Blog #14: Migraine, me and 2020
It’s December! Happy summer New Zealand!
If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know this year I decided enough was enough. It was time to go all out to try to decrease the frequency and intensity of my migraine attacks.
So with the end-of-year craziness kicking off, now is a good time to review if all the different treatment options I’ve tried this year have worked.
A quick recap of my migraine treatment pie for 2020. (This blog also has details about my treatment pie, including an explanation of the treatment pie from Migraine Strong).
Medications
Propranolol 40 mg twice a day, then switched to candesartan, 16mg each night (was up to 30mg but made me light-headed).
Naproxen – 500mg as needed, usually a few times a month.
Zopiclone – 3 times this year during a couple of intense attacks.
Sumatriptan – 100mg as needed.
Rizatriptan – 10mg wafer as needed.
Clustran – 12mg subcutaneous injection, used twice this year.
Occipital nerve block – tried it once.
Supplements
Magnesium 600 mg once a day.
Riboflavin 400mg once a day.
Coenzyme Q10 300mg once a day.
Exercise
Gym classes 2–3 times a week, regular walking and semi-regular bike riding. Friends have convinced me to do another half marathon next year so I’m bracing myself for getting back into running in 2021.
Mindfulness
Inconsistently. A 2021 goal.
Acupuncture
A few months of treatments with a traditional Chinese medicine doctor.
Massage
Every 2-3 weeks since August, a deep tissue neck, shoulders and back massage.
Diet
I wanted to focus this year on gut health, to see if there was anything I could do to manage my migraine attacks through food. There’s a lot of research about the gut brain axis so I was interested to explore. This blog has more information about the connection between your gut and brain and a couple of books I recommend if you want to know more.
My not-definitive list of foods I’ve eaten to help improve my microbiome include: adzuki beans, pearl barley, Sichuan pepper, winter melon, kelp, Chinese yam, millet, black fungus, eggplant, celery, papaya, pumpkin seeds, lentils, pomegranates, black rice, beetroot, goji berries, grapes, pumpkin and oranges.
Saffron tea, jasmine flower tea, ginger tea, liquorice root tea, chamomile tea, kuding tea, hawthorn berry tea, turmeric tea.
Also
I’ve cut down on how much meat I eat, especially processed meat.
I try and avoid MSG.
I limit dairy, but I love cheese too much to cut it out completely.
I stopped drinking coffee, though I have the very occasional decaf coffee.
Not a drop of alcohol since 19 January. Fingers crossed for the festive season, though I’m quite a fan of kombucha so I should be okay. Maybe.
And all the miscellaneous ‘bits’
I try to go to bed around 9.30pm most weeknights when I can, and get up at the same time each morning.
I drink lots of water each day.
I use my Shakti headband to ease my head pain (and I also enjoy lying on my Shakti mat to relax).
I’ve read as much as I can about migraine disease and listened to many podcasts.
I started a blog – this keeps me focused on learning more about migraine and sharing what I’ve learnt with you.
I’ve connected with other people with migraine disease, both in New Zealand and overseas and connected with migraine organisations and patient advocates.
I joined the Migraine World Summit team – learn from the best.
Looking back on the year, I’ve tried a lot of treatments. But I have to. My migraine disease is something I have to manage every single day. I hope one day I don’t have to think about migraine every day, but for now, I do.
Is it all worth it?
Yes.
Have my migraine attacks improved?
Somewhat.
Do I still have migraine head pain every day?
Frustratingly, yes.
While the intensity of my migraine pain has improved this year, I’m yet to find the perfect combination to eliminate my daily migraine pain behind my right eye and forehead. Most days I function reasonably well (some days I totally nail it, others not so much) but by the end of the day my brain is tired, and I can’t wait to go to bed. Well, depending if there’s another episode of The Crown to watch. Or Schitts Creek. Those I might stay up a bit later for.
Looking back, it’s been a pretty low-key year socially. Partly because of COVID-19, but also because by the time all the craziness of the day has passed, I’m ready for bed. I’m a brilliant sleeper, I always have been. But most days I don’t wake up refreshed, instead I wake up with the familiar dull ache, and if I’m lucky it won’t evolve into a migraine attack.
But I’m grateful for so many things this year because I chose to focus on my migraine disease.
I’ve ticked off many treatment options – some I’ll continue to use and others I won’t.
I’ve learnt a lot about new medications that I’m looking forward to trying when we Kiwis have access (I’m looking at you Emgality).
I understand the New Zealand migraine landscape better and know where we need to advocate for change.
I’ve connected with other people with migraine and realise how big our community is, both in New Zealand and worldwide.
I feel more in control of my migraine disease.
I worked for 14 years as a paediatric nurse before I started my career as a medical writer. My favourite working years were working on the medical specialties ward at Starship Children’s Hospital and then as the paediatric renal clinical specialty nurse. I’ve cared for children and families fighting their own health battles, and I believe if you truly get to know someone, everyone has their own health issues to deal with. Or if they don’t now, they probably will later. Migraine disease is mine.
Having migraine disease, especially frequent migraine attacks, can be exhausting. But if life was perfect and free of challenges, we wouldn’t get a chance to be grateful for the good things in life. Like I’ve said before, I have so much to be grateful for. I actually live an awesome life despite my migraine attacks. I have an amazing family, great friends, a career I love and still manage to succeed in despite my crazy brain, I live in a beautiful country, I’ve travelled both pre and post-kids (and will do again once COVID-19 is a distant memory), besides migraine disease I’m fit and healthy and happy… the list goes on.
That’s not to downplay the impact migraine disease has on my life, it’s just that they’re a part of my life but not all encompassing. I know other people are affected more severely and every day can feel like a major uphill battle.
I’m optimistic about 2021. I know 100% I’ll continue to kick my migraine beast’s ass next year, and I hope you will too. There are exciting things to come in the migraine world and I’m happy to be a part of it. Well, pragmatic about it anyway.
I’d love to hear how your year has been with migraine – the ups and the downs. Feel free to email me sarah@sayline.co.nz, join the conversation on Facebook or join the Migraine Down Under community in our private Facebook group.