How to Treat Migraine during this Holiday Season
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I can’t believe the holiday season is here. 2020 has brought so many unimaginable challenges that it’s almost impossible to grasp the idea that nine months later, we’re still in the middle of a pandemic.
A lot of resources like books, articles, podcasts, and conversations with friends have helped me -and my family process and honor everything that’s happened this year; however, the holiday season can be stressful and this year we’ll have to navigate it with a whole bunch of uncertainty wrapped around it.
A couple of months ago I wrote a blog post about migraine, emphasizing the importance of understanding that it’s not just a headache and I also gave some recommendations on how to detect it. Based on that campaign’s survey results, 84% of respondents said that the biggest trigger for migraine is stress.
So, with the holiday season upon us, today I’m bringing you the second part of the article I published in August with recommendations on how to treat migraine during these stressful times thanks to Med-IQ.
If you suffer from migraine, this post will help you come up with a treatment plan which will be crucial for these upcoming months.
Med-IQ is a company that provides an exceptional educational experience to doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and healthcare professionals.
Thanks to Med IQ I was very lucky to meet via Zoom Dr. Amaal J. Starling. She’s an Associate Professor of Neurology at The Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and has been a wonderful resource on this matter.
Recently she had a very robust conversation on a Facebook Live with blogger Deva Dalporto from @mylifesuckers where she explained new treatment options for migraine patients.
As a first approach to a possible treatment, she recommends a preventive treatment regimen called SEEDS for success in migraine management which can help, not only migraine patients, but everyone in your household to manage stress:
S = Sleep hygiene –Are you getting enough sleep?
E = Eat regular meals – Don’t allow your blood sugar to drop too low
E = Exercise regularly
D = Make sure you don’t get dehydrated
S = Prioritize stress management – consider massages, acupuncture, and/or mindfulness/meditation
Supplements such as Magnesium and Vitamin B2 are also a very good option as a preventive treatment plan.
Now, if you’re getting more than two migraine attacks per week, you must get a diagnosis from your healthcare provider to get a prescription treatment.
She mentioned that once you get your diagnosis from your healthcare provider, the most important thing to be aware of is that there are many prescription treatments and certain medicines work for some people but not for others. So, unfortunately, this is not a one-size-fits-all disease. However, if you’re aware of the different treatment options available, you’ll be able to manage this neurological disease optimally.
Treatment options:
1.- Triptans.
There are seven different kinds of triptans available, but research has revealed that they are not as effective for many patients; 30% of people reported side effects. If you’re breastfeeding, it’s useful to note that triptans can be taken when nursing. Side effects include dizziness, nausea, sleepiness, and more. Triptans should be avoided in the treatment of patients with cardiovascular diseases because these drugs affect blood vessels.
2.- Ditans and gepants (aka antagonists) are new migraine treatments.
Unlike triptans, ditans don’t affect blood vessels and can be an option for patients who don’t respond well to triptans or don’t like its side effects. One consideration, however, is that ditans are a controlled substance and will limit patients’ ability to drive a car for 8 hours.
Gepants are a once-daily treatment with low side effects; some patients report dry mouth, but there are no overuse problems with gepants.
According to Harvard Medical School, these new medicines are intended for:
• Patients with four migraines per month, or eight or more headache days per month
• Patients who experience intolerable side effects from other treatments
• Patients who haven't responded to other preventive treatments
3.- Women need to take into consideration that migraine could worsen due to hormonal changes.
This can happen during your period, if you’re pregnant, or to teenagers starting their period cycles. That’s why it’s very important to advocate for yourself with your healthcare provider so your doctor gives your pain the importance it deserves.
If you have a teenage daughter that starts developing symptoms on her first period cycles, Dr. Starling recommends approaching your pediatrician or healthcare provider, but take into consideration that if the doctor doesn’t address your concerns, you can ask to be referred to a neurologist or a headache specialist.
Also, she recommends visiting The American Migraine Foundation website to find a specialist in your area.
Another resource she recommends is a Migraine Wellness Toolkit created by the Society for Women’s Health Research which helps you live well with migraine.
Thanks so much to Deva and Dr. Starling for a very resourceful conversation. If you want to learn more, click here to listen to the full Facebook Live:
Keep in mind that it’s very important to go through all these new treatment options with your healthcare providers so they can come up with a treatment plan that works for you and helps you minimize migraine-related stress and anxiety during this season.
If you suffer from migraine, a treatment plan can help you tackle this holiday season with the calmness, peacefulness, and mindfulness we all very well deserve.
Let’s help Med-IQ continue their research by filling out this quick survey:
Med-IQ is conducting an anonymous survey and would appreciate your input. The survey will take less than 10 minutes to complete. Survey responses are shared only in aggregate. Your responses to these survey questions will provide Med-IQ with important information about your experiences with migraine and related care, which will help us develop future educational initiatives in this area. Once you've completed the survey, you will have the option of providing your email address to be entered into a drawing administered by SOMA Strategies to win 1 of 10 $100 VISA gift cards. If you choose to enter, your email address will be used only to randomly draw the winners and notify them of their prize.