How does migraine really impact your life?
Some good reports have come out in the last few weeks with migraine statistics. One of these reports came from the European Federation of Neurological Studies last week. EFNS reported on the "Migraine Experience" survey, which looked at how people’s lives are really impacted by migraine.
This study was pan-European. Here are some of the findings, as reported by Ian Mason:
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Of course, if you’re with the majority, you’re wondering why these numbers are so low. What do you think? Some people get few attacks and are able to keep the symptoms minimal with medication. I’m sure the results would change if you broke up the list by types of migraine, frequency, etc. Leave a comment and let us know how your life is impacted by migraine.
30 March 2006 @ 1:40 am
My life has been put on hold due to migraine. I often get 20 or more each month. Right now I can’t get work because I constantly have to phone in sick. Who would hire me? I wouldn’t. I’ve suffered from frequent migraine since I was 7 years old. At times I’ve been able to “drug and go” — take pain medication and still be able to function at work (although not my best work) but as I get older, I find the nausea getting worse to the point where I can no longer “drug & go”. Movement of any kind during a migraine is unbearable and anti-nausea meds don’t help. I’m at my wits end and don’t know where to go or what to try. Most of my migraines are triggered by weather and changes in weather and there is no way to change Mother Nature — at least not in the short term. On the bright side, I can predict storms by the degree of pain I’m experiencing. The worst part is not being able to make any plans because chances are good I will have to cancel. I’m really missing out on life.
14 March 2012 @ 9:31 pm
Migraine has robbed me of life. I only have a couple days a month without a migraine. My symptoms along with the migraine are so severe that I have had to give up everything. I have no family life, no social life, and on a good day I am able to meet my basic needs. I feel I have died and currently live in hell, though I have not given up hope because today I felt almost normal ~though it has been so long since I felt normal I am not sure how that feels.
14 March 2012 @ 10:37 pm
I’ve had migraines since childhood. I do not respond to any of the commonly used migraine medications. I do not respond to pain medication. For over a decade I was a single mother with two jobs. I had to find ways to function. For a long period of time I was getting migraines every week and they lasted 4 – 5 days. Nothing helped and I couldn’t miss work. Both my children inherited them.
Changes in atmospheric pressure, or exposure to artificial fragrances are my triggers. Both of these are hard to avoid.
Now that my children no longer need my financial support, I run a home based business. That means I can work when I feel good. Acupuncture and regular exercise have helped. I live in fear of the next migraine. I’d rather give birth once a day for the rest of my life than have another migraine. I frequently have to miss social events due to migraine pain.
I even had my DNA tested to see why I didn’t respond to medications. I am a rapid metabolizer of all of the well known migraine meds, which means my liver enzymes get them out of my system before they can work.. Alternative medicine has been much more helpful.
One thing that works is Magnesium IV, It will stop a migraine in it’s tracks, at least in my case. Convincing a physician to prescribe this and learning to administer it is a challenge. Oral magnesium doesn’t work for me.
So migraines impact my work, my income, my social life and my general well-being.
15 March 2012 @ 6:11 am
The end of this month (3/31) I’ll have had a migraine every day of my life for 7 years. I’m 25 and fortunately hold a job where I have a flexible schedule and an understanding manager. It almost makes me cry to think of how good my life is right now. How does migraine really impact my life? It ripped my life apart and forced me to put it back together. I pretty much dragged myself through getting my bachelor’s degree online, I lost jobs and lived poor for a while. I lost friends, I stopped really going out unless I knew the place and how loud it’d be or bright. To say my migraines ruined my life is a little dramatic but honestly not totally off base. The best part is, pushing myself as much as I did got me to where I am today. Happy, in love and as comfortable as someone with chronic migraines can get.
15 March 2012 @ 2:13 pm
One and a half years of chronic pain, I’ve just been fired. I was told the company needs someone who is totally reliable.
13 August 2013 @ 7:40 am
Even on the days that I feel well I must avoid public places and many social activities due to my extreme sensitivity to synthetic fragrances.
I guess you could say I’m a bit isolated but for my online community, but I must be careful and limit time looking at screens!
I stopped working in May after a long time fighting for (and winning) an accommodation for my condition, but it was too late I had already transformed to chronic. Not working really helps me to track triggers and the results of various treatments. In addition to the medications for prevention, abort and rescue, I use acupuncture, yoga, meditation, exercise (calm and slow usually). I’m intending to begin I rest Yoga Nidra- (as an alternative to biofeedback.