Migraine Awareness Week - Latha's Story

Dr Latha Rajan’s Patient Story

I have been suffering from migraine for nearly 37 years, although I was formally diagnosed about five or six years after I started getting the periodic headaches. The frequency and severity of the headaches steadily got worse over the years, and I found that the headaches were responding less and less to my usual pain killers.

I was referred to The Walton Centre seven years ago after the multiple prophylaxis, given by my GP, were not working and the attacks were affecting my work and personal life.

My headache diary showed that I could have migraine attacks lasting between 15-20 days a month, I was diagnosed as having chronic migraines.

The headaches and nausea would incapacitate me for days, and the disruption to my life was significant. Working full-time in a busy job as a radiologist, and having to deal with chronic migraines on top of this, was becoming incredibly challenging.

I went through a range of preventive treatments for years, at The Walton Centre, from regular medications to Botox injections with variable results. I also needed occipital nerve blocks a few times for very severe episodes when the pain was unrelenting, which did help in the short term.

Apart from a few close friends and family, I found it difficult to explain my prolonged migraine attacks to others.

About two years ago, after my second course of Botox injections, which seemed to be less effective than the previous one, I was offered the ‘Ajovy’ injections by my neurologist Dr Krishnan.

This new treatment has been a gamechanger for me. The monthly injections can be taken in the comfort of my own home and have significantly reduced my migraine days to three to seven a month. Also, when I do get a migraine, the intensity is much less and I could now recover in a matter of hours, rather than before, when it would be several days.

It drastically changed my life.

Before this treatment, I was on a cycle of work, migraine, painkillers, rest and more migraine. Most of my days used to start with either mild, moderate or severe headaches and I had almost forgotten what it is like to be able to plan the day ahead, free of the fear of ending up with an attack. I have been able to restart hobbies, catch-ups with friends, travel, take up running and hiking. I feel like I’ve got my life back.

I think chronic migraine is, unfortunately, underestimated and many people do not realise how much of a detrimental effect it can have on work, personal life and also the rest of the family. I know of people who have had to give up their careers because of the severity of the attacks.

I feel very grateful to have received the newer migraine medications and I think that referral to a specialist migraine service would benefit many more people like me who have been massively affected by prolonged migraine attacks.

Because sometimes migraine is not a headache.     

Carl Bradley, Headache Advanced practitioner

My role involves supporting our consultant team by reviewing and providing treatments for headache patients will all types of headache disorders. I have been caring for headache patients for the last ten years at The Walton Centre, during this time I have seen the development of many different treatments which have helped migraine suffers get their life back.

I enjoy making a difference and supporting patients along their treatment journey. The Trust has supported my development, enabling me to complete my MSc in advanced clinical practice incorporating a non-medical prescribing qualification. This enables me to prescribe preventative and acute medications which improves access to treatments for our patients and can reduce waiting times. I have learnt over the course of my time in this role that although we have many effective treatment options, there are also important things patients can do to improve their condition such as avoid regular painkiller use, avoid caffeine, and complete headache dairies so their management plan can be optimised.

Anthea's Migraine Story

Ever since primary school I can remember headaches affecting me quite regularly and, on talking to the teacher, I would end up having my ponytail taken out and tied up tighter. This response probably explains why I feel reluctant to discuss headaches and migraines to this day. The cause was initially put down to tension headaches and later, in my teens and early twenties, this progressed to ‘time of the month’ migraines.

Over the years the situation escalated to the point where working was a challenge, but wherever possible I carried on, again to avoid attracting attention. Even in retirement doing anything at all would always be accompanied by the ongoing struggle with migraine. At the doctor’s suggestion I was trying a variety of preventative medications, all without success. None of these were specifically for migraine and most of them had some sort of side effect that wasn’t particularly welcome. 

I had been aware of The Walton Centre and wondered if they could help me out in any way. Following my request to be referred, Dr Krishnan recommended Botox injections at the hospital, which were very effective, but again not specifically for migraines. The availability of Ajovy, developed for migraine and also administered at home, has been the best treatment to date. I’m expecting that migraines and general headaches will always be with me, but having an effective treatment plan make the situation easier to manage, and my quality of life is much improved.

Since my referral to The Walton Centre, I’ve been looked after really well and together with the advances in patient care for migraine and better access to treatment options, my own management of migraines and headaches has moved forward significantly.

I can remember when there were very limited options in terms of treatment and there has certainly been a great leap forward on the medical side of things which is good news for patients.  I think there is still a general feeling in wider society that having a migraine is the same as a very bad headache and it’s quite a challenge to change this perception, one that I hope Migraine Awareness Week will go some way to meeting.