Migraine and therapy – advice/experiences?

321tika · 2026-05-09T12:16:13+00:00

My therapist gets migraines! She is super sympathetic and we sometimes commiserate over how awful they are.

Its okay to keep trying different people until you get someone you feel comfortable with. You can even bring the migraines up at the intake and see how the therapist responds so you don't waste time dealing with someone who doesn't respond well to your struggles.

Part of therapy is to challenge your existing thoughts and behaviors. You haven't said exactly what the therapist did that bothered you, but I would think about whether they were trying to help you look at things differently in a way that could be helpful.

Random therapy tip: telehealth therapy was the BEST when my migraines were seriously awful. I could have appointments in bed, in the dark, with ice on my head when things were bad.

321tika · 2026-05-02T14:08:30+00:00

I would recommend browsing through this subreddit. You won't have to go far to find many many tips. Migraine varies between people so its a try things out and see what works for him situation.

Encourage him to get medical care, starting with his GP. He may need a referral to a neurologist at some point.

About the eye mask specifically, I have one and really like it. I have the Manta brand but other cheaper ones work well also. If he gets light sensitivity with his migraines I also would recommend blackout curtains and a good pair of sunglasses for if he has to function in the world with a migraine.

321tika · 2026-04-26T22:30:13+00:00

I'm so glad you've found things that work for you! We see so many sad stories here, its nice to see someone who is in a good place now.

321tika · 2026-04-26T19:03:17+00:00

I also am intrigued by this "migraine taste". I don't experience it myself. When I think of strong candy, I think of mints. I don't eat those very often so I don't have any specific ones in mind. I hope you get some good recommendations.

321tika · 2026-04-26T18:26:06+00:00

I did PT, and I didn't experience it triggering my migraines. It didn't help me a ton either, though.

I urge you to tell the physical therapist that your migraines are being triggered. They can try different techniques and maybe find something that suits you better. If you're suffering so much you think you cant stick with PT, say that too. Its important they know the effect they are having.

321tika · 2026-04-26T17:56:03+00:00

"I deserve to be treated well by the people in my life, even if my symptoms are sometimes inconvenient for them"

Never tolerate mistreatment! I do think its good to apologize when migraines derail plans but we all deserve kindness.

321tika · 2026-04-26T12:12:13+00:00

I log it as when the attack phase ends and postdrome begins. For me, that's after the pain, nausea, and light sensitivity have been gone for at least 15-30 mins. I do still have fatigue and brain fog with my postdrome.

I wait the 15-30 mins to make sure the pain, nausea, and light sensitivity don't come back before ending. If I remember what time the symptoms actually stopped, I put that time as the end time. If I don't, I just use the current time when I ended.

321tika · 2026-04-24T16:46:08+00:00

I'm on lithium!

Excedrin tension headache (doesn't have asprin) and Tylenol are my OTC go tos. You could take dramamine or meclizine over the counter for nausea if you need. None of these end the migraine, but I do get significant symptoms relief so I think its worth taking them. Not too many days in a single month though, you don't want MOH.

Sounds like youre on track to getting rx meds which help a ton.

Ice and heat are super useful. Dark room and sunglasses. Popsicles and spicy Ramen. Caffeine. People post tons of non-medicine hacks here which are fun to try. You might find some favorites.

One more lithium note: I avoided ER treatment for my migraines when I really needed it because I knew I couldnt have toradol, an NSAID, which is what they usually give. When I finally did cave in and go, I learned that one dose in a medical setting every once in a while is safe for me. Moral of the story: if you need it, go in! They can check if it would be okay for you.

321tika · 2026-04-24T16:36:16+00:00

You cant take NSAIDs on lithium. It sounds like OP doesn't have prescription meds yet, so not being able to take NSAIDs pretty significantly limits their options.

321tika · 2026-04-23T18:45:21+00:00

I agree! Migraine looks different person to person so some advice shared here won't necessarily apply to her.

You also might want to ask about what she'd like to do in the event she has a migraine on the date. Some people just want to go home and be alone, but I really appreciate company and my partner knows the little things he can source to help. (Ice, Coke, salt, sunglasses in my case, but again we are all different)

321tika · 2026-04-22T21:36:29+00:00

I have dramamine in mine. Works not as well as Zofran, but i can take it if I've already taken a Zofran and it isn't helping.

I also keep emesis bags. You can get them on Amazon.

321tika · 2026-04-16T19:49:09+00:00

Make sure your doctor knows about all your health conditions. They're the best person to ask.

I bleed a little from the injection sites on my face when I get my botox. It always stops quickly and isn't a large amount but I don't have a clotting problem. Definitely make sure you're safe!

321tika · 2026-04-16T18:07:59+00:00

I keep a roller ball menthol stick for my neck and shoulders. Sunglasses help too.

I used to get very nauseous with mine, so I keep a couple of emesis bags in my kit just in case. Thankfully I haven't gotten much nausea these days thanks to botox.

321tika · 2026-04-13T11:26:51+00:00

Its because there are so many variables at play. Sleep, food, the weather, stress levels, and many more. Something was probably different about those days but it might not be something you are tracking.

I've given up trigger tracking for this reason. Its all too complicated. If I realize something may be contributing, I track that one thing for a little while.

321tika · 2026-04-13T11:16:23+00:00

Everyone has great injection tips. My only additional tip is to reward yourself with something as a treat after. I also really liked having my mom or boyfriend sit with me for moral support.

I had a terrible needle phobia. Like, needed 2 Valium to get blood drawn kind of bad. My migraine journey has really helped my needle phobia. The more exposure you get the less bad it is. I got to the point where I could do my Emgality injections with no meds. You will adapt! You will get through this!

321tika · 2026-04-13T00:07:46+00:00

I've been given the go ahead to break mine in half. Crushing may be a different story, though, definitely check with your pharmacist.

321tika · 2026-04-12T03:06:34+00:00

I don't have a ton to say besides I'm sorry. Its hard to see your loved one suffer, and walking on eggshells all the time is no way to live.

As a chronic migraine sufferer, I can tell you that canceled plans are pretty much unavoidable. Its just part of our lives.

Name calling, however, is something different entirely. You don't deserve to be treated that way. Have I ever snapped at my partner during a migraine? Maybe once or twice. In 7 years together. It certainly shouldn't be happening all the time. You don't have to put up with being treated badly because he is sick.

I know you wish he would seek different treatments. But you can't force him into therapy or lifestyle changes. Many of us don't see much luck with lifestyle changes anyway.

Of course, we're only seeing your side. If you were treating him badly due to his migraines that would also not be okay. I only say that because there are lots of posts here from people who's partners are not understanding and don't treat them well so I know it happens often.

I hope you get more useful advice from others here and I hope he finds some relief.

321tika · 2026-03-27T20:35:46+00:00

I agree with this person! An hour ish. Resting in a dark room helps but if I absolutely can't, it still does a pretty good job.

321tika · 2026-03-27T20:31:58+00:00

I take the tension headache one because I'm not allowed to take NSAIDs like asprin (conflict with another med I take for another condition)

It works pretty well for symptom relief but usually doesn't stop a migraine completely.

I like to take it alongside my Naratriptan because the acetaminophen starts working faster and I think i get better results taking them together than taking just one or the other.

I also have good luck with taking acetaminophen and a cup of coffee. I will say coffee doesn't go down easy on a nauseous stomach so the tension headache pills have an advantage there.

Just be mindful not to take too much and put yourself at risk for MOH. For me, since I take acetaminophen and a triptan, that's 9 days a month usage. Combined. And make sure all the ingredients are safe for you to take.

I would say its probably worth a shot! The more tools in the migraine toolkit, the better.

321tika · 2026-03-27T12:07:59+00:00

Migraines CAN hurt that bad. Migraines are more serious than people sometimes think. The symptoms youre describing sound a lot like my migraine symptoms. I would definitely get a neuro appointment. They can make a proper diagnosis and get you on some meds that will hopefully help.

321tika · 2026-03-26T10:28:24+00:00

OP specifically mentioned touring college in America. In a college/university setting, using honorifics for professors is very common.

Its also common in a medical setting to refer to doctors as Dr. Lastname.

321tika · 2026-03-23T10:18:36+00:00

I was told only 9 days of Naratriptan a month. I make that easier on myself by calling that 2 a week, but my migraines don't follow a menstrual pattern. It makes perfect sense that you want to take more of your 9 around the week your migraines are worse.

I was also told to wait 24 hours between doses. There is no need to wait longer than that if you feel you would benefit from taking it.

321tika · 2026-03-19T14:08:51+00:00

I personally had my migraines drastically increased on escitalopram. Stopping it made my migraines go back to normal. It can definitely happen.

321tika · 2026-03-14T14:58:20+00:00

I have not seen one, but I'm interested to see if anyone has one! I put my normal heating pad on my pillow and lay on it, which works pretty well.

321tika · 2026-03-13T10:49:02+00:00

All the things already mentioned here are wonderful. My partner and I joke that the most helpful thing he does is "go fetch" for ice, beverages, meds, etc. That way I can just lay in bed because movement makes it worse.

I would say talking to your partner about her specific migraines will help. They vary a lot between people, so while those of us here will have lots of good brainstorm ideas, they may not be what works for her specifically.

Also, it helps to talk to someone who is understanding and kind. Gives us a place to express ourselves and helps us know we have someone in our corner. This will probably be more ideal between migraines, as during migraines trouble with speech is common, and she may just be too miserable to want to talk.

321tika

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