My mom suffers from them, and so does her mom (but both of my little sisters lucked out).
My mom warned me when I started on the pill, of the risk of increased migraines. She had to quit taking it a few months in when she realized what a migraine trigger it was. Of course I was in denial (different people! different triggers!), and for a while, my migraines seemed to be the same. I got 2-3 a month in college and I was getting them about once a week in varying degrees for the first year after I started the pill.
Then they gradually increased, and lasted longer. (36-48 hours) I had to start taking time off work--half days & sometimes full days--because I just couldn't function. I felt helpless, and wimpy. Especially because it's hard to get E (or anyone) to understand the debilitating nature of a migraine. The blurred vision, nausea, and sound/light sensitivity were difficult to explain.
For about a year and half I toughed it out, but we finally decided I should quit. things have gradually improved over the last four months.
Although I still get a migraine like clockwork the day before Aunt Flo comes for a visit and when I'm really stressed, I've learned how to manage them as well as possible.
Sometimes meds prove necessary (usually Excedrin with a LOT of water), but my preferred method of migraine treating involves a hot rice pack on my neck (or a hot bath), and a cool cloth over my eyes while lying down. Then I ask E to rub my neck and shoulders, and sleep for 1-3 hours.
If I'm not home & without medicine, caffeine can help a little.
Despite years of warnings, I always ignored my mother's good advice to catch headaches early. One of my biggest problems was thinking a nagging headache would eventually go away. for me, they always turned into a migraine, and by then it was too late to treat.
Are you a migraine sufferer? How do you treat?
