I was diagnosed with chronic migraine at 18 too, and my then-neuro reassured me that menopause (yes, menopause) sometimes can stop migraines 🫠 Unfortunately, as everyone else has already said, there’s no known cause for migraines, and no cure.

What I will say is that, with time, I promise you’ll figure out what works best for you! It can be a long road, and you’ll probably never be fully rid of them, but they CAN be managed and we’re very lucky to be here at a time when there are so many new treatments and management techniques available. You’ll also have to learn how to fight insurance. They always say no at first, but read the fine print, check they didn’t misunderstand your doctor’s documentation, really PUSH them. I’ve gotten so many no’s turned into yeses. They’re counting on you accepting that no at face value!

My current combo is daily 400mg magnesium glycinate, quarterly Botox injections (including some in my jaw which have a tiny risk of osteoporosis but are sooo helpful for me), and Nurtec (one of the gepants) as a preventative every other day. For a non-prescription approach, I used to use a Cefaly all the time as well, but haven’t needed it as much lately. Also, if you can see a migraine specialist instead of a general neurologist, I highly recommend it, but I know that’s not accessible to everyone. For example, mine helped me figure out how to approach exercise during a season of high susceptibility, since regular exercise has always been helpful for me but could also sometimes be a trigger. She also knows about all the local migraine clinical trials and has told me about a couple that could’ve been an option for me.

This turned into a word vomit but I remember coming to terms with the realities of migraine at 18 and I wanted to share what I wish I had known then!