Migraines in My 30s: Migraine Remedies that Work for Me

Okay, here’s a different post for you: let’s talk about how much worse my migraines got in my 30s and the migraine remedies that work for me. I’ve probably addressed my migraines here and there on the blog, but, in case I haven’t, I’m someone who has, or had, rather, chronic migraines. That means I was getting migraines 15 or more days a month. It sucked. A lot. I’m not someone who hates to make excuses or slow down, so I tried not to let them affect my everyday life, but I basically lived in constant fear that I’d have one on an important day (you don’t know how amazingly grateful I was that I didn’t have a single migraine during our wedding weekend).

One of the most frustrating things about being a chronic migraine sufferer is that everyone has a theory or a remedy for you. Drink more water. Go to bed earlier. Don’t switch up your routine. Avoid cheese. Guess what, those aren’t it. Trust me, if there was a quick way to get rid of them, I would have. So, I’m not here to tell you this will work for you, but the big thing that did make a difference for me was this…

I finally saw a neurologist.

I first saw one years ago in DC who quickly dismissed me. I’m not overweight and I have no other chronic health issues, so she told me I should be glad I’m not like many of her other patients, wrote me a prescription, and sent me on my way.

Then, this year, when I finally had enough, I asked my doctor for a recommendation for a different neurologist. I made an appointment and, this time, found someone who actually was willing to sit down and help me. She came up with multiple treatment options and a plan work through them until something stuck. I used the Migraine Buddy app to track my migraines over the course of 6 weeks and, at my second appointment, she prescribed me a medication that actually worked.

Also, let’s add the caveat that I am in no way a medical professional, but these are the remedies that are working for me. If this encourages one other person with chronic migraines to go see a neurologist and get this shit figured out, then my job is done. And, if you’re in the DC area and curious, I went to the Neurology Center on K Street. I also had to have an MRI — I didn’t particularly want to but I understand, from the doctor’s perspective, why it’s the responsible thing to do.

MIGRAINE REMEDIES THAT WORK FOR ME

So, let’s get into what’s working. Again, I realize these may not work for everyone and some people would rather not dabble in prescriptions, but, for me, these have allowed me to finally live without wondering if I’m going to wake up with a migraine tomorrow.

AIMOVIG

In the past three months since I started giving myself* monthly Aimovig injections, I haven’t had a single migraine. Not a single one. And I can count the number of headaches I’ve gotten on my hands. Plus, when I’ve gotten those few and far between headaches, one dose of regular Tylenol knocks them out.

*Okay, okay, I’m not giving myself the injection. Adam has to do it because I’m terrified of needles. It doesn’t get any easier from month to month.

ELETRIPTAN

I’ve tried many a prescription pill to take at the onset of migraines and this is the first one that consistently works. No, don’t tell me to try Imitrex — I did, for years, and it did not work. I was having 3-5 migraine days a week and taking a pill each time I got one. What I didn’t know, until I saw a neurologist, was that I wasn’t fully getting rid of the migraines and was actually making them worse — the headache might go away when I first took a pill, but the pain that returned the next day was a rebound migraine. Now, I just have a prescription for Eletriptan, which actually works for me, and I’ve only taken it once since starting the Aimovig (I was a few days late in my monthly dose and, sure enough, I started to feel what resembled the start of a migraine…).

DAILY MAGNESIUM SUPPLEMENTS

To be honest, I don’t know if these are helping, but it’s something I saw recommended and I’ve added them to my daily vitamin mix. My assumption is it’s the Aimovig that’s making the real difference, but, hey, this can’t hurt.

ICE ROLLER

And, of course, I also like to keep an ice roller in the fridge for those days when I do have a bit of a headache. It was my go-to back when I had chronic migraines and, now, it just helps relieve any minor tension headaches…and, you know, it’s good for vanity purposes, too.