My wife has had migraines pretty much nonstop for 2 months. I try to be positive and help her however I can, but it's just so depressing knowing that there's nothing I can do, and nothing doctors can do but guess and prescribe random shit cause migraines are not well understood. I just don't know what to do and I feel like it's starting to take a toll on my mental health as well. I'm normally very mentally sound and very positive "we'll get through it together" kind of guy, but her migraines really make me draw a blank. I honestly don't know how to help. I don't have migraines besides one episode where I went to urgent care for the "worse headache of my life" that my doctor suspected was a migraine. I don't know her pain but I know it's very bad... The worst part is that there's nothing I can do, and I fcking hate it so much. I love her and would pay any price to get rid of her migraines. I just hate leaving the house in the morning and coming back to her still in pain... To have to go to events and her having to stay home but force me out because she doesn't want to ruin my life Not really asking for advice, but I just wanted to tell someone, and didn't want to come off as an asshole
Have you looked into Botox for migraines? I get awful migraines but when I keep up with Botox I can avoid them for 3 months at a time. It’s worth asking a doctor, and you can get it partially covered by insurance.
Reducer screen time , drinks lots of water .. good sleep
It sounds like you're doing your best and I'm sure she knows and appreciates that. Going through something like that is hard but having a loved one by your side helps more than you know. I hope you're able to find a fix.
Get medication. Propranolol or Flunarizine. I get BAD migraines. It can be managed. Know the triggers, such as hunger, stress, loud noise, sharp lighting, dehydration. Get an eye care monitor Get a an ice pack cap. It is specially designed to make headaches better. Helped me tonnes but never a solution without medication.
Coffee plus ibuprofen really works. Also I have seen changes after I moved to Bayarea. It was worse 10 years in the east coast and reduced 70 to 75% after moving here maybe the weather makes it worse? Not sure. With similar lifestyle it's down to once or twice in a year. And lots of water intake.
I do have frequent migraines for most of my life. 2 things help me - - too much bright light is my trigger so I try to avoid it but if migraine starts, going into a dark room and closing my eyes for 15-20 mins help. Sleeping even for an hour fixes it. - take the meds before it gets worse. No shame in that. Good luck. You can ask your partner to observe what triggers it and how she gets relief and help her proactively manage it.
My sister gets migraines like this, she’s debilitated for multiple days at a time. I feel terrible for her, don’t know what to do. Stay strong OP, you’re certainly not alone.
Do you know what might have triggered it? Metabolic syndrome has often been implicated in migraines . Search pubmed. Is she overweight/obese with insulin resistance? Migraine rarely is a condition that travels alone. I know someone who suffered from it for decades. Once it sets in , it can mainly be controlled and almost impossible to reverse.
I have migraines too and here are a few things that have worked for me -determining my triggers: skipping breakfast, gush of cold air, when I’m generally not layered well, when my feet turn cold. During migraine having chocolate worsens it. In extreme heat too my headaches get triggered. So I am always checking the weather trends and dressing up accordingly. I always have an extra layer in my bag for when my workplace gets too cold. I drink lots of water bec dehydration triggers it too -during migraine : acting early. You know it’s a migraine and not a normal headache if you listen to your body. If you act late the first dose of medication doesn’t work and you gotta sit with it until the 6 hrs window of the first dose elapses. So acting early helps. I’ve been prescribed naproxen (higher strength than Aleve). I also do steam inhalation to get the blood flow as the blood streams contract. I have lots of ginger strained in water- another anti inflammatory. Sometimes if my stomach is funny I throw up. That usually brings me respite but it’s tough for my to throw up generally. So I don’t force myself -post migraine; the episode can last for days and even one episode of a few hours leaves me drained. So I prioritize a lot of self care. I let folks know I’ll be on DND and I get lots of rest. I sleep a lot. Hydrate a lot more. And take lots of lemonade to restore my electrolyte balance. I also take precautions for the next few days because I have a tendency to relapse. I lower my exertion and just walk instead of heavy cardio.! -noticing trends : I also have migraine one day before my menstrual cycle. So I always have my meds with me and I keep days closer to my cycle light.! I wrap up critical work before hand and/or work from home if I can during that period -not overthinking: I avoid googling symptoms. Sometimes I cry and that helps. Sometimes just having my mom on a video call helps me fall asleep (I don’t have family here). Finding your safe person/place helps immensely. Cutting out any anxiety triggers or worries helps the mind deprioritize silly things that can worsen the headache. My support system puts up a brave front. Just seeing them strong gives me strength. So to enable her, be strong. Even saying “it’ll pass” is of great help! Lifestyle changes help lower the frequency of migraines. Walks, hydration, less screen time, working on mental health- all great for your brain. Sometimes stress causes migraines too. Therapy could help her find support and build tools for resilience Just be her biggest cheerleader and take care of your home and show her you got it. She’ll not have to worry about those things and you’ve no idea how enabling the person worry less is taking off a significant baggage My dad occasionally cracks jokes to lighten the mood and sometimes a mere distraction at the onset works :) Very thoughtful of you to care for her. As long as her MRIs are clear, don’t worry and continue to encourage her to soldier on!
Call a psychiatrist for yourself and a different one for her.