Migraine Folks: The word is they lessen with age. Can you confirm this?

sfnative · ‎03-10-2010

Hi Everyone,

Hope you're weathering this intrusion at least halfway decently; but, am wondering if some of you are in a panic, as is my son-in-law. We live in a state with low disease numbers, yet he's crawling out of his skin. Me? I'm a cool Josephine.

That being said, with regard to the migraine question posed, I'd love to hear from those of you who have had migraines for a long time. And, I'd like to know if the frequency and/or intensity of your migraines have lessened to any extent.

I ask, because I deem myself to be perhaps one of the most unluckiest migraineurs. This claim can be made due to the fact that having retired and now added more than 5 years to my age, I've not only the left side/eye/face migraine, but now right parietal migraine, as well as right forehead migraine. These diagnoses per my headache doc.

There was to have been a brain CT, but this was postponed until early June, in the hopes that our uber strict governor will allow travel for non-essential CTs.

So not only do I now have 3 anatomical origins for migraine, but this increases my chances for stroke beyond what it already was - perhaps another two-fold.

So...If you have migraine, I'm interested in learning of your journey. If yours were hormone driven, not so interested, as that was never my pathophysiology, in the 35 year journey with migraine which remains ongoing in my life.

Thank you for any input you can share.

Carolm · ‎09-05-2013

@sfnative In answer to your question, I started getting migraines at about age 18 and at that time there weren't many drugs I could be given. While in my 20s, 30s, I was getting them probably three times a week. Migraines continued through my middle years and as I reached my 60's I noticed that I was getting them less frequently. At this point in my life, age 77, I may get a migraine once every few months, and Imitrex is able to stop it in its tracks. So as far as I am concerned, they do occur less and less frequently with age.

beach-mom · ‎03-09-2010

@sfnative - I can confirm it. I started getting them at 19 in college, and had no idea what was happening to me. We had a family friend who was chief surgeon of a hospital and he ordered all kinds of tests on me. They diagnosed migraines. My mom never had them, BUT her twin sister did. They went away when she turned 40, so I had hope. That didn't happen for me! My pregnancies were rough because I couldn't take anything strong. I've been on and off medications through the years. They wanted me to get a shot when I felt one coming on, Yeah, right. The doctor was at least a 30 minute drive (with not much traffic), and I was teaching, so I never got the shots.

Mine started getting farther and farther apart with age. Instead of having a major one a few times a month, I now have one once in a while. The only medication I take is Excedrin. I lie down in a dark room with a cold wet cloth on my head. For some reason the low volume of the TV comforts me. I also get very nauseous, so my bucket is by my bed. I also get tension headaches more frequently, but I can handle those.

I had one the afternoon of my first day of teaching. It was brutal - I couldn't even drive home. I don't even remember what I said to my students (thank goodness they were old enough to understand). I was OK the next day - just felt like I had a hangover!

I've missed a lot of things because of them, everything from a dental appointment and meeting one of DD's special friends and parents for the first time (they came over and DH took everyone out to eat), to a surprise award I was getting (the biggest surprise was I wasn't there!).

I don't worry much about other medical situations I might have because of these. I just manage them the best I can. I hope yours become less frequent too!

Mz iMac · ‎07-26-2014

My first migraine - age 46

Current age - 69

3 yrs ago, the migraines have been less frequent as well as less intensity. My nurologists stopped my daily med & I now see her once a year.

The only rx I take now is Imitrex Nasal Spray which stops the migraine in its tracks.

"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."

patbz · ‎03-10-2010

I had a friend who had numerous migraines ( she was in her forties). She died of an aneurysm. Please be careful, don't assume that it's merely a nuisance!

ItsME · ‎03-10-2010

I've had migraines my entire adult life. There were three triggers..... stress, allergies and food sensitivities, and hormones. Then there are the ones where I can't identify the trigger. I still get the one triggered by allergies/food sensitivity and the unknown.

figuring out my triggers, along with menopause, greatly reduced the frequency of my migraines. My food triggers include tree nuts and milk products.

Imitrex makes me sick. I take Maxalt, which works like a charm.

good luck getting to the bottom of the causes of your migraines.

NEvans2 · ‎01-15-2017

I have had migraines my entire adult life. I started getting them in my early twenties. Then like magic they disappeared when I was 34 and got pregnant with my older son. They continued to stay away for almost ten years. When I went into peri menopause at age 44, they came back with a vengeance. Both my PCP and my OB-GYN assured me they would pretty much go away, or at least be much fewer and far between. Well, here I am 65, and I still get them. They are almost always weather related.. I am very sensitive to changes in the barometric pressure. Other triggers are bright light and red wine. Those I can control, the weather, not so much. So, I just take my Imitrix and hope it kicks in before I get nauseated or my head explodes.

Xivambala · ‎07-26-2019

In a nutshell, the frequency has not lessened with age, but the intensity has. I started with headaches as an adolescent. I had some pretty brutal ones in my 20's. They advanced in my 30's to the point of a hospitalization. I finally got official medical help, and have been on medication since. I am in my mid 60's now. I no longer have the 'suicide headaches' that I did when I was younger where I wanted to kill myself. The frequency really hasn't lessened. It does come and go sometimes. Right now with the current crisis, it's bad. I'm sure it's due to stress.

CAcableGirl2 · ‎06-03-2010

I used to get bad migraines, about one every 2 months or so. No one in my family gets them and I never figured out what brought them on.....or made them almost go away. Now, it's about once a year, and when I notice the "wavy" lines coming across my vision, I know that one is coming on.

I'm usually either at work, or away from home, and I quickly get a Pepsi or Coke and drink it. That usually makes them go away by about 75%. Anything with a lot of caffeine.

For anyone suffering from migraines, you have my sympathy, they are miserable.

For me anyway, they did go away with age, I had them from about age 25-40 and now they rarely happen.

......You look like I need a drink.....