support

14 October 2020

Some Women With Migraine Avoiding Pregnancy

Some women with migraine are avoiding pregnancy. The big question is – should they?

This is not a question that simple statistics can answer. However, there are a lot of good reasons why you should not allow migraine to be a deciding factor when you’re wondering whether or not you should start a family.

The question is coming up because of a recent survey of 607 women with migraine, 20% of whom said that they were avoiding pregnancy due to their migraine.

But this is not as high a percentage as you may think. These wasn’t a cross section of women with migraine, it was a group of women getting treatment from specialty headache centres, generally with severe symptoms. So the number would be much lower if you looked at all women with migraine. And lower still if you looked at how many woman finally decided to avoid pregnancy in the end.

Still, it’s concerning that migraine is having this effect. Most readers will understand some of the reasons that women gave – concerns that their child would have migraine, concerns that they wouldn’t be able to handle pregnancy or parenthood with migraine. These are valid concerns, absolutely.

But without getting into the benefits of having a family in general, there are a couple of good reasons why women with migraine, even a more severe or chronic form, should reconsider pregnancy.

First, there is a good chance that migraine may either improve, or be adequately handled with treatment, during pregnancy. If you’d like to see some actual statistics of migraine during pregnancy and afterward, check out this infographic: Migraine During and After Pregnancy

There are more and more excellent options for women during pregnancy. There are well studied and proven complimentary treatments, and even medications that may be safe for you and the baby, if you’re under the care of a headache specialist.

Second, you’re probably a lot stronger than you realize, especially if you have supportive people around you. If you’re feeling alone, you may need to seek out some people. But even mothers with few connections may be avoiding something that they really will be able to handle, and handle well, as the months and years go by.

It will probably be helpful for you to read The Myth-Busting Guide to Migraines and Pregnancy, so that you can start with some realistic expectations. Make sure you’re under the care of a headache specialist, if at all possible.

Don’t let migraine make you automatically give up on motherhood. But at the same time, don’t be afraid to seek out help from specialists, friends and family as you enter into this amazing adventure.

3 August 2020

Anxiety, Depression, and Migraine

James Discoveries & Stats, Tips 0

A study published this year in the journal the Archives of Neuropsychiatry is raising questions about the relationship between migraine, anxiety, and depression.

Here at Headache and Migraine News we’ve talked often about migraine and depression, because the two have been linked by research over and over. And it’s not a matter of “I’m depressed because my head hurts”. It’s a much more complex relationship.

But what about anxiety? First of all, what’s the difference between depression and anxiety?

Well, sometimes you may experience both at the same time, but there is a general difference between the two. You can think of depression more as feelings of sadness and hopelessness – and you’re certain that you’ll still feel the same tomorrow. It’s a little more fatalistic than anxiety – some people are so depressed that they feel that the only way out is suicide – again, because they’re convinced that nothing will change. Depression can sap your energy, and make you lethargic.

Anxiety is more often characterized by a feeling of tension, fear, and worry. Things might get better – but what if they get worse? What can I do – but what if that doesn’t work? Anxiety may show itself physically more than depression – increased heart rate, sweating, muscle tension.

So what did this new study tell us? The authors confirm that there is a link between all three – migraine, depression, and anxiety. But in the people that they studied, there was a stronger connection between migraine and anxiety. Why?

Well, that wasn’t the purpose of this study. But we do know that anxiety can be a sign of the first stages of an illness. It’s not just connected to migraine, but also conditions such as heart disease (also strongly linked to migraine) and diabetes. It can be the result of the medication you’re taking, or withdrawal from medications you were taking. The same goes for non-medical drug use.

Obviously it can also be related to mental illness, or even poor mental habits. (More on anxiety from the Mayo Clinic.)

If depression is interfering with your life, you do need to see a doctor. It’s the same with anxiety. Do you find that you’re having trouble getting your daily work done because of fear and worry? Are you constantly avoiding things that other people don’t seem to avoid? Are you noticing bad or even dangerous habits in your life, that you turn to to try to avoid anxiety? Are you experiencing physical symptoms? Suicidal thoughts?

All these are good reasons to see a doctor right away – especially if these symptoms and experiences are new to you.

And by the way – researchers noticed that this was a significant problem for women and men – sometimes men think that men don’t have these kinds of problems – this article is for you too.

Another tip that comes from this study is to make sure you have good social support. This may not be easy for you, and may have to come in small steps. But the researchers did notice that people who felt they had better social support were much less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety.

That may not be much of a surprise, but it’s a good reminder, because it gives you a goal to work toward. Find reasons to be in a group, to make friends, to call up a family member. It is all the more important that we be intentional about these things in the days when COVID-19 has changed how we interact with others. Don’t let a virus keep you from intentionally letting other people into your lives, and from intentionally helping others personally. It really does make a huge difference.

What small step could you take this week?

Study here: Effects of Perceived Social Support, Depression and Anxiety Levels on Migraine

10 February 2020

Healthline’s new Migraine App

James News, Resources 0

Healthline has recently come out with a new app. Although similar to other apps that the company has developed, this app is quite different than most of the migraine apps you’ve seen before.

Healthline Media, Inc. is a popular health website, owned by marketing company Red Ventures. It was launched in 2006 (based on an earlier website), and has grown significantly in the last few years. You can visit Healthline’s main site here to get a feel for it.

Healthline has launched a number of apps which are designed partly to promote its content, but also to bring together people dealing with certain health conditions. In 2016, they launched MS Buddy, followed by Breast Cancer Healthline and IBD Healthline. The latest app is Migraine Healthline.

The purpose of Healthline’s app is not to track symptoms and diagnose, but to promote Healthline content and link you with other people who are dealing with migraine, and so to provide support. Think of it as a way to find people with similar migraine “interests” – matching you with a group of people who are on a similar journey.

When you open the app, you’ll start by answering a few questions. They are basic, but they’re important because they will be used to match you with other users. (If you’re interested in privacy concerns, you can find all the information that applies to the app here – Privacy Policy.)

After you answer the questions, you’ll find yourself on a page that looks very much like a migraine Facebook, with posts by users with replies, as well as posts from Healthline articles. You can navigate to groups, to talk about specific topics (navigating healthcare, lifestyle, medication and treatments, etc.). You can meet members (some of whom are also promoting their own sites), send and receive messages, and get matched up with specific people based on your symptoms and interests.

The app is very new, so the action is a little limited at this point, although it already has a good number of users. But based on the popularity of Healthline and its other apps, that should change over the next few months.

As you can guess, there are pros and cons to this kind of an app. But the most obvious strength is finding other people to connect with. So many people feel like they have no one to talk to about the migraine and headache challenges that they’re facing – this is one way to connect with others. The best way? Probably not. But another way.

Have you been using Migraine Healthline? What’s your opinion? How could it be better? How has it helped you? Let us know!

The app is available for iOs and Android.

13 July 2017

Migraine, Headaches, and Support (poll results)

James Tips, Website news 0

Having people around you who are supportive – even one person – can make an incredible difference. Recently we ran a poll to find out about the closest person in your life – just how supportive are they?

First of all, for about 9% of you, the closest person is someone who is not only very supportive, but also has the same condition. But let’s leave those aside for the moment, and look at the rest.

The support of friends Actually, I was happy to hear how many of you have a very supportive person close to you. 13% just raved about the amazing support, another 11% also incredibly supportive, and then 13% very supportive – getting us to 37%, plus those with the same condition, getting us to 46% who are very supportive to varying degrees.

But that is less than half. What’s next? Another 10% have at least taken some time to understand. So that gets us to 56% of friends/family who are at least pro-active.

Next are those who are at least aware that you get headaches/migraine attacks – 35%. Another 5% are only vaguely aware.

Finally, 6% reported that the closest person to them didn’t even know that they had headache/migraine attacks!

So I’m glad to see that many of you have friends and family who are extremely supportive. But really, that’s only half of you. For the other half, the closest person to you has either done very little to try to understand, or – let’s face it – you haven’t shared much!

I realize there are a lot of reasons why this might be. But we need to be pro-active ourselves to make sure that we have people very close to use who know what our struggles are. If it isn’t going to be the person closest to you, look to others who are close to you. Find someone you can talk to, and actually sit down with them this weekend and have the conversation. If you have to, tell them your friend James said it was important for your health. 😀

Let’s get the percentage up to 75% – then to 100% – so that we all have a person close to us who is very supportive. And remember – we need to be supportive of others too!

Here are some inspiring notes from people who do have a supportive friend/family member. And here are some ideas about how faith communities and others can be supportive.

23 January 2013

They are Fighting Back (don’t miss this post)

James Misc 1

In December we had a giveaway, thanks to the TheraSpecs Company. To enter, you had to tell me about one person who had been a help to you.

I’m going to include a small selection of the answers here. I’d like to point out a couple of things.

First, notice that all kinds of different people have made a difference – in big ways and small ways – from husbands to doctors to bosses to 5 year old daughters. And I could have included many more comments like those below.

You can help too – you don’t have to be a miracle worker. Maybe you’re suffering yourself. But you can make a difference. Read below for ideas.

Secondly, notice that these responses are from all over the world. Globally – we’re in this together.

It’s an honour to serve people like you all, and to know that there are so many heroes – both those who suffer and those who suffer with them – who are fighting back.

My husband Robert helps me every time I have a migraine, so pretty much every week or so. He takes me to hospital or the drs surgery for a needle, walks me in while I am blinded by a face washer, and sits patiently while I roll around on the bed in pain. Then after the meds have taken effect he takes me home and takes over the household while I am in bed for days. He cooks, washes, looks after the kids & runs our bakery. On top of all this, he keeps everyone quiet. He is a trooper.
– Karri (Australia)

I’d have to name my husband, Steve. Never once in all my years of headache suffering has he made me feel like my pain was an annoyance or an inconvenience to my family. He’s always sympathetic, attentive, and helpful, taking over any of my responsibilities as needed. He even took it upon himself to find me a safe, reliable source of meds when my insurance company refused to continue to provide what my doctor ordered.
– Julia (United States)

I want to mention my former coworker Toni, she has always been so understanding and helpful. It is so nice to know that someone cares, and the little things do matter.
– Stine (Norway)

Mom. From taking me from doc to doc before I was able to drive, up through now, almost 15 years later, she’s been a trooper silently suffering through this with me.
– Nick (United States)

The person who has been a huge help with my migraines has been my husband. He does not judge me for having them, instead, he tries to make my life easier by doing the dishes or taking the kids on an errand. I am so thankful that God gave me a husband who is flexible and who offers me unconditional love even when I’m sure it is not easy. He just chooses to do so. May God richly reward him for his grace and mercy to me.
– Barbara (Mexico)

My mother has been the biggest help in my migraine life. She encouraged me to seek other doctors and treatments when what I was doing wasn’t working. She has driven me, so many times, to doctor’s appointments and the ER when I couldn’t drive. She has translated my “migraine mumblings” when I couldn’t get out words during an attack. She has had to remember what the doctor said, as I can’t comprehend much during a migraine attack. She has held and squeezed my hand as I received nerve block injections. She has done all of this while fighting her own battle against migraines!
– Michelle (United States)

My doctor, he has tried everything in his power to try to get me relief!
– Megan (United States)

I would like to talk about my daughter and how much she understands and helps with my condition. She suffers as well so she knows what its like. I can rely on my daughter for help at a moments notice,what ever I need, she is there!
– Sharon (Canada)

My last boss, Steven, who was understanding when I needed time, and supportive of my taking the time I needed for appointments with my neurologist.
– Connie (United States)

My wife. She has understood the pain; bore it with me; comforted me; not judged me when it gets too intense; moved me to seek alternatives……
– Tony (United States)

The most helpful person to ever help me with a migraine was a journalist whose name I forgot. Thought I forgot her name, her way of looking at her conditions and accepting them was inspirational to me. She talked about how her migraines were a part of her that she simply had to accept. It helped me understand my own experiences in a new light. I started seeing the bizarre migraine version of reality as an experience in itself, and began incorporating it into my own writing.
– Joseph (United States)

My family physician. I have had a status migraine since the 30th of March of 2012, and have not found a successful treatment to get rid of it. He has been very diligent to get me to the specialists, he had done much research on his own time to look at alternate treatments, and has been very assertive in getting me into the right specialists, and getting my disability benefits set up. I would have given up long ago if it were not for the support of my doctor.
– Sapphire (Canada)

My wife, for giving me the support and more importantly the understanding during my episodes of cluster headaches. Not many people REALLY understand what one goes through during these ‘events’.
– Pieter (South Africa)

My mother has been supportive of me throughout the time I’ve had chronic migraines. She has advocated on behalf with other family members who don’t understand. She has helped me come with ideas on how to earn a little income while on SSDI and when I needed to move across the country, she drove a truck with my brother and then a couple months later, drove me in my car and then before going home she helped me find an apartment. She’s the first person I call when I’m upset and she’s always there for me.
– Adria (United States)

My 5 year old daughter. She has always known mommy to get headaches. She will bring me ice packs from the freezer, she will rub my head and most of all she will be patient with me. She can tell if I have one just by looking at my eyes. I have no family here and am a “lone” parent so it’s nice to have someone here on my team, even if she is only 5.
– Jennifer (Canada)