My Personal Struggle with Migraines and PTSD

I used to have horrible Migraines. They weren't the usual kind though. I didn't get Migraine with aura or an increased sensitivity to sound. I had what started out as a dull and mild pain in my lower neck that slowly crept its way up my skull and into my forehead. It happened on the train to New York City. It was the day before New Years, I think two years ago. I was with a friend heading out on a trip that should have been fun and exciting but only began a slew of horrors for me. You see, a few months back I had been in a car crash with friends. I got smacked in the face with the airbag; you know the one that is supposed to save your life. So here I am sitting on the train looking out the window at beautiful New York State and I get that pain. First it’s my chest, a slow and burning feeling and then it starts traveling up my lower neck then my middle and then it’s in the bottom of my skull. At this point I’m keeled over a bit in my seat holding my chest. If only that was the end. At that point I couldn't think anymore. My neck was burning; my thoughts were still, I fell into a state of utter fear and confusion. Was I having a stroke I asked myself? No way! How could a young and healthy 20 year old experience a stroke? I ignored it and didn’t mention anything to my friend. Later that night I realized the extent of what had happened to me. It was a total and transformational shift from a young and confident man to a scared and hopeless one. I tried enjoying a beer that night but I couldn’t. It was bland, tasteless, and worthless to me now. I would soon learn after coming home that that event was not just a nightmare to be left in the city but that it had come along for the ride. It had made everything bland; Food, music, hobbies, and eventually friends. It was like my entire life was taken away from me. I could no longer form full sentences, write, or speak properly without repeating myself or stuttering. I was terrified now, ravaged by anxiety, and so much worry. Even a phone ringing could set me off in pain. I felt like a prisoner. I continued to ignore it and for six months I did nothing but try to keep it away. I drank and I smoked and I did everything wrong.

Nothing worked to sooth the pain. No pill, no drug, no drink. Nothing ever worked. At this point I had dropped out of school, and I could no longer handle work. I would eventually find work again but in the end lost that job too to this menace. I felt like I had lost everyting. My friends said it was in my head; I was hypochondriac and would claim the sky was falling for attention. But this was real and I didn’t know how to explain to my friends or family at the time. Finally, enough was enough. I put down the booze and the drugs and I said no more. I marched myself to the closest doctor, and I wasted a lot of money on a lot of “Medical professionals” who for all attentive purposes know nothing about migraines. So, about 3,000 dollars later and no questions answered I found myself at a neurologist office. Here I was diagnosed with Chronic Migraine and PTSD. PTSD I said? Yes, PTSD from a car accident. I finally understood what was wrong with me. And that it wasn't me but it was these conditions triggered by the car accident.

So now that I had a diagnosis it was time to find a treatment. Again, like the booze and the drugs before it I hit a brick wall. Everything they gave me didn’t work. I tried anti-depressants, Pain-killers, special drugs just for migraines, Passion flower, green tea, and even some weird stuff imported from India. I was encouraged and tried Acupuncture, Chiropractics, and even massage. Nothing worked for the pain and PTSD but it all sure cost me a lot of money. It wasn’t until I started searching for myself that I found something that actually worked for me. I ordered Feverfew a little known herb with a lot of potential. Feverfew has been used for centuries to soften and shorten fevers and in recent studies has shown great efficacy in managing and preventing migraine related headache. But it isn't a quick fix. You’re not going to pop it and stop it like that. It takes over two months to build up in your system before it starts working. Most Migraine medicine, especially the kind I tried were analgesics meaning they were for treating a migraine once it happened. But that wasn’t very effective as any migraine sufferer knows once you have one they don’t normally go away very well. Feverfew as I mentioned is a preventive herb and some even claim it is a 100% preventive when taken as a daily supplement. Feverfew works to limit the inflammation in blood vessels which are believed to be a main cause of Migraine. Wikipedia has a great description of Feverfew and what it is believed to do:

"Feverfew has been used for reducing fever, for treating headaches, arthritis and digestive problems. It is hypothesized that by inhibiting the release of serotonin and prostaglandins, both of which are believed to aid the onset of migraines, feverfew limits the inflammation of blood vessels in the head.This would, in theory, stop the blood vessel spasm which is believed to contribute to headaches."

To continue my story:

I started taking feverfew in a Sublingual form, which means you spray a liquid under your tongue and hold it until it absorbs through your mucous membrane. Recent scientific studies have suggested that taking medicine under the tongue actually increases the bioavailability of the drug and increases its health benefits as it is more readily available in the human blood stream. I used a product called Migraspray. There are many others out there. But that one has been around for about 8 years now and is very popular and potent. It is standardized at or above 4%. It is recommended to be standardized as high as possible (Note: Many over the counter Feverfew supplements are not standardized and therefore offer no health benefits whatsoever).

So, I started taking feverfew and for two months just like it says it does nothing (Migraspray claims to stop migraines when you have them, I only really noticed this after the first month). But I swear and I don't want to sound hokey but on or around taking it for two months my Migraines stopped. I'm not going to say it was 100% but it was more than I had experienced for a very long time. The very first thing I noticed was that I was dreaming quite regularly again. To me that meant my brain was starting to relax again. I also had some weird stuff happen like periodic day dreams or memories flashing in front of my eyes of dead relatives or happy childhood memories. I began revisiting the accident and then went even further back to my childhood (Maybe I’ll cover this in another article). I even had an urge to play old games and see old friends from when I was in grade school and middle school. It was weird but it was my body and minds way of telling me that it was still there and that it was coming back in its own way. While Feverfew helped with my migraines, I did start seeing a therapist for my PTSD. Feverfew can’t help with everything. But together, Therapy and the herb, seemed to work well for me.

Long story short I took feverfew for months and every day I felt more and more like me again. I could enjoy my favorite foods, music, and I wanted to hang out with my friends again. I wanted to get out there and go back to school or get a job. It was wonderful. I really did find relief.

Sad to say I am not on Feverfew today. Although it brought me back I couldn't afford to buy the little expensive spray bottles anymore. I stopped taking Feverfew a few months ago. Surprise, surprise my migraines started creeping back but I made a life changing decision at that point. I moved to a peaceful place out in the woods with pools, tennis courts, and tons of trails to walk and no noise or disruption at all and I began exercising. I learned that when you exercise your body releases powerful chemicals known as endorphins which are natural stress relievers. In my case, with a 30 minute session of cardio every morning followed by some weight training I was able to control my migraines. But this is just my story and there are a lot of other stories out there. If you have any suggestions or tips of your own please feel free to post them so that we might help someone else.

Some products I have used to prevent Migraines:

Migraspray: Standardized at 4% for optimal performance. You take it under your tongue and it does work to stop migraines to but it is marketed more for overall prevention and relief.

Migravent: Included Vitamin B2 and Magnesium, also believed to help reduce migraine.