Migraines are ruining my life

[bryceQ]

I am 36. For the past 4 years or so I have suffered debilitating migraines. From a couple a month to multiple days a week. I am a carer for my disabled child and have a lot of responsibility I can’t change.

i have tried propranolol, botox, piercings, acupuncture.
I dont drink alcohol, drink decaf coffee, loads of water, healthy diet.
have been on pill / not on pill.
practice yoga & mindfulness

i rely on sumitriptan but even that doesn’t always stop them.

I feel utterly desperate. Like I am losing all my positivity.

what else can I do?

Ask the GP for another Triptan? I've tried 3 so far but they don't work for me sadly, I feel your pain and frustration,migraines are beyond awful.

Cgrp injections

I was going to say the same. They’ve made a massive improvement to my FIL’s migraines. Much more effective than anything else he’s ever tried.

Go back to your GP and ask for a different Triptan - some are fast acting and the effect wears off quickly whilst some are slower acting but are effective for longer. Also get your vitamin D checked as a deficiency can cause muscle spasms which can trigger migraine. Unfortunately one of the main triggers can be stress which is not the easiest thing to remove from daily life. Good luck.

Are these injections on nhs or private? I would spend anything on a fix.

My FIL gets them on the NHS. But not through his GP, had to be through a specialist.

I've been suffering from migraines for the past 6 months or so and my mum (a medical professional) suggested taking cod liver oil - no idea of the science behind it but I haven't had a single migraine since starting it.

Obviously anecdotal but could be worth a shot!

Try taking Dolovent. The National Migraine Centre recommended it to me and it really helps. I stopped taking it for a while but I got a migraine almost every day. Since starting it again, I’ve only had 2 this month which is a huge improvement for me. I, also, take other preventatives, have Botox and have acupuncture monthly to function. Migraines are shit, you have my sympathy

Could it be hormonal? Mine were, not that any specialists picked up on that, I figured it out myself in the end. Going on the mirena coil has saved me, plus candesartan (nothing else worked, or worked only for a time).I only ever get a minor one now and then around my time if the month (which is itself now minimal on the coil).

Mine started when I was about 40, I had them pretty much daily for 2 years or so, then eventually a pattern began to emerge where I realized they were a bit worse around my period. There is a lot of association with perimenopause which you could be entering at your age.

Go to the National Migraine Centre. They do have free appointments but if you can pay, you won’t have to wait.

Go back to the GP. You may need to try another prophylactic such as amitriptyline but if that doesn't work, GPs can prescribe atogepant for chronic migraines in tablet form without needing to consult. These are relatively new but have worked amazingly for my DD.

Thanks everyone I will go back and see what else they can offer. Feeling so low and hopeless.

The only thing that works for me without horrendous side effects is pitzotofen. I also have rimpegant and injections every 12 weeks. But for the latter two you need to have tried a certain amount of medications first

Have you had your eyes tested recently?

I’m fighting the same battle. GP just prescribed frovatriptan I’m hoping these make a difference

Have you tried any other preventative medications? Amitriptyline is working well for me.
My GP said once we’ve tried 3 different preventatives then they can refer to the headache clinic
Also how many sessions of acupuncture have you had? Mine took at least 6 every 2 weeks to have an effect.

I started taking Riboflavin every day - get the melts that you absorb better. I am going to touch wood when I say this but I have not had a migraine since I started taking it every day and I was getting them at least once a month. I do think mine were related to hormones (I’m in peri).

Whilst you wait for a referral from GP and/or different abortive meds... please try a 375mg magnesium supplement (I use ones from Holland and barratt). You need to take them for about 3 weeks solid before you might notice a difference but they really help my migraines ... I've only needed one sumatriptan this whole month! Any other headache I have had has been managed by paracetamol... which is unheard of for me.

It might be worth a try alongside of any other meds you get from a GP. I hope it works for you like it has for me!

edit to add - this means I have gone from 4+ days of migraine a week, to one migraine treated with sumatriptan and probably 4-5 paracetamol managed headaches this last 3 weeks. Not perfect but sooo much better.

Go to Gp and ask to be referred to neurologist and ask for the new medication Atogepant. It’s one of the Cgrp drugs. Life changing for me after 25 years of migraines. It took 11 months from being referred by my Gp to actually getting my first prescription from the neurologist as the wait list to be seen is so long here. But honestly don’t delay, be firm and insist that you get referred. Read up on these new medicines and take a look at the migraine trust it’s got lots of great information on there. Also keep a diary to track your migraine attacks as the doctor and neurologist will want to see this. I use an app called migraine buddy. Good luck op.

Can the Gp prescribe these now without a neurological referral? Does it depend on where you live? . My Gp couldn’t do that in September 2024. But perhaps legislation has changed. Fantastic news if it’s changed.

@susiedaisy1912 the new guidance on referrals for GPs means that in some areas GPs can request "advice and guidance" from specialists and begin prescribing without patients having to wait for an appointment with secondary care. This is one of the few benefits of the new system!

900mg of aspirin with a can of full-fat coke works better for me than sumatriptan.

Oh and don’t underestimate an ice pack! It helps vasoconstriction and reduces the banging.

If you are willing to try anything take a look at Dr Elena Gross speaking on the Metabolic Mind YouTube channel (
She discussed using a ketogenic diet to treat migraine, and explains how/why it works.

Best wishes.

My dd takes these tablets now and they have really helped her chronic migraines. She went to her gp first and was referred to another hospital where she had to keep a migraine diary. It took a long time to finally get the medication due to the hospital being in the middle of changes and relocating but once she was prescribed it it really did change how often and how badly she was affected by them. In the midst of them she didn't quite realise how much of her life they were taking away from her and didn't think they had helped that much until I pointed out just how much more she was doing and how much more she was up and not in bed in a dark room

No real advice but my sister suffered terribly with migraines. They stopped as soon as she went through the menopause, so maybe look into hormones being responsible, they're tricky things!