4/1/03 Laral Cima
I got my first migraine when I was 17. I hadn't eaten all day and while in my university's Chemistry
lab, I started to get a headache that just kept getting worse. Anyone that's had a migraine knows the drill - the most
agonizing pain imaginable, vomiting that sometimes doesn't stop unless you go to the emergency room and days of your life
lost in the migraine fog.
Over the years, the headaches
got even more painful and more frequent. Excedrin was my best friend even though it failed me more than it helped. At one
point about four years ago, I was taking 2 Excedrin every day, because I woke up with some type of headache everyday. Tension,
sinus or muscle ache headaches would always turn into migraines by the afternoon if I didn't take the analgesic. I couldn't
hold a full-time job, so I started a computer consulting business that allowed me to work when I felt well enough. I spent
a great deal of my days in dark rooms. I was seeing a doctor in order to get prescriptions for Imitrex (which I was taking
twice a week). I tried acupuncture and acupressure. I started going to a chiropractor who was convinced he could make my migraines
go away. I spent thousands of dollars and went deeply into debt.
Once I started doing research on the web about my headaches, I began to see all of the things I had been doing
wrong. I learned that the analgesics only made my condition worse in the long run and that my diet might be contributing to
the pain more than I could ever guess. I learned that Imitrex is a drug that has side-effects (many of which are not yet publicly
known). I always knew alcohol exascerbated the headaches, so I never drank any alcohol, but I didn't know how other foods
in my diet could have an influence. I went on a very simple diet - when I went to the grocery store I only bought fresh food
- meat, vegetables and fruits. I diligently tried to stay away from any processed food. Within about two months of beginning
this new diet, I reintroduced dairy very slowly and IMMEDIATELY noticed that cheddar cheese is one of my migraine trigger
foods.
Triggers for migraines are different for everyone,
but I am absolutely certain that cleaning up my diet made it possible for me to recognize which foods were the main culprits.
I also have to stay away from any strong smells and I take claritin intermittently for allergy/sinus problems. The migraines
gradually subsided to about two per week, with the very horrible pain occurring right around my menstruation. Then, I found
www.migraineprevention.org. I have to tell you that I was very skeptical, but... I kept reading.
From my own experience and long process of elimination, I can tell you that everything on this website about migraines is
true. I decided to order the Neurobiology - just to try it.
It
took a couple of weeks to notice a difference. And it took a couple of months to notice a BIG difference. When you are used
to the instant gratification that comes from taking a shot of Imitrex, it's hard for anything else to get your attention.
It's not an epiphany, there is no big drum roll or puff of smoke. The headaches just began to subside. They became less
frequent.
I used to average 4 trips a year to the
emergency room or urgent care clinic. I haven't been to either in almost two years. I used to average 6 shots of Imitrex
a month. I now average 2 shots of Imitrex a year. I used to take Excedrin every day. I now take Excedrin once or twice a month.
This stuff works, it really, really works! Do not misunderstand - this is not a magic pill. If I stop paying attention to
what I eat, if I try to go too far on too little sleep, if I don't take the Neurobiology on the first sign of pain, I
still get migraines. But, now, I have a real life, I have a real full-time job, I make plans with friends in advance and,
most importantly, I do not live in fear of my next migraine.
Laral
Cima
Southern California
Age 33
Software Developer
