The Lighter Side of: Migraines

Migraines are one of those symptoms where if you do not know whether or not you have had one, then you have not had one. You know if you have had a migraine.
I have experienced more than my fair share of illness and pain over the years, but migraines *usually* take the cake when it comes to putting me out of commission.
I am one of the lucky ones, though. There is a medication that I take for them that is incredibly effective, kicks in fully within 30 minutes, and has very few side effects. I also do not have to worry about taking it during the day because, when I have a migraine, I have already written the day off. This medication makes me super drowsy and I often sleep for a few hours after taking it.

Did you know that there is such a thing as a stomach migraine?
While this is more prevalent in children who will later develop migraines, they can happen in adults.
Due to my Crohn's Disease, I will never truly know whether some of my episodes have been stomach migraines, but I remain convinced that I do experience them every so often.
Why??
Because sometimes, when I have a migraine and my intestines and upper abdomen are also excruciatingly painful, with excessive nausea, and some vomiting, if I take my migraine medication, it takes care of both affected areas.
Medication that is tailored for migraine headaches should not work on abdominal pain unless it is migraine-related.
Though it is possible that simply the pain and nausea is my Crohn's reacting to the severe pain in my head.
I may never know for sure. It also doesn't really matter, as stomach migraines are not exactly dangerous. If something works to ease those symptoms then it doesn't really matter to me exactly what they are.

The Lighter Side of migraines is that even when they become all-encompassing, there are options for relief. There are many was to battle migraines and I have been fortunate enough to experience effective relievers. There are medications, there are Botox treatments, acupuncture treatments, tea, supplements, and even physical activities that can help ease the pain of migraines.
The Mayo Clinic, WebMD, and HealthLine all have some great tips on how to treat and prevent migraines in natural ways as well as types of medications that may help.
**The best course of action if you are suffering from migraines on a regular basis is to consult with your physician.**
As with all symptoms, even common symptoms can be something unexpected, so speak with your physician if you have had an uptick in migraine headaches, and pay attention to accompanying symptoms. Even if you have been diagnosed with chronic migraines or recurring migraines, discuss any changes in your experience.

Sacrifice (Part 2): Medications

This is part 2 of a multiple-part series addressing some misconceptions about people who are chronically ill or who have specific disabilities.
I am attempting to discuss some of the stigma surrounding the medically ill with some basic (some hypothetical) examples.

Here is part 2 of this series.

Medications

I think we are all painfully aware of the multitude of side effects that can accompany medications. Even taking allergy medications, over-the-counter, can result in reduce cognitive functions. It can impair memory, multi-tasking abilities, and other sensory perceptions.
If we add in common pain relievers, laxatives, sleep aids, antibiotics, or anti-nausea medication, we add in various unexpected side effects.
These side effects can affect many different systems. Our digestive system may be affected, our mental capacity may be altered, we may feel more ill, or have muscle spasms, feel more tired, or require special dietary changes. All of this can affect how we do everything in our daily lives. Even beyond medication, anything that we ingest can have unexpected side effects. Caffeine consumption, essential oils, alternative therapies, natural supplements, these all have effects on our systems (which is why so many people use them). If they have an effect on symptoms, they obviously create changes in the body, which means they can result in unwanted adverse effects.

A person who has a chronic illness is likely on more than one medication, treatment, supplement, or therapy. No matter what the illness is, medications or remedies will have some effects that are unexpected. So their illness is reducing their capacity to function to a certain degree in one section, and then whatever this person takes or does to help ease the symptoms of their illness is likely reducing function in one or more additional sections.

In effect, someone with chronic illness has issues that affect their every day life because of illness AND because of whatever they take for their illness.

Medications/treatments/remedies/therapies RARELY provide solely positive effects. Taking medication for an illness does not usually mean that this person's overall health will automatically be improved. It means that some symptoms may be easier to handle and others may become worse. Finding the balance that is most comfortable and most productive for the individual is the goal. Unless there is a known, all-encompassing, cure, every chronically ill patient will suffer in some capacity for life. They will have to sacrifice one symptom for another, one ability for another, one side effect for another.