is causing the break and repeat in the cycle of pain and other symptoms? Join the conversation so we can learn from one another... Read more

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And It Never Stops...

We were out for a Sunday drive and BAM the worst headache of my life and we still had to drive all the way home. NEVER had a headache like that before and thought "this is it, this is how I'm gonna die". That was my first trip to the ER for a headache out of what is probably now HUNDREDS!!!! I have had so many headaches it's just freakin crazy. It's a good thing I worked at a medical center! I had a hysterectomy & they thought maybe I'd get some relief with that but hell no. Years go by and we get it somewhat kinda sorta under control (not really I just took so much pain medications it was nuts) and BAM I get in a near-fatal boating... Read more

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□ My headache specialist/healthcare provider

□ My spouse or partner

□ Me

□ Not yet, I plan to ask my healthcare provider

□ I saw a commercial and then I asked

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A person looks at confusing direction and road signs to decipher their diagnosis journey

Cluster Headaches - Journey to Diagnosis

Anna Williams- Growing up, my grandpa had cluster headaches. I remember he would say, "It feels like a hot poker stabbing me in the eye." I remember thinking, "How would you know what that feels like?"�He passed away in 2003, only knowing that he suffered from cluster headaches. � He had no idea how to stop his attacks. He would have an ice pack on his head and would pace the floors.�Being a welder, he had access to oxygen tanks at home and at work. He never knew oxygen used according to a specific protocol is the best way to abort an attack! When I was about 30 years old, I started having new headache symptoms.�Since I had migraines for years, I knew this was something different. I would get intense head and eye... Read more

Finding your Footing with Migraine

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Migraine CareLine: Free Resource for Financial, Insurance, and Disability Assistance

Kerrie Smyres- Are you fighting with your insurance company to get coverage for a medication or another treatment? Do you need help filing for disability? Would you like to know which financial assistance programs are available to help you pay for treatment? The Patient Advocate Foundation�s Migraine CareLine can help you sort out all those questions and more. And it�s at no cost to you. I interviewed Erin Bradshaw, the Patient Advocate Foundation�s Chief of Mission Delivery, about the Migraine CareLine and other resources the organization offers. The... Read more

Does Your Family �Get� Migraines?

Alene Brennan- It�s hard to understand something you�ve never experienced. And that certainly is so applicable to the life of a migraineur. What I think is most frustrating as a migraineur, is someone thinking they know a migraine because they too have had a "headache" before. Over the years, I�ve become less concerned about the opinions of those outside my inner circle, but I need my inner circle to... Read more

How My 4-Year-Old Released Me From Migraine Guilt

Tonilyn Hornung- �Hi there,� my phone call began, �I�m so sorry, but I won�t be able to make lunch today. I have a migraine.� �That�s no problem,� the kind voice responded, �Please take care of yourself, and by the way�you aren�t allowed to feel guilty.� I said goodbye before the tears came. I�d suffered with migraines for over five years, but I hadn�t been able to put into words the weighty emotion that accompanied them. In that moment, my dear friend was the first to name my worry like he... Read more

Getting Shot in the Butt

Sawyer Matheny- I was never great about needles growing up. Sure, I say this as if I have gotten even remotely better at them nowadays. I mean yes, they pinch but I�d like to think that even at my worst I could at least TOLERATE getting those good-good fluids into me. Well� Much like most stories coming from the perspective of a twenty-three-year-old man, this one harkens back to my youth. I remember sitting in a sterile room with my mom and only... Read more

My Emgality Experience

Tom Picerno- I was fortunate to have been able to use the new CGRP drugs as a preventative option in my migraine therapy regimen. I started out on Ajovy in December 2018 and was able to utilize it until April of 2019. It was at that point my insurance carrier got involved and would no longer allow the Ajovy to be filled, as I was also on Botox. I tried to comply by discontinuing my Botox treatments as they were really not doing anything for my migraine... Read more

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