Dear Miriam,

I have a condition called migraine with aura. I have had it for four and a half years. I wake up every single morning at 4:30am with a pulsating migraine. The pain lasts all day. It feels like I’ve been run over by a bus a million times.

The pain is excruciating. My other symptoms are blurred vision, seeing multi-coloured light flashes coming out the sides of my eyes, nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, numbness and paralysed muscle weakness.

ADVERTISEMENT

It is so hard to live with this condition. I can’t go on medication as I had a seizure. I have been seen by health professionals, but I feel hopeless.

I am a young adult and I am usually a positive, happy person but I feel as if it’s a battle that I can’t control and it’s destroying me and my life. I’m writing to you to ask for some advice and also to your readers to make them aware of this condition.

Much appreciated,

Worried Young Adult

Dear Worried Young Adult,

First of all, thank you for getting in touch. I think that a lot of people find it hard to understand just how difficult and debilitating it can be to live with migraine, but you really have explained the condition so well in your letter and, no doubt, raised a lot of awareness in the process.

I am afraid that I am not a medical professional, but I was in touch with Dr Edward O’Sullivan, who is the clinical director of the headache/migraine clinic in Cork University Hospital.

He noted that your letter states that you have seen various health professionals, but you did not specify exactly whom. Given the symptoms that you describe, he would advise that you see a neurologist or, if you have already been down that road, a headache specialist at one of the headache clinics in Ireland (there are clinics in Cork, Galway and Dublin – your GP should be able to refer you to an appropriate service).

You also mention that you cannot take medication due to seizures, but a specialist should be able to explore some therapy options open to you in terms of reducing the frequency of the attacks and/or helping to manage them when they do occur.

In terms of measures you could take yourself, Dr O’Sullivan advises keeping a headache diary, which could help pinpoint any potential triggers for migraine, eg reaction to certain foods or alcohol. Making healthy lifestyle choices, such as getting enough sleep, exercise and keeping hydrated, can also help in the management of migraine.

From my own point of view, I would also advise getting in touch with an organisation like the Migraine Association of Ireland. Communications officer Jenny Costello tells me that about half a million people in Ireland are affected by migraine, yet it remains, for the most part, an under-recognised and under-diagnosed illness. The association works hard to provide information and support to those affected, such as through producing migraine information leaflets, running public information evenings around Ireland and providing training to health professionals.

This spring, they have a number of events that might be of interest to you. For example, migraine self-help group meetings in Tipperary and Donegal and migraine management seminars in Athlone, Kildare, Dublin and Ennis. These events are free to attend, you just register in advance with the association. For more specific information regarding dates and times of meetings, you can call the Migraine Association of Ireland on 1850-200-378 or 01-8941280, email info@migraine.ie or visit www.migraine.ie

Hopefully, by meeting other people who understand exactly what you are going through, you will no longer feel so isolated. However, I think your ultimate priority should be to see a specialist to see what can be done to help your particular situation.

I hope you find some of this information useful and I wish you the very best of luck in learning to manage the condition.