I remember having migraines as early as four years of age. They began after I had a near death experience with a blunt force trauma to the face.
My migraines were debilitating to the point that it affected my life. I lost sleep and work over the course of more than forty years.
I didn't realize until after researching about migraines that I am one of the few percent of migraine sufferers that have Aura migraines, as well as cluster migraines. This particular type of migraine has affected my optical nerve in my eye, making my vision blur. I see waves in my vision, which causes a form of Optical vertigo.
For me, when an attack comes on, it's like all of my senses for pain are heightened. In my research, I learned that the brain is affected causing nauseousness, and sensitivity to light. For me, the pain is very intense, one of the worst kinds of pain I have ever experienced. I remember trying anything to get relief, even hot showers to help alleviate the pain. Sometimes, my sensitivity was so high, even water from the shower head hurt.
I would cry myself to sleep in a darkened room smashing my head and face into the pillow. I took over the counter medications like Excedrin migraine for many years. It would help some, but the migraine always came back. I would have thirteen, if not more, migraines in a month. They were chronic.
In 1986, I started working for a school district which had a better medical plan. I made an appointment to see a doctor about my migraines, and was referred to a migraine specialist. They put me on the injection form of Imatrex. Imatrex is a pain blocker that helped open my restricted blood vessels. Unfortunately, Imatrex made my brain feel like it was on fire. Not realizing at the time I was having a reaction to the shot, I kept taking it because it was temporarily stopping my migraine pain.
Over the years I was referred to try a new medication called Maxalt. It was in pill form which I was very receptive to. Like Imatrex, it stopped the pain, but never cured it.
Last year I was having hormonal issues which caused my migraines to increase. My hormonal imbalance was causing my body to feel agitated, and I was experiencing anxiety attacks along with abdominal pain, heavy bleeding with raging emotions which had me feeling like I was jumping out of my skin! It was not a good place to be.
My Healing Journey With Migraines
By Donna Genovese
28 | ElementsForAHealthierLife.com | September 2016