What can you do yourself to get better with migraines

The very first step towards a better life, you've already taken - you are looking for information about your migraines. The more you know about upir illness, the better you can handle it, and the problems it brings. Read these pages, surf the web, and collect information.

But there is also a small list of practical things you can do:

1. Write migraine diary.

A migraine diary can be quite simple - you note in your calendar when you have migraines, and when you take your medication and what type of medication you take. You can also keep a more detailed diary where you write down what you do, so you can look for patterns that coincide with your migraines. Do you get a migraine when you do not sleep normally? Or some hours after you drink a glass of wine? Or when something bothers you?

It is not possible to remember what happened just a few days ago, so the diary must be filled every day. And you have to be honest (not 'forget' the unpleasant experiences). After some time the diary will be a very valuable tool that can show what you - perhaps - may try to avoid.

2. Experiment with your triggers.

Once you've got a suspicion that there is something that triggers your attacks, you can try some experiments, so you may get confirmation that the trigger actually causes migraine every time, or whether it might be a trigger, only after you have had a strong influence. If you suspect that you get migraines when you are busy, try to define for yourself how much you can cope with. If you suspect that you get migraines from chocolate, you can experiment with a small piece of chocolate a day, two pieces of a second day, etc.

3. Live a healthy and reasonably predictable life.

Many migraine sufferers find they are better off if they get their sleep every night, get up and go to bed at the same time each day (including weekends), and generally live quietly. This is easier said than done, but you might succeed at times. Eat healthy and varied, and select fresh, pure ingredients. That way you can eliminate many of the modern additives we get in the food we buy, and that may trigger migraines. Ensure reasonable exercise (walking, riding a bike, jogging or whatever you prefer), and avoid alcohol and smoke.

It sounds incredibly boring, and it is of course entirely your choice how much you want to invest in the quiet life.

4. Take your medicine early in the attack.

When you feel an attack is imminent, you probably tend to hope it will go away quickly. It happens all too rarely. If you wait until the attack has become bad, it takes more time from when you take your medicine till the desired effect occurs, than if you take the medicine earlier in the attack. Injections work more quickly, whether you take them early or late in the attack. Normally one can expect that the medication will have a reasonable effect after 2 hours.

5. Take the (only) the necessary medicine.

Just as it is important to take medication early in the attack, it is also important to take medication when it is needed - but only when it is actually necessary. One should not take triptans as a preventative. It is tempting to take a triptan before a good dinner, in order ti avoid a migraine developing in the middle of the festivities. But it must not become a habit. It is all too easy to get into a drug-overuse, and preventive triptans may very well be just the dose that leads you into medication induced headache.

There is usually no reason not to take rescue medication when a migraine attack is coming. But if you take pain relievers more than 15 days a month, or triptans more than 10 days a month, or a combination of these two, it is likely to get medication-induced headache - ie. medicine gives you more headaches. So it's time for a detoxification, often in collaboration with the physician.

6. Try to be positive.

This is also easier said than done. Migraine is not conducive to a positive outlook. But you can work on it. Try to find joy in small things, a flower, a smile or a cup of tea. Accept that some days or hours  you are incapacitated, and use them to sleep or maybe read a little. And remember to say thanks for the help to your partner when the attack is over.

7. Always have a Plan B.

It is rare one is quite indispensable. Colleagues and family will help you if you request it, especially if you,  on a good day, have explained that you might need help because you sometimes becomes incapacitated due to migraines. Then you'll give them a helping hand for another day.

8. Be honest about your migraines (almost always).

Your friends and family can probably see it, when an attack is under development. Be honest and realize that you feel a little bad, or really bad, and whether you have taken your medication. Thes allows the people around you to adapt to the situation.

In an employment situation, the prospective employer cannot ask directly about whether you have a chronic illness. Therefore, you do not even need to talk about migraine interview. Once you become established in the new job and your colleagues know you do your best, you may, on a suitable occasion, tell about migraine and ask for their understanding, within reasonable limits.

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