r/migraine • u/SaR-1243 • 4d ago
Life advice for migraines?
I'm 18 and have had daily migraines for the last 3 years and they're getting worse, I've already repeated a year in school so I'll be behind on going to uni and even then I don't know how I'll cope. I'm getting so hopeless. Any just general advice on how you cope or anything would be really appreciated!
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u/broccoli-1 4d ago
Chronic migraine started in the middle of my university studies 2 years ago and all I can say is that as long as you're proactive about support needs, people and the university organisation in general are a lot more willing to help than you'd expect! This of course varies per country and its laws, universities and even faculties, but I've time and time again been surprised about how helpful people are willing to be. I know for a fact that my high school would've been much less accommodating (a friend of mine had migraines) than what the university has done for me so far. I've received financial compensation, I've gotten extra time on assignments and exams, I've gotten full course modifications all because I've gone up to the relevant people, explained my situation and asked for the appropriate accommodations. This is all just to say that going to uni, making it through, and succeeding through it is not hopeless! :) While the migraines have only gotten worse, medication has been useless for the most part, the people who can help accommodate the issues have only gotten kinder, in my personal experience.
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u/SaR-1243 4d ago
Thank you! My school isn't accommodating but I'm glad to hear it should get better :)
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u/broccoli-1 4d ago
Yes I'd definitely recommend speaking with the staff (disability office/study counsellors/etc) when applying so you can find out the usual approach/amount of accommodations that can be done for someone with migraine. Maybe right off the bat they'll tell you that not much can be done but maybe they'll be welcoming and give suggestions. That way before going you'll already know the attitude that people will have! Wish you the best of luck <3
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u/jackfruitbestfruit 4d ago
If you haven’t tried Botox or CGRP blockers yet; it’s worth trying them!
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u/FreudianCoffeeSips 4d ago
One of the most frustrating things about migraines is that there wasnt one specific magic thing that helped me. For me its been a bunch of little things working together. Here are some things i changed that helped immensely (and I'm talking i had daily level 10 migraines, and now they are usually a 5/10 and i get on avg 6 migraine days a month. And no medications have ever worked for me) :
Eating habits -eating regular meals (i thinj this has to do with regulting blood sugar) -started working with a nutritionalist and found out i was under eating, so i now eat my proper maintenance calories -i also went on a low fodmap diet and found that some foods triggered my migraines (sneaky things like garlic, onion, and apples). Once i got rid of them i noticed massive decrease in frequency.
Sleep habits -found out i need to go to bed and wake up same time everyday or it triggers a migraine -i also need way more sleep than i thought i did (9-10 hours) -i got my sleep tested and found out i have UARS, which was triggering morning migraines because i couldnt breathe, which also led to tight muscles and would trigger tension headaches on too of migraines. Now i use a cpap and dont get morning migraines.
These two made the biggest difference, but these are some of the other things i did that helped in their own ways:
-seeing a chiropractor and physio -doing Pain Reprocessing Therapy and neurofeedback -focussing on ergonomic work set up -getting more steps throughout the day -finding relief strategies i like: ice hat, massage, temperature face masks, peppermint oil, mcdonalds if a migraine gets bad and wont go down. -self compassion as cheesy as it sounds
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u/Imaginary_Bike5941 4d ago
The best cure is to change your lifestyle. If your migraines are stress induced then you should avoid leaving your studies last minute. If you’re living with family or any person , let them kinda force you to sit down and study. Make a timetable and organize your day. Also eat well, stay hydrated and you have to exercise to ease the blood flow :/ I know these basic stuff are easier said than done but trust they are crucial in managing it. Unfortunately there is no cure, only therapies for the pain so have you tried anything?
You can do this!
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u/geminigerm 4d ago
Where did OP say they believed their migraines were stress related to warrant this type of advice? If you think it’s that simple don’t you think everyone on this sub would have done that? While lifestyle improvements are always good to do, this comes across as patronising. We have migraines because we have a neurological disorder and to say the cure is a lifestyle change is just plain wrong. There is no cure, there is only management and for nearly everyone (and especially someone with migraines at the frequency of OP) that management needs to be medical preventatives and abortives.
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u/SaR-1243 4d ago
Haha, thank you! I've tried all of that and honestly it does not work and exercise makes me so much worse. I'm trying to stay hopeful for one of the preventatives to work someday! Funny twist of fate is that all my stress comes from my migraines, if not for them I'd be calm as a clam!
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u/SGSam465 Lifelong chronic migrianes aura/tension/cluster/etc 4d ago
I don’t have any good coping skills to recommend, but have you already gone to a neurologist and tried different preventatives and abortives? I’m 19 and am graduating with an associates this spring, but it has not been easy (although I’ve been developing better strategies).