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Linda has been compensated by MyHealthTeam to share her story. Images of family and friends appear courtesy of Linda. All other individuals are actors and models appearing in licensed stock imagery shown for illustrative purposes only.
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:15:16
Linda
I'm never going to forget when I walked into the doctor's office and was approved for a treatment, I got emotional and I started crying. I was excited that there was going to be a light at the end of the tunnel.
00:00:15:18 - 00:00:39:06
Linda
When I get a migraine, it starts with a tiny light and then it just starts getting bigger and depending on what side it's on, half my body goes numb. Before starting a preventive treatment, it was very difficult because not only did I not know what to take, I didn't even know what I had. Ever since I was eight years old when I got my first migraine
00:00:39:06 - 00:01:00:06
Linda
all the way up until my 20s, doctor visit, after doctor visit, I had no idea what it was that I was dealing with. And finally, when you’re told, “No, sweetie, this is what you've been dealing with. You've been dealing with migraine your whole life,” that's a huge relief. Just even knowing was a huge relief for me.
00:01:00:08 - 00:01:25:01
Linda
I have to say, it's such a relief when you find something that works for you. Having preventive treatment has definitely impacted my life. In the past, there was so much that I couldn't participate in, and now I can spend time with my family. So it definitely has helped me so much. Researching also has helped me because like I said, there's so much out there that you can do to help yourself,
00:01:25:03 - 00:01:49:12
Linda
and that's definitely impacted my life positively, now. I was so excited when I did get approved for preventive treatment, but it did help me live my everyday life a lot better. Our biggest desire is not have to deal with migraine on an everyday basis, so that definitely is the only reason I ever decided I needed a preventive treatment.
00:01:49:14 - 00:02:02:22
Linda
But definitely that's my goal. You have to find a way. My name is Linda and I live with migraine.
Linda has been living with migraine since she was 8 years old. It took her years to understand what she was experiencing and get proper treatment. In this video, she tells her story of how she knew she found the right preventive migraine treatment.
Before starting migraine treatment, Linda faced some difficulties. She dealt with migraine pain and also the confusion of not knowing what was happening to her. Linda’s migraine attacks start with a visual disturbance that can lead to numbness in half her body. Migraine had a huge impact on Linda’s life and quality of life and prevented her from participating in events.
When it comes to migraine treatment, there are two main types of treatment options: acute and preventive.1 Acute migraine treatments are taken at the onset of a migraine attack. Preventive treatments are meant to reduce the number of migraine attacks (as well as how long they last and how severe they are), reduce reliance on acute medications, and improve functioning, among other goals.1
It’s important to communicate the details of your life with migraine to your health care provider.2 They will make migraine treatment recommendations based on how bad your migraine symptoms are, how much they affect your life, how frequently you get migraine attacks, and some other factors.1
These are some of the signs that told Linda she found the right preventive migraine treatment for her.
Migraine treatments can cause a range of side effects. Acute treatments like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may create stomach and cardiovascular issues.1 Some oral (taken by mouth) preventive treatments like anti-seizure medications may cause side effects like issues with thinking and concentration, dizziness, and mood changes. Antidepressants may cause tiredness and weight gain, among other side effects.3
The side effects you experience may be a factor in your decision to stay on a migraine treatment. A large study of people with migraine found that a main reason for stopping a migraine medication involved side effects.4 Ask your health care provider about possible side effects. If a treatment works well to prevent your migraine attacks, you may decide that you are open to dealing with certain side effects. However, it’s also important to consider how side effects may impact your overall quality of life.
Another sign that you may have found the right preventive migraine treatment is a reduced frequency of migraine attacks that impact your daily life. Linda described the positive impact preventive migraine treatment has had on her life: “Now I can spend time with my family,” she said, explaining how she knew she found the right migraine treatment.
“Now I can spend time with my family.” — Linda, describing her life on preventive migraine treatment
You may feel like a preventive migraine treatment is working for you if your quality of life and mood improve. “It did help me live my everyday life a lot better,” Linda said about her life with preventive migraine treatment. According to the American Headache Society, improving health-related quality of life is a goal of migraine prevention.1
— Linda, describing her experience with preventive migraine treatment
You may encounter other signs — besides those discussed here — that you’ve found the right preventive migraine treatment. It’s important to be open and honest with your health care provider about your migraine and its effects on your life and quality of life.2 It may take some trial and error, but finding the right preventive treatment should help reduce your migraine attacks and improve your quality of life.1 “It’s such a relief when you find something that works for you,” Linda said.
To find the right treatment for your migraine:
ABBV-US-01693-MC V1.0 Approved 9/2024
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April Reese, Ph.D., a director of U.S. Medical Affairs at AbbVie
is currently focused on supporting migraine-related initiatives.
Learn more about her here.
Elizabeth Wartella, M.P.H., an editor at MyHealthTeam who has written this article in collaboration with AbbVie
holds a Master’s in Public Health from Columbia University. She is passionate about spreading accurate, evidence-based health information.
Learn more about her here.
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