The Migraine Trust

The Neurological Alliance has launched a national patient experience survey. It aims to collect vital information about the experiences of care received by people affected by neurological conditions. This will be used to help the neurological community to understand how much progress has been made in improving neurological services. The survey is open for three months, until the 17 January 2019, and you can do it here: http://www.myonlinesurvey.co.uk/NA18PAT/< br>

The BBC documentary ‘Body Clock: What Makes Us Tick?’ examines our body clocks. It’s a very interesting subject for #migraine and Lauren Strother, who is based at King’s College London, is investigating how our body clock impacts migraine triggering and susceptibility. It’s her hope that this work will result in the possibility of new treatment options and lifestyle changes that could help people with migraine. Lauren’s research was made possible thanks to individual supporters of The Migraine Trust whose donations have funded this project.

Want to know more about using placebos for treating pain? There’s a programme that you will be very interested in if you are. In ‘The Placebo Experiment: Can My Brain Cure My Body?’ Dr Michael Mosley embarks on Britain's largest ever trial to investigate the placebo effect. He discovers that the placebo effect is more than just a medical curiosity. He finds out that the brain is actually capable of producing its own drugs, and these can be more powerful than prescription painkillers!

A massive congratulations to Rebecca Chilcott for completing the Cardiff Half Marathon and raising over one thousand pounds for us! Rebecca has had migraine since the age of 15. Then, at the age of 29, it developed from episodic #migraine with aura into vestibular migraine. She wanted to run to raise funds for research into the condition. She also wanted to raise awareness of vestibular migraine.

Lucky enough to get a London Marathon place? If so, please consider running in support of The Migraine Trust! We can provide a fundraising pack, vest and lots of support and encouragement!
If you didn’t, why not take on a different challenge instead? We’ve places for the London Landmarks Half Marathon. It’s a new and interactive run around London’s landmarks. It’s also an excellent way to raise awareness of migraine and funds to support research into better treatment. Find out more about joining our team here www.migrainetrust.org/event/london-landma rks-half-marathon/

-Please share to help raise awareness of migraine-
Migraine has a number of symptoms and stages. Learn more about the most common symptoms of #migraine and the different stages of attacks here: www.migrainetrust.org/‚Ķ/migraine-what-‚ Ķ/symptoms-and-stages/

Do you send Christmas cards? Or, have you fallen out of the habit but would like to start sending them this year? The first step is to buy them! We have a great selection of cards that you can purchase which will support our work and raise awareness of #migraine.

Migraine can change over time. Read Karen’s story about how her #migraine changed over decades.

It’s less than six months until the London Landmarks Half Marathon but there’s still lots of time to train! It’s a fun way to see an amazing city, and you can raise funds to help relieve the pain of #migraine at the same time.

If #migraine is affecting your ability to work or is having a serious impact on your life in another way, you may be entitled to help from the government. We have a toolkit that explains what help you could get.

A huge thank you to Elkie and Ella for organising a fantastic fundraising Meet-up at their school! Not only did they raise funds to help people affected by migraine, they raised awareness of it too. Read about their Meet-up here: https://www.migrainetrust.org/elkie-and-e lla-meet-up-for-m…/ #MeetUp4Migraine #Migraine

Community pharmacy is the most accessible NHS care in the country, and did you know that you could get help from your community pharmacy if you get #migraine?

Do you find that your menstrual cycle affects your #migraine? There is a specific type of migraine called ‘menstrual migraine’ – read more about it and its treatment here: www.migrainetrust.org/…/types-of-migrai …/menstrual-migraine/

Want to better understand and manage your #migraine? Curelator is looking for people with migraine, who experience two or more attacks per month, to try out a new app which may help them better self-manage their condition. Instead of paying to access all its features, it is free to people who enter the code MTRUST18 during registration. Find out more about this powerful new digital health platform and how it could help you here: www.migrainetrust.org/n1headache/

The EMHA - European Migraine and Headache Alliance has launched a survey to look at how workplaces can help their employees with #migraine manage their condition. If you are working with migraine, you can help by undertaking this survey which is being carried out across Europe. Help promote workplaces that are #MindfulofMigraine. You can do the survey here: https://es.surveymonkey.com/r/FCKZ3GR?lan g=en

Thank you for your patience over the last few days as we were relocating. We are now settled into our new office. Our new telephone number is 0203 9510 150 and our new address is 4th Floor, Mitre House, 44-46 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1BN.

Can you help raise awareness of #migraine by displaying a poster? We need your help to get our poster displayed as widely as possible throughout the UK, for example in health centres, libraries, community venues and workplaces. Our poster aims to make more people aware of the existence of The Migraine Trust as a source of support and information about migraine. You can download them here: www.migrainetrust.org/supp…/raise-aware ness/display-a-poster

Eli Lilly and Company has announced that the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has issued a positive opinion for Emgality (galcanezumab) for the prophylaxis of migraine in adults who have at least four migraine days per month. This is the first regulatory step toward approval for Emgality in Europe. The CHMP positive opinion is now referred for final action to the European Commission, which grants approval in the European Union. Emgality is the second monoclonal antibody therapy for the prevention of migraine to be recommended for authorisation, following the positive opinion for Aimovig (erenumab) in May 2018.

Migraines are more common in women than in men and the difference is more common in the reproductive years. The main reason for this is the role of the female sex hormone which implicates the menstrual cycle as a significant migraine trigger for women. We are often asked about what this means for those with #migraine who want to take the contraceptive pill. Here’s an article about the effect of hormones in the contraceptive pill on migraine.

this page it's very helpful for me, migraine it's something new for me,i don't know anything about it yet.. just feeling amazing horrible pain..

good that you're here..

This is a wonderful resource for people who suffer from migraines and it is terrific news that he Migraine Trust will be recommending acupuncture for migraines in line with NICE and SIGN guidelines. I had migraines for years and acupuncture was the only thing that helped - I became so interested in finding out why, I became an acupuncturist myself!

The regular updates I get from the Migraine Trust has really helped me to find new ways to manage my migraines, from advice about where to find migraine clinics to just knowing I'm not alone.

So helpful, friendly & the travelling diary is such a great idea. Its an inspirational thing to sit & read before adding your own entry, knowing that the next person will gain hope & know that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Thank you so much, you made life bearable again for me! Xx

Really helpful on the two occasions I've needed their help. The best advice I've had to help control my migraines. So refreshing to be taken seriously, supported & not just be told to eat better, sleep more & reduce my stress! Can't recommend them too highly to fellow migraine sufferers

My story: I was plannin my wedding in march 2012, and started getting these awful migraines. I brushed them off as stress because i was getting married in may. Still in july i was getting them and no "pain killers" was working. They started me on medication and off i went. They still didnt go after a few months and my dose just got increased. Then medication got changed again and i also then got reffered to the neurologist! I had my first appointment in may 2014. They told me to stop taking the "painkillers" and try new medication. I have been on that ever since and unfortunately it hasnt worked, and im on 300mg a day! In this time i stopped certain foods and even quit smoking which didnt make a difference at all! I get these migraines atleast 20 times in a month! I have now also stopped working because i couldnt cope and had vertigo 3 times in this 2 year period. Im currently loosing the will to live as i know alot of people on here had it longer, but i havent got much willpower. I have my next neurologist on Thursday! This page is brillant and has gave me some hope sometimes. Its sad to see so many people have this horrible condition. Any support needed i am more than happy to try and help. ❤️

It's great to see advice about acupuncture for migraines, in line with NICE guidelines. A very effective and safe option for most sufferers. Thank you!

I've suffered with disabling migraines since the age of 14/15,I'm now 33.i lose my vision,my speech goes funny,my hearing,I'm numb in my face,arm,throat,and sometimes my leg,sometimes I throw up,and the pain,it's unbearable!I've had 20 in the last year,but 6 weeks ago,I had my daith pierced,and I've not had a single migraine.i was pretty sceptic about it and still do worry that I'll have one,but so far so good.maybe it doesn't work for everybody,but I'm starting to believe it works for me and I'd recommend it to anyone.i do like to read the stuff on here,it's very helpful.i sympathise with all of you sufferer's,migraines are absolutely vile!

I was diagnosed with cluster head aches about 4 years ago but have had them since I was 19 I am now 27. They are the most painful thing I have ever encountered. I suffered for years on cocodamol until my doctor finally after a scan diagnosed me with cluster headaches. I am grateful to find this as a resource as I am always willing to try something new, to see if it helps.

I tried acupuncture and for a while it did help but like everything else I have tried/taken my migraines have reverted back to the usual 4/5 per week. A week last Wednesday I had a Daith piercing which apparently is an acupuncture point for headaches and so far have had only one migraine. I know it's early days and won't hold my breath but so far so good

I suffer with migraines and my current migraine has lasted for three weeks and resulted in reduced function in the left side of my face, It's scary! I was rushed in to hospital with a suspected stroke and felt confused as to what was happening. Having been prescribed migraine tablets and confirmed that I have not had a stroke I have turned to this site for advice on what is going on, I wish I had looked at your site sooner. Thanks for the information it provides a lot of comfort.

I have suffered from migraine for around 35 years in varying severities. I have only recently found your page/website. Wish I had found it sooner!! I have been looking for a while for a migraine diary app and have just realised you have one. I have signed on and started filling in the details. So much better than writing on my wall calendar. Thank you.

I have mirgrains all the time slurred speach eyes hurt . Balance goes just want to sleep. I take froperyriptan naxpron for the pain . But i struggle alot but i still try and work but very hard some days

I have learned from this website more than I did from my doctor visit. I was prescribed muscle relaxers. The medicine help with the pain for a very short period of time and I also lost my sleep so I was very sad and frustrated. Having head aches is horrible :(

So I was still not satisfied with the diagnosis and did not like the side effects of a permanent medication . So I kept researching and came across this page. I have started to change some of the bad habits I had and its working for me :) Thank God I did not give up.!

Thank you for having this free information available to everyone.

Hi, my names Laura and I'm 14 years old. I suffer with really bad migraines( every second of every day) with loads of side effects: vomiting ( pretty much everyday), blurred vision/ can't see at all when happens ( every morning), numbness everywhere in my body, face drops when really bad. Slurred speech( once a week), Itching on my back and face( hurts ) and I get all of this every day and I would like to know what side effects people get and if they have been diagnosed, I have had tests ( MRI, lumber puncher and eye tests) I got a special eye test on Monday. My parents and friends and teachers do not understand and I need to know that someone gets this to

Hi, I've been suffering migraines since I was 14 and I'm now 30. I've had numerous different medications, including the odd injection in my time, and I suffer from a 'normal' migraine to hemiplegic migraines very occasionally depending on how stressed I am. I've just been told about these daith piercings that are supposed to help migraines. I am considering trying it to see if it helps, has anyone else tried this method? Has anyone got any experiences of it and if it does help? Also dies it matter which ear you get the piercing in depending on which side of the head you tend to get your migraines? Thank you, Emma

Hello everyone.

I have been suffering from chronic migraine for nearly 6 years. I am 28 years old.

I say I have chronic migraine because at the moment I suffer from migraine around 15 days a month. This year, I had a migraine for 180 consecutive days following my wedding day. I had a migraine on my wedding day, I had a migraine throughout my entire honeymoon, and then had the same migraine for the following five months (continually). I quit my job as a lawyer, which I love (I have since taken this back up for my own sanity) in hope that it would help. I have been prescribed most drugs - Amitriptyline, propanolol, sertraline, topomax - I am now on 50mg Nortriptyline per night which seemed to work initially but the pain is back worse than ever. I have tried the nerve blocker injection (twice), I've tried acupuncture, massage, holistic therapy, chiropractor, YOU NAME IT! This disorder is affecting my love life, my social life, my career, my relationship with my friends, family, my relationship with myself... no one understands and I feel extremely lonely. Life is not worth living anymore and I just want to know how everyone copes with this, how do you go on? I just want out now, I've had enough.

I wondered if anyone in this community has tried stress therapy? I think there might be a direct correlation between my migraines and my inability to cope with stress/my emotions. I am a highly stressed individual who has found it very difficult to cope with instances in my past and do wonder whether there is a psychological impact... does anyone have any experience with this therapy and if so, was it successful? I have booked in to see a psychotherapist who specialises in this type of work.

Thank you everyone for allowing me to waffle on - I have no where else to turn.

Acupuncture has been recommended by NICE for the prevention of chronic migraines for the last three years. Thank you for finally choosing to tell migraine sufferers about all NICE recommended treatments, not just pharmaceutical ones. My patients and their doctors wonder why they haven't heard that acupuncture is effective for the prevention of migraines, why they had to rely on word of mouth. Now we'll be able to tell them that they can find out more about it form you, the UKs leading Migraine Charity. Thank you and well done!!

A company that stands behind what is blubbers out of it's mouth for once, On a national realm, It not only says what it has done but also allows us to talk about them as well. A company where you can really put your hair down AND "trust"; these are few and far between. Thank you, I will stand up and say for so many that cant!