My Migraine Journey – Herta V.

My Migraine History

Hello, I’m Herta from America, Maumelle Arkansas. My migraine started when I was 14 along with my monthly cycle. I would have one or two a month with an aura and they would black out my whole sight so I had someone take me home. Then they changed about 32 years of age to sure hell. Almost on a daily basis I will get a migraine and it would be so painful I would throw up, I will curl up in a ball on the floor. I had to keep warm and a couple of times it mimics a stroke. And of course, someone would have to take me home. I am 54 years old this month. I have tried so many different combinations of medications. Finally found one that works preventatively and knowing my triggers, knowing that I need to have some acidophilus daily from yogurt. And trying to manage my stress level, and tracking my migraines with Migraine Buddy has made such a difference.

The People Around Me 

When I was married my husband would say that I am faking it. One day he had to take me to the emergency room and he said I was faking it. Of course, I do not fake migraines.

The Effect of Migraine on My Life

I really couldn’t do anything extra. I finally decided to stop making plans with my friends because 95% of the time, I would have to cancel them and I would feel really bad. It just became a cycle of migraine, medication, relief, depression.

What I’ve Tried

Over the years I have tried several medications, medication combinations, and finally found a preventative that works, nortriptyline. This reduced my migraines to 15 or fewer migraines a month and the severity and length were also lowered. I take Zomig 5 mg nasal spray when I feel a bad migraine coming on, it takes the migraine away 80% of the time. If I have a migraine with an aura 95% of the time I can take my Relpax and it will be gone within a half hour without any residual pain or other symptoms.

During the first Migraine World Summit, I listened to a gastroenterologist, I believed, and learned a lot. So I decided to try eating yogurt every day to add the good bacteria back into my stomach. This has helped tremendously. I can take a muscle relaxer and Phenergan to put myself to sleep for a bit and that seems to help quite a bit. I also take supplements I take a B stress complex, magnesium, and an extra dose of riboflavin (B2) daily and 9 mg of melatonin nightly.

How I Cope On Unbearable Days 

I can take a muscle relaxer and Phenergan to put myself to sleep for a bit and that seems to help quite a bit.

How Migraine Buddy Helps Me

As I stated above, the Migraine World Summit helped me to learn a lot and add something else to help me with my migraine struggles. I love the reporting in Migraine Buddy because I can send that to my doctors before an appointment for their review and it’s concise and informative. Everyone and I mean everyone who I meet that also has migraines or knows someone who has migraines, I recommend Migraine Buddy to them every single time. Because this can only help their journey. I’ll take a screenshot of the icon on my phone and then I will open it and take a couple of screen prints to show them what it looks like. I’m so thankful for my Migraine Buddy.

Don’t give up. I know it’s hard, very hard to keep going at times. If you don’t have anyone to support you at home or at work, please see a counselor if at all possible, or join one of the groups on Migraine Buddy. But most of all don’t give up—continue to try different reliefs, medications, avenues for your migraines. I have yet to find anyone who has very similar migraines to the ones that I have. We are all individual people and our bodies have individual and usually differing symptoms from each other. However, we can still learn a lot and support each other, find your supports, and keep them close.

– Herta

Thank you, Herta, for stepping forward to share your migraine journey with the community.

When you share your stories, it not only helps others but you heal in the process too. If you would like to share your story and let your voice be heard like Herta, you may do so here: http://bit.ly/MyMigraineJourney

With love, Jenny and the Migraine Buddy Team