It seems like I have always had them. Even when I was younger, I would complain of having a headache. It wasn’t until after my daughter Beth was born that I experienced a migraine. People think that migraines are just really bad headaches, or that you are exaggerating how bad it hurts. The first time I got one, I didn’t know what was wrong. I was throwing up and I had the worst pain I have ever experienced. I describe it as feeling like someone is stabbing a burning hot knife in your skull, over your eye, over and over again. My husband took me to the emergency room. It was horrible. Since then, I have had them. It was getting to a point where this last year, that I was having five or six every month. The doctor had given me medication for them, and it usually works, but sometimes it doesn’t and I end up going to the doctor or Patient First to get a shot so I can function. One day, I woke up feeling really sick and thought I had the flu. I threw up all day–every time I got out of bed. I couldn’t keep anything down and I didn’t have a fever and finally after being in the bathroom countless times, my husband convinced me to go to Patient First. So on the way there, he says, “Do you think you could have a migraine?” It didn’t occur to me, since I actually got sick before I got a headache, and I’m like, “Duh! It must be a really bad headache.” The doctor there gave me a shot of migraine medicine and within 15 minutes I was totally fine. I finally went back to the doctor this spring and she gave me another drug that I take nightly. It is supposed to be for migraine prevention. The only problem is it makes me sleepy–and extremely tired. I take it at bedtime, usually about 7:30 or 8:00 and go to bed at about 10 or so. In the morning, it is really hard to wake up. I have been on the medication for a couple of months, and it is a very low dosage, but still, I am so tired. It has kept the headaches away, for which I am very thankful, but I kind of wish I had another solution–not to sound like a whiner. I have tried a lot of different drugs. The one thing that works most of the time is Imitrex, but it is so dang expensive, that I had to try some prevention. Someone told me that if you drink black coffee alternating with grapefruit juice, it will cure a migraine. Tried it. Someone else suggested that I take vitamin B. I tried it. I have kept a diary of my foods, and possible triggers. I did find out that red wine is a trigger for me. Not like I drink very often, but one time we went to this retirement party and they were celebrating with a glass of red wine at dinner, and I had one. I was completely out of commission the entire weekend. My first thought was, “How can I have a hangover, I had one glass of wine!” As the day progressed, it became very clear that it wasn’t a hangover. I have tried the little patches you are supposed to put on your forehead. I have tried the headache balm you are supposed to put on your forehead. I have tried Excedrin Migraine. I have tried Vicodin – doctor prescribed. I want a new drug, one that won’t make me sick, one that won’t make me crash my car or make me feel 3 feet thick. (Yes, I’m a Huey Lewis fan.) I am just thankful that at least this is working, but I want a solution that works all the way around. Hopefully, at my next appointment, I can find one. I’ll keep you posted.