Migraine Expert Nicole shares Migraine management news and commentary at MyMigraineConnection.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93 http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93 http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/8525/markers-med Thu, 12 Apr 2007 15:19:01 -0400 Nicole I am not going to lie.  I have not felt like writing at all lately.  I have had a rough few months, both with the constant pain, the snow in April (what is that about, by the way?), and medication changes.  Med changes suck.  There is no other way to put it.  I am weaning off of neurontin.  Fun.  Really.  I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in February, and put on it to reduce neuropathy.  Well, I... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/8525/markers-med http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/6870/winter-taught Fri, 16 Feb 2007 11:35:40 -0500 Nicole This winter has taught me more than I ever thought. It has shown me a new trigger, it has shown me how much I can take before breaking, and it has shown me how strong my husband and I can be when faced with the possibility of something well and truly awful. I think winter is the best season to learn about yourself—it is cold, you are shut in the house with your family, and it provides the perfect time for reflection on what you are going... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/6870/winter-taught http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/3207/im-back Thu, 08 Feb 2007 13:57:00 -0500 Nicole I have kind of holed up for the past few weeks, not writing, not talking to friends, because I was scared. Scared out of my mind.   In April I started having trouble with my leg and arms. They were really numb, and bugging me, but I wrote it off as a side effect of basilar migraines. Migraines like that can and often do include stroke-like symptoms, and can end in a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA). Not fun. It got worse, and I talked to... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/3207/im-back http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/3458/treatments Tue, 30 Jan 2007 14:22:43 -0500 Nicole In one of the migraine communities I am in, the question came up—What have we tried, and what has worked (or not worked) to deal with, cure, or prevent our migraines? I thought a list here might be helpful, as there are times keeping everything in one place would be helpful. So here goes. Medication. Lots and lots and lots of meds. Triptans, Topomax, Zonegran, amiltriptyline, midrin, and a host of others. I can safely say at this point I... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/3458/treatments http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/3118/tips-chronic-pain Tue, 23 Jan 2007 09:47:19 -0500 Nicole There are some things that at times I think those of us with chronic pain or other chronic conditions want our friends, coworkers, whomever, to know about us.1 - We are not malingering. This is not fun for us. We did not choose to be this way. We do not enjoy having to take medication in front of coworkers and have our narcotic use questioned by anyone who is not intimately acquainted with our situation.2 - Please do not treat us as if we... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/3118/tips-chronic-pain http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/3070/migraine-avoiding Wed, 17 Jan 2007 10:17:11 -0500 Nicole Since food can be such a big migraine trigger for most people, I was asked to write about migraine-friendly recipes. It is hard to do, mainly because foods that are considered classic migraine triggers—onion, aged cheese, citrus, vinegar, and a whole host of others—do no bother me in the least. Others do—mushrooms, MSG, artificial sweeteners, and a few others. The big one for me is MSG; it will send me into a spiral of migraines that... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/3070/migraine-avoiding http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/3013/migraine-mission Tue, 09 Jan 2007 11:06:42 -0500 Nicole I have been trying so hard to write lately. First, about triggers. Then about eating out. And then about something else, which of course I can't remember. But the past few weeks have been sad at our house. My husband's grandmother died, and because of distance, money and time, we were unable to be at the funeral. She would have wanted us to do something special on the day, and of course I get hit with bronchitis the week of her funeral,... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/3013/migraine-mission http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/2968/migraine-symptom Tue, 02 Jan 2007 13:00:23 -0500 Nicole Hello everyone out there. This is more of a personal post than I usually do. I know that talking frankly about what has been going on with my migraines seems personal, but, in reality, it is not. This is a reminder to have any changes in your migraines checked. I know we all hear it, I know we all have the best intentions when it comes to getting checked out, but I am going to stress the importance here. If you have been following along at... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/2968/migraine-symptom http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/2911/holiday-migraine Thu, 21 Dec 2006 07:41:26 -0500 Nicole With the winter holidays upon us, this is a good time to talk about holiday stress and the migraines that go with it. I get triggered easily by large crowds, perfume counters and bad/bright/odd lighting. It can make a shopping trip truly hellish, not to mention the drive home. This year I am embracing on-line shopping and going with local, independent stores. All in all much easier than dealing with the crowds at malls. It also has the... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/2911/holiday-migraine http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/2841/universal-america Mon, 11 Dec 2006 19:01:49 -0500 Nicole It’s a big thing for anyone with a chronic illness—health insurance. Ask anyone who sees specialists, who has expensive medications, or who has not-so-great insurance what they would do to make things easier, and you will almost always hear "universal health care." I am one of the lucky ones—my husband is in a union. We have amazing insurance. I think it is roughly $90 a month for the four of us, and includes dental and some vision. ... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/93/2841/universal-america