My Migraine Story: Triggers Therapies and More!
Lifestyle changes are key
In 2015, during my master’s degree, I started having migraine bouts. They were entirely new to me cos up to that point in my life; I had never experienced them like these. My course was being assessed mostly through research essays. This was delightful until the migraines started.
When people talk about getting a master’s degree, few people talk about the cons of how stressful it can get and all that comes after that. Well, here was I doing a master’s in 9 months, having to spend most of my time in front of a computer and suffering from migraines persistently.
When the attacks became frequent, I went to see the GP. She recommended the following:
- Aspirin
- An Anti-emetic
- Ibuprofen[advil]
“The sooner you can attack the headache, the better. Whether you’re an actress or you’re a teacher or you’re the postman, you have a job to do…and you can’t be shut down for two days because of a migraine.”- Jennie Garth, actress
I complained that I wasn’t tolerating the pain killers above so she asked me to try paracetamol with caffeine, popularly known as Panadol Extra. I was glad I had found an alternative and so I visited Tesco and the likes of Tesco to buy panadol extra. Tesco is a British multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in England. I was a huge fan of the Panadol Extra value pack.
I, however, knew that taking Panadol Extra every time I had a migraine was not sustainable for me. It is best practice to treat a migraine immediately after it surfaced. But what about the toxic effect of the drug on the body? What about the quality of life of the individual? So I started researching ways to deal with migraines more sustainably. Foremost, it was clear prolonged screen time was one trigger. So, I learned to spread out my work over the course of 24 hours. I noticed attacks also came with missed meals, sugary foods, and drinks, poor/inadequate sleep, sodas, intake of poorly distilled alcohol and loud persistent sounds.
The next thing to tackle was the alternative to screen time. I spoke to some of my tutors and asked for permission to extend my assignment deadlines. Most of them obliged me. That way, I wasn’t under so much pressure to meet deadlines and could take time off during attacks. Some of them referred me to the welfare unit of my school, who had suggestions but also documented my report.
I then purchased a printer from a friend and printed out most of my coursework. My computer came to life again for typing any research paper for submission. I spread out my typing. I also learned to:
- Dim my screen,
- Enlarge fonts on my screen
- Use anti-glare glasses
- Use text to audio converters.
At this point, I still used Panadol Extra in acute attacks.
On one of the GP visits, we discussed:
- Using Triptan as an alternative but effective migraine drug
- The role of exercise
- The role of diet
It was going to take me time to make these adjustments. However, as I exercised, I saw the positive difference it made in the frequency and intensity of migraines. My preferred exercise was brisk walking. I sometimes slowed down my pace to less than brisk.
By the last quarter of 2015, coursework was complete, so my stressors and triggers had reduced. However, I had researched options for preventing migraines. The following supplements came up:
- Magnesium
- Co-enzyme Q
- Riboflavin
I had a friend who shopped at Boots Pharmacy and had their loyalty card. She lent me the card to purchase the above supplements at reduced costs. I used them and noticed that the migraines further reduced in intensity and frequency.
I kept using them until I returned home in 2016. I tried sourcing the supplements locally and found them in a neighborhood pharmacy. Their prices were completely affordable.
I read about food sources for these substances. I discovered that magnesium was richly present in greens, beans, nuts, and seeds. Co-enzyme Q was richly present in organ meats, while riboflavin was present in green veggies and organ meats as well. You can imagine how delighted I was.
I then remembered that I hardly had migraine attacks before I went for my postgraduate. Mum always cooked balanced meals. Home-cooked meals were rich in vegetables and organ meats. So the nutrients were present to offset the effect of some of the stressors in my life.
Final thoughts
Balanced meals rich in green vegetables and some organ meats were what I needed to fight migraines at a point and to a point. I threw in exercises as well. I try to have a few irregularities and imbalances in my life to avoid attacks. Migraines are sensitive to imbalances. Presently, I still have attacks, but mostly as a precursor to my menstrual cycles. Some cycles have no migraines announcing them. If they do, I go sniffing out the culprit in my diet and lifestyle. Sometimes, it’s just dehydration trying to get my attention.
