A migraine routine can make a huge difference in getting through attacks of this invisible illness
I have been coping with chronic migraine disease since my teens. But now that I’ve got a migraine routine down, it makes the whole situation a little bit more manageable. Here’s what a day with a migraine looks like for me and how I deal with it.
When I have a migraine, the people who know and love me can tell just by looking at me (occasionally even before I’ve realized it!). You may not be able to “see pain,” but my face and actions certainly show when I’m hurting. I slow down. Squint a little. I wince away from bright lights and noises. I’m scatterbrained (more than usual!) and you can just see in my face how much extra effort I’m having to put in just to do the most basic stuff. That’s only one of the reasons you want to get your migraine routine down pat before the worst hits.
Partners of people with migraines: ask them how you can help and listen to what they say! It could be as simple as a soda, a neck massage, heating up a heating pad for them, or just a couple of hours of golden silence. But you’ll never know until you ask.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s go through my migraine routine.
The pain is coming! Lock down your migraine routine before it hits.
Sometimes I wake up with a migraine lurking, but usually it creeps up on me in the early afternoon. Always, there’s a moment of recognition. I realize the light is hurting my eyes, or my thoughts are fuzzy, or I’ve been rubbing my forehead for 20 minutes without realizing it.
Immediately, I go take my abortive medication. I used to take Maxalt, which always made me a little fuzzy and logy but also was able to head the worst of the pain off at the pass. (Sometimes.) I’m now taking Ubrelvy, which besides me never being able to spell it, has been a really good switch in terms of effectiveness and side effects. Ask your doctor about your options for abortives, and if you’re having migraines really frequently, there are everyday preventatives you can try.
How do you know it’s a migraine?
A migraine hurts in a specific way that’s so different than any other headache, and one job of those with migraine disease is that we have to figure out the difference in how they feel in their early stages. It lives behind my eyes and forehead. My eyes and ears are sensitive in a completely unique way. The skin on my head and neck becomes incredibly achy and sensitive to the touch. (I’ve used a back massager on my temples and head so much that the next day I woke up with near-bruises. But when it’s one of the only things that gives momentary relief, what are you gonna do?)
Don’t forget to gather your migraine routine thingamajigs
I wish I had someone to rub my head and neck for me, but until then, I love my damn Theracane so much (my gift guide for chronic pain post goes into more detail about why). A dear departed friend made me a special concoction of oils I use, but it works similarly to products like Biofreeze or Icy Hot. Might be worth trying next time you’re in this spot.
Story update: now I DO have someone to rub my head and neck for me! Learn how that happened with my posts about app dating and relationships with chronic pain!
I also just bought a goofy thing on a whim called a “jade facial roller and gua sha scraperi” which is supposedly supposed to fight wrinkles… somehow, idk, but I’m finding it surprisingly useful for headache times. It’s basically just the difference between “rubbing at my head with my knuckle or whatever’s handy” and “rubbing at my head with a piece of stone shaped to fit my face,” but it really does feel good on very sensitive migraine skin. For something you can get for $5 it may be worth checking out when you see one on sale.
Want more ideas for stuff that’ll make your life easier? Check out my newly updated gift guide for chronic pain! (And then shout at me on social media to tell me what I forgot to include.)
It’s here! Get that routine rolling
I try to find something with caffeine in it, usually a soda with some sugar in it as well, as that seems to help for whatever reason. I also take a hardcore muscle relaxant, as sometimes my always-too-tense muscles are a contributing cause and I have the tolerance of an elephant. It has the very nice side effect of also making me sleepy. If I can manage to fall asleep for a few hours, a lot of times I can kick the migraine. Don’t know why, but a nap is way more likely to kick it than the same two hours spent just resting on the couch.
Migraines Through Rose-Colored Glasses (Not A Metaphor)
Lights go off, and on go the special migraine glasses I got in a swag bag at a migraine conference I went a couple of years ago called RetreatMigraine. They’re not cheap (though there is a money-back guarantee so you can see if they help) but they truly do make it so the light doesn’t hurt my eyes nearly as much– plus, I get to make “rose-colored glasses” jokes. I don’t know how, but I’ll embrace anything that helps me avoid that stabbing pain during a migraine. (I just bought new everyday glasses and noticed that other brands like Warby Parker and Zenni also offer lenses that block certain types of light (like these), so depending on your particular issues & price point, that could be a better option to try.)
In a weird twist, marijuana is guaranteed to make some people’s migraines worse (like mine). Even though it helps just about every other aspect of my chronic pain! But one thing that can alert me to a developing migraine is if I smoke a bowl and feel worse. Bodies: they’re super weird! Some people certainly do benefit from cannabis for migraines; it’s one of those things you just have to try out and see. (Of course this section is only referring to the low THC hemp-based products made legal in Texas after the 2018 farm bill. Heaven forfend we use the real thing down here! Click here to read a post about my experience with the clusterfuck that is medical cannabis in texas.)
At the end of the day, the whole migraine experience is a giant “throw treatments and recommendations at the wall and see what sticks” situation. Nobody can tell you what will make things better or worse for you. All I can do is tell you what I’ve learned about myself, and how.
Migraine Braine: So Much More Than A Headache
After all that I’ve got brain fog from the migraine, fuzziness from the Maxalt (update: Ubrelvy doesn’t do this!), and a muscle relaxant hopefully kicking my ass in a helpful way. What do I do? Cancel plans, sit in the dark, and watch something on TV that doesn’t require much mental effort.
Even if I can manage to force myself to do something, I’m working at a third the speed and a quarter the mental comprehension as normal. It’s hard to explain Migraine Braine but “fuzzy,” “spacey,” and “logy” do an OK job.
It’s not just a headache: brain fog is real and can affect you before, during, or after a migraine. It’s hard to concentrate, remember things, focus… It’s hard to really force yourself to do anything when you’re in that position.
Paying the Next Day
The day after a migraine is always rough! Trying to force your brain to focus and move at normal speed when it’s the last thing you want to do can be tough. Even though words are kind of my thing, I’m coming up empty trying to describe brain fog. It’s both like and unlike so many other things.
It’s not like what your brain feels like the afternoon after staying up all night, but sorta. It doesn’t feel like being forgetful and scatterbrained, though that’s part of it. It’s not like a hangover, really, though there are aspects that are similar. It’s like everything is twice as far away from you as it should be, metaphorically, so anything you do requires an extra step. Does that make sense? Sorta? It’s the best I’ve got right now.
Somebody out there must have figured out a better way to describe this! Please comment below or shout at me on social media. How you would describe the brain fog of a migraine?
Connecting with others with chronic migraine
Volunteering to help at the first RetreatMigraine conference through my work at the U.S. Pain Foundation really pulled into focus for me how many people truly are debilitated by migraines. It’s not just while they have them, either! Coping with them means changing your entire life to be able to rearrange everything around the possibility of an attack. Some people have migraine the majority of the time; some people spend most of their lives in a dark room. Personally, I go through cycles of migraines (i wish I knew why!) I’ll have them 2-3 times a week for a month or two and then it’ll subside for a while. …For a while, and then they’ll come back again with a vengeance! With no warning, rhyme or reason that I can come up with. I’m lucky to have a job that understands and accommodates that, because many don’t.
It’s so crucial to develop a community of people who can understand and support what you’re going through. I cannot emphasize enough how much of a difference it makes when you find your people.
Migraine disease can change your entire life, but it doesn’t have to ruin it: over the last few years I’ve written multiple profiles on people with chronic migraine for the INvisible Project magazine who are still able to live a life they love and achieve their dreams despite migraine disease.
My migraine routine is nothing special. It’s just a combination of trial and error things that feel like they help. I’d love to hear what other people do when they feel one lurking in the back of their skull. How the hell do you put into words what ‘brain fog’ feels like? What migraine routine have YOU come up with to help you through these miserable periods?
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