migraine info

i decided to write a post about migraines. there is a great non-profit organization funding research for migraines. there is a link to the website on the right. but anyway they have a really good description so i'm borrowing it from them. the reason i decided to do this is simply because i really feel like i have atleast one conversation a week about my migraines, what is wrong, what causes it, am i better, will i get better, etc. so here is some info.

CHRONIC MIGRAINES: For about 4% of the population, the illness (Migraines) progresses to Chronic Migraine when attacks come nearly daily and are severe. Those who suffer from Chronic Migraine use a combination of acute, preventive, and complementary treatments to try to control or lessen the disabling pain. Depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances are common for those with Chronic Migraine. These sufferers are often significantly disabled, and their overall quality of life is greatly diminished. Although there are many contributing factors to the progression from episodic Migraine to Chronic Migraine, medication overuse is the most common. Over-the-counter as well as prescription drugs can cause overuse headaches. Overuse is defined as using pain killers, triptans, or certain other medications more than 2-3 days per week, week after week and month after month. This can create a headache-worsening pattern that results in more headaches and the resulting need to take more medicine. Not only is the pattern itself harmful, but while in this cycle, other effective treatments often do not work. The only way out of this cycle is to stop the pattern of overuse.
(I was overusing drugs like excedrine mirgraine and aleeve. Unfortunately, my doctors did not fully understand how detrimental taking medicine more than 2-3 times a week could be, and I went from having really bad Migraines to Chronic Migraines where your head hurts all the time. I'm still fighting that today, but I take Skelaxin, which is a muscle relaxer, and does not cause "rebound" headaches.)

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS: Migraine remains poorly understood and frequently mistreated. Researchers still do not understand many things about the causes of Migraine, the role of genetics, the nature of pain, and the reasons why medications work only on some people and in some situations. As a result, sufferers often endure a lengthy process of trial and error to discover an effective treatment. Once a treatment is determined, it may not alleviate every attack, and it may prove ineffective over time. Some people suffer from several different types of Migraine, making diagnosis and treatment that much more difficult.
(I have different types of Migraines and I have several triggers. Who knows if we will ever find the answer as to what is the cause of a Migraine.)

So, that is what's wrong with me. Maybe that clears things up a bit. Atleast now, you understand a little more about migraines. It is interesting to note that 10% of the U.S. population is affected by Migraines. So, let's hope that we are able to find some answers sometime soon.