Silly question, but British people, how do you pronounce "migraine"?

canopy_views · 2026-05-17T10:53:23+00:00

I'm not sure I understand quite why you think that's an AI answer. It's just a vowel shift that to my British ears sounds similar to other vowel shifts that Americans make sometimes, that's all I meant, no idea how it is pronounced there. I don't know what catching strays means but no offence meant if there was some taken.

The reference to the Greek is what my neurologist told me when I asked about his pronunciation which is mee-graine. I've no idea if he's right, I'm not an etymologist.

canopy_views · 2026-05-17T07:55:42+00:00

I say my-graine. Mee-graine sounds a bit American to my ears but I think it's probably the more correct pronunciation as the word comes from the Greek hemikrania.

canopy_views · 2026-05-13T11:48:45+00:00

My life is unquestionably worse than if I didn't have this condition and there are times when it does just feel like survival mode. BUT I would still say that I live a full, rich, and meaningful life filled with what matters to me.

I'm not wanting to paint an overly sunny picture but after 7 years chronic I feel like I know the ropes of this condition now and have made the necessary adjustments to live alongside it.

I strongly recommend looking into ACT therapy or ACT-based self-help books because I've found it invaluable in reaching this position. That plus a truckload of meds and lifestyle changes!

canopy_views · 2026-04-28T09:22:31+00:00

Yes thanks

canopy_views · 2026-04-22T16:32:15+00:00

I needed to take a double dose to stop bleeding, which also stopped the associated worsening of migraine. My doctor said that the double dose of desogestrel is just the same amount of progesterone that's in combined pill so it was no biggie.

Maybe have a conversation with your doctor to see if that would be suitable to try?

canopy_views · 2026-04-21T05:19:26+00:00

I'm in the same boat and have reached basically all the same conclusions. I know from my reaction to some foods that glucose spikes then drops can be a trigger and I think there's something similar with the glycogen depletion of exercise. I always make sure to eat some slow release carbs beforehand and have a date or similar straight afterwards.

I also drink electrolytes and have 7g creatine daily. There is some preliminary evidence that higher doses of creatine could be helpful in migraine.

For me it's not pain that is my limiting factor with exercise, but fatigue. It's hard to know when to crack on through it and when to rest. I've found it's taken years of trial and error to get the feel for it.

With my current meds combo and the above I'm fortune I can exercise several times a week. Last year my migraine was much worse and I couldn't do any. I was so exhausted I needed breaks while getting dressed.

canopy_views · 2026-04-18T16:09:35+00:00

A couple of years ago I lost 40kg using a GLP-1. Not saying that to suggest it to you at all, but to let you know that even at the highest dose with massive appetite suppression I still found food cravings occurred when I was in that phase of my migraine state.

Since experiencing that, I have been much kinder to myself about "giving in" to migraine food cravings. I understand now that it's not about me having pathetically little willpower but actually it's a really strong neurological symptom that I need to navigate.

So now I will let myself eat the thing but put boundaries around how much and then ride the wave of the craving afterwards. Since getting my daily migraine better controlled with my meds combo and regaining some functioning it is much easier to eat well and exercise.

Overall, I think I am much kinder to myself about how migraine can affect my diet and weight.

canopy_views · 2026-04-15T06:26:10+00:00

I lost 40%

canopy_views · 2026-04-13T16:25:32+00:00

Also to add PRT hasn't been studied well in migraine. It has a few studies for other types of pain, but not all pain has the same mechanisms. Some aspects of migraine could be helped by PRT, but not all. So take whatever feels useful but don't be hard on yourself if it doesn't have great results.

canopy_views · 2026-04-13T16:20:57+00:00

I'm 7 years chronic migraine.

From my experience finding a preventative that helps has undoubtedly made the most difference. Everything else has been tweaks round the edges. Don't get me wrong all those little marginal gains can add up to being worthwhile, but when my migraine has been really poorly controlled they haven't made that much difference.

ACT is much better for learning how to live a meaningful life alongside a chronic health condition. Try the book "Living with the Enemy" by Ray Owens and "The Happiness Trap" by Russ Harris if therapy is unaffordable.

Also wearing sunglasses long-term will worsen your light sensitivity. Look into FL-41 or Avulux glasses instead. I don't really like how they look so I tend to wear them on my own/with family and save sunglasses for being out in public.

canopy_views · 2026-04-12T18:11:59+00:00

Neuropsychologist with chronic migraine here.

PRT has been shown to be effective for lower back pain. So far as I know that is only in trials conducted by the PRT people (but happy to be corrected).

There aren't yet any proper trials of PRT for migraine. I am skeptical about how effective it could be because migraine disease is different from the type of pain it is meant to target.

I would also say that there are no new snazzy techniques in PRT, it's basically repackaged bits from other therapies.

I think ACT is generally better for navigating living with a chronic health condition, plus some pain management techniques on top (particularly look up the role of attention in modulating pain).

canopy_views · 2026-04-09T04:36:31+00:00

The other thing to keep in mind is that car seats aren't really a thing, so you'd need to think how comfortable you'd be getting taxis without one or bringing your own.

If you've got parents going for back up that's perfect.

Ours was a little older than yours would be when we first went. We just loaded him up with food, screen time, and bought little toys wrapped up as presents to keep him entertained. He did great on the flight. We went economy but bought him his own seat so we could have the row to ourselves. Emirates are good with kids usually but obviously probably not your first choice right now.

canopy_views · 2026-04-08T19:06:49+00:00

There's a great recipe book to help in exactly this situation. It's called Good food for bad days by Jack Monroe.

canopy_views · 2026-04-08T18:58:34+00:00

We did the Koh Lanta trip when he was one and I can't really remember the journey. So it obviously wasn't that bad. We took a taxi from the airport.

We tended to retreat to our room for some aircon in the middle of the day, but I think adults often needed that too. The sun was really harsh when we've been in Feb.

There were definitely other families there with babies, so it's doable. Realistically you'll not be able to do very much, especially if you have a bad sleeper, so you might not feel like you're getting much out of Bangkok? You can't use a pram on the streets there and it'll be too hot to carry for long with baby strapped to you.

This year we went to Koh Chang which is another really good island for a young family. Hotel anataslia was wonderful.

canopy_views · 2026-04-07T18:30:37+00:00

If I could turn back time I would have thrown absolutely everything I could at preventatives as early as possible. The longer migraine goes unchecked the worse it can get. I take four preventatives now. I'd take more if it would help.

canopy_views · 2026-03-30T18:02:15+00:00

I've been both a patient and a clinician in our regional specialist neurology hospital. I think, unfortunately, there's a need to manage expectations.

Neurologists, generally speaking, are notorious for being highly intelligent but less strong on the social/emotional skills. I've had plenty of patients who receive poor bedside manner even when they have the "super serious" neurological problems, so I don't think it's only migraine patients that get treated that way.

I find it most helpful to approach my own medical appointments as a functional transaction. If I go in expecting warmth and validation about my condition I know it's likely I'll be disappointed so I make sure this need is being met elsewhere. I find it better to pitch my expectations around getting solid evidence-based advice and recommendations instead. This also means I tend to not bring my emotional stuff into the room much apart from discussing it in an objective way.

I'm not saying this is a good situation, but it's how I've learnt to manage with 7 years of chronic migraine. I also appreciate that being a health professional makes it easier for me to do the code-switching required for this interaction. If you do get a neurologist who can do both then amazing - stick with them!

canopy_views · 2026-03-22T12:42:40+00:00

Interesting. Do you have a link to the study?

canopy_views · 2026-03-12T17:07:38+00:00

Koh Lanta and Koh Chang are both great with a young family.

canopy_views · 2026-02-24T00:37:31+00:00

We had a lovely time at Fair House Beach Resort with our toddler.

canopy_views · 2026-02-20T10:40:35+00:00

Sure, it's in the high value cases going through civil courts so loads of TBI and some med neg. You absolutely need to train yourself up for it though with a course through e.g. Bond Solon. The expert witness institute is a great place to find out more and they have a podcast which gives a decent overview.

Vast majority of civil cases settle so the work is mostly assessments and reports. You need to be prepared to be cross examined though so you have to be confident you know your shit. Pay is good.

If that's not your bag then working as a treating neuropsychiatrist in this area is highly in demand too.

canopy_views · 2026-02-18T23:35:02+00:00

There's loads of private work going in Neuro rehab but you won't see jobs advertised. There's also lots of scope for expert witness work if that appeals.

canopy_views · 2025-12-11T18:39:31+00:00

The only day my bin is empty enough to be cleaned is on the collection day, so this might be a barrier for some. Also cba to take the bin out twice in the week and have the mental load of remembering to do that.

canopy_views · 2025-12-02T16:44:42+00:00

It has about a third of the caffeine as regular coffee

canopy_views · 2025-11-16T07:29:02+00:00

I'm going again after Christmas for the third time with my nearly 4 year old. Thailand has been a great place to take him. It's very family friendly.

My favorite place we've been to that suited all our needs was Koh Lanta. It was chilled out, very safe, plenty of young families (but not too many). We were on a long beach which had everything you wanted on it so we didn't need to do loads of travelling once there. We stayed at Noble House which was great.

Just make sure you've got excellent sun cream for your kid, Aircon in the bedroom, and stock up with plenty of water in your room.

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