Living with Migraine

I have suffered with migraines since a teenager. They never used to be very common, always quite severe but have increased in number since having my three children. I quite often get a migraine with an aura, although not always. I can usually control them well if I take medication on immediate feeling of one occurring. Sometimes I don’t listen to my body and plod on and then I really pay for it! If I leave it too long no medication will work and I end up in bed for days in the dark!

My last migraine was particularly bad and didn’t respond to migralieve or paracetamol. After having the pain for 2 full days and on the third day ending up rolling around in excruciating pain, my husband took me to A & E. The treatment I received was beyond all expectations. I was immediately put on an antibiotic drip (as precaution for meningitus [meningitis]), I then had painkillers through the drip which worked a little, taking the edge off the pain. I went on to have CT scans, blood tests to rule out any bleeds in the brain and finally had to endure a lumber puncture! I was horrified at having to go through this but glad that my consultant convinced me it was the right thing. 10% of brain bleeds do not show up in scans and a lumber puncture is the only sure way of telling.

All my tests, done in a little over 24 hours, came back negative and my final diagnosis was a severe migraine! Since then I have been reading up on this and have realised I need to make some changes in my life to prevent further attacks! I need to start to watch what and how I eat and I need to reduce stress levels. The most important thing though is to listen to my body.

I have learned that upon the onset of a migraine attack, your body stops absorbing anything in the stomach, hence medication not being absorbed and therefore not working to control the pain. Medication needs to be took at the first sign of a migraine for it to work. The treatment I received whilst in hospital was very reassuring and I cannot fault them in any way, only sing their praises entirely! I can only thank the people at the hospital for making a turning point in my life. I am going to listen to my body from now on so that I do not go through this experience again.