Migraine, weight gain, depression. This is my life, in a nutshell. The only other thing that occupies a space in my consciousness is my job, and how I have to somehow keep it for the insurance that allows me to afford all my prescriptions. Is this any way to live? No. And the alternatives are...?? Anyone??
Hello, and welcome to MyMigraineConnection.com!
We are so glad you've found our site, but sorry you have to be here! There is wonderful information here and very supportive people too.
Are you frequently depressed or does it only occur during your Migraine attacks? If you are not clinically depressed, you may be experiencing the first phase of a Migraine attack, or prodrome. A Migraine attack affects serotonin levels, and that can make you feel depressed. You can read more about the four phases of a Migraine in this article, Anatomay of a Migraine.
Now, on the other hand, if you are finding yourself depressed on a frequent basis, Migraine and depression may be comorid conditions. Comorbid means conditions can occur together, but are not caused by one another. We have information on comormid in our glossary you may find helpful. In addition, Migraine and Depression May Be Linked Genetically has been updated to include new information.
Thank you for creating a SharePost. SharePosts are a form of blogging, and there are many things you can do with them. You can share an experience, suggest something that's helped you, use SharePosts as a Migraine and headache journal, and many other things.
We also have a discussion forum that you may want to check out. Especially if you have questions or are looking for information, you may find the interaction on the forum to be quite helpful. To get to the forum, just look for the orange box marked "Manage" and click on the Migraine Forums link. Because our forums are maintained by a third party, you'll need to register for the forum. You can use the same information you used to create your community log-in if you like. If you want to go directly to the forum, you can click HERE.
Along with your personal "My Home" page and the discussion forum, you'll find links to a great deal of helpful information on the main page of our site, http://www.MyMigraineConnection.com. Under the Find, Manage, and Connect tabs at the top of each page, you'll find a wealth of information - educational articles, tips, quizzes, workbooks, support and advocacy information, and more.
Do you have questions about Migraine? There are three ways to get answers - through our Ask the Clinician column, in our community Question and Answer Section, or through our forum. Just go to our Migraine Answers page HERE.
Our email newsletter will help you stay up-to-date on Migraine and headache news and new information published on MyMigraineConnection. To receive our newsletter, click the "Sign up now!" link in the navigation bar across the top of our site pages or simply click HERE.
Welcome again,
Nancy Bonk
MyMigraineConnection.com Community Manager
PS: If you receive this message from more than one of us, please excuse the overlap. Thanks!
About 1 1/2 years ago I finally found a migraine specialist in my area. He changed my medication and this made a world of difference. I have lost weight and I rarely have a migraine now. Also I think age related hormone changes may have decreased my migraine frequency.
It wasn't easy to find this specialist. It took a couple of weeks of internet searching. I finally came across an old media notice that this Dr. would be speaking about migraines at a local medical association meeting.
Even if you have to travel out of your area, see a specialist or go to a headache clinic that will then work with your local physician. I thought about doing that for years and kept putting it off. I am sorry I did that, I spent many years in pain, went on medical leave and have lost my career as a result. I think it could have all been avoided with proper diagnosis and treatment. Cyndee
I'm so sorry. I suffer from migraines too. My suggestion is explore getting a new doctor. I changed from a doctor who told me once he couldn't help me and left it at that so I found a new one. He is wonderful. I tried Cymbalta among other combinations of medicines. I do best on a combo of wellbutrin and citropram. The bottom line is he worked with me to find what medicines worked well. I'm a firm believer in chiropractors and massage. Sometimes the stress of it all drives us right into another migraine.
I am going through the same thing you are. I have had chronic migraines since the age of 4. They used to be so bad, I was vomiting quite a few times a week and I even had a stroke from it. After puberty, they got a little better. They have recently returned in the past year.
In the past few months I was finally able to see a neurologist. He prescribed me some meds and he also told me to try Migravent. I just started 2 weeks ago, so I won't be able to tell if it is working for a few months.
Like everyone else said, we all have to find our "method' of coping with this horrible condition. I am afraid to have kids right now because of how much "down time" I might be in from my attacks. Life goes on though!
I hope you can find a method that is right for you.
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I'm taking a guess that since this is your first Share post that you are new to our site. So let me first say, welcome. You have come to the right place for migraine information, and more importantly for support.
Like you, pretty much everyone here is a chronic migrainuer, struggling with the same issues. But don't give up!
I read in your profile that you are still getting 3-4 migraines per month. Perhaps you could add another preventive to your current regimine to decrease that number. I know a lot of us are on "cocktails" to have optimum benefits.
Also, if your weight gain is from the Lyrica, there are over 100 different drugs used for migraine prevention. Maybe you could talk to your doc about trying a different one.
As for the depression, are you taking any medication for it? Migraines and depression are often comorbid. Also, lets be honest. It is really depressing to be in pain all the time. And many anti depressents have the added benefit of being migraine preventives as well.
Have you considered counseling to help with the stress of living with a chronic illness? Many of us here see therapists for help coping with this disease. It can take a lot out of you, and it can be difficult to manage.
Are you seeing a migraine specialist or a neurologist? Not all neurologists are migraine specialists. And not everyone who claims to be a "migraine specialist" really is. There is a list here on the webiste of patient recommended specialists (I know there are some in IL because I have friends on this site who live out in IL). Maybe if you have plateaued in your treatment it's time for a second opinion.
Anyway. Good luck. This website is a great resource for information, which is your best weapon against this disease.