I Suffered From Debilitating Migraines...Here's What Helped

I started getting migraines when I was 15.  They were bad enough to make me hole up in my bedroom for the day, but they were manageable.  These "normal" migraines continued until I was 25....then I had my son and everything changed.

I was okay after I first delivered him, but when he was a few months old, I started noticing I was having trouble driving.  I'd get dizzy on winding roads (we lived in the country at the time), and sometimes I'd have to pull over to sit for a few minutes until the spinning stopped.

I mentioned it to my doctor and he said I probably had BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), which is when small calcium crystals kind of float around in your inner ear and make you dizzy.  He gave me a prescription for meclizine and sent me on my way.

I tried this for awhile, but it wasn't really helping.  Being a busy mom with a little one at home, I just dealt with it for awhile.  That was until one morning when everything changed.

My son was about one at the time, and I had woken up to get him out of his crib.  I got out of bed, everything spun around, and then went black.  I came to a few minutes later and my son was just babbling away in his crib.  I thought maybe I had just gotten up too fast and laid low the rest of the day.

Things were different after that, though.  I felt off.  It's hard to describe, but it felt like I was in slow motion and everything was moving really fast around me.  I tried to push through it, but it was making it difficult to get anything done.  I called my doctor and he sent me for an MRI, which came back normal.  He then sent me to a neurologist, who started me on Topamax, which didn't work.  I ended up trying five different medications, all of which just made me feel worse.

By this point, I was practically bedridden.  I couldn't go into any busy environments like a grocery store or restaurant because it made me feel like I was going to pass out.  I couldn't be the fun mom I wanted to be because I could barely walk in a straight line.  Driving was out of the question.

This hell continued for about two years.  I went to multiple specialists, including a cardiologist, otolaryngologist, and one of the best opthamologists in my area.  They would find little things wrong, but nothing that explained this insane vertigo I was having.

I started doing my own research.  I was desperate to get my life back.  I came across something called Migraine Associated Vertigo (MAV), or vestibular migraine.  I fit a lot of the symptoms, but why hadn't the three neurologists I had already seen diagnosed me with it?  I still ask myself that, because I lost two years of my life waiting on the right diagnosis.

I joined a Facebook group of other people suffering with MAV.  I then went back to see the first neurologist I had ever seen- the one who had diagnosed me with migraines at the age of 15.  And you know what she said?  You have vestibular migraine.  I literally cried right there because I finally had a real diagnosis.

I had already done my research on treatments for MAV, and since medications hadn't worked for me previously, I asked for a referral to a physical therapist.  Yes, there are physical therapists that specialize in treating migraines and vertigo.  And I found one of the best.

Technically, my physical therapist says I have cervicogenic dizziness.  The symptoms are the same as MAV so I really use the two interchangeably at this point.  I don't really care what they call it, I'm just glad I know how to handle it.

I've now been in physical therapy for almost 6 years.  At first, I went a few times a week.  Now, I'm down to once a month for maintenance purposes.  I can increase or decrease visits as needed.  I will write a separate post at some point detailing what is done in physical therapy since this post is already quite long.

I will likely be in physical therapy in some capacity for the rest of my life.  But at least I can live my life again.  I'm still dizzy sometimes, but I know how to cope with it now and I know it will pass.  My life is probably 90% back to normal, so I'll take it.

There are also a few supplements I take that help manage my migraines:

• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)- 100 mg, 2 times daily
• Vitamin D3- 1000 IU daily
• Magnesium Oxide- 250 mg daily

There is a MAV diet that you can follow, but I only avoid a few of the triggers.  For me, caffeine and bananas are the top 2.  I will write a separate post detailing the MAV diet in the future as well.

If you're suffering from migraines or vertigo and are having trouble getting the proper treatment, consider talking to your doctor about physical therapy, diet changes, and supplements.  It has helped me get my life back.

Don't give up.  There were many days that I wanted to, but I'm so glad that I didn't.  Life (even one with dizziness and head pain) is worth living.

*Disclaimer:  I am not a doctor.  This is my own personal story about what has helped me.  Consult with your doctor before starting any new treatments.

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