Blog #2: Thanks Migraine World Summit
Living with migraine for so long means I’ve tried a few different treatment options to tame my migraine beast.
But sometimes I find it all a bit overwhelming knowing what to try next.
This year though I decided it was time to throw everything I’ve got at managing my migraine disease. I’ve been learning more about migraine disease and I hope to pass on some of my knowledge to you as well. Together maybe we can continue to live a kick-ass life with a few less attakck thrown in.
So I was excited to find out this year’s Migraine World Summit was replaying in June, with each day free to view for 24 hours. I registered and prioritised watching a couple of sessions each day. Sorry Netflix, thou shall return to you soon.
Watching the hosts, Carl Cincinnato and Paula K. Duma, interview international migraine specialists motivated me to continue to think about new ways to tame my migraine beast.
It also reminded me I’m not alone, which is always nice to be remember. Though as I mentioned here, I’m never truly alone.
Sessions I watched:
Day 1: Patient Panel: Thriving Despite Migraine
Day 2: Migraine Genetics, MTHFR and Concussion
Day 3: Common Traps of Chronic Migraine & How Pain Works in the Migraine Brain
Day 5: Weather, Food and More: The Truth about Triggers, Pros and Cons of Blocking CGRP & Understanding Triggers
Day 6: Supplements and Natural Alternatives
Day 7: Real-world use of CGRP medications
Day 8: Migraine at Work: Issues and progress
Day 9: Why 2020 is the time to feel better, How can you stand up against migraine?
Top highlights
Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) medication sessions
A few of the sessions discussed CGRP medications and I really enjoyed the session on day 5 about the pros and cons of blocking CGRP.
The CGRP medication Erunumab (Aimovig) has only been approved in New Zealand this year, but it’s expensive at just under $700 for 70mg.
There’s been a lot of hype around CGRP medications and I’ve read quite a bit of information/blogs/personal stories about people who’ve started on them.
I’m not keen on medications (I’m not sure many of us are), but I’m looking forward to my next neurology appointment just to discuss if they’re a good option to try.
If you’re not familiar with CGRP medications, they’re the medication specifically created to prevent migraine. I’ve included links to helpful information at the end of the blog. It’s incredibly exciting to learn about the CGRP medications and even though I know there’s no magic bullet to treat migraine it shows there’s lots of research and development in the migraine space.
Supplements
I’ve taken magnesium supplements on and off over the years and I continue to be on the fence whether it helps or not.
There was also some discussion about CoQ10 and vitamin B2 (riboflavin) which have often been referenced to help with migraine.
I plan to look at more of the evidence around supplements and decide if they’re worth taking.
Mindfulness based stress reduction
I unfortunately didn’t watch the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction on day 6 but seeing this as a topic in the summit reminded me about its importance.
I’ve read about half of Jon Kabat Zinn’s book: Full Catastrophe Living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness, and I have series 1 as an app. I was in a good habit for about 2 weeks finding time to do the 45-minute full body scan. But you know, as soon as life gets busy…
I’m adding it back on my treatment list today.
Exercise
I’m in a reasonably good habit of exercising regularly; I go to the gym twice a week minimum (I aim to go 4 times a week but it hardly ever happens) and I also walk a couple of times a week. I very occasionally break into a jog during a walk, but not too often. It means I spill my hot drink too much.
It was great to be reminded of the benefit of regular exercise for migraine, especially daily migraine and headaches.
Pre-empting menstrual migraine
About 99% of the time I get my period I also have a migraine attack. Because I always have a dull ache and/or pain behind my right eye I can sometimes be a bit slow off the mark to take sumatriptan and I probably wait too long to see if my migraine is going to get worse.
It was great hearing from a few speakers about pre-emptively taking medications leading up to a period, so I’ll aim to be more onto it every 28-31 days.
Advocacy
Part of the reason I started this blog is to help raise awareness of migraine disease in New Zealand and make our voice heard. A few of the sessions talked about advocating for ourselves and others and it’s an area I’m keen to explore. Watch this space.
Did you watch the summit this year? I’d love to hear if you’re changing anything to your migraine plan to help tame your beast. Leave a comment below or get in touch.
More information about CGRP medications
Calcitonin gene-related peptides | CGRP antibodies for migraine, MigrainePal
What to Know About the New Anti CGRP Migraine Treatment Options, American Migraine Foundation
CGRP for Migraine: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Get It, Migraine Again