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For years, Barb DiGiovanni felt like she was caught in a cycle of either dealing with the pain of a migraine attack, treating an attack, or worrying about when the next one would happen.
"I was so used to having migraines on a regular basis and I was constantly concerned about the next one. I was always thinking, 'When I wake up tomorrow, am I going to have a migraine?'" said DiGiovanni.
She tried various over-the-counter and prescription medications to treat her migraine symptoms and pain, but with little success. Finally, DiGiovanni found a new physician who encouraged her to talk about the impact her migraines were having on her life. Because her migraines frequently interfered with her normal routine, her physician prescribed a preventive medication, which is taken daily to help stop a migraine before it starts, so she can get fewer of them.
"When I took acute medications, the pain went away, but the migraine would always come back. When I started taking a preventive, that changed. I didn't worry as often that a migraine was going to cause me to miss important events with my kids or my husband," explained DiGiovanni.
She is not alone. Migraine continues to be an underdiagnosed and misunderstood condition that affects nearly 30 million Americans, many of whom are dissatisfied with their current treatment.
Open and honest communication between patients and physicians is often the first step to finding an effective migraine treatment. Studies have shown that the majority of physicians ask about migraine patients' symptoms and the frequency of attacks, but less than half ask about the impact that migraine has on patients' everyday lives. In most cases, it is the patients who initiate a conversation about their migraines with their physician. Because of this, it is important that patients understand how best to communicate the impact of their condition.
To help migraine sufferers have an effective dialogue with their physicians, Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc. has created "Let's Talk," a new educational video featuring a roundtable discussion moderated by Merle Diamond, M.D., a headache specialist with the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago. In the video, DiGiovanni and three other patients share their experiences with migraine, including how they formed a partnership with their physician, found an effective treatment plan, and helped change the cycle of their migraines. Dr. Diamond provides expert advice on how to communicate with a physician about migraine and discusses the difference between treating a migraine with an acute medication versus a daily preventive treatment.
"Deciding to treat a patient with a preventive medication has a lot to do with the amount of disability she experiences due to her migraines and the frequency of her attacks," said Dr. Diamond. "Patients need to be honest with their physicians about how migraine is affecting their lives."
Migraine patients can benefit from the experiences of the women featured in "Let's Talk" by understanding that they are not alone, and that with the right tools-like education and communication-it is possible to find an effective migraine treatment.
By: Stacey Moore
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