Marta and Shelby share their migraine stories

Migraine Canada

30 Jun 202205:45

Summary

TLDRThis video script shares the personal experiences of individuals like Marta and Shelby, who live with migraine disease, a condition affecting over a billion people worldwide. It highlights the invisible and disabling nature of migraines, which are often misunderstood as 'just headaches.' The script discusses the emotional impact, including fear and frustration, and the challenges of finding effective treatments. It introduces CGRP treatments as a promising new approach and emphasizes the importance of raising awareness to combat the stigma and support those suffering from migraines.

Takeaways

🤔 Migraines are more than just headaches; they are a brain disorder that can cause various symptoms including neck and shoulder pain, nausea, and sensitivity to touch.
😣 The pain of a migraine can be debilitating, often described as a vice squeezing the head, and it affects every aspect of a person's life.
🏥 Migraines are common, affecting one in seven people worldwide, which equates to over a billion individuals.
🌐 People with migraines often face misunderstanding and stigma, as the disorder is invisible and not well-understood by the general public.
🧬 Historically, migraine treatments were not specifically designed for the condition, leading to a reliance on borrowed treatments from other medical fields.
💊 The overuse of acute migraine medications can result in medication overuse headaches or rebound headaches, exacerbating the problem.
🆕 CGRP treatments represent a new and exciting class of migraine treatments that are specifically targeted towards migraines.
🔍 It's important for migraine patients to try different treatments because there's no surefire way to predict which treatment will work for a given individual.
💭 The fear of treatments becoming ineffective and the impact of migraines on future life events, such as having a family, are significant concerns for those living with migraines.
🌟 Despite the challenges, there is hope for a better understanding and management of migraines, allowing those affected to live more authentically.

Q & A

What are the initial symptoms Marta experiences when a migraine attack begins?
-Marta starts feeling more neck pain and shoulder pain, experiences really bad pain behind one of her eyes, and becomes nauseous. Her head feels sensitive to touch as if a vice was squeezing it, and she starts having issues speaking due to the unimaginable pain.
How does migraine affect Marta's daily life and hobbies?
-Migraine affects every aspect of Marta's life, including her passion for traveling, reading, walking with her dog, spending time with friends and family, enjoying sports, especially baseball, and attending concerts.
What was Shelby's first experience with migraines and when was she diagnosed?
-Shelby first started experiencing migraines around grade two or three and thought it was just part of her. She was officially diagnosed with migraine when her family immigrated to Canada at the age of 15.
What is the prevalence of migraine disease worldwide?
-One in seven people in the world, which is more than a billion, have migraine disease.
How does migraine present differently in different people, and what are the common features?
-Migraine is a brain disorder that presents differently in different people. The most common feature associated with migraines is the headache, but other things like sensitivities to light, sound, and smell can also come with migraines.
What is the historical stigma associated with migraines?
-Historically, there has been stigma around people who have headaches, often seen as just complaining. Headache hasn't been as studied or recognized, and it's an invisible disorder, making it hard for others to understand its impact.
What is the duration of a migraine attack for Shelby, and how does it vary?
-Shelby's migraine attacks can last from three to six hours, but there have been times, like last month, where she had a migraine for 10 days straight.
How did Shelby react when she first found out she had migraines?
-Shelby's first reaction was anger, as she felt she had a disease and a weakness that she had to live with. She also had a fear about another migraine attack coming up and was frustrated about how it affected her social life.
What complications can arise from using acute treatments for migraines?
-Using many short-acting medications to treat headache attacks can lead to medication overuse or rebound headaches, which can make the headache problem worse.
What are CGRP treatments and why are they significant in migraine management?
-CGRP treatments are the newest family of migraine treatments and are exciting because they are the first treatment that is actually migraine-targeted, meaning they are specifically designed to address migraines.
How has treatment with CGRP medications affected Marta's experience with migraines?
-After trying CGRP medications, Marta is no longer afraid of her migraine attacks and is not angry anymore. The treatment has helped her manage her episodic migraine attacks.
What are the concerns and hopes Shelby has for her future with migraine disease?
-Shelby is concerned about the future and how migraine will affect her life, especially when considering having a family. She hopes more people learn about the debilitating nature of migraines and that she can enjoy life without hiding behind a mask.

Outlines

00:00

🤕 Living with Migraines: Personal Experiences and Challenges

The paragraph introduces individuals named Marta and Shelby who both live with migraine disease. They describe the onset of a migraine attack, which includes severe neck and shoulder pain, extreme sensitivity behind one eye, nausea, and an overall sensitivity to touch. They liken the pain to a vice squeezing the head and mention that migraines affect every aspect of their lives, from traveling and reading to spending time with loved ones and attending sports events. The script highlights that migraines are an under-studied and often stigmatized brain disorder that can be extremely disabling despite being invisible. It also discusses the frustration of having migraines and the difficulty in finding effective treatments, as well as the fear and anger associated with living with a condition that is not well understood and can be unpredictable in its severity and duration.

05:00

🌟 Hope for the Future: Raising Awareness and Seeking Relief

This paragraph emphasizes the desire for increased awareness about the debilitating nature of migraines and the hope for a better understanding and treatment of the condition. The speaker expresses a longing to live life without hiding behind a facade and to be true to themselves despite living with migraine disease. The paragraph concludes with a hopeful outlook towards enjoying life without the constraints imposed by migraines.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Migraine

Migraine is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent severe headaches often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. In the video, it is described as more than just a headache, affecting every aspect of the individuals' lives, causing them to experience neck and shoulder pain, eye pain, nausea, and sensitivity to touch. The script emphasizes the debilitating nature of migraines, which can last from a few hours to several days, severely impacting daily activities and social life.

💡Nauseous

Nauseous refers to the feeling of discomfort in the stomach with an urge to vomit, which is a common symptom experienced during a migraine attack. The script mentions that individuals with migraines often feel nauseous, contributing to the overall discomfort and making it difficult to carry out daily tasks or enjoy leisure activities.

💡Sensitivity to touch

Sensitivity to touch, or allodynia, is a condition where the skin becomes overly sensitive to touch, even to the point where normal, gentle touch can cause pain. The video script describes the head feeling like it's being squeezed by a vice, illustrating the heightened sensitivity to touch that migraine sufferers experience, which can exacerbate their discomfort and limit their ability to engage in physical activities.

💡Stigma

Stigma refers to the negative attitudes and discrimination that people may face due to a particular condition or characteristic. In the context of the video, the stigma around migraines is highlighted as a barrier to understanding and empathy. People with migraines are often dismissed or told to 'just drink more water,' which reflects a lack of recognition of the severity and impact of the condition.

💡Invisible disorder

An invisible disorder is a condition that is not immediately apparent to others, as it may not have visible physical symptoms. The video script emphasizes that migraines are an invisible disorder, which can lead to misunderstandings and lack of support. The invisibility of the condition contributes to the stigma and the challenges faced by individuals in managing their migraines.

💡Acute treatments

Acute treatments are medications or interventions taken to alleviate symptoms during an attack of a condition. In the video, acute treatments for migraines are mentioned as short-acting medications that can be taken when a migraine attack occurs. However, the script also warns about the potential for medication overuse or rebound headaches, which can make the migraine problem worse.

💡Preventive treatments

Preventive treatments are designed to reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. The video discusses the importance of trying different types of treatments to find what works best for an individual, as there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Preventive treatments aim to keep migraines from being so debilitating in the first place.

💡CGRP treatments

CGRP (Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide) treatments are a new class of medications specifically targeting the mechanisms of migraines. The video script describes CGRP treatments as exciting because they are the first to be migraine-targeted, offering a more specific approach to managing the condition. The script shares a personal experience where CGRP medications were effective in reducing the fear and anger associated with migraine attacks.

💡Rebound headaches

Rebound headaches are headaches that occur as a result of overusing headache medication. The video script mentions that taking many short-acting medications to treat headache attacks can lead to medication overuse and rebound headaches, which can make the headache problem worse. This highlights the complexity of managing migraines and the need for careful consideration of treatment options.

💡Debilitating

Debilitating refers to something that severely weakens or incapacitates a person. The video script uses this term to describe the impact of migraines on individuals' lives, emphasizing that it is not just a minor inconvenience but a condition that can significantly disrupt daily activities, social interactions, and overall quality of life.

💡Pop culture fanatic

A pop culture fanatic is someone who is extremely enthusiastic about popular culture, often including entertainment, music, and trends. The video script mentions this term to illustrate the hobbies and interests that individuals with migraines have to navigate around their condition. It shows that despite living with migraines, individuals still have passions and interests that they want to pursue.

Highlights

Migraine attack symptoms include neck and shoulder pain, severe pain behind one eye, nausea, and head sensitivity.

Migraine is more than a headache; it affects every aspect of life, including hobbies and social activities.

Marta and Shelby share their personal experiences of living with migraine disease.

Marta was diagnosed with migraines at the age of 15 when her family immigrated to Canada.

Shelby experienced migraines since grade two or three, initially thinking it was just a part of her.

One in seven people worldwide, over a billion, have migraine disease.

Migraine is a brain disorder with common features like headache and sensitivities to light, sound, and smell.

Historically, migraine has been stigmatized as just a headache complaint.

Migraine is an invisible disorder that can be extremely disabling.

Marta and Shelby discuss the frustration of others not understanding the severity of migraines.

Migraine attacks can last from a few hours to several days.

Shelby's initial reaction to her migraine diagnosis was anger and fear of being different.

Marta had to stop working due to non-stop pain and went on sick leave.

Traditional migraine treatments were borrowed from other conditions, often ineffective or causing rebound headaches.

CGRP treatments are a new, migraine-targeted treatment option.

It's important for migraine patients to try multiple treatments to find what works for them.

Marta's fear of treatment becoming ineffective and the impact on her future migraines.

Shelby is learning to live with migraines without fear or anger, embracing her identity.

Marta is reevaluating her life at 47, considering how migraine will affect her future, including family planning.

Both Marta and Shelby hope for increased awareness and understanding of migraines.

The documentary ends with a message of hope for living a fulfilling life despite migraine disease.