National Migraine & Headache Awareness Month - Share the Pain Behind the Smile

I've written a lot about migraines in the past. How I was scared how migraines would affect my ability to parent. How one of my migraine triggers is going too long without eating. And one of the ways I alleviate migraine pain.

So for this year's National Migraine & Headache Awareness Month (and today's Share the Pain Behind the Smile virtual event), I thought I'd write about all the many prescription drugs I have taken to prevent and treat migraines.

Zomig (triptan - treats migraine headaches) 

Axert (triptan - treats migraine headaches)

Propranolol (beta blocker - can help prevent migraines)

Imitrex (triptan - treats migraine headaches)

Relpax (triptan - treats migraine headaches)

Maxalt (triptan - treats migraine headaches)

Topomax (anticonvulsant and nerve pain medication - can prevent migraine headaches)

Ubrelvy (treats migraines)

Nurtec (treats migraines and may prevent them)

Aimovig (injectable that prevents migraines)

Emgality (injectable that prevents migraines)

That's a pretty long list, huh? Seems every day there is a new migraine treatment on the market, but so far, none of the new stuff that's supposed to prevent migraines has worked for me. (None of the old stuff did either.)

With many of these medications, I saw success in treating a migraine until the medicine stopped working or started giving me weird side effects. In some instances, I was forced to stop taking a medication simply because my health insurance decided it didn't want to cover it anymore. (I've also had my health insurance limit how much of my medicine I'm allowed to have each month.)

Having migraines isn't easy. Finding a treatment plan that works is even harder. And figuring out why in the world a person gets migraines in the first place - impossible. 

According to the National Headache Foundation, 40 million people in the U.S. have migraines, and migraines are recognized as the #2 cause of disability worldwide. And since the COVID-19 pandemic started, there's been a reported 70 percent rise in migraine attacks.

I try not to let migraines disable my life, although sometimes there's nothing else I can do but go lie in a dark room with an ice pack on my head. Of course, if I get a migraine when I'm not at home, there's nothing to do but take my medicine and go forth as if nothing is wrong. You probably wouldn't even know I had a migraine in that moment unless I told you. 

But trust me. I'm very much in pain.

I hope that this blog post shines some light on this often misunderstood disease, and that you consider supporting the National Headache Foundation or any one of these migraine non-profits to help raise money for migraine research.