How do I know if it’s Migraine?

Headache is just one symptom of migraine. As well as the headache, most sufferers will have nausea/vomiting and/or sensitivity to light, sound and smells. Migraine attacks last from 4 to 72 hours, where as a tension type headache would usually last for just a couple of hours. Migraine attacks tend to be debilitating and reduce the ability of the person affected to function – unlike other less severe types of headache. 20% of people with migraine will get an ‘aura’. This is usually a visual disturbance which is present before the headache phase of the attack, and lasts for about twenty minutes on average. Other aura symptoms include pins and needles, slurring of speech, difficulty in articulation, etc. Keeping a detailed migraine diary is key to diagnosing the condition.

90% of people who believe they have sinus headache actually have migraine. Sinus headache is infrequent. You can also be tested for sinus problems.

Is my Migraine Inherited?

Is there something serious

causing the pain of migraine?

It is important in the first place that a correct diagnosis is established if you have headaches. If you think you might have migraine, you should still consult your doctor so that you can be reassured that a more sinister underlying problem is not the cause of the problem. Although sinister headaches are very rare, it is sometimes best to have tests such as MRI or CAT scans done to rule out other causes. Migraine is itself a ‘primary’ or ‘organic’ headache – in other words, migraine is itself the problem and it is not a symptom of a more serious underlying illness.

Should I get a brain scan?

Is it alright to take Over-the-counter Medications?

It is alright to take over-the-counter medications for migraine, if they work. However, acute medication should not be taken on anymore than approximately six days per month. Some neurologists will even say that four days is the maximum. Remember, too, that it is not the number of tablets taken per month but the days per month on which you take tablets (even if it is just 1-2 per day). Overusing acute drugs can lead to medication overuse headache. This is headache on 15+ days per month, over three months – due to the overuse of acute medications, including triptans. The only cure for MOH is complete withdrawal.

Keep track of your use of medications in your migraine diary. If over-the-counter medications are not working, then you should look at taking the migraine specific triptans. If you find that even these are not stopping the attacks or you are taking them more than 4-6 days a month, then you may have to consider a preventative medication.

My Medication is not working – what else can I do?

I Can’t Work out my Trigger Factors

It is essential that you keep a migraine diary if you are not already doing so. This can help you to identify patterns to your attacks. Write down absolutely everything you can think of in the days leading up to your attack e.g. foods, eating and sleeping patterns, emotional state, weather, changes in routine, events, hormonal issues, etc. Keep the diary for four to five attacks and then study it for patterns.

We talk about a migraine threshold – this is the point you need to reach before an attack is triggered. In most people, it takes a combination of triggers to reach this stage – so often it is not just one specific thing that is setting your attacks off.

Don’t just focus on food, this is only a factor in about 20% of cases. Excluding whole food groups from your diet is not beneficial.

In fact, triggers are not at play in every case. Identifying triggers can lead to a reduced number of attacks – but it is unlikely that it will eliminate attacks altogether.

Routine is important to those affected by migraine so try, as much as possible, to eat regularly, sleep at similar times, take exercise and keep hydrated.

Is my migraine linked to my menstrual cycle?

I feel ‘woolly-headed’ after  a migraine attack. Is this normal?

Very much so. When the headache phase is over, you enter the postdrome or ‘recovery’ phase. This stage of the migraine attack includes symptoms such as tiredness or a feeling of being washed out. Some people experience the opposite – full of energy, even euphoria. These sensations may last for up to 24 hours.

I get tingling in my arm during a migraine attack. Is this normal?

What is the best medication for migraine?

Why was I prescribed an anti depressant for migraine when I know I’m not depressed?

About half the medications used for migraine were not actually developed for migraine in the first place.

Beta Blockers, which were developed for regulating blood pressure were the first drugs to be shown to have an ‘unintended’ side effect of actually helping migraine.Since then, low dose Tricyclic anti-depressants have also been shown to help migraine. In doses lower than normally prescribed for depression, these drugs affect neurotransmitters in the brain that are altered at the start of a migraine attack.

Using these anti-depressants, your migraine threshold is increased, making it more difficult for a migraine to occur. So it is the actions that the drugs have on receptors related specifically to migraine that are beneficial, rather than any actions that they have in relation to depression.

What is the risk of stroke if I am a migraine sufferer and am on the pill?

Migraine with Aura is a risk factor for stroke. This risk is increased in young women who are on the pill and increased further still if you smoke. However, the absolute risk is still very low. Those who are affected by migraine with aura should not take the combined contraceptive pill. It is advisable that people with migraine with aura use the lowest possible dose AND reduce their exposure to other risk factors e.g. Stopping smoking is a necessity if you have migraine and are on the pill.

Can I use complementary treatments in conjunction with medications?

What specialist do you recommend?

Migraine can usually be managed at GP level. If you are unhappy with your GP’s approach, then you could consider moving to another local doctor.

Only the worst cases should be referred on to a neurologist or one of the country’s specialist migraine/headache centres. There are five clinics in Ireland – three in Dublin, one in Cork and one in Galway. Unfortunately, the waiting lists vary from about one to two years. A referral letter from your doctor is also necessary.