Talk to your doctor about migraine

Honestly, you may not have much time to talk to your doctor about migraine. That’s why we’ve provided some simple tips to help you get prepared so that you can make the most out of your time.
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Find a doctor
Make an appointment to talk specifically about migraine. If your doctor doesn’t evaluate and treat patients with migraine, ask for a referral or find another doctor in your area. There are helpful directories on the American Headache Society website and the American Migraine Foundation website.
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Keep a headache diary
Use a diary for at least a month to track the number and severity of your migraine attacks and whether or not they impact your daily life. Try to identify triggers or see if your migraine falls into a specific pattern. For example, do you usually get a migraine in the morning? You can find many helpful (and free) headache diary apps online.
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Gather questions and answers
Write down all the questions that you want to ask your doctor to make sure you don’t forget. And remember, there are a lot of things that your doctor may want to know. It can be very helpful to prepare answers to the following questions:
Timing
- When did you start getting migraine?
- How often do you get them?
- How long do they last?
- Do you get more migraines in the morning, afternoon, or evening?
Impact
- How bad are your migraines?
- What impact do they have on the rest of your day?
Warning signs
- Have you noticed any signals (such as dark spots in your vision) that you are about to experience a migraine?
- Does anything happen the night before you wake up with a migraine?
Associated symptoms
- Do you experience nausea or vomiting with your migraine?
- Are you sensitive to light, sound, or smell?
Family history
- Does anyone else in your family experience migraine?
Past migraine treatment
- What, if anything, have you done to try to treat your migraine?
- What worked and what didn’t?
- If you’ve taken medications, what did you take? How much did you take? How long did you take it? Why did you stop taking it?
Previous tests
- Have you ever had any type of brain scan (such as a CT or MRI) for migraine?
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Take clear notes
Before you leave the office, make sure that your doctor has answered all of your questions and that you fully understand your diagnosis.
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