Memoir of an intern doctor…Day 197. My migrainer perspective

I’m writing this post not as a doctor, but as a patient. Because I’m an occasional Migrainer.

Every time I have a migraine, ( 8 years now), I always wish I didn’t understand the physiology that could be happening in my head. I cry, I stress from understanding the possible complications and possible future progression of the condition, and this probably always worsens my pain.

It took about 4 years before making the diagnosis. Sadly nobody ever wanted to paint me with the diagnosis before, and all the meds I ever took didn’t help.

I did many things to take the pain away. From sedating myself to overdosing on morphine. I’ll never forget the side effects I had to go through ( Morphine isn’t the treatment for migraines though). I was just desperate.

A few years back, a physician introduced me to Triptans, a class of drugs that treats migraines. my life has not been the same. The attacks went lower, I worry I could be getting addicted to it because I might be taking prophylaxis ahead of certain events even when I have no symptoms.

Now the lockdown is here. Access to the meds is limited, the hospital I work at doesn’t have the drug, accessing it from elsewhere is hard.

I had my worst episode yet 4 nights ago since the start of internship ( 6 months now). And now I feel like I’m in a continuous aura phase of another big episode to come. I can’t laugh so hard or make so much noise or risk to eat late or little. I’m like “bed ridden” to conserve brain happiness.

I know friends who have reached at a point where the Triptans don’t help. I hope you find your coping mechanism. Take heart💝