Migraine and Work: Can anyone give me... - National Migraine...

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Migraine and Work

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Can anyone give me advice or their experiences on Migraine and ability to work. I have been started on Propranolol and its working but i fell over at the weekend and wondered if i have any right to pursue stopping work?. They say normally "oh you cant go on the sick because of Medication"!, but that seems silly. Ive been struggling and am at my wits end. Its also made my OCD bad aswell and my stress and Anxiety, since these Migraines started 5 yrs ago. Can anyone help or give me some advice?.

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Raggy-Doll profile image
Raggy-Doll

I can't give you any advice sorry- but I can give you sympathy and support. I quit my last job when I was so ill and because I felt I was pushed out by people who just had no empathy for this 'invisible illness'. People don't seem to understand how deliberating it is. I've currently been off work in my current job for many months with chronic migraines. I don't have a life at all! Working should be a low priority with my health the way it is, but obviously it's always going to be a major concern to push to get back to work.

I found some useful information on the migraine trust website, including an advocacy toolkit they sent me. I've included a link to a digital version- this should give you more information.

What I've found from talking to different people however, if that, in the case of migraines it is judged by an individual case by case basis, but it rarely goes in the sufferers favour.

Hope you start feeling better soon.

employment.migrainetrust.or...

ACritical profile image
ACritical

Wean yourself off as much as is possible from medication, you are in a vicious circle, can you not see that? Anxiety ,stress, strong medication will be a cause of your next migraine attack for sure. HELP YOURSELF!. Eat and sleep regularly ,not constantly. Go to bed at a set time and get up at a set time even whilst you are having a headache, else you will get another one 12 hours later. Make a food and drink diary. Do everything in moderation, so no sudden burst of exercise, watch weather forecasts/fluxating barometric readings etc. Cook from scratch, prevent eating ready made food, additives ARE triggers. Mine is citrus and citric acid which is added to so many products on supermarket shelves. If you want to take some medication take 1 Neurofen extra plus 2 Paraceatamols with some food every 4 hours and not more then Twice in 12/24 hrs. Won't cure the headache but make it acceptable to live with for the day. You don't have to quit work, get yourselves some sunglasses and wear them on headachy days. It's a way of life you have to introduce to yourself and if you don't, then get on with moaning and self pity which won't cure it either. I might sound hard and direct, but it is like that. You and you alone with perhaps a bit of medical help will have to find a way to manage your disorder, like people that have diabetes have to do 24 hrs a day, etc. If you manage to do it, you will be rewarded with long spells of headache free days. Remember always to stay positive and that alone will spur you on to do the right thing. I wish you well, but you have to make it so!

By the way, have your vit.B12 checked, if reading is under 350 you might benefit of B12 injections / Hydroxocobalamin injections, they help me with the neurological symptoms.

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