Top 5 Most Asked Questions About Migraine, My Life, and More! (Part 1)
To be honest, I get hundreds of messages asking questions about migraine. SOOO many people reach out to me daily wanting answers! Let’s dive deep into the most asked questions! If you have a question, feel free to drop it in the comments below and it may be featured on the next question blog.
**This post contains affiliate links. The Migraine Nurse LLC makes a small percentage from qualified purchases through the links or codes provided. Thank you!***
1. What’s the Fastest Way to Get Relief From a Migraine Attack?
The best way to successfully abort a migraine attack is to have a plan in place. I CANNOT stress this enough. Oftentimes, my students are trying all these things and praying that it gives them relief, and then it doesn’t work…. Then, they find themselves in a spiral of a never ending migraine attack. Maybe you can relate?
But my dear friend, it doesn’t have to be this way! The best advice I can give you is to create a Migraine Toolkit. A migraine toolkit is a collection of items that get rid of a migraine attack and help with associating symptoms like sensitivity to light, sensitivity to sound, nausea, and more!
This is why in The Conquering Migraine Academy, I teach my students not only how to put a migraine toolkit together but also how to put a plan of attack in place, so they can get rid of a migraine attack FAST!
Some easy ideas to help you start putting together a migraine toolkit are:
****For easy access to all my discount codes and links, click here
- Migraine Relief Medications
- Both prescription and over the counter
- Cefaly
- a neuromodulator device that works by stimulating the trigeminal nerve
- You can read my full review here
- Use code TheMigraineNurse for 15% off
- Peppermint Essential Oil Roll On
- Ruhe (use code TheMigraineNurse for 15% off)
- Migastril (purchase on Amazon Storefront)
- Soothie Hoodie Migraine Relief Ice Hat
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You can purchase The Soothie Hoodie on Amazon, (discount applied through link)
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- Avulux Migraine Glasses
- Great for those with light sensitivity
- Use code TheMigraineNurse for $25 off
- Click here to read my full review
2. I Always Get Migraine Attacks Around the Time of My Period, HELP!
This is called Hormonal Migraine and it is caused by the fluctuation in hormones that occurs at the time of ovulation and menses. Hormonal migraine attacks tend to be more severe and less responsive to treatment.
You are not alone in this my friend! There are SO many techniques that you can easily apply to your life that can help make hormonal migraine much more manageable!
First off, focus on raising your migraine threshold! There are SO many easy to implement lifestyle changes that can help make it so that when you are hit with a migraine trigger, like changes in hormones, you are not hit with a migraine attack.
Second, add in supplements that support hormones like Vitamin E and Magnesium. Make sure you always talk to your doctor before trying any new supplements.
Third, track your period. This way when it’s time for ovulation or menses, you can limit other migraine triggers.
Want to dive deeper into this subject? Click here to read a full in depth blog post
3. I am Hesitant to Enroll in The Conquering Migraine Academy (CMA), Can’t I Find All This Information Online?
If you did not know, I created a course to help people with migraine. It is called The Conquering Migraine Academy (CMA). It is a step by step guide to learning how to manage your migraine successfully, so that you can live the life you love! My students are loving it and we are seeing lives TRANSFORMED!
Like anything, the internet is a vast source of information! However, I want to challenge you with this: I spent years deciphering through countless information and reading research articles to compose a course that encompasses everything you need to know about migraine without all the fluff and put it ALL together in a way that is easy to understand! When you are going through the thick of migraine and experiencing little to no relief in between attacks, it is hard and difficult to do your own research and then take what you have read and apply it to your life.
CMA is designed as a self paced, 9 module course (where each lesson builds upon itself) that really takes you through the steps of learning how to manage your migraine. Remember, migraine management is VITAL on your migraine journey. Successful migraine management is knowing what to do each and every day to PREVENT migraine attacks (which means more migraine free days!) and know how to TREAT a migraine FAST, so you can get back to enjoying your day!
It’s okay to ask for help on your migraine journey. You may just need someone to put all the pieces together for you! Even if you think you know it all, trust me there is more to learn and more ways you can apply it to your life. Or maybe you are that person with all the head knowledge of migraine but have no idea what to do with it! But with the right guidance and support, you can get back to living a life of your dreams!
Also, something the internet cannot give is the support that I give to each and everyone of my students. When you are a student in CMA, I walk alongside you. You are no longer on your migraine journey ALONE. Plus, you get to join a vibrant community of warriors that are all going through similar things as you (because we know how lonely living with migraine can be!)
If you are still having hesitations about whether or not you are a good fit for CMA, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! I can be reached through a DM on instagram or email me at [email protected].
Click here to learn more!
4. Do You Take Any Prescription Medication for Migraine?
I get asked this question ALL the time! So a huge part of my story is that I actually failed every preventative medication available to me. Yes, some new medications have come out since then, but I have my migraine attacks SO well managed that I do not need to be on a preventative medication for migraine. The only prescription medication I have is Nurtec and I take that as needed for migraine relief.
As a nurse, I see the power in medications! I have found through working with numerous students that medications actually work best in combination with other simple lifestyle changes.
If you are on this spiral of running out of medication options and NOTHING is working, don’t lose hope my dear friend! Your brain is probably just wayyyy too overexcited and it needs time to calm down. By raising your migraine threshold, this can help SO much and I think you will be impressed with how well medications work when you apply this with easy to implement lifestyle changes to address things like migraine triggers.
5. Every time I Exercise I Get a Migraine, It's SO Discouraging!
I hear this question all the time! Let me start by saying, I have been there! That was me for YEARS!
You see, I was an avid cross country and track runner in junior high and high school. I was even named rookie of the year my freshman year! (obviously I am still proud of this!) I was fast and I found running to be the most freeing thing on earth. But, as my migraine frequency increased my senior year of high school, I had to drop out of the sport all together. I was devastated! Then, in college and my early twenties, I would try working out here and there and would always get a migraine after. So, I stopped working out. Maybe you can relate?
But my dear friend, it doesn’t have to be this way! By learning how to raise your migraine threshold, you can be exposed to more migraine triggers like working out and not get a migraine attack. Once you are able to start working out again safely with migraine disease, you may even find that exercise decreases your migraine days!!
Now that I have raised my own migraine threshold through a variety of techniques, I now enjoy working out 5 days a week! I can even run again and go on long strenuous hikes! I feel like I won the lottery by getting back what I love to do the most!
Some tips to help with exercising with migraine safely are:
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
- You need to make sure you are drinking enough water before you workout, during the workout, and after. You can even drink electrolyte water!
- Go SLOW!
- Oftentimes, people go all in to a workout. But the reality is, you may not have worked out in a long time, so start slow. Start with 5 to 10 minutes and then increase over time
- Try beginners yoga or walking
- You want to start with activities that are low impact and easy to do. Plus activities like walking or yoga can be great stress relieving activities
- Listen to your body
- When living with migraine, you can no longer just keep pushing through a workout, you have to go SLOW and listen to your body. If your body is tired, it is best to stop working out and call it a day
