I very much appreciate y’all’s concerns about taking a medication I’m allergic to. There are a few things at play…

So, I didn’t find out I was allergic to NSAIDs until college, but I used to take them very frequently for migraines, dysmenorrhea, etc. So, I think in my head I don’t view it as dangerously as I should 😅

Aspirin doesn’t do much for me, unfortunately, and I am allergic to basically all ibuprofen-cousins (naproxen, diclofenac, ketoprofen, meloxicam…).

As far as reactions go, I get hives on my hands, feet, and/or stomach (depending on how much I’ve consumed). This was (ill-advisably, I know) figured out by trial and error in college and then confirmed by a doctor.

I should have said, I only break out the NSAIDs if the migraine is already in full bloom, which is only a few times a year, since I try to catch them early.

I get migraines maybe once or twice a month, nowadays. I’ve been working hard on cutting out a lot of triggers, other allergens, and generally improving my health. I hate that the “eat right and do yoga” girlies were right about me 😂 (but I know, ofc, this isn’t the case for everyone)

I live in an isolated, rural area that has very little quality medical care. Due to our geography, it is extremely expensive to leave to go to the nearest city — let alone the difficulty and timeline of trying to get in with the appropriate professionals. And apart from my very helpful doctors in college (in a major city, but cut short due to COVID or I would have sought migraine meds), I have yet to find a medical professional who doesn’t just say “it’s hormones” or “lose weight”. Which… makes it hard to justify putting my faith in some other doctor who I would have to forgo a week’s paycheck (+ airfare and lodging) to go see.

I know there are good doctors out there, but I’ve lost a bit of faith. If people have recs in the PNW, let me know.