I have had a good period now with fairly few migraines, but a few days ago I had an attack again. Then I thought I had to write a post about travelling with migraine. It is something that I unfortunately know a lot about. Here are my best tips for those travelling with migraine - and for those who are travelling with someone with migraine.
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Many years with migraines
I've had migraines since the age of 14, and at times it's something that limits my life a lot. When I get a full-blown attack, I'm out for days, in intense pain and unable to eat, drink or sleep. In between, I have many days of severe headaches or "light migraines".
I have tried most of the available treatments and have learnt a lot about what can trigger a seizure and what I can do to avoid disaster. Travelling is really not the best thing to do, as you are constantly exposing yourself to risks such as lack of sleep, irregular eating times and stress. But I refuse to stop travelling! I know I'm far from alone in suffering from migraines. Here are my top tips for coping with travelling. Do you have any other good tips?
1. Get the right medicines
This may sound obvious, but it is not. There are many different medications for migraine and the field is constantly evolving. What works for one person is not the same as what works for someone else. My best advice is to have a proper assessment by a neurologist.
I have recently tried a preventive medicine (Amlodopine Teva) which helps me a lot. In addition, I eat always contraceptive pills (i.e. without interruption once a month). The reason for this is to avoid hormone changes and there are no scientific evidence that you need to take a break once a month, although some midwives seem to think so.
If I have a mild ongoing headache I take Treo, if I have a severe ongoing headache I take Treo Comp and if I already have a migraine I take Zomig nasal spray. This is a combination that seems to work pretty well for me.
2. Try other treatments
Besides medication, there are some other treatments that can work, including relaxation, acupuncture and botox injections. None of these worked for me, but maybe they can work for you?
Other things that can reduce the number and intensity of seizures are: sleeping and eating regularly, not drinking too much alcohol, avoiding trigger foods (such as red wine, cheese, chocolate or citrus fruits), not stressing too much, being physically active (at the right level) and making sure you wear the right strength glasses.
3. Pack your medicines in your hand luggage.
If you are flying, it is wise to pack your medicines in your hand luggage. Firstly, you may need them while travelling and secondly, there is a risk that your checked baggage will be delayed.
If you are taking narcotic medicines abroad, you may need to check the rules that apply. Within Schengen, you may need a certificate, which Apoteket will help you print. If you are travelling outside Schengen, you may need to check the rules with the embassy of the country concerned.
4. Bring enough medicine - and the packaging.
If you are going to be travelling for a long time, it is a good idea to bring enough medicine for the whole trip. It is not at all certain that the medicine you need is available in the country you are travelling to. For example, one of my medicines ran out in Croatia and we had to get in the campervan and drive for several hours to Bosnia, as that was the closest country that had my medicine...
If you still need to buy new medicines abroad, it is good to have the original packaging with you. Medicines have different names in different countries, but if your doctor can see the list of ingredients, he/she can identify the local medicine that best matches the one you are taking.
5. Try to sleep properly
One problem when travelling is that sleep can be disrupted and irregular. Try to sleep properly before you start travelling. It's also a good idea to bring things to help you sleep on the plane or in the car, such as earplugs, a sleeping mask and a neck pillow.
6. Drink water
It is not good to be dehydrated. On aeroplanes, the air may be dry or you may be in a country where it is warmer than at home. Buy water as often as you can, keep a bottle in your bag and drink, drink!
7. eat when you get the chance
Another thing that often becomes irregular when travelling is eating. For many migraine sufferers, this is not good at all... Make sure you have some 'emergency energy' in your hand luggage, such as a sandwich, biscuit chocolate or a banana. When you get the chance to buy something to eat - do it! My motto (based on experience) is "you never know when you'll get food next time".
8. planning air in the schedule
If there's one thing that can give you a migraine, it's stress and lack of sleep. Don't book any activities as soon as you arrive! Keep your schedule flexible so that there is always time to rest, eat or sleep.
9. ask for ice - and not to be disturbed
If you stay in a hotel, you can always ask for a bag of ice. It usually helps me to put some ice on my head when I'm trying to sleep, and many hotels have helped me with that ... Then just put the sign that you don't want to be disturbed outside the hotel room! If you're travelling by motorhome, it's good to always have an ice pack in the freezer.
10. Here's how you can help!
It is very nice that you want to offer an alvedone, but if alvedone had helped against migraines, no one would have had migraines. Those who have migraines probably have their own (much stronger) medication and if they still get migraines - it is because the medication does not help. Moreover, by the time you tell them, it has usually gone quite far. When you have a migraine, you're used to being in pain, and you don't like to tell people unnecessarily. You can hardly cure migraines, but there are still things you can do!
When I have a migraine, I am incredibly grateful for practical help. It can be anything from carrying a heavy bag to going to the shops for a bottle of water. I am also grateful if you help me not to feel guilty. When you have a migraine and can't participate, you often feel like you are "spoiling" and "boring". If you tell me that it's okay for me to be alone in the hotel room for a few hours and that you'll be fine for that long, it's often easier to relax.
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Lennart says:
Must be very hard!
Glad to be rid of it.
21 May 2017 - 7:08
Helena says:
Yes, you should be happy about that! A lot of people have some kind of misery, even if it's different.
21 May 2017 - 10:52
4000mil says:
Oh, hard work! But we all have our misery in life. Few escape with a long, healthy, carefree life...
For example, I have ear crystals that come loose from time to time and my fear is that it will happen while travelling. Then the whole world spins for a few days. Fortunately, it happens every few years and so far not on any trip.
It's good that you give tips on how to deal with migraines and avoid them, perhaps there are those who hesitate to go out for fear of having an attack.
21 May 2017 - 8:51
Helena says:
Yes, most of us probably have some shit we're dealing with... The ear crystals thing doesn't sound like much fun either. I know there are people who hesitate to travel because of migraines, and that's sad.
21 May 2017 - 10:53
Goatfish says:
I have never had a migraine in my entire life, hardly a regular headache either.
But I understand that for the person affected it will be hell, so it's great that you're giving advice!
However, I am such that I feel best when I have something to eat every four hours or so.
Sunshine hugs 😀
21 May 2017 - 9:13
Helena says:
Glad you don't have migraines and headaches! But most of us have some misery we deal with in life. For me it's a migraine and for others it's something else. I also need to eat every four hours. It can be something simple and not always so big, but I don't feel good about skipping ...
21 May 2017 - 10:54
Evy Knoph says:
Recognise that...sounds interesting with preventive medicine. The worst trip I have made was 21 hours to South Korea for work about 6 years ago..had clumsily packed both (prescription) Zomig and Treo in the luggage..never do it again..for my part, it all becomes a little more bearable by tiger balm over the temples (always buy smaller lighter tin cans in Thailand for a few dollars, so you do not have to drag a glass jar) and preferably the neck, mint tea and if you can a hot bath. But as I said, it must not become a limitation in travelling...
21 May 2017 - 9:46
Helena says:
Oh no, that thing about accidentally putting the medicine in the checked luggage sounds like a nightmare to me ...! Tiger balm might be a good idea, worth trying! Thanks for the tips! Sometimes when I feel that it is triggered by stiff neck, I have tried with Voltaren gel. Not quite sure if it has helped a little or not.
21 May 2017 - 10:56
Ditte says:
Thanks for the great tips! I have never had migraine but have friends in my neighbourhood who have it so good to know more and how I can also support as a friend.
21 May 2017 - 9:46
Ditte says:
(First comment jumped away before I finished.)
I understand that this is difficult for you and I hope that your migraines will gradually disappear or that the attacks will decrease.
21 May 2017 - 9:48
Helena says:
Thank you for your comment! Many people want to find a way to "cure" migraine and feel inadequate if they can't. But you can still be an important help. But you can be an important help anyway! 🙂
21 May 2017 - 10:58
Mr Steve says:
I am fortunately free of migraines, but I think I can still understand something of how limiting migraines can be. I have "suffered with you" at times when you have written about having an attack.
It's great to share tips in this way.
21 May 2017 - 9:52
Helena says:
Thank you Steve. It's important for me not to complain, and I'm aware that others have their misery, sometimes perhaps much worse than what I have to deal with. I mention my migraine far less often than I have it, but sometimes it feels good to explain.
21 May 2017 - 10:59
Ama de casa says:
First of all, I think you're TOTALLY right not to let that stupid migraine limit your life, but to keep travelling. STRONGLY done!
A lot of that advice is also very good when it comes to other medications.
It's very sad that you are so affected, but it's good that you have found so many good ways to cope as well as possible when the attacks come.
Hugs to you!
21 May 2017 - 10:12
Helena says:
Yes, you are right that some of the advice may apply to medication in general when travelling abroad! I do not intend to stop travelling. Constantly trying to get better at parrying the misery, so that it does not destroy too much ... 😉.
21 May 2017 - 11:01
Monet says:
Ugh, this is a disgusting condition. The pain is indescribable so it's hard for anyone else to understand. I am also a headache and migraine person and in my life it has come and gone in different phases. Not until I got older did I realise that the attacks in my case were largely hormone-triggered. In my teenage years always during my period, after childbirth horrible attacks, birth control pills never worked, especially the ones with high levels of yellow body hormones, nor taking them continuously as you do. During the transition period, in our years we took oestrogen supplements and I managed that with only patches without progestin (the yellow body hormone again!). How we women have been tricked into experimenting with our hormones and bodies for several decades now and what a price we have paid for this. I have a pill-eating daughter with the same reactions as you and I so I believe in a connection here. But just like you, I also had to be careful with especially red wine, cheese and chocolate.
There are good preventive medicines that are being developed all the time. In my case, I was also given the beta-blocker Seloken, which is a blood pressure medication but works well for migraines. Have you tried it? I also think that Treo is the best headache medication in general, probably because it is ordinary, honest acetylsalicylic acid plus caffeine. People used to drink coffee for migraines and severe headaches. Alvedon and Ipren have zero effect on this kind of pain.
You can take comfort in the fact that it gets better with age. Today I can drink a good red wine with French cheese and enjoy a piece of chocolate. My hormones stay calm and so do my migraines. What has been added is so-called eye migraine where you get a minor loss of vision surrounded by a kind of flashing light phenomenon that passes within fifteen minutes. Some people get migraine attacks after this, I only get the light phenomenon and it is not troublesome at all.
For me, sleep is absolutely crucial with the right pillows under the neck and I always slept very well and safely in our motorhome and think that you do too? However, we were not as active as you, stress, even if it is fun, is a clear trigger.
As a carer, the best thing to do is what you say. Change the bed, take it easy, lie down, sleep, get what you need. Turn off lights, avoid loud noises and wait it out.
Hope your seizures are thinning out like most people's and of course keep travelling!
21 May 2017 - 10:18
Helena says:
Interesting to hear about your experiences Monet! I definitely believe in a hormonal connection. What then helps is different for different people ... I took beta blockers for many years (Inderal retard). Thought it helped a bit, but then it disappeared from the market. Tried a new one, but still had quite a lot of problems. Now I'm trying a completely new kind of prevention (lactose inhibitor?) that feels like the best thing I've tried so far (except that my legs and feet swell a bit from it ...). As it feels right now, I would like to continue with this one. Glad to hear that your migraines have improved over the years! My mum has almost got rid of her migraines. However, my grandmother's migraines only disappeared at 90, and it would be nice not to have to wait so long ...
21 May 2017 - 11:05
Fantasy travel says:
Oh I suffer with you who have migraines. My mother had it all my childhood and knows how devastating it can be when travelling, for example. I have also had it twice, but *fingers crossed* it does not seem to be worse than that. Great post, think it can help many!
21 May 2017 - 11:03
Helena says:
Glad you didn't inherit migraines from your mum! And if my post can help someone, I will be happy! 🙂
21 May 2017 - 20:33
Lanclin-Linnea says:
Hujedamig? Being in pain is a bloody mould. I apparently had some kind of migraine when I was pregnant. It wasn't a blinding pain but more of a feeling that an extra brain was pushed inside my skull (all the brain I have swelled to double the size. Anyway, it felt pretty tight for space in there, to say the least) and my field of vision was like a kaleidoscope. All types of Migraine are simply the devil's invention!
21 May 2017 - 16:22
Helena says:
Yes, something like that ... It is a misery actually! Good thing you didn't have it after the pregnancies!
21 May 2017 - 20:34
Matts Torebring says:
Poor person! Both you and I probably do a lot of things that we shouldn't do in order to feel really good. But what to do when everything is so fun.
I have never had the migraine you describe, but usually a lot of headaches. This is after stressing out about sleep, eighteen years ago. If I sleep a whole night without waking up, I can lift mountains. Alvedon chewable tablet can provide some relief for me. Take care of yourself!
21 May 2017 - 16:45
Helena says:
Yes, it's probably the case that you do a little too much sometimes ... hard not to! Glad you found something that gives you relief when you have a headache!
21 May 2017 - 20:36
Lena - good for the soul says:
Yes, damn that damn migraine! There is no way to explain how much it hurts!
To the last point, I would like to say "understanding of sound sensitivity". Now I very rarely have migraines, thankfully, but when I do, I am extremely sensitive to sound as well. I remember one time when my ex-husband flushed water from the tap in the kitchen at the other end of the house. I lay in the bedroom with the door closed and thought I had a thundering waterfall in my head!
Hug Lena
21 May 2017 - 18:08
Helena says:
No, I can't explain it ... I don't know if I'm as sensitive to sound as you are, but I'm also sensitive to sound. Like you, I find the water tap unbearable. Like the cooker hood!!!
21 May 2017 - 20:38
Ann-Louise says:
Very many good tips. I also have migraines mixed with regular headaches between migraine attacks, but luckily I do not get it so often when I am travelling, which I am very happy about.
21 May 2017 - 18:26
Helena says:
I'm glad you don't get migraines too often. It's a misery!
21 May 2017 - 20:39
BP says:
Know exactly what you are talking about!!! Therefore, I think it was a great post!!! The content of the post is not only aimed at travellers but at "staying at home" as well.
I recognise your tricks so well and know exactly what you mean.
I am soooo glad that you had a "quiet period" and avoided the migraine for a while. As I said before, it gets even better after menopause. Unfortunately, you have a while there, but the relief of getting rid of the migraine (the first attack I had at the age of 13 when I ate pickled onions (!!!) which I have not eaten since) is indescribable. Okay then, two attacks per year, but not several per day/week/month. So, you have something to look forward to in Freedom 1 or 2 in the future;-)
21 May 2017 - 22:27
Helena says:
Glad you like the post! Although it is sad that you are also familiar with this unpleasant migraine... I hope it will get better at menopause. It did for my mum. My grandmother, on the other hand, only got rid of her migraines at the age of 90... (she was 99).
23 May 2017 - 6:14
Ruth in Virginia says:
It sounds awful to have a migraine! And to be afraid that it will
when you are travelling. The amount of chemicals you've dealt with. I don't know how I would have reacted in your situation.
I have nothing to add to this discussion. Have always
said, that I was born under "a lucky star". Never had a
disease, has never broken bones, has never had an operation, is not
allergic to something, that I know of, now has a "yellow spot" in one eye,
but it doesn't hurt, and I get a shot every 6 weeks, which slows down the process.
down the course. Luckily, the other eye is perfectly fine, which means I'm able to
read and drive a car. Was a bit bothered by nosebleeds when younger, but it
stopped after the first child. In fact, it was an advantage sometimes, such as when
I was playing handball and got hit on the nose; when the referee saw the blood, we always got a penalty. 🙂
God knows, I have not lived a limited life in any way,
Never thought much about, what I eat, drink wine and get vitamin C
in a "screw driver" Beer goes well with ice hockey, but also fits perfectly on hot summer days. 🙂
I've just been lucky - I don't know why, but I'm happy every day.
"It always works out"
21 May 2017 - 23:40
Helena says:
So happy for you that you had health and avoided that kind of misery! It is definitely something to be grateful for! 🙂
23 May 2017 - 6:17