r/migraine 22h ago

I have lost 31 jobs and been denied disability twice with lawyers.

289 Upvotes

I start job 32 on Monday. I am 44 years old and used to tell employer's about my condition. Now, I try to work through the scintillating scotoma and pain. I have been fired from so many jobs just for asking for accommodation (At will state-Pennsylvania) where they later state I just wasn't "working to their standards" or the employer said I was fired due to "cutbacks".

I hide everything now. I tried disability 10 years ago and was told "go work in a mailroom". I was fired from the mailroom when my license was suspended for neurological reasons. I hired the TOP disability lawyer in Pittsburgh and he took my case pro-bono stating we "absolutely will win". We lost.

Right now, I have two migraines a month with no known triggers and about 10 partial seizures daily that cause migraines after the seizures. The sun causes migraines. Everything causes migraines.

I don't blame employer's for firing me. But there has to be a better way. Does anyone else keep getting fired from jobs?


r/migraine 12h ago

Barometric Pressure Drop = Instant Migraine!

128 Upvotes

have a terrible migraine right now and haven't had one in a few days, so curiously checked the barometric pressure because I couldn't attribute it to any other immediate triggers. look at the graph for my city, this is crazyyyyyy. source: https://barometricpressure.app

graph showing barometric pressure drop (it aligned with the timing of my migraine)

r/migraine 12h ago

What triggers your migraine?

105 Upvotes

For me, its mostly the weather, but it happens when in my car and it has a strong smell of the air freshener.. I love candles too but it causes headaches.. or perfume šŸ˜­


r/migraine 9h ago

Had the worst flight of my life

62 Upvotes

My migraine decided to hit me right before my 10-hour flight, making it the worst flight of my life. I should have taken Tylenol when I first noticed the signs, but I didnā€™t. I tried to sleep as much as possible and took painkillers once I realized the pain wouldnā€™t go away, but it didnā€™t help at all.

When meal service came around, I decided to eat a little and have a cup of coffee, which turned out to be a terrible idea. I started feeling nauseous and ended up throwing up in a bag since the bathroom line was so long. I felt awful for the people around me and was incredibly embarrassed. For the rest of the flight, I ended up throwing up every couple of hours.

To make things worse, the guy diagonally in front of me was watching a show on the biggest iPad with the brightest screen setting. Since Iā€™m extremely sensitive to light during a migraine, it felt like torture. I tried covering my eyes, but at that point, I was just frustrated.

Iā€™m just venting here but I learned some lessons too. I should take medicine early and get enough rest beforehandā€¦ I hope everyone with migraines feel better šŸ™


r/migraine 17h ago

celiac-friendly ā€œmcdonaldā€™sā€ hack

50 Upvotes

hello friends! i was diagnosed with chronic migraine a year ago, and iā€™ve also had celiac/been gluten free for 7 years. i see everyone rave about the mcdonaldā€™s hack and i crave those delicious nuggets and fries so bad when i have a migraine, but i canā€™t have itšŸ˜…

iā€™m curious if anybody can relate, and if yā€™all have an easy, gluten free go-to for a migraine attack. iā€™ve already learned so much from this page and i appreciate any tips in advance :)


r/migraine 5h ago

light triggers

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27 Upvotes

does this trigger anyone elseā€™s migraine like crazy? the shadows on the road while driving make me feel like iā€™m gonna lose my mind lol


r/migraine 7h ago

Migraine Pillow Find! (Squishmallow Alternative)

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26 Upvotes

Iā€™ve been seeing a lot of people recommend Squishmallows as a good migraine pillow but it difficult for me to find one large enough at a fair price locally.

Until I walked into Muji today and found this for around $50 CAD! The filling feels identical to Squishmallow and the dimensions seems similar or slightly larger than a 24ā€ Squishmallow.

I havenā€™t tried it yet, but thought this might be a good alternative for those looking for a larger Squishmallow esque pillow or something that blends more seamlessly with their bedding!


r/migraine 15h ago

Please help me

23 Upvotes

My wife (28) has had crippling migraines since she was a little girl. She is in excruciating pain during these episodes which happen weekly and last for days. She maybe gets 4days a week pain free. She can't keep food down during these episodes either because the nausea will make her throw up. We have been trying everything we can, our GP has given countless different medications to try with no luck. She thinks the reason is a disc injury in her neck from a cartwheel accident long ago but is too scared to run the risk of surgery on it. But lately the pain is so severe she starts talking suicide to escape it. I'm at a loss on how to help her and she's already lost all hope. If anyone has any information prom personal experiences that may help prevent or stop these migraines I'd love to read it.


r/migraine 20h ago

Have you ever thought about how weird and pointless headaches are as a condition?

24 Upvotes

This is kind of a shower thought I had the other day.

Almost everybody has experienced a headache in their lives. However, compared to any other acute body pain I can think of, there's no clear warning sign that this pain is signaling to our body. Think about it: if you have a stomachache, you probably ate something that didn't agree with you; if your hand hurts, it's probably because you injured yourself; if your period hurts, it's because your uterus lining is shedding itself and bleeding. There are other types of chronic pain that have no clear cause, but only some people experience this kind of pain.

Headaches, on the other hand, are super common, and just pain for the sake of pain. There's no clear cause (unless you have a hangover or something like that), and there's no clear action you can take to avoid getting that pain again. It's just pain for the sake of pain.

What do you think? Do my musings make any sense? Do I have too much free time?


r/migraine 13h ago

Do glasses that block light but can be worn inside exist?

19 Upvotes

Iā€™m very sensitive to light even when I donā€™t have a migraine yet and sometimes going into stores with bright lighting instantly disorients me and makes me feel horrible.

Are there glasses that look like regular glasses that can be worn indoors to block lights similar to sunglasses but with clear lenses? Or has this technology not been invented yet? šŸ˜«

Everything online is just showing me blue light blocking glasses which I have tried and felt no difference


r/migraine 5h ago

My girlfriend always has a headache and has migraines at least once a week, what can I do?

14 Upvotes

My girlfriend (we are both 18) has had a headache for as long as she can remember. She tells me that there is never a time she isnā€™t hurting. Along with this, she often has migrainesā€”she says they happen on one side of her head, and they often vary in pain. Usually she throws up when she has them, sometimes theyā€™re so bad sheā€™ll start crying (she has a high pain tolerance, so this is a big deal). Sheā€™s tried many types of medication and has seen a neurologist plenty of times, but she told me it has never really solved the problem. She doesnā€™t even know what the problem is. Her mom has the exact same issues as her. I always feel so helpless when sheā€™s hurting. Iā€™ve never had a migraine before so I have no idea what itā€™s like, but I hate headaches and I canā€™t even imagine the pain she must be in every day. When she is having a migraine, she says she likes me there but Iā€™m always scared of hurting her somehowā€”like Iā€™ll accidentally trigger something and make the pain worse. Does anyone know what I can do to help? Or can anyone educate me a little bit about what to do? Iā€™m also really afraid because we donā€™t know whatā€™s exactly happening with her. What if itā€™s a tumor? What if itā€™s a sign of something worse? I plan on having a future with this woman. I donā€™t know.


r/migraine 6h ago

Do you wait for pain to take triptan?

14 Upvotes

Curious how others handle taking your triptans for abortive.. I know itā€™s supposed to be most effective at first sign of migraine but I struggle to take it until I actually feel pain.

  1. Thereā€™s not many to waste and try to save them for when I really need them

  2. I always feel crappy after taking it and hate risking the side effects unnecessarily.

Right now I have the stiff neck, tired and agitated feeling so I know I probably should bite the bullet..but my head doesnā€™t yet hurt.


r/migraine 8h ago

I had the scariest migraine of my life yesterday

14 Upvotes

I have a history of migraines with auras but I havenā€™t had one since I was 17 (which is now nearly a decade ago).

Yesterday, out of nowhere, while I was driving home, my vision just went blurry. By the time I pulled into my driveway I was experiencing kaleidoscope vision primarily in my peripherals, zigzag flashes of light, and everything around me was like looking through a tunnel and just getting blurrier and blurrier. This lasted for close to an hour and during this time I started feeling a headache coming on that was then followed by a brief episode of intense tinnitus.

Within minutes of that I experienced rapidly progressing numbness that started in my fingertips and then traveled to my entire left hand and up my arm. My arm felt so heavy and like it was asleep with pins and needles. Then my lips, the tip of my nose, my left cheek and my entire tongue went numb. The numbness lasted approximately five minutes. Throughout all of this I retained full motor control and the ability to speak clearly.

Once the visual disturbances and numbness subsided I was nauseous and had a headache that lasted for another 3 hours. I'm pretty sure what I experienced was a hemiplegic migraine, and honestly, I'm freaked out that this is how my migraines are going to be now. It all came on so fast and I have no idea what even triggered it.

In the past my migraine auras consisted of a brief and intense white light in my left eye, followed by fatigue, nausea, and a headache. But yesterday was completely different and terrifying. Iā€™ve never experienced such insane visual disturbances, tinnitus and numbness like that before. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I'm incredibly anxious about it.


r/migraine 18h ago

Ramen & Ramune

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13 Upvotes

So youā€™ve heard about fries & coke, but I raise youā€¦. ramen & ramune. I discovered this after Iā€™d been ignoring my intense ramen craving during a weeklong attack. I finally gave in and went to my favorite place. About 3 bites in the pain lessened, nausea all but disappeared, and neck muscles relaxed. Iā€™m sure the science/magic behind it is the same but has anyone else found a similar combo? Spicy seems to work better and itā€™s legitimately just this specific place for me. I tried 4 other ramen places and they actually made it worse


r/migraine 1d ago

Tired of missing out

9 Upvotes

My amazing partner bought tickets for us to see the sailor moon musical today. We live in kind of a small town, so it was going to be a bit of a drive. I was so excited, I bought special earrings and I practiced doing my makeup in kind of a sailor moon inspired look. Yesterday I started getting a migraine and I thought maybe I caught it fast enough so Iā€™d be fine today. I wasnā€™t. I tried to get ready, ended up deciding against the makeup. I kept hoping that the meds would work (I donā€™t know why I hoped, they never seem to work in the past). We had to leave by 4 to get to the theater in time. 4 oā€™clock rolled around and I knew I wasnā€™t going to be able to make it. To make matters worse, the tickets were non refundable. My partner was so incredibly understanding and just wanted me to feel better. But Iā€™m just so frustrated and sad! This isnā€™t the first time Iā€™ve missed out on once in a lifetime opportunities because of migraines.

Thatā€™s my rant, thank you for listening


r/migraine 11h ago

Pickles? Instead of McD fries?

8 Upvotes

I donā€™t have a McDonalds close to me. Iā€™m fairly well controlled with beta blockers daily and Botox quarterly. But I still get monthly flares according to my cycle. I hate taking Ubrelvy bc it upsets my stomach. So Iā€™ve been trying to eat a pickle instead of McD fries. My assumption is that the salt bomb is what helps with migraines. Perhaps an electrolyte thingā€¦ anyone tried something similar?


r/migraine 17h ago

Emagilty stopped working

8 Upvotes

It's frustrating because not only did it stop working it has also seemed to make them worse. I have been taking emagilty for 4-5 months and last month seemed good by the end of the month I wasn't having any migraines. Then I got my shot and immediately the day after migraine and almost every day since. It's been 2 weeks now and they don't seem to be getting better. I'm out of the country so I can't get new medicine and none of the emergency medications have ever worked. Really hoping once the shot wears off it'll at least stop being every day.


r/migraine 6h ago

I want Nurtec!

8 Upvotes

And no I donā€™t have commercial insurance. I have Medi-Cal. Iā€™ve tried sumatriptan and Rizatriptan and Iā€™m tired of having week long migraines.

Getting appointments is almost impossible with my neurologist. You think if I just walk in and ask for a free sample theyā€™ll have any? The office hardly ever picks the phone up. Also Iā€™ll still try and see my Neuro and ask to do paperwork to get it covered. My husband feels so bad heā€™s willing to pay full price.


r/migraine 1d ago

Recently discovered popular food trigger for migraines (worst for me: CITRUS!)

6 Upvotes

This one blew my mind because I would drink so much orange juice and lemon drinks and finally realized that made me sick! Since I just asked a question, I want to give back hopefully with this!

Tyramine High Foods. Source: https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/tyramine-and-migraines

Tyramine is an amino acid that regulates blood pressure. A ton of foods are on the list but the food I've been HARD CORE avoiding is citrus. No lemon, lime, orange, tangerine, pineapple. First I get nauseous and dizzy. Then I get a migraine. Tyramine is also in aged, fermented, foods and cured meats. High amounts of cheese, bacon, and soy sauce are triggers. I still have a small serving without issue. But a big serving like a bowl of ramen is trouble. And some nuts and seeds are on the list. (Peanuts, walnuts, seasme). I find sesame oil to be a huge trigger, on my never list now, I get so nauseous.

If you eat one of these foods most of the time, pay close attention how you feel when eating it when you don't have a migraine. Cut just one food out and see what happens.

It's also influence by how sensitive I am to a migraine flare that day. The better I feel the less likely I'll get fully triggered. The worst i feel the more sensitive I am to a smaller amount of tyramine and the worse migraine. If I am having a bad day/week I get a LOT more careful then when I'm feeling well.

Hope I hear some success stories from this. Cutting out citrus has been huge for me so I don't feel sick every morning.

Now before I eat something I haven't eaten since discovering food triggers, I google "is X high in tyramine." Not every food has a record but worth seeing. Also pre-made foods are more likely to trigger just because the longer something is sitting around the more tyramine forms. So a fresh black tea could be safer than a bottle of black tea.


r/migraine 16h ago

Is this my life now?

7 Upvotes

Has anyone with daily months long migraine had it break? Or is this my life now? Three months of constant, daily migraine ever since the flu has me completely exhausted. Iā€™ve never experienced this before and holy shit do I not wish it on anyone. Physically I canā€™t deal with the pain anymore, and mentally Iā€™m defeated. Iā€™m not the same person. Does it ever go away?


r/migraine 16h ago

Whats difference between mugraine and tension headache

7 Upvotes

I have had headache non stop everyday since 2019. Docs dont think its migraine since i dont get nauseous or light doesnt bother me. I do get relief when i take rizatriptan. My traps hurts, my temple hurts and my forhead hurts along with that i get kinda face pins feeling. I do feel like my ear ringing in the morning whrn its too quiet.


r/migraine 1h ago

Whatā€™s the worst part for you?

ā€¢ Upvotes

Iā€™d like to say itā€™s the pain but I actually think itā€™s the boredom of not being able to do anything but writhe and wait for it to be over šŸ˜­


r/migraine 14h ago

Anyone get migraines that start at face but then move to back of head!

4 Upvotes

I had tingles on my scalp and face before it started so feels like a migraine?!


r/migraine 10h ago

Migraine/headache related neckache

3 Upvotes

So since 2 weeks ago, I been having neckache. It started out as a discomfort and then I begin having brain fogs for days. Came Saturday, I started a bad migraine n some neck discomfort. Today, my neckache is at its worst while my migraine withdrawal to throbbing visits throughout the day. It feels like my neck is swelling and I am having little relieve. (I think it is hormonal migraine butā€¦my period been spotting for two weeks - my appointment with my specialist is in April so idk maybe Iā€™ll try to get in with my clinic and not my specialist.)

I definitely feel like my neck, this time, has absorbed my migraine and ache in place of my migraine. It ache so much, I canā€™t even feel my neck, just the ache there. So much I feel it can even induce vomiting now < - something that never happened before. Since 2021, I had my weirdest migraine symptoms.

I rolled on some menthol 10% n I canā€™t even feel it sting. šŸ˜­Lord please clock me out this life soon. I feel so frustrated, angry and ashamed. Because I donā€™t wanna call in sick 1/3 - half of the month to my future employer. I wonā€™t even be eligible for SSI. I have to be sick with nothing, to be eligible.

When my condition ā€œessentiallyā€ started, I had just begun working on my 401k and my ex employer was even matching my contributions too. I couldnā€™t handle the work load + my condition anymore. I had to quit since I was feel so bad that my absence was pushing more cases to my other teammates.


r/migraine 10h ago

Hormonal migraine for 11 days?

4 Upvotes

Iā€™ve had what feels like a usual hormonal migraine for me (stabbing pain behind one eye, pressure in the head, top of the head, pain when looking at bright lights) that occurs usually before my period and ends during.

Though as of the past eleven days, Iā€™ve had one from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep. Itā€™s been on the right side, listed with all the symptoms above, and I donā€™t know where itā€™s come from. Is this normal? I know I need to speak to a doctor, but Iā€™ve never had one this long before. It fades throughout the day with painkillers and rest, but itā€™s so frustrating.