ANOTHER Migraine? Really!

The sharp knife in the eye...the aura arrives...and you just know what's coming!

The sharp knife sticking straight through your eye. You know what I am talking about if you suffer from migraines. Or….all of the sudden you are seeing small prisms of light all around you and that classic aura arrives…and you just know. It is coming…

A migraine.

These terrible and debilitating headaches affect so many people! According to the Migraine Research Foundation over 39 million Americans suffer from migraines and women are three times more likely to get migraines over men.

I am one of those people.

I began getting migraines when I was around 17 or 18 years old. The typical knife stabbing you in the eye, prisms in your vision, nausea, bright light felt like the worst pain ever…I would take my migraine Excedrin and retreat to the dark of my bedroom and sleep for hours and wake up in the morning feeling the effects of what is commonly referred to as the “migraine hangover” the next day.

As I got older they came and went. I would go for long periods of time without them, and then I had my second child, and they returned with a vengeance!

It did not surprise me, I was EXHAUSTED!

I was a new mom of two kiddos, running a business with my husband, and all of life was BIG! I was burned out and nursing, so my body was seriously depleted. This seemed to be the perfect recipe for my body to get a migraine! This time though they had evolved into slurred speech, numbing of my tongue, and numbness and tingling down my right arm, and the stabbing pain in the eye..and involved three months in a row of going to the ER due to them being so bad! This is where they would administer IV drugs like anti nausea meds, prescription strength ibuprofen, benadryl, and an IV bag full of fluids to get my body hydrated.  I would fall fast asleep (due to the benadryl) and wake up an hour later in a dark hospital room feeling like I just drank a case of cheap beer. That sweet migraine hangover…there she was!

No one can really identify why or how they come about, and it is continually being researched as to why people get migraines.

And, it is super important for me to say, I am NOT a doctor, and this is simply MY experience I share with you. I share with you today what I have found works and does not work for me. It is super important for you to share your experiences with your doctor to find the best fit for you!

I do know that when stress, overwhelm, and anxiety become a large part of my life my adrenal glands suffer the most! Also, I will be the first to admit that hydration for me is THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE! I may be Nutrition Therapy Practitioner, but this is the one health foundation for me that I am working on EVERY. SINGLE. DAY! If I am not getting my water intake and my adrenals are suffering I know this will be when a migraine will strike.

I spent the next several years being much more attentive to the adrenal support, upping self care in terms of hydration by introducing electrolytes into my daily regimen, making sure I was getting sleep, and it seemed to keep things at bay…for a while!

Let’s jump to the present day. I am 6 months into my diagnosis of Adult ADHD and one year into starting my new business in functional nutrition therapy and yoga. I decided, after A LOT of thought and research, that in November I would try a low dose stimulant medication to see if this could make a positive shift in my life. YUP! It sure did, and I was blown away by how amazing it was to actually feel the effects of my productivity and ability to stay focused. It was like nothing I have ever experienced before! I was getting shit done!

Then…the migraines….they return.

Within a month I started getting them again. About one or two a month, and after doing additional research on what was happening for my body while taking my medication I found that I was probably really lacking in magnesium and my other minerals, my B vitamins were low, and my adrenals were showing signs again of serious fatigue. I learned that my medication does deplete all of these things, so it was important for me to make sure I was getting proper supplementation of these things while I take these meds.

It seemed to make a difference for a while. But, my migraines were still around, and were seeming to increase and I was beginning to get so down and frustrated as I felt like I was doing everything right. I was taking my supplements, I was doing my yoga, my meditation, etc. The one thing that was seemingly making me think was if the stimulant medication was impacting me more than I realized. 

I feel the need to express to you all the importance of me working with my doctors and support in my nutrition and yoga world! These are theories and ideas I am continuing to work through. I am NOT a doctor, but I work really hard to listen to my body and ALWAYS ask questions. So, you too should find your resources, doctors, and supports to help you through this. 

This past week, I  had 4 migraines in 8 days! I was down and done. I was sad and I wanted answers! I am a functional nutrition therapy practitioner, I have skills! I am a yoga teacher, I have skills! Am not using my resources and my knowledge? I sat with my therapist in tears, and she quietly looked at me and asked me a VERY OBVIOUS question. “Do you do yoga when you have a migraine?” 

YUP. My therapist asked me…a yoga teacher, if I do yoga when I get a migraine. Do you know what I said? 

No. I don’t.

Sometimes the most obvious is the hardest to see. I laughed out loud. What in the world was I thinking? I have the tools, I have the skill, and I have the knowledge but I was so in the weeds of pain and agony that I was not able to see what I really needed. 

I went home, and the next morning I woke and grabbed my books, notes, and journals and started reading my yoga texts and notes. I put together some yoga sequences around how to support myself. Some very simple yoga steps to support myself during my migraines. And, now they are available for you!

Let me be completely clear, I still do not have all the answers to what in the world is happening in my body right now. What I do know, I know my body, and I need to listen to my body and USE MY RESOURCES!

What does that look like?

Well, I have an appointment with my Integrative Doctor in two weeks. I have the ability to order a DUTCH test and get my hormones, adrenals, cortisol levels, and thyroid checked out. And, I have the background to be able to nutritionally start to shift what I am eating to support my body. I am working hard at my business, raising my family, and to be honest…entering into Perimenopause so it is time for me to recognize my life is a lot right now, and I need to offer myself some grace…and keep doing my yoga!

Even when I get a migraine!

I am gifting you all this short sequence, a simple PDF that you are able to print out and have on hand, and a short guided video will be coming soon to be able to use when you need it most!

When you feel like you are in the weeds and are not sure what you need or how to move forward, I am there for you! Maybe it just needs to be a consultation call or maybe you are also getting to the point that you are wanting to take the next step: get some Functional Nutrition Therapy support and a DUTCH test done to get a FULL picture of what you need for your body!

I am here for you, to help and guide in whatever way you need. I am also walking through the weeds sometimes and it is important to know you have the ability to find the tools you need!  Seriously, download this PDF, and have it on hand, it is going to be a tool you won’t want to lose!

Classes are available in person and online for you! Start finding your resources to support your body.