Life Hacks for Migraines

Creating a Safe Space in Your Bathroom

Tips for making your tub and shower a safe space during migraine attacks.

I was at the end of my rope.

It had been weeks of unending pain, tossing and turning in my bed, praying for a break from this migraine, and none of my usual tricks were working.

So I decided to take a hot shower, which is one of the few successful tactics I’ve used to try to force my body to reset.

We had just bought a new house and remodeled it with the knowledge that I would need to depend on my bathroom for support with my chronic health conditions.

That is a long way of saying I was really looking forward to a hot bath and soaking in my luxurious new tub!

It worked. I was more than ready to put on my pajamas and crawl back into bed and fall asleep. I let the water drain out and then placed my hands on each side of the tub fully expecting a Venus-like rise in victory.

And then reality hit, HARD!

My hands kept slipping and I couldn’t get a solid grip. I attempted to get on my knees but because of my mobility issues I couldn’t quite get myself in the kneeling position, and when I finally did, the bottom of the tub felt like gravel on my knees.

I fell back down into the tub as the pain overwhelmed me.

As I frantically began shouting for my husband to come and help me, I felt my determination growing.

I will never be in this situation again!

Over the next couple of weeks, I started to research what I would need to make my bathroom a comfortable and safe place during a migraine and began to put my plan into action.

Safety Grab Bars

The first concern I had when trying to get in and out of my shower or tub was my fear of slipping or falling, which is a personal talent that I developed way before any health issues. So I did extensive research online and found these amazing grab bars that are super easy to install in any shower or tub. This hurts my forty-year-old pride, but I found them on a blog post featuring products for seniors.

The bars have a suction cup at each end. To attach simply do the following:

1. Wipe down the tile or surface to which you are going to attach the bar, making sure it’s not damp.
2. Place the bar in the desired position pushing down hard so the suction cups are flat to the wall.
3. Lift the lever and then push it back down using force. There is an indicator on the side that will show the color red or green. Make sure green is the color displayed. This means the suction cup is firmly in place.
4. Grab the handle and give the bar a slight tug. You should immediately feel that the grab bar is not pulling away from the wall. If for some reason it does pull away, just repeat the above steps and try again.

I’m telling you these guys are amazing!! They are a much cheaper solution than having permanent grab bars installed by a professional. Also, a HUGE added bonus is you can easily remove the bars to change location OR to take with you when you travel!

(note some of my links are affiliate links)

Foam Pad Knees or Towel

I LOVE taking baths. Sometimes it is the only thing that helps with the ridiculous amount of tired, achy, and cramping muscles that are a result of long, drawn-out migraines. But, getting in and out of the tub can prove to be extremely difficult as I described earlier about my not-so-glamorous Venus rising from the tub moment.

I did some research and found a great solution for this problem. I read that the best way, especially for seniors, to get in and out of the tub was to use a towel or a foam pad and to place it under your knees.

The advice I found instructed me to do the following.

1. Let water fully drain from the tub
2. Place folded towel or foam pad into the bottom of the tub
3. Roll slowly placing both knees on the towel or foam pad
4. Using the grab bars or side of the tub slowly pull or push yourself up

When I first tried this and followed the above steps slowly, I was amazed at the difference it made. I no longer felt wobbly trying to get up and my knees didn’t experience the excruciating pain I normally would have when trying to do this without a foam pad or towel.

There are tons of foam pads out there. I was looking for something that would be waterproof and I wanted it to be small enough to easily be stored next to the tub until I needed it. I also wanted something that wasn’t expensive. I found this pad on Amazon and I love it.

(note some of my links are affiliate links)

Bathtub Stickers

During a migraine attack, my sense of balance gets very wonky. As someone who could make a killing at slipping and falling anywhere and everywhere, my next concern was to make sure this didn’t happen while taking a shower. I needed to find a solution to help prevent this massive safety risk.

When doing my research I wanted to find something that wouldn’t look ugly and cheap. We had worked so hard to make my bathroom the calming and peaceful place it had become. The last thing I wanted was to slap something ugly all over my new bathroom floors that screamed, “Hey, I’m disabled.”

I found these clear bathtub stickers that stick on the bottom of the shower. They are really easy to use.

1. Wipe down the bottom of your shower. Make sure the bottom of the shower isn’t wet or damp.
2. Peel to remove the backing from the sticker
3. Stick the sticker to the floor of the shower. I used about six of them and spaced them out evenly.
4. Use the included tool to smooth out any bubbles that may appear.

Another added bonus about these stickers is they aren’t permanent so if you don’t like them or need to replace them, they are easy to remove. Also, they don’t leave behind any sort of residue to clean up. Simply tug the edge of the sticker and pull to remove.

(note some of my links are affiliate links)

Long Handle Cleaning Brush

Nobody ever talks about how taking a shower as a disabled person or someone with a chronic illness is very difficult. I feel like when I’m done, I’ve just completed an Olympic event. Instead of a gold medal though, I’m left with a messy shower and tub to clean up.

I really enjoy using bath bombs but sometimes they can leave a residue in and around the rim of the tub. Bending over to wipe out the tub is simply impossible with my disability issues. Also, I’m 5’3 so reaching up to tall parts of my shower is very difficult.

So, how could I make clean-up easier?

I found this cleaning brush on amazon. It’s perfect because of the long handle that can be adjusted for whatever length I need.

I use my bathroom cleaning spray, spritz the surface, let it sit for a minute, then brush the sides of the tub and shower.

To rinse off the cleaning solution, I use my shower sprayer or a cup to scoop water over the tub.

I know this brush might cost a bit more than what I would normally budget for an item like this but it is worth every penny. It saves me from so much pain!

(note some of my links are affiliate links)

When I started writing this article, I had no idea I had found so much information to share. I hope you found it useful. Is there something that you have found helpful for making shower and bath time safer, easier, and less stressful for you?

If so, I would love to hear about it.

More coming soon about other great life hacks for migraines. Stay tuned!

Michelle March is a forty “something” year old writer from Virginia. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband of seventeen years and their two crazy cats. When not writing, she can be caught either binge-watching shows on Netflix or having weekly game nights with her friends where the only house rule is DON’T let her husband win!!