Dealing with these Dreadful Migraines

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I have been struggling with finding a solution to these dreadful hormonal migraines I have been getting as of lately. It usually occurred around auntie flow’s monthly visits. Apparently, my hormone levels would drop very low and caused this severe attack.

I used to get them often, when I was younger but then they stopped and it went almost seven years without one headache. Then out of nowhere, it started to sneak up on me again; but this time, much worst. Because I had gotten them before, I knew over the counter drugs was no match for this beast. It would come with a combination of nausea, fatigue and drowsiness. This eye-sight disturbance, cognitive impairment won every time.

As a mother, we know that it is nearly impossible to take “days off” from parenting. However, when the headache struck, I was out. On more than one occasion, I told Ariel to cover me because I just could not bare. I remember rushing out of work to get into a dark room and in bed because being on my feet was just too much. Migraines got the best of me and the crazy thing is that it would last at least two full days!

There was just no way I could continue like this. I immediately visited my doctor because I just could not bare the pain. The doctor suggested switching to a birth control that did not allow me to get my period. Since the migraines were hormonal, she suggested doing away with it overall. Is that even safe? I was not sure. She insisted that it was but I could not stand the thought of not getting my period. I feel that as a woman, I am suppose to get my period, right? She also suggested to relieve some of life’s everyday stressors, which actually made me laugh. How the heck did she expect me to do that??

Prescribed Medication

In the end she sent me home with a really expensive migraine prescription migraine medication. The next time the headache attacked, I was ready. I took my pill as told by my doctor, but it was no match. The migraine won again. Since a headache is really swelling of the brain, she suggested an anti-inflammatory: naproxen and/or ibuprofen. The ibuprofen helped, but did not solve my problem. I had to be at work, be a parent, a blogger, a write and a bunch of other things. I could not bare the thought of going through this every month.

For a moment, I considered switching birth control method to rid of my monthly period overall and therefore not have my hormone levels drop so intensely. However, that did not sit well with me.

Vitamins

Since the drop in my estrogen levels is what causes this horrible headache, I researched vitamins that can help balance my hormone levels. I stacked up on B-2 vitamins, which is known for safeguarding brain function and is also known for reducing the painfulness of migraines. Coenzymes Q-10 is another known vitamin that helps fight migraines. This vitamin is known for reducing the severity and frequency of the attacks.

Meditation

This practice has been following me around for months. I felt like God was trying to tell me to use meditation as apart my lifestyle. Everyone I spoke to, everywhere I went, people would be openly talking about meditation and how it has changed their lives. Since the doctor mentioned trying to reduce my stress levels, I gave meditation a try. I am not sure if it has actually helped with reducing my migraine attacks, however I do know that it has helped my overall lifestyle. I feel like God speaks to me during my moments of meditation and it is just so refreshing. I feel like I see things clearer and it has helped me live with more intent.

Essential Oils

This has been the #1 game changer for me when battling migraine attacks! I vouche for essential oils more than ever after seeing and experiencing how much a blend of a few oils has taken away the migraine completely! My mother is huge on essential oils. She believes certain oils help heal certain illness and oils help with stress, meditation, relaxation, etc. She offered to make me a blend of lavender, peppermint and eucalyptus oils into a rollerball and told me to keep it in my purse so that the moment I felt a headache coming on, I would inhale the blend and rub some on my head.

I remember being at work and beginning to feel the headache coming on, I did not have my medication or vitamins with me that day, but I did have the oil blend that my mother had made. I rubbed the oils on my temples and a small dab on my forehead and within about an hour, the headache was gone. I was back to my normal self without having to take any medication! I could not believe it. It actually worked!

I have stopped taking the prescription medication that the doctor gave me. I solely use my essential oils blends at the onset of the headache and I take my vitamins everyday. I have also incorporated meditation to my life. I do not do it everyday however my goal is to be able to do so. It has definitely helped with my mental psyche and my overall mood.

Do you find yourself dealing with migraines oftenly? If you do, how do they effect your daily life and how have you been coping? Let me know your coping strategies and I hope that mine have helped you battle your attacks. Feel free to leave me any ideas or thoughts in the comment section below.

Thank you all for reading!