How do I convince DH to go to doctors about migraines?

[Wigeon]

My DH suffers from migraines which I am sure have got worse in the last few years. They aren't that bad, considering how bad migraines can be, but he needs to take himself off to bed to sleep them off, and he's started feeling sick when he gets them too.

His brother suffers from really bad migraines (controlled by quite strong drugs sometimes), his mother does too and I think sister does as well.

At the moment he deals with them by stopping whatever he is doing, going to bed for several hours (or overnight if it's the evening) and taking an over-the-counter migraine pill (which makes him feel very sleepy). When he wakes up, he usually feels better.

I have been trying to nag persuade him to go to the doctors about it but he just won't. He won't even call them migraines - he says they are just headaches. I would hate for his "headaches" to get as bad as his brother's, which sound truely horrible.

Without knowing much about the subject, I just think the doctor would be able to suggest better drugs or management strategies, and stop the migraines affecting his life. I don't think DH is particuarly doctor-phobic - he is just in denial that anything can be done, and doesn't want to complain.

I should add that on several occasions the migraines have affected me too as they've come just when we've got friends over who we haven't seen for ages, or when we had plans to do something, or when I'm feeling crap myself and could really do with him looking after DD. Or when I've just cooked a delicious meal (as tonight!). (I should add I definitely don't think there's anything at all malicious about this, I think he really does have a migraine and it's just bad timing). So there's a bit of self-interest here as well!

How do I convince him to get himself to the doctors?

[Wigeon]

Oh, and sometimes he has to leave work (secondary teacher) to come home and sleep off a migraine, which is also obviously not ideal.

[moaningminniewhingesagain]

The main thing the doctor can do is prescribe him some Good Drugs - painkillers or something like sumitriptan.

You can get antisickness stuff that is absorbed directly from the mouth rather than a tablet to swallow, which is good is you feel very sick.

May be worth keeping a symptom diary over next 3-4 weeks to see if there are any triggers - eg certain foods, exercise, etc.

If they are frequent can get medications to help prevent them too, like betablockers.

[Superfly]

Sometimes the best way to deal with a migraine is to 'sleep them off'. I suffer from them - and to be honest sleep and a couple of paracetamol is anough to ward off the worst of it. Over the counter specific migraine treatment has never worked for me. Sometimes I have had to leave work - sometimes I don't. Sometimes I feel nauseous and vomit - sometimes I don't.

Friends of mine who are on prescribed stronger drugs for migraine seem to suffer side effects from the drugs. Im my mind migraine is bad enough without that.

I would suggest looking for 'triggers' which can be citrus, coffee, cigarettes, perfumes, caffeine, chocolate, red wine, cheese, lack of sleep, too much sleep, brightness, weather conditions. As you can see - some of these will be you able to idenify easier than others.

I know these are probably affecting you, (as they do my DH) but unfortunately you can't time manage migraines not to happen when you have an event of something nice planned.

Best of luck

[Wigeon]

Thanks for the advice and sorry for not replying sooner. I know that DH doesn't plan his migraines for when nice things are happening - it's just frustrating when I don't feel he's necessarily helping himself as much as he could! We have been trying to identify possible triggers - I think it might be stress (tiring day at work) or tension (eg when he tenses his shoulders on a long car journey). Although it's difficult as there doesn't always seem to be an immediate effect following the possible cause!

Anyway, thanks again both for replying.

[notapizzaeater]

My DH has bad migraines, normally brought on by eating "long life" bread of any sorts. He has the over the counter stuff and goes to bed for a few hours.

Hope you get him to Doctors ....