I just had my worst migraine month in a long time

June was my worst migraine month in a long time.

I felt like I could barely go a day without needing medication.

It was a big month of changes: two out-of-state trips, a new summer schedule for the kids, my June Support Month sale, major house repairs, and participating in local Migraine and Headache Awareness events.

When I read that back to myself, I think, "No wonder I had so many migraine attacks!"

Our migraine brains get easily overwhelmed by change, whether it's travel, weather, stress, or changes in routine.

June threw a lot at my nervous system, even though it was all good stuff.

I've also noticed a weird pattern since entering perimenopause of alternating between good and bad migraine months. (Anyone else?)

So far in July, I've felt so much more resilient and less sensitive to migraine. My symptoms are down, and I'm able to tolerate being outside and physically active again. (I just went on an hour-long bike ride yesterday!)

In our monthly Beyond Migraine Alumni Call, I shared what helped me get through this challenging month.

Nip migraine symptoms in the bud. Since I often woke up with a migraine attack, I started treating my migraine more aggressively the night before to try to prevent morning symptoms. I alternated between my CEFALY device (affiliate link) and acute medication. I definitely used more acute medication than normal, which always makes me worry about Medication Adaptation Headache (AKA rebound headahe). But this month I'm doing much better and needing medication less often.

Adapt your activities to your symptoms. I canceled more often and opted out of more social activities in June. I didn't exercise as much and completely dropped my strength training workouts. I was especially bummed to miss a dance performance I was supposed to be in because of migraine. I became more conservative with my energy, but I also felt less despair about doing less than I might have in the past. It felt temporary instead of permanent.

Keep trying new migraine strategies. Even after living with migraine for nearly two decades, I still found myself experimenting. I tried a new preventive medication (Venlafaxine), but only for one day because it gave me terrible insomnia. I recently tried CBD for the first time and am continuing to adjust my HRT dosing. Not all of my migraine experiments help, but some do—like adding more CEFALY Acute treatments before bed.

The seasons change, and so does our migraine.

When we adapt to our migraine instead of trying to force migraine to adapt to us, it's easier to ebb and flow with this challenging condition.

Sometimes we can do more with fewer symptoms and less medication.

Other times, when symptoms are high, we need to do less while using more medication.

Learning to accept these inevitable migraine fluctuations with less resistance has helped me tremendously on my migraine journey.

This kind of flexibility is something we spend a lot of time practicing inside Beyond Migraine. Our next coaching group begins September 21, and if you're looking for more support learning how to adapt to the changing seasons of migraine, we can't wait to have you join us.

I'd love to hear from you. Hit reply and let me know: Do you also alternate between good migraine months and bad migraine months?

This is a newer pattern for me, and I don't hear many people talk about it.

Take care,

Adriane

PS. This funny Instagram reel I created encapsulates how I felt last month. I hope you can relate. 😅