My life with migraines

Let me introduce myself.  My name is Beth.  I am 24 years old.  Had my first migraine when I was 19 years old.  I tend to get migraines once to twice a month.  Each migraine lasts between two days and two weeks.

My triggers include MSG, storms, changes in the weather and flashing lights.  Stress tends to aggravate my migraines.  I typically get severe pain in the left side of my brain.  I also get extremely nausea.  I often either get extremely hot or very very cold.  I have no motivation to do anything.

When I have a migraine, people around me seem not to understand what I am going through.  They think it is just a headache and that I can get over it.  What they don't understand is that it is a whole body thing and that it is hard to "just get over it."  I get fusterated because I would like to share with them exactly how I feel.  But, since the majority of people who see me suffering with a migraine have never had one, they just don't understand.  They don't understand that I do what I can do to get rid of the migraine, but it does not always work.  They don't understand the crucial timing of the medication in relation to the onset of the symptoms.  They figure that I can take a couple of Excedrin in the middle of the migraine and it will be gone.  It does not work that way.

Lately, I have been getting anxiety attacks a few hours prior to a migraine attack.  I have no clue where these anxiety attacks are coming from.  I have no clue why I am even anxious during an attack.  All I know is that I have a sheer sense of panic and doom.  My heart starts racing and I start sweating.  This all starts when I am perfectly fine and composed.

I have gone to the doctor for my migraines.  He prescribed Immitrex after I pleaded for medication to help with these attacks.  He has not done any testing.  I kept a journal of my symptoms and the such.  A prescription of Immitrex typically lasts me 5 to 6 months as I do not like the way the medication makes me feel.

I am not looking forward to the future with my migraines.  I get fusterated with them.  I just want them to end.  I want to wake up one day and no longer have these attacks.  However, in reality, this is something I am just going to have to cope with for the long run.