Claushallmann

Very interesting
. Thank you very much.

Thanks for the post; even if you're familiar with your migraines, you can still get lost from time to time, and it's helpful to find support in these posts.

Thank you so much for the article. It's really very interesting for me.
Especially since my concurrent severe histamine intolerance (even leading to anaphylactoid reactions) really made me think that cheese or chocolate could be a significant contributing factor.
Thanks to your article, though, things are becoming clearer – including why I had long periods completely without migraines – that could have been the time when I regularly drank honey in my tea (throughout the day) :-)

Great post. The video perfectly describes my life with migraines. I've had them for over 20 years. Thank you!

A very helpful app, brilliant explanations here on the website.
In fact, I hardly need the app anymore since starting galcanezumab therapy, as attacks are much less frequent and significantly easier to treat (ONE triptan, at most a second one after 12 hours, at most twice a month, more often than that).
THANK YOU, because our colleagues in peripheral medicine are often less knowledgeable about this topic. I'm glad that, with your help, I've been given some tools to help myself and now also to be well-informed about helping my patients.

Brigitta Götze-Hoffmann, Specialist in Occupational Medicine/Emergency Medicine

I have to write something here. My wife is often in bed with migraines. She's 70 now and she's suffering so much. Up until 10 years ago, my sister-in-law would always come to visit her, which was such a nuisance. My wife needs peace and quiet and no visitors! When I told her this, she said her sister, my wife, had these urges even as a child, always when she was supposed to help around the house. She's just putting on an act, and I come here to make her understand. So I forbade her from visiting anymore. My wife never complained about her sister. But today she's glad I made that decision!

A simple, all-caps THANK YOU is far from sufficient to express what my stay at the Kiel Pain Clinic meant to me.
My thanks go to the entire concept and the palpable attention to detail. I experienced firsthand the dedication with which everyone works there. You are seen, not just superficially, but truly seen and heard. From the first check-in to the last day, you feel supported.

Exhausted by my migraines, I was admitted there. The "heavy baggage" on my shoulders was eased after just the second day. By the third day, I was finding my way around the facility more and more easily. The calm, low-stimulus environment was incredibly beneficial for my completely overwhelmed nervous system. I rediscovered myself there, and a suitable medication solution was quickly found for me.

Back in everyday life, I realize: I'm back. And it feels simply fantastic.

This clinic is a true lifeline for migraine sufferers and all headache patients. A place that offers hope for a pain-free life.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for being there.

When I repeatedly told my (then) family doctor about my headache attacks, he said: “I also often have headaches, you just have to get through them.” To that – I think – there is nothing to add.

A sensation for me! I first took it on October 17, 2025, one tablet every other day, and now for the kicker…since then, I haven't had a single migraine attack. Yes, okay…there was a kind of escalating phase, but it didn't reach the worst-case scenario. For someone with chronic migraines, that's a miracle! Today I wanted to get more at the pharmacy. Then came the terrible news: Rimegepant is currently unavailable! So, back to square one, or rather, back to Eletriptan. Unfortunately.

I've had migraines since I was 11, and I'm now 43. Over the last seven years, my migraines have worsened, and my threshold for experiencing them has become extremely low. I used to have attacks twice a week, lasting up to 72 hours. Triptans became less and less effective, only relieving the peak pain. Now, however, things are starting to change. I've been on sick leave for three months and have had time to adopt and establish a new lifestyle. I'm making several adjustments. First, I had blood work done. For the past few weeks, I've been replenishing all the nutrients where deficiencies were found: iron, vitamin B12, and vitamin D. I'm also taking high-dose magnesium twice a day as a preventative measure, as well as vitamin B2 (riboflavin) twice a day. I see an osteopath and practice progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) daily. Two to three times a week, I go to the gym for strength training and cardio. After each workout, I do relaxation exercises similar to PMR. I make sure to eat regularly and drink enough fluids. And it's gradually starting to take effect. The intervals between attacks are getting longer, and the attacks themselves don't last as long. I can feel my threshold for triggering migraines rising. I'm able to tolerate more again, to venture further into new territory, like enjoying a glass of Prosecco or eating a small histamine-rich snack without immediately fearing another migraine. I'm on the right track again. My body is starting to cooperate instead of protesting. I'm training my autonomic nervous system to release tension after activity/stress, something that's often missing in chronic migraines: the shift into parasympathetic mode. My goal is to regulate the migraines to such an extent that, ideally, only the predisposition remains, or just a few attacks per year like before. But one thing is clear: without being on sick leave for this long period, it would have been impossible to relearn how to manage them and regain control. And I'm not finished yet; it still needs to stabilize in the long term. I haven't felt this optimistic or had such high expectations in years! They were even talking about partial retirement or a career change! Now, suddenly, I have so much energy again because I'm experiencing fewer days of pain. I'm so grateful my efforts are finally bearing fruit!

Reading all this, I wonder—have people, whether doctors, nurses, caregivers, or relatives, never heard of whitefish? The staff at the Kiel Pain Clinic are the exception. I had a pain attack while at my family doctor's. He actually said it was just a migraine! Of course, I switched to another one. Perhaps he meant it ironically? I don't understand that!
My grandmother said when I got home: "When I get that, I drink a strong coffee with lemon, then it goes away." I didn't want to try it, so she said: "Then you can't be feeling that bad yet." A friend advised me: "Turn to God!" I didn't want to do that either. Her reply: "Then you're not feeling bad enough yet! God heals everyone—unless they deserve it!"
So I took a Tristan and lay down in a dark room! I learned to do without—for my own sake!

C'est exactement ça, j'ajouterai même la phrase qui tue de proches: "Quand est-ce que tu vas te soigner?"

C'est pour moi les pires choses à entendre car elles nous culpabilise, nous démoli, nous considère comme des personnes idiotes qui aimons souffrir !
The migraines have been depuis que j'ai l'âge de 6 ans et j'ai tout entendu, il est difficile d'être compris et de s'intégrer car on ne peut pas prédire ni même vivre de la même façon.

Je félicite toutes les personnes qui vent avec un/une migraineux de manière bienveillante, sans jugement et en positivant.
I don't want to live in a couple without destroying the humour of my own heart, but I prefer to have a life that is "subir" une souffrance.
Courage to all migraineux/ migraineuses :'(

I've been taking Aimovig for two months, and it started working after 14 days. I haven't had any headaches since!! And that's after having headaches 25-30 days a week. Other symptoms like fatigue and mood swings have also disappeared. I am so incredibly grateful for this medication.

I've been taking/injecting Ajovy for four months.
I'm 43 years old and have tried everything that could help with migraines since I was 15.
Since starting it, I've only had two mild headaches in the last four months, which were nothing like migraines, and Naproxen helped. My life is like new 🙏 no days off work, no appointments to cancel, and I feel great. I'm tired for the first few days after the injection, but that goes away.
Thank goodness these injections exist!

I'd also like to leave a comment here… I often have two migraine attacks with aura within a few hours of each other… a senior neurologist told me that this isn't possible – I should just take a triptan, then I'll get through the day… he does it that way too… what more can I say…

Hi, it's awful what you read here. I know something similar. Like being told you just need to relax, loosen up, then you can participate in choir practice, for example. And "don't cancel because of a migraine, that's impossible." And "a really great tip": Japanese medicinal plant oil. :(
But it's good to read that there are many people who know and understand exactly what migraines are like.

Today I simply have to write about something I experience so often.
What do you actually say to people who don't understand what migraines are?
When I hear things like, "You're just making a fuss," or "You're a hypochondriac," or the old term "hysterical," why do doctors still use those terms? As a patient, am I allowed to respond with, "You'd benefit from some further training or education about migraines, Dr. [Name]..." or "Please educate yourself about migraines"? Is that even allowed? Where do we live, anyway? Somewhere outside of civilization?
I've had headaches since I was 15, and migraines started in my mid-twenties; eventually, the aura developed. I raised two children with them. Do you know what my brother said? “It’s your own fault for having children! That’s what comes from the pregnancies! What he couldn’t have known is that they are adopted children. A pair of twins. My brother was abroad for many years and didn’t know! Only that I have twins! So much for his theory! May 2025—a neighbor was explaining to me what migraines are! In all seriousness, she said: “They’re orgasms in the head, that’s what happens when the man isn’t there or
is impotent!” She should know, she continued, because she also gets headaches. I wonder if it really is 2025 or if the ignorant people are stuck in the 60s/70s.

Hi :-) I can also only report positive experiences with Aimovig migraine medication :-) I often had headaches as a child (from about age 6) – which later turned out to be migraines. As a teenager (from age 16), I went from doctor to doctor to finally get rid of these awful pains. Whenever something was coming up – long school days, birthdays, trips, special events, you know… my head would be pounding. While others were out partying or having fun, I was stuck in bed :-( I sometimes had migraines for 3-6 days straight, which was really awful. I tried everything that doctors and acquaintances/friends prescribed/recommended. Nothing helped – well, my sumatriptan combined with 600 mg ibuprofen sometimes helped – if I was lucky – but not always. Then my neurologist prescribed the Aimovig migraine pen. First with 70 mg and then, after about a year, with 140 mg. Initially, the number of migraine days decreased significantly. Now I've been using the pen at this dosage for at least 5 years and only very, very rarely get migraines or even headaches. At most, once every 4 months, and then only for one day – and then I usually don't take any pills, but try to let it go away on its own. So, this thing is... Really GREAT :-)

As everyone knows, no journey is too far for the Kiel Pain Clinic, and so I'm using my long trip home after my stay to write these lines and sincerely thank everyone at the clinic who made my stay so helpful and valuable. And in this clinic, that really means everyone, right down to the friendly and hardworking cleaning staff!

Everything is extremely well organized, starting with the registration for a hospital stay. Later, on site, you receive a friendly welcome and are well informed about how your stay will proceed.

Things get underway immediately, and time is used to its fullest. Right after arrival, there's an initial medical examination and a thorough intake interview, and even then, you're surprised by the calm, caring, and attentive atmosphere. At the Kiel Pain Clinic, patients are treated with respect and as equals, and treatment options are discussed with the patient; nothing is forced upon them.

The treatment concept consists of various components: these include lectures, pain management groups, scheduled individual appointments (physiotherapy, psychology, biofeedback), and optional group sessions (various relaxation therapies, breathing exercises, and a wide range of movement activities from very gentle to very athletic), which can be freely chosen according to how you feel each day.
Visits take place daily in your room, providing ample opportunity to ask any questions.

The food is delicious, varied, and plentiful, and you can always take snacks back to your room.
If you're feeling unwell, meals will be brought to your room.
In the dining room, seating is unassigned at all meals, leading to interesting conversations among the patients, which can be very helpful. Many patients encounter similar pain stories, which is truly comforting, as you often feel very alone at home with a more complex pain situation. Those who prefer peace and quiet can find a quiet spot along the edge of the dining room.

There is a kitchenette on each floor where you can make yourself tea at any time, get a cold pack from the refrigerator/freezer, or heat a heating pad in the microwave. You can also take water carafes and glasses to your room; the tap water in Kiel is of good drinking quality. Coffee is available on the 3rd floor at certain times.

You are very well looked after in every respect. And in this protected environment, you can truly relax, let go, and recharge.

As a solid foundation, we patients receive a treatment plan optimally tailored to our needs and many helpful tips to take home. What we make of it is then up to us.

I thank the entire team at the Kiel Pain Clinic from the bottom of my heart for all their dedication and help. You are all simply amazing!

Carmen B.

Thank you for this comprehensive, entertaining, informative, and clear summary. It also dispels many preconceived notions and anecdotal misconceptions.

Everyone had said Pain Clinic Kiel has the knowledge to help you when no one else can. I can totally agree. My care has been outstanding from start to finish. The nurses were very professional, pleasant but also with care not expected anymore. My doctors, Prof. Dr. Hartmut Göbel, Dr. Therefore and Dr. Vogt listened, took their time to explain, answered my family's questions and most importantly gave me hope. I came with absolutely no expectations, and a little bit of hope. Knowing my illness is incurable, I am leaving with less pain, and a lot more hope for living my everyday life. I am looking forward to my continued care from Dr. Göbel and his team. Absolutely IMPRESSED!!!!

I'm shocked at how widespread this problem is. I always thought it was just me!

My personal "highlight" was when, during a hospital stay, a nurse asked me if I was perhaps addicted to painkillers. "I only take painkillers for fun, you know..." (Whoever finds the sarcasm can keep it.)

From the doctor:
"It gets better during pregnancy or menopause."
"Try drinking more water and, in acute cases, a glass of cola."
"Migraines are not life-threatening; many people have them."

From fellow human beings:
"Migraines? Oh yes, I get them quite often too. I can understand that so well. I always take a paracetamol or ibuprofen, then I feel fine again."

I suffered from CK until 2022. For 12 years. It took five years to get a diagnosis. We tried everything. Then I had a neurostimulator implanted. That didn't help either. I also took cortisone for years. And then, in May 2022, it suddenly stopped. After that, I never needed oxygen or AscoTop 5 Nasal again. What I'm trying to say is, please never give up hope. Never. The doctors have been baffled ever since. But trust them.

Hello, this is Melanie Peterson writing.
I live in Mühlheim am Main.
My trip was supposed to take me north :))
I would never have gone north voluntarily because of the weather, especially the wind, which triggers migraines.
But my doctor at the Kassel Pain Clinic, who uses the manuals of Professor Dr. Göbel, strongly recommended the Kiel Pain Clinic to me.
My migraines have changed in the last year…something new has appeared. I've had to be picked up from home by ambulance several times. So far, my doctors in Hesse haven't been able to find anything, and once again it's being blamed on psychological factors.
My symptoms (all at once) are like those of a stroke, heart attack, and epilepsy…it's frightening.
Now my trip begins…
My stay was from October 21st, 2024 to November 7th, 2024.
The clinic is in a beautiful location :)
Important for all migraine patients: please, please don't all demand the room with a view of the water. Unfortunately, I overheard that patients wanted a room with a "sea view." The downside is that when the sun shines all day and heats up the room, it's more than unpleasant! And migraine sufferers don't need sunlight in their rooms!
I had a room facing the street, which was perfectly fine.
Please be sure to bring your own hand soap, as they don't provide it. I mentioned this while I was there, and who knows, maybe they have it now—good old hand soap! It should be standard practice in a clinic!
I've suffered from migraines since I was 16, which is quite a long time; I'm almost 53 now.
Of course, I've been in treatment for a very long time. Many things have been tried. My first success, for the past year, has been with the Aimovig Pen antibody injection, which my neurologist prescribed. I'm very grateful for it; my attacks have decreased from 22 migraine attacks to just under 10 per month.
The Aimovig injection was, not so long ago, "only" denied to multiple sclerosis patients. My neurologist at the time saw no need for it in my case, which is a real shame, otherwise I would have been feeling better for quite some time now!
Anyway... Always look ahead :))
My migraines have changed in the last year, as I mentioned at the beginning :))
My attending physician, Dr. Koch, who has cared for me with such care and honesty, finally gave my illness a name... "Migraine with brainstem aura."
I was completely overwhelmed by the very quick diagnosis. In addition, I also have migraine migrainosus, and I've had shingles on my face five times and suffer from postherpetic neuralgia. Dr. Koch put together a comprehensive treatment plan for me. Even with a new antidepressant, I experienced rapid improvement!
What's new for me is my attending physician's statement that triptans are completely unsuitable for me!!
And yes…she's been right ever since!!
I'm now very well managed with medication for my four types of migraines and neuropathy!
Botox is also an effective medication for my migraines and neuropathy. I even had one Botox treatment in Kiel, and I'm having two more treatments at the Rhein Main Pain Center in Frankfurt am Main, where I've been a patient for two years. I highly recommend an outpatient pain center to anyone with a chronic illness.
Furthermore, I absolutely must recommend the delicious food :))) and sitting down to a prepared meal is the absolute best!!!
Anyone who still complains is unhappy in life anyway!
I wish every single one of the incredibly caring nursing staff a raise! I've already told Professor Dr. Göbel this :)))
Mo & Mo, it's wonderful that you spread so much good cheer :))
Oh, and I'd also like to thank Dr. Göbel Jr. He's a doctor who took a tremendous amount of time, performed the Botox treatment gently, and explained the effects of the Botox agent clearly beforehand!
Even though I spent most of my time in my room, I met some wonderful people! My roommate and I were always there for each other.
What impressed me most, and I must mention here, is that men also seek help for migraines!
I also think it's fantastic that parents accompany their underage children regarding headaches and migraines. I had the pleasure of meeting 12-year-old children who unfortunately also suffer from them, but it's all the more gratifying that the Kiel Pain Clinic also treats children! My utmost respect for that!
A huge thank you to my senior physician, Dr. Koch, and Ms. Voß!
I would come back to you anytime!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
A hug to everyone who has made my life so much better!
The child finally has a name:
"Brainstem Aura" :)))
Melanie Peterson from Mühlheim am Main

At the Kiel Pain Clinic, I had the privilege of meeting the incredibly empathetic psychologist, Ms. Voss. Ms. Voss is a true asset to the entire world!

This is absolutely unacceptable! My husband (ex-husband) actually said, "You have to drink a proper shot of schnapps every day, or a quarter liter of whiskey!" Even the neighbor always drank herbal schnapps for pain! Where do they live? My brother once said, "Go to a faith healer: here's the address!" Over the course of my life, I've heard a lot, from doctors who dismissed it as hysteria to men who wanted to cure it with sex. Or they called it nonsense, because you don't have that sort of thing in the countryside!
Finally, I had a stay here at the Kiel Pain Clinic. Thank you to all the lovely, kind staff of Dr. Göbel's clinic. I hope you are all well again by now!

Ajovy works very well for me, unlike Aimovig, which didn't work for me. However, this medication does upset your digestion. That needs to be clearly stated.

It's wonderful to have family and friends who take these symptoms seriously. My whole life (I'm 58 now) I've had these symptoms and was never taken seriously; no one ever took me to the hospital in my condition. "You're not breathing properly, you're iron deficient, you're not resilient, don't act so silly, you're just faking it..." For me, these attacks were normal since childhood, and I thought it was somehow my own fault because the pediatrician couldn't find anything wrong. Later, it was endometriosis, iron deficiency, typical female hormones, etc. But I'm over all that now.

It wasn't until I was 56, after three car accidents, that the attacks became more frequent and without warning. I was finally taken seriously. Many tests followed. Now I'm seeing a neurologist, still trying to determine whether it's migraine with brainstem aura or some kind of epilepsy, since an anti-epileptic medication helps somewhat. In any case, the attacks are becoming less frequent, and I finally feel like I'm being taken seriously.
Now, at last, the people around me believe that I'm not imagining it or faking it, and they're suddenly concerned.

Migraines are a real pain…sorry!
I've had them since I was four, and I'm 46 now. Up until about 20 years ago, I had them regularly, with vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, and severe pain. Eventually, nothing helped anymore.
Then I met a neurologist who prescribed me high-dose magnesium with B vitamins. A course of treatment from the pharmacy, made by Orthomol. So I took it.

It took several weeks, but it began to significantly weaken and reduce the attacks.

My attacks are completely different today; I already had one where I started seeing flashes of light and then lay motionless in bed for over 8 hours, unable to even talk.

It starts with a tingling left hand, heat throughout the body, speech difficulties, etc., but no more nausea. I immediately take a 600mg ibuprofen. And I take magnesium and B vitamins daily. I only have a few mild attacks a year now, the severe ones every few years. For me, the triggers are physical overexertion and stress; those are the severe attacks. The mild ones are caused by lack of sleep and before my period.

All in all, I can live with it quite well. For me, it's important to get plenty of exercise, enough sleep (but not too much, that's also bad for my head), and to relax in nature whenever possible.

Warmest greetings to you all!

I'm 55 years old and have suffered from cluster headaches since I was about 15. It started in school, right in the middle of class. I remember it vividly. I screamed, threw my head down, and shook it repeatedly. Then it got better. My attacks always come after eating, and then when I'm sitting or sleeping. I was told it's all psychological. At 49, I was prescribed oxygen after extensive testing of other triptans and painkillers. Nothing helped, or I had extreme side effects. So far, I only use oxygen when I'm near the cylinder, and I take Dronabinol THC preventively, which helps most of the time. However, I can't take a break; otherwise, all hell breaks loose.

Neurologist: What problems are you having? Me: I need help because of my constant migraines. The neurologist laughed and said, "Migraine!" (His tone was like, "Oh my God, another one who thinks she can diagnose herself."). I described the different types of pain, whereupon he wordlessly wrote me a prescription for migraine tablets. Not a word of apology for his arrogance!
And then you're supposed to trust doctors and openly discuss all your problems…

Hello to Kiel!

Since 1994, after a very, very bad car accident (rear-end collision, the car rolled over; I was a passenger and my head hit the side window, and I lost consciousness. I hung upside down in the car for about 7-8 hours. My girlfriend, who was also the driver, literally left me hanging. Since then, I've suffered from migraines and every kind of headache imaginable. Even when I'm happy, my head feels like it's going to explode, and I have to immediately switch to neutral, otherwise it feels like it's going to burst!

Before, I was perfectly healthy, didn't even know what a headache was, and even laughed at Montusuma's revenge in Mexico because I had no symptoms. But then, three months later, the accident happened. I was 22 then, now I'm 52, and I can only say, yes, a lot of it rings true. I also have a GP who doesn't seem to understand certain things, including menopause, and various other things are simply questionable to him – in other words, only he has the knowledge. Well, nowadays I'm my own doctor. I've been 100% disabled for about eight years, as the accident did a lot more to me.

Today is perfect migraine weather – I'm extremely sensitive to the weather; I was weather-sensitive before the accident, now everyone is cheering, the sun is shining and I'm freezing, I darken everything, don't want any smells around me and need peace and quiet – that's all.

It's very annoying for friends because you can never plan, I often have to cancel because it's simply impossible, I don't even leave my apartment anymore.

In almost all the comments I've read, it seems that the condition appeared suddenly or was inherited; there's hardly any mention of a serious accident involving severe cervical spine issues, or perhaps I've missed it.

It's difficult to deal with, but it's better to cancel everything, rather than struggling through it—I did that for years and consumed vast quantities of paracetamol. Eventually, it stopped working altogether, so I gave it up. A headache specialist here in Munich insisted on prescribing me an antidepressant. After three days, I'd gained three kilograms, experienced all the side effects, and went back. He then said, "Then you'll just get a different one." I simply said, "No, thank you," and left.

I think we're all more or less exceptionally sensitive, with good antennae for things that "normal" people can't perceive. And the world needs that – we are strong and special and should listen to ourselves when we have a fit, and then everything else just has to wait. Like the flight attendants always preach: help yourself first, then be there for others.

I've already had six injections. Before, I had up to 10 attacks a month, some of which left me completely incapacitated. Now, I have headaches for an average of 5 days a month, but they're easily manageable – either with an ibuprofen 400 or 600 mg tablet, or sometimes a naratriptan, which takes effect within an hour. Life is so much more worth living!! Finally, pain-free weekends again.

Born in 1977, male, married, one child, works at least 40 hours a week.
For as long as I can remember, I've had very frequent headaches; cluster headaches started around the age of 22 to 25.

I remember that a doctor once adjusted my cervical vertebrae
(it was similar pain, but across the entire upper head), after which I had mild cluster headaches a few times a year
.

I would have a few months of peace and quiet, then a few weeks, and then it would get really bad.

My wife begged me to go to the hospital (in the middle of the night), she couldn't watch and listen to it anymore.

Of course, I've been to various doctors and undergone treatments countless times, receiving the most amazing diagnoses (I'm sure you know what I mean).
And a mud pack doesn't help with clusters :-)

I was in the hospital for almost 3 weeks!

At the beginning of the second week, I received the diagnosis (clusters...)!

I don't know what to make of what the doctors say, where it comes from, etc... It's all speculation!

I'm currently in another cluster, thankfully it's not too bad this time (YET)!

Oxygen, verapamil, rizatriptan… !

Since I'm currently experiencing burnout, I'm taking an antidepressant that causes muscle tension.
This muscle tension, including in my neck, is a trigger for the cluster headache,
which is why I'm also taking a muscle relaxant!

The muscle relaxant really helps me in this case; I have fewer attacks, and only in the evenings and mornings!

My triggers are definitely alcohol and certain tensions in my neck (and shoulders).
Over the years, I've tried so many things: cutting out certain foods, etc., etc., etc.

what triggers someone is different for everyone

Greetings to everyone! I wish you a miracle, or at least a pain-free time :-)

I have face cluster headache for 15 years. Oxygen is a magic for me.

Keep calm and be strong .. all of us with you and we are stronger that any headache

Today just started my cluster for this winter.. I will be strong as always and for the next 6 weeks will fight and win

First I was on Aimovig 70mg.
My migraine days went from up to 12 to 2.
After about 7 months, I was back to 6 migraine days. With Aimovig 140mg, it went down to zero.
After 4 months, however, I was back to having 2-3 migraine days. Everything is better than before. The pain is more bearable and the nausea isn't always present.

I (female, 57 years old) have suffered from cluster headaches for 38 years, initially episodically, and chronically since 2010. I've been dealing with headaches since childhood; migraines with aura started in elementary school, and then at 19, things changed: the migraines almost disappeared, but cluster headaches began. I've struggled through life, working full-time (which wasn't always easy with cluster headaches), then having two children (the cluster headaches completely disappeared during pregnancy, but returned as soon as the children were born), then working part-time, then just a few hours a day, and finally, I couldn't work at all anymore. In 2019, the only option left was to apply for disability benefits (which, by the way, are very low). The limitations imposed by this chronic illness are extreme, and to this day, I can't understand why the social welfare offices only ever grant these people a disability rating of 20 or 30. Is it just about money again? It is high time that this severe, extremely painful condition is enshrined in the principles of social care, because for severe trigeminal neuralgia, which occurs frequently, meaning several times a month, with intense pain, there is already a disability rating of 50-60. Chronic patients experience extremely painful attacks several times a day and receive a rating of 20 or 30? That's unacceptable and urgently needs to be publicized. Chronic cluster headache patients also depend on the help of caregivers, because they need assistance not only during attacks (administering medication, fetching and connecting oxygen cylinders, ordering and picking up medications from the pharmacy, scheduling doctor's appointments, emotional support, and so on), but essentially all the time. Because when you are confronted with such attacks daily (or, like me, every night), the risk is high that you will eventually reach your limit and/or no longer want to cope. You simply don't have the strength to manage your life anymore; even the smallest everyday tasks become impossible. Decades of pain attacks and medication take a toll on your physical and mental health. The side effects worsen with age; what you could easily handle at 20 is no longer possible at 57. For example, I can now only take one 240 mg Verapamit tablet a day (compared to three 240 mg tablets before), otherwise my whole body is filled with water. Imigran makes me extremely tired, and now that I'm older, it takes twice as long for my body to regain some semblance of clarity, meaning half the day is already gone. The sleep deprivation caused by the nighttime attacks practically promotes the development of other illnesses, because the body can't regenerate as well as healthy people with normal sleep patterns. As I said, living with chronic cluster headaches is very, very exhausting, life-limiting, and requires a great deal of support and understanding from family members. But: giving up is not an option, especially not when you have children. To all cluster headache patients: hang in there, hang in there, hang in there!!!

Hi everyone, I've had this chronic pain for about 25 years, and I never leave the house without my injections (Sumatriptan Inject, Tempil). The only thing that's really helped over all these years is Aimovig 140 mg exactly every four weeks, and if that's not enough, then Verapamil 2 x 240 mg max per day.
I avoid oxygen and nasal sprays because they only help to a limited extent; you have to take it within a few minutes, otherwise the medication takes too long to work. Try it out, I can only recommend it: high doses of Aimovig and Verapamil, and always have your injections with you. After a month pain-free, slowly taper off the Verapamil. All the best, I hope I could help.

No one should presume to give advice (unfortunately, the contrast is very low here while writing! It's almost impossible to read, which is tiring and then gives me a headache). Why is the writing so terribly light?
What I'm trying to say is, no one should presume to give "good" advice to someone who has no clue about migraines.
It started when my sister said, and I quote: "You have three children...it's your own fault you get headaches."
She's four years older than me, unmarried, and childless; of course, she knows all about it.
When I sent her a card from the pain clinic, her reply was: "I didn't even know you had migraines!" So much for her knowledge!
My father's opinion was: "I need to talk to your husband—he should really...no, I'm not going to write about that here!"

A very good overview with the important point that sensitivity lasts a lifetime and that one can "only" adjust the parameters. I only really became aware of this today.

I've had cluster headaches for 30 years, chronic for 15. Without Verapamil 2x240mg and Immigran injections (6mg) during acute attacks, I would have killed myself long ago. Get these medications prescribed; I know it's not as easy in Germany (I'm from Switzerland) as it is here. But don't give up! Since I started Verapamil and Immigran injections, my quality of life has improved by 1000%.

Dear team at the Kiel Pain Clinic,

In May, I had the privilege of spending just over two weeks at the Kiel Pain Clinic, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone for this life-changing experience. I deliberately waited some time to implement what I learned in my daily life and to determine whether I could expect long-term relief from my symptoms—even outside the protected environment of the clinic. I feel so much better!
Before Kiel, I was at a point where I was struggling with migraines and increasingly other types of pain every day, and I had lost all hope. I had seen countless doctors, but no one could help me. My family (I'm married with a baby and a toddler) suffered just as much as I did, and the stay at the pain clinic was like our last hope.
I received excellent care, and my symptoms were taken seriously. I've come to understand my illness and am in the process of accepting it. New medications and a precise dosage schedule, dietary changes, relaxation exercises, and much more that I learned there are helping me with this. The clinic staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. Professor Göbel and all the doctors take their time and radiate calm. The exchange with other patients is incredibly helpful. Perhaps I'll have to return to Kiel sometime if things get worse again. But for now, I live with the certainty that they can truly help me there, and I'm looking to the future with renewed optimism.
I can only express my sincere gratitude once more!

Best regards,
Hannah Krämer

I've been affected for 20 years. I normally have 3-5 attacks every day, and when I'm in an episode, it's around 8-15 attacks!
Sometimes it's just awful, but you learn to cope and enjoy the pain-free time.

I recently had an attack in the middle of school, and the response to it was:

“You just want to go home again”,
“Just drink some water”,
“She’s just playing, don’t be so bad”,
“Have you eaten anything today?”

I should mention that I've had frequent attacks over the past few months and have therefore been staying home. I've had them about three times a week. For this reason, I always carry painkillers with me so I can somehow manage to get home.

My friend somehow helped me up. The teachers tried to make fun of me until my friend and I ran back up to the office (I was initially in the classroom at the top, then we had to go all the way down to the lockers). My teacher, who luckily is my favorite student, came to me and my friend, and other teachers gathered around me and watched as I struggled. The students and teachers who had wanted to make fun of me saw how badly I was hurting, barely able to breathe and stand. I still don't know how I got home.

But one thing I can't get out of my head is the comment:
"Just drink water."

Yeah, sure, I could
have drunk 1.5 liters by 11 a.m. But what if I need something really strong now because the painkillers didn't help? Here are
some tips on how to really help:
1. Just stay quiet.
2. Ask about the
person's other symptoms (not all symptoms are the same; there can
always be other symptoms) so you
can best prepare for them.
3. It's best not to attack the person.
4. Avoid making stupid comments.

I completely agree. I also do PMR daily, and it works best for me with headphones and the instructions. It can be so relaxing that I fall asleep.

My mother and my aunt suffered from terrible migraines. They were always knocked out for several days. What made it even worse for my aunt was that she also had cancer, and her colleagues accused her of faking it. Her cancer was incurable.
Fortunately, my mother had a more flexible job and could manage her own hours. In addition to migraines, she was highly allergic to many foods and nickel. She was later diagnosed with cancer as well.

I'm glad that I "only" suffer from aura migraines, which have occurred very rarely so far and only last 20-30 minutes. It first appeared during pregnancy, then 12 years later after my mother's death, and since then more frequently in stressful situations. One of my children also has aura migraines. I was prescribed Maxalt for it, but I've never taken it because the symptoms are so short-lived.

I have other health issues due to another chronic illness, and I've noticed how everything is downplayed. When I'm not feeling well, I often hear things like, "I'm not feeling well either, I have pain here and there." "That's just old age, it's perfectly normal."
I receive a full disability pension; I don't get that for a few minor ailments! It's awful that only visible illnesses are taken seriously.

Emgality is the best medication for cluster headaches.
I've been taking it once a month since November 2023.
Since February 2024, I've been 98% pain-free.
n't experienced any side effects.
At least, I haven't really noticed any.
I used to have them every day. Not a day went by without multiple attacks.
The cluster headaches started in 2000.
Almost 25 years later, finally, the solution!
Emgality has given me back my quality of life. I could cry with happiness.
My neurologist is very surprised and is already preparing to discuss it with my health insurance company.
I'm praying for its approval in Germany.
Thank you…

Much of what I read here resonates with my own experience, this feeling of being completely cared for and understood.
My stay was in April 2024. I took home a wealth of helpful information about migraine treatment.
I felt well cared for and supported by the nurses, especially during the most painful days.
Dr. Daher and Dr. Zimmermann patiently and clearly explained the current treatment steps to me during their rounds.
These conversations gave me courage and confidence in managing my migraines going forward.
After the painful days, Ms. Krasko from the physiotherapy department wonderfully loosened my tense muscles with her gentle touch.
Thank you so much for all of this!

I'm 54 years young and have suffered from cluster headaches since I was 28. However, I only received a diagnosis after about seven years, and only by chance. My wife and I were desperate because it was a burden for both of us (perhaps even more so for her?) that I didn't know what was wrong with me and everyone just "guessed" it was migraine/tension headaches, since no examination (dentist, ophthalmologist, ENT specialist, MRI, CT scan, and everything else) revealed anything concrete.
Then came the stroke of luck:
My family doctor was on vacation, and I went to her substitute to get a prescription for the migraine medication I'd been prescribed for some time, the effectiveness of which I wasn't very convinced of, as the effects sometimes took two or three hours to kick in. (Of course, I know why that is now.)
She asked me about my symptoms, thought for a moment, and then thought aloud, "That sounds familiar. I've read about it before. It could be cluster headaches," but then left me hanging.
Of course, as soon as I got home, I went online, read about cluster headaches, and actually thought to myself, "That could be it."
In the early 2000s, it wasn't so easy to find specialists (nearby), but I found one in Aachen where I got an appointment relatively quickly. During the initial consultation, he clearly stated, "You have cluster headaches. No doubt about it."
Finally, there was a name for it, and I was so relieved.
Naturally, he immediately prescribed Verapamil and all the necessary equipment for acute oxygen therapy, but unfortunately, after a few attempts, I discovered that oxygen didn't help.
Next came the attempt with Lidocaine, but it was simply impossible for me to use during an attack, as I need to be extremely active during one.
Then came the offer of Sumatriptan Injectables, which I gratefully declined at the time, as I have a phobia of needles.
Instead, I was prescribed nasal spray, which finally helped me manage attacks. Unfortunately, it always took 10-15 minutes for the pain to start working, and even then, it wasn't reliable.
Grudgingly, I got the pens prescribed the next time I was there, and I was absolutely terrified the first time I used them. However, I was "pleasantly surprised" that the pain disappeared after only about 1.5 minutes. I had found "my" remedy.
Then, for professional reasons, I moved and immediately asked my new family doctor if she was familiar with the topic or the condition, but of course, she could only say no. Instead, she suggested that she knew a good pain specialist at the hospital in Cologne where she had worked during her training, and that I should contact him.
I immediately emailed him and received a positive reply the next day, informing me that he was treating several patients with CK.
Shortly afterward, I met him and have been under his care since 2013.
A few years ago, I discovered the CSG website and delved into it. There I found an article about a pharmacist who, as the only one in Germany, prepares sumatriptan injections "on request" and by prescription in the desired strength (1-5 mg sumatriptan), because small studies have shown that even smaller amounts of the active ingredient than the 6 mg in the pen can be effective. The article also mentioned that health insurance covers the costs (minus the patient's co-payment).
I showed this report to my pain specialist, and he immediately said, "Let's give it a try," and prescribed me injections of 2 and 4 mg.
Ordering is quick, as it only takes a maximum of three days from sending in the prescription (by photo and then directly by mail) to delivery by express parcel.
The 2 mg and 4 mg doses help me quickly and reliably. However, I have the feeling that the chance of another attack increases in a shorter period of time the lower the dosage.
While there are now also 3 mg pens available, these are not approved for creatine kinase (CK) and can only be prescribed off-label. I've abandoned that idea.
Ordering from the pharmacy is much more convenient, especially regarding quantity. They don't just offer packs of three pens, but up to 24, depending on the strength. That saves a lot of money. (With pens, there's a full co-payment for every three-pen pack.)

Last year, my Crohn's disease was so severe that I traveled to the Crohn's Disease Competence Center in Essen. There, I experienced an understanding of my condition unlike anything I had ever known before. EVERYONE I spoke to showed it. Not a single person looked at me with indifference or quelling questions… Unfortunately, they couldn't offer me any further help there either, except to order injections directly from the pharmacy via fax, which then arrived the very next day.

I have come to terms with my “enemy” and know that he will eventually get the idea to break the “ceasefire” and attack me with full force and at impossible times, but I am armed with sumatriptan injections; although these unfortunately do not always ward off an attack, I am still satisfied with my “defense line”.

Don't let them get you down. Cluster is an a**hole and doesn't deserve to succeed in ruining our lives.

I'm 59 years old and have suffered from severe migraines since my youth. I'd tried everything: two stays in migraine/pain clinics, about eight pain days a month, and treatment with various triptans. My doctor prescribed Ajovy ten months ago. For me, it's been a completely new life since that day. In these ten months, I've had maybe five mild pain days—absolutely nothing like before. I also took the three-month course for an extended stay abroad, and that worked perfectly too. I didn't have a single pain day, not even on long flights, which used to be a disaster. So, for me, this injection is truly a miracle cure. It's a shame to hear that it's not the same for everyone.

Dear Pain Clinic Team,

I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for the outstanding care and support I received during my treatment with you. Your professional expertise, combined with a warm and caring atmosphere, not only helped me alleviate my pain but also paved the way for a better quality of life. Thank you for putting so much dedication into your work every day.

With deepest gratitude,
Stephan

Migraine… Well, unfortunately, it's a limitation that's difficult for outsiders to understand.
As many of my predecessors have also described, the association of migraine = headache is common.

When a migraine sufferer mentions that their headache is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting, others often comment with, "I also had a terrible headache and threw up this weekend."
Awkward, especially if your colleague was just talking about an amazing party three minutes earlier. Seriously, people: that has absolutely nothing to do with migraines!! Just drink less, and you won't get this "type of migraine" (LOL) at all.

Migraines – at least for me – are accompanied by unbearable headaches and other symptoms such as sensory sensitivity, nausea, and vomiting. My field of vision narrows and my sensitivity to light increases. The only thing that helps is lying down, opening the window, and lowering the blinds.

I also know someone in my family who is extremely sensitive to noise. This person can hear a pin drop three floors down and finds that "noise" unbearable.
Thankfully, I'm spared from that.

Nevertheless, when a migraine hits, you're out of the loop. Your concentration and perception completely disconnect from your body.

For me, weather changes (changes in air pressure) are the trigger, which is why I'm more affected in autumn and April (which is unpredictable).
The worst part is that you can't actually see it. At best, you might look a little pale. And what really gets to me are the comments that carry the hidden message that I'm faking it.

I believe I inherited my migraines from my mother. And I know I've passed them on to my children. My eldest has a similar form to mine. My son often suffers from "silent migraines" and experiences neurological episodes with temporary one-sided blindness. The worst part is with my youngest daughter (14): she has a 100% disability (intellectual and physical) and is nonverbal. She can't tell us about any throbbing headaches accompanied by nausea or other neurological symptoms. When she has sudden, painful crying fits, I try to gently determine if it's a migraine. I feel her temples and gently massage them. If this calms her down, I assume it's a migraine attack, as I also experience relief when I massage my temples during a migraine. For little ones, ibuprofen or paracetamol fever syrup usually helps. This quickly brings her pain to a more manageable level. She'll then become drowsy and fall asleep quickly.

Many years ago, I was chosen as a "test subject" when triptans were first introduced. Not all triptans work for me. But sumatriptan works quite well. However, things aren't all good after taking it. I still feel out of sorts, weak, drowsy, and my senses are heightened. Only pain and nausea are effectively reduced.

I wouldn't wish migraines on ANYONE.
And to all the doubters: when a patient diagnosed with migraines talks about having them, it throws that person off track for a few days. An Alka-Selzer won't fix it.

And please refrain from giving unnecessary tips and comments. They're completely useless!

I have suffered from episodic cluster headaches for almost 40 years; two years ago my family doctor recommended I try Emgality, it was a resounding success, there is no other medication for prevention that has shown similar success for me.

I've turned the tables on them for quite some time now. If someone makes one of the usual nonsensical and uninformed remarks (like the ones listed above), I ask them in detail what they know about migraines and where they got their information. Then it's just hot air, and I make that perfectly clear by referring them to the expert information on the Kiel Pain Clinic's website.
Then there's peace and quiet.

This article was very informative, as I likely suffer from this syndrome. I am very interested in further information.

I suffer from chronic cluster headaches.
For the past two and a half years, I've had multiple attacks of pain every day, around the clock.
To be more precise, I wanted to die!

I've been receiving Ajovi antibody injections for four months.
I haven't had a headache for three months.
Before that, I was taking up to three nasal triptans a day, which greatly increased my risk of stroke.

Ajovi gave me my life back :-)

A really stupid comment from an acquaintance about migraines: you need more sex. I don't think there's a suitable answer to that, except that I wish you a three-week migraine yourself.

I took Aimovig for six months. Due to digestive problems, we switched to Ajovy. Both medications worked wonders for me from the very first dose! I've dropped to about one or two migraine days per month, and my tension headaches are almost gone too. If I get a mild headache, sometimes just an aspirin is enough. That was never the case before. In the days following a dose of Ajovy, I even have tremendous energy. I've also been able to exercise regularly again since then.

Thank you for these remedies – I have a completely normal, relaxed life again!!

That's a comprehensive yet understandable explanation of the phenomenon, which has clarified a lot for me. Excellent!

Kiel Pain Clinic:
A heartfelt thank you to the entire team at the Kiel Pain Clinic! I had another wonderful time in Kiel and gained many new insights for life. A little paradise by the water, a respite for people suffering from pain. Despite capitalism and the market economy, it's possible to offer patients a very high standard of care. Greetings from Thuringia!

Hello, I was in Kiel in July 2023 and can highly recommend it. It was the best thing that could have happened to me. Everyone was incredibly kind and helpful!
I've been dealing with migraines for a long time and already knew a lot, but I still learned something new. The exchange between patients was also valuable.
My migraines were taken seriously.

Quite rightly so, a doctor with exemplary character and exceptional dedication.
Not forgetting the entire staff of this clinic, outstanding performance.

My female colleagues often say things like: "You probably haven't drunk enough," or "You need to drink more." It also helps with my headaches; it'll go away right away..

I was a patient at the clinic from March 22nd to April 7th, 2023.
I arrived the evening before and stayed overnight in a guest room at the clinic. This greatly reduced the stress between arrival and admission.
I came for migraines and various physical pains. My migraines had previously been treated with antibody injections (by a neurologist in my hometown). Due to my physical condition, my medication was changed, which worked very well.
Everyone at the clinic is very friendly and helpful. They are very dedicated to supporting patients in every situation.
Mr. W. in physiotherapy is simply fantastic. His manner and expertise impressed me.
I can easily imagine going back to this clinic, despite the distance!
The food is very good. The kitchen staff is incredibly friendly and goes above and beyond!
I particularly appreciated the opportunity to try new things: yoga, Qigong, endurance training, lectures, progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), and much more.

Hello,
I just had to listen to my sister telling me to stop taking my painkillers… as if I take them every day.
The fact is, either I take a simple 400 mg ibuprofen at the beginning, when I have mild headaches, to be pain-free for at least three days and nip the migraine in the bud, or I wait until the migraine really kicks in and then even three triptans at once won't get me pain-free!

So why wait until it becomes unbearable every time? I'm glad I don't live in the USA, where there's a gun in every other nightstand drawer; I think I would have used it by now, just to make it finally stop.
For me, it always lasts 3-4 days, and very often I can't eat anything for two days. Sometimes I even vomit up still, room-temperature water and then have to wait up to 35 hours before I can drink anything again. I also vomit up any pills I take, and liquid pain medication too, because I can't even drink water. If I open the bathroom door, I have to vomit just from the sight of my toilet. Brushing my teeth is impossible, so I go to the garden to pee. So why wait when, 99.9% of the time, I don't get normal headaches, only migraines, with light sensitivity, even if I'm completely pain-free in a daylight-free room if I take medication in time? This includes dizziness, hypersensitivity to smells and wrinkles in clothing and bedsheets, and sometimes walking in front of doorframes because I can't tell where I end up and the door frame begins. I also have a reduced sensitivity to pain; for example, I only noticed my sprained wrist after the attack, even though it had already swollen beforehand. I got my sleeve caught in the doorknob and kept walking, resulting in a sprained wrist, a bump on my head, a bruised knee, and a graze on my arm. Being able to work when you can't even leave a room without risking injury, or when you accidentally step down a flight of stairs and then sprain both wrists and ankles, and can't even use crutches to protect your ankles, is definitely not possible! You're essentially a dependent requiring round-the-clock care.

I tried for years without painkillers because they never worked anyway, but that was only because I didn't take medication when the headaches started, but were already at the stage where I just wanted to blow my brains out to make them stop, not because I didn't want to live!

I recently learned at the dentist that there are ointments for the pain of anesthetic injections. Why can't they tell patients that there are ointments for injection pain? – I haven't been to the dentist in 26 years because of my fear of needles. Why do children have to go through such awful traumatic experiences until they can no longer be treated because of their fear of needles, and then even then, once they're adults, they resort to painkiller "games," like overdosing on pills or washing them down with lots of strong alcohol, hoping it gets into their bloodstream faster than they vomit it up? And all this just because if you say you don't want needles, you're immediately dropped like a hot potato!

It makes me absolutely furious that no one told me I have to take them at the beginning of an attack, and it drives me absolutely crazy, until I'm about to explode, that I should just let the migraine happen (to those around me) and then everything would just fizzle out! I've had migraines for at least 30 years now, so I have plenty of experience with what it's like without medication, and I'm not going to let that happen anymore, knowingly trudging into the hell of pain and then hearing comments like, "You could do a little housework" instead of just lying in bed! It's just as awful as if they were stabbing me in the chest! No wonder I'd rather be single and live alone than constantly have to justify myself.
Luckily, I've figured out what works for me. I just need to learn to rise above the hate comments from my surroundings and to act independently of “no wonder, you’re taking too many pills” and to assert myself against all resistance.

Congratulations! And well deserved. It was only through the pain clinic and my stay there that I truly understood what migraines are, even though I was diagnosed as a teenager. I'm still being treated by Mr. Heinze and feel I'm in good hands.

I can confirm this. I, a man, suffer from migraines with aura and have also had a heart attack.

My stay was a success! Thank you to everyone who was on duty and here for the patients over Christmas. Happy New Year and a wonderful 2023!

Dear Professor Göbel,
thank you! I am a patient in the hospital and will be spending Christmas here!

Hello fellow migraine sufferers,

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the many comments that offer insight into this illness. I am also affected, but I'm the one who stands by, who holds them when they vomit, who has to watch sadly as their eyes change, who sometimes acts as a lightning rod. My husband and my best friend suffer from migraines. One after an accident, the other since childhood and due to head trauma. It
also took me time to understand the whole situation and that both sides can despair over this illness and that both their lives are affected.
The many comments today opened my eyes and my heart, and I apologized to both of them and would like to do so on behalf of everyone affected by this illness. I even accused my best friend of being a drug addict! He told me that he lost his friends on average every two years because no one could handle it and took his behavior personally. This triggered great anger and despair in my husband because he was normal before. Their migraine attacks also sent me into my own personal hell and made me say things I'm truly ashamed of now. I ask forgiveness from all those who don't see how much respect a person deserves when, despite this illness, they participate in life, bring children into the world, care for others, and still hold down a job.
There is heaven on earth, and with migraines, there is hell on earth. I know that now. And there's something in between, those days when both sides meet. When you're "back," when you can enjoy the time together, and when both sides are afraid of the next attack. And it's true, people with migraines are especially sensitive, and that's what makes them so endearing.
Thanks to your stories, I want to try to interact with them differently today. Write and tell me what you wish for from us—those of us who don't suffer from migraines. What would support you? What would help you get back to us faster?

A well-deserved award and, in particular, well-deserved recognition of Bettina Frank's unique patient self-help work!

Hello, I'm from Sinzig, Rhineland-Palatinate.
I've had sinusitis symptoms for several weeks, I've had three surgeries and it's not going away. I'm constantly at home, going between the hospital and the ENT doctor, I can't go to work and I don't know what to do anymore. I've already been through so much :(

Fantastic! Congratulations on this award!!!
Applause! The information and help provided at this clinic gives hope to everyone affected. 💪🙌

I've suffered from sometimes severe migraine attacks since the birth of my second child, so for 16 years now. The first one landed me in the hospital; I had no experience with them and suddenly experienced paralysis and visual disturbances, followed by a panic attack. This happened several more times. It took a while before it was clear that I had migraines. Unfortunately, the attacks were accompanied by such severe tension in my neck that I suffer from tension headaches almost daily. Yoga and relaxation exercises help me keep them somewhat under control, but I've completely forgotten what it feels like to be headache-free. A migraine hits me with full force once or twice a month, lasting exactly three days. During these attacks, I'm completely out of commission. I can't tolerate light, and sounds feel like electric shocks. My ears also feel blocked, and I get a feeling of pressure in my head. I don't drink alcohol, but I'm often called a killjoy and boring for it. The advice is always particularly great, all the things that supposedly help, but I don't want to... blah blah blah. I've tried practically everything imaginable, and in some cases, I have far more expertise than some general practitioners. I have a very understanding husband who's there for me, but sometimes I feel like I'm getting on his nerves with my constant headaches. Nevertheless, I try to enjoy life; I only have one, and my pounding headache is simply part of me.

I was in the clinic from September 22nd to October 8th, 2022, and I have to say it was the best thing that could have happened to me. I received so much help, it's indescribable. All the staff, really everyone, from the maintenance man to the director, from the cleaning staff to the kitchen staff, to the nurses and doctors, of course, were kind, friendly, polite, and competent. The food was very good. The treatments were professionally administered by highly motivated and humorous therapists. And I met some wonderful people there whom I wouldn't want to be without. All in all, it was a very successful and fantastic stay, and I can only recommend that anyone who has the opportunity to come to the Kiel Pain Clinic should take it. You won't regret it. On the contrary. And thank you again to ALL the staff in Kiel. Keep up the great work. You are the best!

My husband, now 71 years old, said the other day: "You have a migraine again? You just don't want to come with me to visit so-and-so!" We've been together for 50 years, and my migraines started when I met him. You should think about that!

My husband of 34 years asked me, "What's wrong with you?" "I didn't even know you had a headache." Where has he been for the last 34 years? "You just don't want sex, that's why you've got migraines." That's the kind of thing I heard. But when I don't want sex because he smelled of alcohol, he always forgets.
Why are men like that?

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the entire team and Professor Göbel!
I came to Kiel for tension headaches and chronic back pain. So, I wasn't your "typical" headache or migraine patient. Nevertheless, I was able to get help, and my stay was the best thing that could have happened to me!
The clinic provided me with thorough information and, most importantly, achieved a tremendous improvement in my condition with just a few measures that no one in my home environment had considered. This is certainly due to the close monitoring by the doctors and specialists and the vast expertise available here. I left with many helpful suggestions for home that I can easily integrate into my daily life.
My life is worth living again, and for that, I am incredibly grateful!
Also worth mentioning is the friendly, warm atmosphere in the clinic, the outstanding physiotherapy team, and the excellent cuisine – my thanks go to them as well!
A truly successful concept.
Best regards,
Saskia Eckrich

I know those sayings all too well. I was even recommended homeopathic remedies. If I want to suck on sugar, I'll just grab the sugar packet in my kitchen cupboard or eat a lollipop.
Right now, I'm having a field day with my landlords, who refuse to turn on the heating. Working all day in 16-degree weather isn't exactly fun. I'm self-employed, and the office is freezing. There's a meeting tomorrow, and if nothing changes, I'll reduce the rent. And these aren't even migraine sufferers. They don't care that cold temperatures can trigger migraines. It can't be that bad, they say. Just a headache, right? A quick paracetamol and back to work.

Hello fellow migraine sufferers,
I recently read the following: The WHO classifies migraine as the disease that most severely impacts quality of life!
This got me thinking, and I realized a few things about myself and my migraines. It's not just the days with pain that drain my energy, but also the daily avoidance of triggers and all the accompanying symptoms of migraines. For example, I don't go outside on sunny days because sunlight is one of my strongest migraine triggers. I also haven't had a drop of alcohol in 15 years and go to bed early every night, which isn't a big problem for me, but I always have to put up with stupid comments and be called a killjoy. Physical exertion also triggers my migraines, which is why sports, gardening, visits to the playground, and sometimes even a short walk aren't possible (especially not in sunshine). That's why I'm adding another comment here that I can't stand to hear anymore: "It's always so dark at your place, it's depressing. Why don't you open the blinds?" Yes, I live in a permanently darkened house because it's too bright for me, even on cloudy days. I never go out without sunglasses, which leads to another comment I never want to hear again: "Isn't it kind of cool to wear sunglasses even in the rain?" Or, equally irritating: "Take off your sunglasses when we're talking. That's so rude!"
And if I ever mention to someone how hard it is being a mother of three with migraines, I also have to listen to: "Well, you brought this on yourself. You really wanted three children." (I never want to hear that one again!) Right, I did want them, and I'm incredibly glad I didn't let my migraines deny me this heartfelt wish. Because of them, I've already had to give up so much in life: no vacation/no school trip without a migraine, no birthday without a migraine, no summer without loneliness (because everyone else was at the outdoor pool while I lay in a dark room), giving up my dream job, giving up my wedding celebration… I could think of so much more.
I think we people with migraines are incredibly strong! We should fight harder for the recognition of our condition (which we can't help, which we don't imagine, and which actually severely limits our quality of life) by not hiding or keeping quiet about it. I also wish that migraines would be recognized as a disability so that things would be easier for us in our professional lives and even at school. (Unfortunately, I passed my migraines on to my oldest child. My son barely makes it through a school week without a migraine attack, yet he has to perform at the same level as healthy students. I can see how he's losing more and more of his zest for life under the strain. He's even had to give up sports because they give him a migraine every time.)

My dears, hang in there and remember: migraine sufferers are exceptionally intelligent and empathetic! The world needs us!

Best regards,
Nadine

"Ginger Rogers could dance just as well as Fred Astaire, but she did it backwards and in high heels." (I read that somewhere recently; I think it describes the life of a migraine sufferer very well.)

I am deeply impressed by Professor Göbel's incredible knowledge of headaches.
It has become clear to me that one can suffer from different types of headaches, as is obviously the case with me, and that each must be treated specifically, which is what I am trying to do.

It's a shame we don't have a headache specialist here!

After discovering indomethacin (neurologist: "Try this, one at night," but according to information online, this kind of pain has to occur about three times a day and continuously; the pain returns with every break), I was pleased with the success, but I haven't made much progress so far. An examination, including pressure measurements over several days, shortly before at a university hospital, revealed that the temporarily elevated cerebrospinal fluid pressure contributes to the pain, meaning I can now make sense of it.
But unfortunately, around the same time as this report from the same hospital, I received a rather unpleasant letter from a junior doctor who—this must have been his own initiative—once again labeled me a malingerer and dismissed the pain as "psychosomatic."
The examinations there confirmed this beyond any doubt, and the aforementioned report feels like a slap in the face.
Previous measurements elsewhere showed similarly elevated values, without me receiving any relevant feedback, except for changed values ​​in the reports – I was told something different, or the puncture was performed twice in succession and the second value noted – or a verbal “that can’t be right”; and reports were not created or not completed.

I've had this problem for so many years, and they say that so-called trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias are "easy to diagnose."
(Just so you know, I'm talking about years of severe, migraine-like pain.)

Until then, it felt like I'd tried tons of beta-blockers, topiramate, Botox (which is unsuitable for me because of facial paralysis), ibuprofen (if that worked for migraines, it would be common knowledge), amitriptyline (of course, the chocolate was on the house), and then back to beta-blockers... beta-blockers, beta-blockers, and more beta-blockers, and occasionally acetaminophen antagonists.
Before I got triptans, I had to try codeine with paracetamol for six months. Only then did I get this medication that at least helped me temporarily. But even with triptans, you can't avoid the exhaustion that sets in after each attack, which gets stronger and lasts longer the longer you have them.

The best statement I've heard so far from a gynecologist was "...you have to be able to put up with a few headaches".

That can certainly make you think.

Dear Prof. Dr. Hartmut Göbel,

I'm almost speechless. I find it incredibly wonderful that there are doctors like you who don't stop thinking and continue to explore even when the picture doesn't quite fit. Instead of forcing it into a mold just to make the diagnosis seem plausible, you have the courage to question it. You don't settle for a diagnosis that's already been made, but have the courage and the intelligence to challenge it. I suspect that the patients you treat are very fortunate and that they regain a great deal of quality of life as a result. Keep up the good work! The world needs more Prof. Dr. Göbel ;-) And I need one too :-).

As someone affected by this, as a patient,
this was one of the best presentations I've ever heard.
Even though technical terms and unfamiliar words were used, I was able to understand everything very well.
After the entire presentation, I'm very confident I don't have cluster headaches.
It's truly reassuring to know that headaches are being treated and researched seriously and with increasingly better results. And
, based on my experience, it's very important that health insurance companies are finally starting to take action and are there for their policyholders!
I would like to sincerely thank everyone involved. I wish everyone good health and, to all those affected, relief from pain and renewed optimism.
A fellow sufferer!

I spent 16 days in a pain clinic for migraine without aura. I have between 8 and 16 migraine days a month. After trying several medications, I'm currently only using antibody therapy. At the pain clinic, I learned a lot about the condition, as well as about nutrition, mindfulness, and various relaxation exercises. While there, I took the opportunity to voluntarily take a break from medication. I never would have dared to do that before my stay. I've now been without painkillers for the longest time (5 weeks) and have only had four migraines in the last 30 days, which I was able to manage through meditation and relaxation. I'm glad that my stay showed me new ways to cope with the pain. I feel like I'm listening to my body and its signals again. I now meditate for 10 minutes every morning and evening and do several breathing exercises throughout the day to relax. I'm trying to implement the nutritional knowledge I gained. The few days I have with pain suggest that the approach is working well for me, and I hope it continues to do so. It's certainly not a completely "pain-free life," but it does offer a better quality of life. I can only recommend that everyone take advantage of the time there and engage with the services offered by the pain clinic.

25 years of the Kiel Pain Clinic. During my daily walk, I always see the Kiel Pain Clinic and am delighted by the continued success of Prof. Dr. Göbel and his team. The clinic's history is a model of a successful journey from startup to established company. Congratulations and best wishes for continued success.

For me, the stay at the clinic was like an island of tranquility. It was peaceful and stress-free. Everyone who works there is friendly and helpful. The food is fantastic; it always tasted great and was never overcooked. Here, you can be in pain without hearing any strange comments; everyone is considerate. I was also very lucky with my roommate; we got along well from the very first minute. It seems we weren't the only ones who had this experience; we heard from many others that they also got along so well. Is that just a coincidence? Perhaps they try to find a good match for each other.
For me, the stay was a real stroke of luck, which helped me immensely to understand and manage my migraines.

This stay was a gift to me! You spend 16 days in a safe and secure environment, without having to justify your pain. Every patient is in pain, and the staff understands. All the employees, physiotherapists, doctors, and administrative staff are incredibly friendly and always ready to help. During this time, I learned to accept my diagnosis. The information about cluster headaches is so well-written and explained in the online seminars and Professor Göbel's excellent book that you feel truly understood. The ward doctors and nurses are very friendly and possess specialized knowledge of the different types of headaches. The physiotherapy sessions are very well-chosen, and you learn a great deal about how to manage your body on a daily basis.
I can now cope with my headaches to the point where I can still work. What more could you ask for?
A heartfelt thank you to the entire team.
Iris Landgraf from Cologne

A colleague (male) once said to me (female): “You surely know that more sex is supposed to help. You've definitely heard that before, haven't you?”

Fortunately, that was an isolated incident.

What really gets on my nerves now, though, are the questions from family and friends about whether I'm feeling better. I could explode when I hear that.

Usually, I have an attack on one side for two days, then the next day another attack comes on the other side, which also lasts two days. Afterwards, I'm completely exhausted for another two days.

When an attack phase has just ended, I wouldn't say my migraines are any better, because I know the next attack could come tomorrow.
For me, "better" would mean having fewer attacks. But nobody wants to understand that, even though I've explained it many times. Then I have to listen to: "Yes, but it's gone right now!" Yeah, great, and then I'm supposed to be in a good mood and function perfectly. Nobody wants to understand that chronic exhaustion and feeling overwhelmed are increasingly setting in simply from "normal" everyday life, and that you just can't do everything that everyone else does.

I would say that the lack of understanding from those around you makes the illness worse, because it creates conflicts in your life that are also stressful.

Ah yes, and the daily grind is back... that's what I "affectionately" call my migraine pain, which has been with me for 17 years... well, this article made me chuckle a bit, even though it's really no laughing matter... ironically, in 2017, my "sledgehammer" presented itself as a little lifesaver: three brain aneurysms, two on the left and right sides of my temples, the third located in the middle of my brainstem... not something a 25-year-old full-blooded nurse and mom needs... the same goes for the daily hammering in my head... as a teenager, it was crooked wisdom teeth, then being overweight, and then by chance, because after a strenuous night shift, I collapsed with an extreme aura before going to sleep... I think every owner of a "sledgehammer" empathizes with their equally afflicted counterpart... which makes it all the more sad that I stumbled across this article and that this real disability is still alive. It's not taken seriously enough, or rather, the discussion is too quiet... all the more reason to thank you for the great article :)

But I'd like to give you one more "great tip": the next time you hear someone being a know-it-all, take your imaginary sledgehammer and give them a good whack... that'll definitely be more effective than pointless banter 😂😘😘

In February 2022, I spent 16 days at the pain clinic due to my severe migraines. It was like a lifeline for me, filled with great hope of finding some relief. Those days fulfilled all my hopes and even gave me a roadmap for the months to come. The comprehensive care and support initially gave me the feeling of being taken seriously, that the experts listened attentively and could help. Everyone—the nurses, the doctors, the physiotherapists, the administrative staff—was friendly, helpful, and professional. Even the kitchen staff accommodated requests due to food intolerances and allergies. I returned home feeling strengthened and would like to thank Professor Göbel for his help, his dedication, and his compassionate nature. The lectures were very easy to understand, and it's not easy to explain complex medical issues clearly. The nutrition lecture was also excellent. Of course, I hope I won't have to visit the clinic again. But I know where I can turn if I become seriously ill again.

Thank you so much for finally putting it so succinctly! As if suffering from migraines wasn't stressful enough. I've been tormented by them for 28 years now and feel like I've heard every comment imaginable. We're all familiar with the endless running from doctor to doctor. For me, the final straw was when my brother-in-law's girlfriend advised me to finally see a REAL doctor…
Unfortunately, I'm now also experiencing the fact that my daughter apparently suffers from migraines as well. She's 21 now, which is the same age I started getting them. It's so awful to see her suffering and to know exactly what she's going through. I feel so guilty that I passed this crap on to her :-(
I wish all those affected all the best and many pain-free days!

My partner had to witness several severe migraine attacks before he could even begin to understand how bad it really is. Since my mother also suffers from migraines from time to time, I can always count on my parents' support. If I call them in the middle of the night because I think I simply can't bear the pain anymore, or I'm scared because I've been vomiting for hours, alternating between chills and hot flashes, and I'm worried something might happen, they immediately call me over and "monitor" me. Some of my colleagues understand me, but unfortunately, my boss doesn't, as she can't empathize with my situation. She only ever gets sick on vacation, never has migraines, and even comes to work when she's ill. Well, I do that too, meaning I go to work sick, but with migraines, it's simply impossible.

I hope things improve for all of you in the future. My migraines used to be more frequent (14-24 times a year), but now, thankfully, they only occur 5-8 times a year for a maximum of 24 hours.

I was at the pain clinic in Kiel in 2017 and still think fondly of the time I spent there. It's always lovely and touching to read and see these heartfelt Christmas greetings from you, Professor Göbel. Thank you so much!

I wish everyone a peaceful and beautiful Christmas season and a good start to the new year with little pain

Sonja Warth

That's great news! How long does it usually/likely take until one can actually receive the medication? Is it more like a few months or years?
Thanks!

Hello everyone,
I wanted to leave my warmest regards today, as even after a few years I still look back fondly and fondly on my two stays at your clinic. I felt I received excellent advice and was warmly welcomed and cared for by everyone involved.
Thanks to the new antibodies, I've thankfully been managing my migraines well lately, but I can only encourage anyone who needs treatment at the Kiel Pain Clinic to consider it.
With heartfelt greetings to all the staff!

I started getting migraines when I was 13. I missed a lot of school. I was subjected to stupid comments and bullying. When I had a migraine during a school trip, it got a little better, but I was still accused of a lot. Now I'm 19 and suffer from chronic migraines. That means I only get six pain-free days a month. I know all the well-meaning tips and advice. I've tried everything, and nothing helps. It's well-intentioned, but I'm so tired of hearing it. "Oh, you're way too thin! No wonder... put some weight on and you'll feel better." What a load of rubbish!
I've tried everything for prevention. I've been to migraine clinics (which I can still highly recommend! Sharing experiences is really helpful!).
Now I've had Botox for the first time... unfortunately, I haven't noticed anything yet, but you can only really judge after the second treatment. After that, the injections are my only option.
I'm really scared that they might not help either. I can't plan for the future, I can't do an apprenticeship. Who would hire a trainee who's only there once a week at most?! Nobody!
So, we migraine sufferers can gladly do without all the stupid, well-meaning, or know-it-all advice and wisdom!
Thanks for your website…let's just hope that non-migraine sufferers read it too!

I haven't experienced workplace bullying so far, as some of my colleagues were also affected. However, misunderstandings and stupid gossip about my illness from those not affected do occur from time to time, so I no longer mention why I'm calling in sick. If I am asked, it's usually just my stomach or something similar.

@Kathrin Witt

I'm so sorry to hear that. Please talk to them about it and don't do so much when you're not feeling well; they'll learn to appreciate that. You're a strong woman. All the best for the future!

Hello to all fellow migraine sufferers!
My husband often says to me, "But surely you can still manage a little housework?!" Over time, you learn to let it show less and less and just keep going. Luckily for me at work, my boss is also a migraine sufferer, and my direct supervisor is usually very understanding.
I've been taking beta-blockers since February, and I'm so happy that instead of one or two attacks a week, I now actually have two or three weeks off. Last time, there were six weeks between doses – it was pure bliss!

Heartiest congratulations to you, dear Professor Göbel, and therefore also to all your staff, and thus to the entire excellent system of the Kiel Pain Clinic.

Through your work and the worldwide dissemination of your vast knowledge, you have significantly improved the lives of countless people. My life as well, and so, again and again: thank you, thank you, thank you!

Many warm greetings to you and your staff at the most empathetic, professionally outstanding, and consistently patient-centered clinic, which is probably unique in this respect.
Hella Kiecksee

Your migraine is definitely due to the climate!

Hello, I've had migraines for 15 years. I usually suffer from them twice a month for three days at a time. In addition, migraines also strike occasionally for one or two days at a time. Regarding my illness: I feel really bad, weak, lacking in motivation, and extremely tired. For 15 years, I've forced myself to manage my daily life despite this. Even though the pain makes me feel terrible, I still do my housework, wash the laundry in the basement, go shopping, take care of my animals, and cook meals. I also take my children and the dog out for walks. My constant companion, however, is the migraine.
I work from home, so thankfully I don't have to call in sick.
No one in my family understands my problems. They think I'm making a fuss.
I never receive any support. I'm left standing at the stove, cooking meals.
Sometimes I think how crazy it all is; others who also suffer unbearable pain are forced to sleep in a dark room.
But I'm here and I'm carrying on. Sometimes I think I wouldn't be able to sleep with this unbearable pain. I don't know, I'm always active.
I've given up on taking painkillers because they never had the desired effect.
I've also read that they can make everything worse, which is why I'm staying away from them. I'm enduring the pain until it's over. What
shocked me most was that you can have the pain one day and wake up the next day still with the same pain.
Some days I'm very desperate; there's no one who understands me. Sometimes I'm on the sofa in front of the TV in the early evening, so exhausted that I almost doze off. Then I get asked why I'm going to bed so early. And I feel like I'm single. Unfortunately, I'd like to be, but all I can do is lie there. I'm just completely worn out 😩
I don't know what to do anymore... During those hours, I feel so helpless and alone
. Nobody understands me... And then I think, if only these stupid aches and pains would go away, then everything would be alright. But they're there, and nothing is alright. I
guess I'll just have to live with it

I've been suffering from this for about 15 years.
It starts with someone living inside my head, pounding relentlessly, harder and harder. Crying and screaming, I try to lie down in a dark and quiet room. Unfortunately, nothing helps. I get up, try to move, and it only gets worse, so I can't stop it. I hit my head with my own hands; I just want to be dead. In those moments, I behave like a wild animal.

Thanks for the tip. I'll follow the recommendation for the second vaccination. I already had the first AstraZeneca vaccination and, purely by chance, I kept a 12-day interval between it and the CGRP injection. With Aimovig, as usual, I had almost no side effects, but with the AstraZeneca vaccination, I experienced pronounced fatigue and a feeling of weakness that lasted a very long time; otherwise, nothing, not even a headache.

I've been taking the medication for three months and I feel like a new person. I've suffered from chronic migraines since early childhood. There's no therapy I haven't tried. Ajovy works incredibly well for me. I was able to reduce my pain days from 15 to 3, starting with the very first injection. I'm so grateful and happy, and I hope it helps many other patients too!

Interesting and insightful! Excellent! A poignant and deeply moving text.

Hello, I have a question. After my migraines lasted 6-7 days, I've had very good results with cortisone. Taking 50 mg two or three times a day in the morning usually stops the attack. I was vaccinated against COVID-19 on April 7th. Can I take cortisone again for the next attack, or should I wait longer before getting vaccinated? Can cortisone affect the immune response?

Good day Professor Göbel,
as far as I understand, AstraZeneca has so far been administered primarily to younger people because, until recently, it was not recommended for those over 65. Doesn't this suggest that this form of thrombosis has only occurred in younger individuals because older people have hardly been vaccinated with it until now? I myself am 71.
Thank you very much and best regards
, Uta Dohmeyer

Good day, Professor Göbel,

As a migraine sufferer (female, 45, non-smoker, normal weight) with aura (visual disturbances, numbness phases, etc.), am I at greater risk for the relevant thromboses due to an AstraZeneca vaccination?

Thank you very much for your assessment.

Kind regards from the west bank

I've been giving up my morning coffee for a week now, and from 1 p.m. onwards I get a severe headache and feel completely drained. In the afternoon I drink my usual two cups of coffee, but I don't feel any better afterwards. I want to continue giving up coffee in the mornings because it's the biggest diuretic. I'm a delivery driver, and the associated problems (like finding a toilet) were very stressful for me. Now I can manage my entire workday without needing a toilet.

Many thanks to the team at the Kiel Pain Clinic!
This was my third visit
, and I had another wonderful time in Kiel.
I'd love to come back again.
The food and treatments were fantastic –
simply balm for every troubled patient's soul.
Thank you
and greetings from Thuringia!

I just discovered this page and must confess that I haven't read all 200+ comments. I've suffered from migraines since the beginning of my period, have been going through menopause for many years now, and am hoping for improvement once it's finally over. Spending half the month just trying to get by and function is a massive reduction in quality of life and a huge strain, because every attack is incredibly draining. Luckily, I work with people who also suffer from migraines, including my supervisor. So it's not quite so bad for me to call in sick when I'm completely incapacitated for three days. For years, I've always kept a good supply of triptans, and not a day goes by that I leave the house without my medication. Last year, I tried various preventative medications. Unfortunately, they all had extreme side effects and, as far as migraines are concerned, were completely ineffective. I had to go through this process to be authorized to have the new, albeit very expensive, medication prescribed. I received my first injection on December 21, 2020. That was two and a half weeks ago. During this time, I had two relatively mild migraine attacks in the first three days after the injection. These lasted no longer than two to three hours. I can't even begin to describe what a significant improvement in my quality of life this is. My thanks go to my neurologist, who supported me through this process. I hope I continue to respond so well to the injection, because it's the first time in my life that I feel good and don't have to constantly worry about whether I can do this or that, always having to expect that a migraine will derail my plans.

Great book, exemplary, simply fantastic and damn it, it's free!

I've had migraines since I was 11 (since I started menstruating) and I can't seem to get a proper diagnosis. I go to the doctor with migraines and never get a referral to a specialist. Often, they don't even mention that I have migraines; instead, they advise me to lose weight because I'm so overweight. Even as a child, when I was only slightly overweight. It's exhausting; some doctors are exhausting.
There's generally very little understanding of the illness.

Thank you so much for all the information and suggestions. The connection between migraines and noise as a stress factor is often evident in pain diaries. Many thanks to everyone who tirelessly cares for pain patients.

We need help…
Dear team, my husband had surgery on his right hip in 2014 and has been living with pain ever since. The surgery took place at the Charité hospital in Berlin. They can no longer help him there. He can only get around with crutches, a walker, and an electric scooter. He receives morphine for pain relief, but it doesn't lessen the pain. Can you help us?

Sincerely,
Marianne Richter

But there are also: "Don't take a pill!" when I say I take triptans. Then I'm labeled a wimp. :( And: "Aren't you afraid you'll become addicted to painkillers?" No, I won't.

I've suffered from migraines for 16 years, since I was four
. I'm currently taking my A-levels for the second time (I had to drop out at 16 because of the migraines), and it's so difficult. Unfortunately, I have a chronic form and experience severe pain with episodes every day. (Severe nausea, difficulty seeing, etc.) Right now, it's almost unbearable again. I constantly feel guilty and try to force myself to do everything, often with violence, but ultimately with unsatisfactory results. Today was another one of those days that makes me completely doubt humanity. I had another terrible attack in class, and my teacher couldn't think of anything better to do than loudly announce to the whole class, "It's unacceptable that you're always feeling so bad. You must be doing something wrong. I'm sure you're watching too much TV, not drinking enough, and not sleeping. This can't go on; you can't do school like this." Thanks for that. I'm doing everything I can to keep my grades in the good to very good range, but it's exhausting me. I want to succeed, but the people around me make it so difficult. You're a lone wolf in everyday life and have to develop a thick skin. That's why I'm so grateful for articles like this and all your comments, to know that, all things considered, I'm not really alone!

It's very revealing to see the sheer volume of comments on this topic. My own experiences fit right in. I also suffer from recurring attacks of severe nausea. If I don't have a triptan on hand in time, it usually results in a day of throbbing, one-sided pain, followed by a day of intense nausea where I vomit about every 30 minutes without being able to eat or drink anything – this goes on all day until it finally stops in the late evening due to sheer exhaustion. Then there's usually another day where I'm just completely wiped out and my brain feels like it's been run over by a steamroller, but the pain subsides, and in the days immediately following an attack, I feel clearer and lighter than ever before. Then, over time, the tension builds up again, and the latent pressure in my head increases until it erupts violently once more. This can be triggered by only minor things, like too much sun, a beer the night before, staying in one position for too long, or stressful social situations—the list is endless.
Although I consciously choose not to work full-time for precisely this reason (four days a week in the office, interrupted by Wednesday as a "rest day," plus a side job outdoors on Saturdays), it still occasionally happens that my migraine strikes on an office day. On these days, I usually just force myself through because I know my next day off (off to be sick without guilt) isn't far off. But my colleagues still sometimes find out, which is why a keen colleague, who is also very interested in alternative medicine, including homeopathy, recently came to me conspiratorially and handed me a stack of text she had copied from her favorite book, "Medical Medium"—it was the chapter on migraines. The author's approach (who, by the way, gets all his information whispered to him by a divine spirit—no joke!): no dairy products, no eggs, no gluten (so no bread, etc.), no meat, no fermented foods, no table salt, no MSG, no alcohol, no chocolate(!). He lists stress, menstruation, sinus problems, intestinal problems, an esoteric virus that only he knows about, and much more as triggers. Since practically EVERYTHING is a cause of migraines, you're supposed to try to avoid EVERYTHING. I'm thinking, sure, if I could sit on an island shielded from all stress, not have to eat anything, and stop menstruating, then I'd probably be fine—thanks a lot. But since the triggers are practically interchangeable, and even if I manage to avoid 90% of them, the remaining 10% will still get me, that can't be the solution. The problem is that there's something inside me that's so easily triggered. For me, the pressure would simply build until the slightest irritation provokes an attack. Anyway, she'll probably come to my desk soon, her eyes shining, and ask, "So?"... and I'm already bracing myself for the next bout of pain when she asks if I'm still eating bread...

Hello everyone.
I don't know how or where to begin. It took decades until I found a doctor who immediately recognized it was migraine and not just a headache. Thanks to my family doctor, I can now lead a comfortable life again. Even in early childhood (around age 5), I had headaches, stomach aches, nausea, and so on. But it was never diagnosed as migraine. As a person, you slowly learn instinctively to do something to make the pain more bearable. Strangely enough, I discovered that whenever I got a kind of flu or cold, my mom gave me Tussipect with codeine. Oddly enough, my migraines were greatly suppressed by taking this medication. When another attack came, I secretly drank some. As I've already explained, I was five years old. Today I'm 55 and I say migraines aren't curable,
but you can manage them. I can relate to everyone here regarding migraines with aura, nausea and vomiting, and sensitivity to noise, even to the point of suicidal thoughts.
I was truly on the verge of taking my own life just to finally be pain-free. I'm also familiar with the kind of advice that's given out there.

-Your illness isn't visible, so you're faking it.
-Get something done about your teeth, then you won't have migraines anymore.
-Drink more, exercise, etc. How stupid is that? Every exertion makes migraines worse.
-Smoking promotes migraines, aha, something completely new, because if that were true, I wouldn't encourage it.

What kind of judgment do people have who aren't in my shoes? Migraines aren't fun and have
virtually nothing to do with headaches. Good thing we compared them, huh?

Please bear with me; I had a stroke 12 years ago, so my writing may contain spelling mistakes and gaps.
Anyway, the attacks really started in 2009, and my family doctor accordingly put me on sick leave and wouldn't budge.
I had to go to the Medical Service of the Health Insurance Funds (MDK) several times to have my fitness for work assessed. It was quite disheartening to be asked, "Do you drink and smoke?" I said that alcohol gives me migraines, and his response was, "You smoke, that's what gives you migraines." What nonsense, I thought, because if that were true, I wouldn't want to smoke. Now, when my sick pay ran out, I had to go to a clinic in Bad Zwesten. The result: I wasn't put on sick leave for the migraines, but for complex traumatic stress disorder. I don't know if I should write this, but I'll give you a little glimpse. What had made my migraines bearable all these years was my love for certain, let's say, clothes. Playing with them helped me a lot; it strongly suppressed the migraines. So, in other words, sex can provide relief, at least it did for me, but for others it can
trigger migraines. My medications were ibuprofen, topiramate, and, for emergencies, Allegro after my stay in Bad Zwesten, which isn't a migraine clinic.

Migraine is not recognized, and I don't think it will be in the future either, because it is incurable.

The bottom line is, I wasn't put on full disability leave 10 years ago because of migraines, but because of mental illness.

Unfortunately, some learned gentlemen in white coats are at a loss because they're baffled by migraines. It's just a lot of guesswork,
rather than a doctor having the guts to admit they don't know what to do. On the contrary, they try to blame the patient.
In this clinic, they declared me mentally ill simply because I'd been playing with some clothes in bed. Seriously? It helped
make my migraine bearable. And what did the psychiatrist give me for that? Seroquel. Thanks for that, for providing relief. It's
simply unbelievable to be treated like that. I thought we hadn't stagnated in medicine and that doctors had learned how
to prevent harm.

And today, after that whole ordeal, I only have 2 or 3 attacks a month instead of up to 15 attacks lasting 3 days each.
Ibuflam 600 helps me then, and this fun with the clothes, in other words, sex.

That was a small glimpse into the life of a migraine feigner—a feigner because that's how they're perceived by those who
don't have the condition. Try having a tooth pulled without anesthesia or your hand amputated without anesthesia for three days straight; compared to a migraine, that's a walk in the park. Dear non-migraine sufferers, except for those who understand.

Hi,
I also want to talk about my headaches. It started with earaches, then at some point I had severe headaches. It all started last school year. Everyone just said it was psychological. If it were psychological, I wouldn't still have them because I'm in a better class now and have a better teacher. I still get earaches on and off. My brother had similar symptoms to me; he only has back pain now, and I'm still plagued by these stupid headaches. Someone even said it might be migraines, but I think it's something else. The doctors also looked at my ears but didn't see anything. I was prescribed medication, but it didn't help. Painkillers didn't help at all, only for a very, very, very short time. I can't concentrate at all in school. Especially if I touch one ear, it hurts terribly, and the headaches get worse. My father works in the medical field and has looked at me a lot. But I finally want to know what's really wrong with me. During the holidays, I had two really severe headaches that were almost unbearable. Many people say it's triggered by the current situation, but that wouldn't explain the earaches, maybe the headaches. I've almost got the earaches back, man, I've got such a bad pain in my right ear right now, it's still there but less than before. Anyway, back to what I was going to write: I've had the earaches for about nine months now and the headaches for about six months. The pain just comes out of nowhere, it's just there at some point. That's what bothers me the most, that I don't know why I have the pain. I'll stop writing now before I get such severe pain again. Wait, I forgot to mention something: I also have light sensitivity when I have headaches, or even just at other times. I hope that it will finally be thoroughly investigated and not just have them look in my ear and say they can't see anything or blame it all on my mental state. I'm the only one who's had such severe headaches; my father had migraines as a child. But in his case it was more psychological, but I don't think that's the case for me. I hope we finally go to a doctor and he finally figures out why I really have these headaches.
Best wishes and stay healthy,
Bey

You're lying in bed with an ice pack, and then comes the comment from your husband, who claims to have never had a headache... "
How could I possibly know you have migraines?" even though I get them once a week these days. He's known about me for 50 years.

The best comment I've ever had the pleasure of hearing was… “You have a migraine, but I have a headache, which is much worse because a migraine only hurts in one spot, a headache hurts your whole head”… what more can you say?

Hello,

I was in Kiel in December 2019, and now, six months later, I want to express my gratitude for the joy they gave me back. For years, tension headaches tormented me so severely that I was taking 3-8 painkillers daily (around 2000 a year) (mainly paracetamol with codeine) just to get through the day. After a break from painkillers (which I never would have managed at home) and a change in medication, I now only suffer from headaches 1-3 days a month. An incredible improvement in my quality of life. To anyone reading this who has a similar pain history and, like most people in their immediate circle, has exhausted all the doctors and therapists without any real success, I can only recommend trying therapy at the Kiel Pain Clinic. I had almost given up on life.

Hi, I had a migraine once, and when it started, I was on the phone with a friend. I told her I was having an aura and would let her know when I felt better. The next day, I was feeling better by evening. I checked my phone again and saw that 10 minutes after I hung up, she had asked if I could send her something. An hour later, she asked again if I could send it (I was still completely exhausted in bed at that point). I replied that I could send it, but also asked why she was asking again if she knew I had a migraine. Her answer: "As if you couldn't get to your phone until now! If I have a headache, I send you something like that right away." She still doesn't understand. ::(

Today I also want to write about my migraines. I had just been discharged from the pain clinic again and met my sister the next day.
She said to me, "I had no idea you were in pain!" I was already 59 years old at the time! I've had tension headaches since I was 16 and severe migraines since I was about 23! Back
then, I was called a whiner or told, "Don't be such a baby." (my sister) But even today, my husband replies, "I know what you mean, my back hurts too, and that pain is definitely much worse than a minor headache!" We've been together for 62 years!

A well-written and clearly structured article. Working with migraines has become increasingly popular lately. The method is also extensively mentioned in the guidelines of the German Society for Neurology, both as a preventative measure and as an acute intervention.

I've had chronic migraines for years, 15 to more like 25 attacks a month. Luckily, after a Botox treatment, which didn't reduce the frequency of attacks but did lessen their intensity somewhat, I respond very well to triptans again. And I take them when I get an attack, especially at night, so I can show up at work smiling in the morning. I really enjoy my job, even though it's stressful, and, to be honest, I'm terrified of having a bad attack. I've been through quite a few, and I'm not keen on a repeat. And I know all the comments, even from doctors – "You know you're dependent on medication, you should only take 10 triptans a month, that's medication-induced headache..." – Yes, I know that taking so many triptans isn't ideal, and I'm always grateful for the rare, multi-day pain-free periods – then I don't even think about taking a pill. I've already been through the "well-meaning advice," for example, from my boss: "Have you ever thought about working reduced hours…?" – a joke in my line of work, since I'd just get paid less, not have less work. Many people certainly mean well with their advice, but I also realize that some don't take my pain seriously, because I do go to work and do what I can. And if something hits me during the day, I immediately take my painkiller and hope that the pain remains bearable and passes quickly so I can continue with my daily routine.
I really hope that the treatment in Kiel helps me, because I'm slowly running out of options – not a pleasant thought.

My brother said to me this morning, "Serves you right," and grinned. (I'm 37, he's almost 41!)

This article is the first I've read on the subject that doesn't treat the medication as a miracle cure. It's not a miracle cure, which isn't to say it isn't effective. I'm 48 years old, have had migraines since I was 5, and for about 15 years have had 30 days of pain per month with an average of 22 migraine attacks per month. I've tried everything from beta-blockers to acupuncture to Botox, etc., all without success. Ultimately, I ended up on disability benefits. I've been taking Ajovy for three months now, and unfortunately, it hasn't had any effect. I hope that the hype surrounding this medication will be justified and that it will help as many patients as possible.
However, I am concerned that the long-term effects of the medication are still completely unknown.

Hello everyone

I'm writing this from the perspective of someone who isn't directly affected. My husband often suffers from severe headaches, and I hate seeing anyone in pain. So I'm probably one of those people who wants to help over the top. I sometimes ask things like, "Have you drunk enough today?" or "Have you eaten a proper meal yet?" I'll even make him something to eat or some tea if needed. I've also bought him a book with exercises for relaxation, precisely because I know he's often tense. There's no "lecturing" or malicious intent behind it. I simply want to help him in those moments. I want to do everything I can to make sure he's not in pain so often.

After reading your comments, I realize that these kinds of questions can be annoying for someone affected, because it sounds like you get asked them very often. However, I believe many people are trying to get to the bottom of the cause for or with you, in order to help you. I think most of them aren't aware that you don't need or want this, or that it might even annoy you. Of course, inappropriate comments and silly lectures are excluded from this!

Best regards

An impressive and very moving television report on NDR. Thank God the Kiel Pain Clinic exists.

Anyone who wants to can understand that, I can't.

beeper

Dear Pain Clinic,
I've been following your work for a long time (through mailings and generally with migraines), and I wanted to sincerely thank you for your help and dedication.
In a few weeks, I'll be in your area for the first time. At my doctor's request, I'll stop by to see the clinic in person and get a registration form. See you soon!

Dear Sir or Madam,
I have been receiving your newsletter for several years now, and I have always enjoyed it and found it helpful. Thank you very much for that!

It's inexplicable to me, but I hardly ever get headaches anymore. They occasionally return at night. Until about a year ago, the pain was often unbearable, and had been since I was 30. My pain specialist prescribed sumatriptan, and I've been taking it for many years. Now, if it's absolutely necessary and the pain is severe, I take a painkiller. Why I'm mostly pain-free is a mystery to me. My life has become calmer in my old age. Perhaps that's why. I'm 78 years old, and there's no one around to worry about.

Now I really hope I remain headache-free. There are enough other physical problems, so I'm glad that at least the headaches are gone.

Kind regards,
Ursula Maria Senger

For me, there's no pain worse than a headache. In fact, there are very few days in my life when I don't have a headache. For me, it's really just a matter of intensity.

Currently, I've been suffering for over two months with severe headaches, migraines, and nausea. I get a break of one to three days at a time, and then it all starts again. On weekends, when things are quiet, it slowly gets better and better, but by Tuesday at the latest, it's pure hell again. This throbbing and stabbing in my head is simply awful. If it were just "normal" headaches, but no. The heat (temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius), bright light, smells, or physical exertion (e.g., climbing stairs, bending over, carrying things) only make the symptoms much worse. How am I supposed to work properly under these conditions? Concentration is impossible. During my current attack, I've noticed that I keep dropping things. When I close my eyes, I get dizzy and start to sway.
In those moments, all I want to do is go to bed and breathe in the cold air. I usually turn on the fan and put wet cloths on my forehead and neck – or sit under a cold shower for several hours a day.
It's fine while I'm showering – but about 45 minutes later the problem starts all over again.

It's nice to hear comments from superiors like, "You should think about whether the job is right for you," and "You should ask your doctor if you're even fit to work." Or, "If you don't feel like working, you should just stay home!"

My new (former) employer took the easy way out and simply fired me while I was on sick leave during my probationary period. When
I called to ask why, he admitted that I wasn't at work and had been on sick leave for 1.5 weeks. He doesn't need malingerers in the company.

I'm not a spiteful person, but I wish someone like that would experience a single, really bad migraine attack so they can feel for themselves what hell goes on in their head.

I suspect that all the artificially provoked stress and time pressure from my supervisor is the trigger for my current migraine. Before this whole mess started, I was able to do my job quite well.
I've often noticed in the past that after a lot of stress, anger, and time pressure, the attacks are more frequent than during calmer periods. This isn't just related to work, but also to my private life. When things get too hectic and stressful, the headaches start slowly and gradually intensify. Often, it's simply because there are too many people around me. I get migraine attacks more often when I have to travel by train than when I'm driving.

Now I have to worry about whether I'll be allowed to go on our three-week annual vacation in a month. There will certainly be discussions with the health insurance company :(((

I've had to listen to all sorts of things over the last 35 years. Almost everything listed by the previous posters sounds very familiar.
Medical examiners from the Medical Service of the Health Insurance Funds (MdK) are always very "understanding" and just casually declare you fit for work.
The last MdK doctor even gave me the helpful tip during the examination to please sit down. If I were to fall over, he'd have a problem... because my examination had already started and finished without me, and all the reports were already written and ready to be sent. My personal appearance only took place because I "was supposed to be examined." What more can you say or think about that??? Luckily, my family doctor wasn't misled by such a quack and continued his treatments.

Changing your diet… for food allergies, ulcerative colitis, and chronic diverticulitis is also a very well-intentioned piece of advice that just makes me shake my head and walk away without a word.
Or go get some fresh air and do more exercise… when you have allergies from the end of February to the end of October.
And then it's always the same: for every "solution," you just have excuses.
Go see a psychiatrist, you're not all there, you're a malingerer!

At some point, I gave up listening to such things or giving them any thought. All I ever say now is that they should be happy that they are sooooooo healthy.

What medication do you take when you get headaches or migraines?
I get my medication two or three times a year in the Netherlands because it's much cheaper there in bulk, and then I mix it myself. I've had pretty good experiences with it.

I either take up to 1500mg of aspirin, 1500mg of paracetamol, and 150mg of caffeine daily,
or up to 2400mg of ibuprofen and 600mg of caffeine daily.
From the age of 17, I also took tramadol for almost 20 years, but that can't be the solution either.
The problem arises when you completely abstain from caffeine from one day to the next. The following day will be pure hell!
For this reason, after the pain medication, I only take pure caffeine tablets and reduce the dose daily down to 0mg.

When I don't have to work, I try to manage without medication as much as possible.
What sometimes helps is putting a lot of peppermint oil on my head while showering (with quite hot water). I don't know if it's just my imagination, but sometimes it helps, especially on hot days. Afterwards, I feel cold and better. I also use ice packs on my neck and forehead and get plenty of rest.

Maybe this will help someone else too!
Peppermint oil isn't that expensive, and almost everyone has a shower. It also works with a whole bottle of peppermint oil in a hot bath. I got that tip back when I was in the army hospital, and my peppermint oil consumption went up quite a bit after that ;-)

I have a disability rating of 40. However, "cervical migraine" only accounts for 10 points. I find this incomprehensible.
Due to my many different illnesses, I'm on sick leave for at least two to three months a year.
The worst was in 2013, when I was on sick leave for over two years straight, which ultimately led to rehabilitation and disability.
My application for an increased rating at the social welfare office was rejected!
My appeal was also rejected!
What do I need to do to get more disability rating points for migraine that truly reflect the limitations it imposes on my daily life?

I wish all migraine sufferers as many pain-free moments as possible!!!

Dear Professor Göbel, dear team of the pain clinic,

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for my stay at the clinic. Like so many before me, I can say that my quality of life has improved dramatically as a result of my time there. I can trust my body and, above all, my mind again. I am motivated to change my life and implement what I have learned as best I can. Many thanks to the nurses, Dr. Vayni, and Dr. Lutz.

Greetings from Munich!!
Kim Schreiber

It's the same every year; I've just come from the pharmacy, and unfortunately, there are supply problems again. Not only for Isoptin but also for several other types of verapamil.

This is the best thing I've read on the subject in a long time. I see myself reflected in many aspects of it. This helps a lot in living better with the illness. Thank you!

A heartfelt thank you to the International Headache Society (IHS) for updating the differentiation criteria for the many types of headaches. The web version also brings clarity and transparency to us patients, which is important since we ourselves need to become experts on our condition. The fact that Professor Göbel implemented the web version for the International Headache Society, including an English version for the entire world, demonstrates its international significance. Congratulations!
Before my stay at the Kiel Pain Clinic, every developing migraine would turn into a severe attack, so intense that I didn't even need to differentiate between the different types, and this happened more than half the day. Migraine without aura, chronic migraine, medication-overuse headache.
After my inpatient stay at the pain clinic, my triptan use is no longer more than 10 days per month. That's a halving. Instead, I experience "mild" forms of migraine with nausea and moderate headaches on many days. With the classification criteria, I now know that either the criterion of unilateral severity or an increase due to physical exertion must be present to classify it as migraine; if a criterion is missing, it could be a probable migraine. This is
certainly not new to specialists, but it is for me, as I am experiencing new situations, and therefore helpful.
Previously, I had used Professor Göbel's "triptan threshold" selection criteria, which reflect this. I've been using this for six months and find it very helpful and practical. The "triptan threshold" is part of the Kiel Migraine App.

Written straight from the heart, it couldn't be better expressed.
An outstanding interpretation!

I suffered from migraines as a young woman and mother. I'm 67 now and haven't had one for years. B. Hallemann

Hello to all migraine sufferers.
I've spent several hours reading posts about how people like us are coping, more or less, and what we've all experienced.
I'm 59, male, so in the minority, and I've also suffered from one or more forms of migraine for over 33 years; I can't remember exactly how long.
The last few years with my family doctor, before the migraine was diagnosed, were the worst, in my opinion. I always got along well with my doctor, even now in his well-deserved retirement; we were on a first-name basis. I told him back then, "Do what you want with me, I can't take it anymore, I don't want to live like this anymore." He said to me very thoughtfully and with concern, "I'll think of something. Come back for another appointment next week or the week after." So I did
. My doctor recommended that I see a pain therapist. I got the name, address, and phone number and made an appointment.
I saw a small group practice, many new faces, and a lot of new misery. The staff was friendly, and the doctor was very approachable. As usual, I had to fill out a questionnaire and describe my medical history. Then came many examinations that were unfamiliar to me. Several appointments and new medications followed, along with the first attempts at preventative measures and my first "Kiel headache diary." After further appointments and initial attempts to get to the bottom of the problem, there was no improvement, which I also told the pain therapist. He then suggested I try a different medication if needed (Maxalt Lingua), my first triptan, the kind everyone has probably been prescribed at some point.
When the next attack started, I took Ritazatriptan for the first time. After 20 minutes, my head was calm again; I couldn't believe it. At my next appointment, I proudly confessed how well the medication had worked, and the doctor immediately told me it was a migraine. And so the circle was complete. My mother has had these similar headaches since I was born, which noticeably lessened with menopause. She was never diagnosed with migraines.
Over the years, the medication became less effective, so I consulted a neurologist to try new approaches, which unfortunately weren't entirely successful. I searched extensively online for information on migraines, reading and researching.
After years, I stumbled upon a new term: "Botox."
By then, the attacks were so frequent that the prescribed medication was no longer sufficient, and I started obtaining additional medication.
I finally got an address at the Charité hospital in Berlin and, after much back and forth, managed to secure an appointment because getting a referral wasn't easy, as only following the established procedure led to success.
I had an appointment and a referral, so it was back to square one: questionnaires, old medical reports and findings, etc. Then another appointment at the Charité in Berlin, over 130 km away. My hopes for quick help and relief were quickly dashed. After several appointments, the doctor prepared and administered the first treatment with botulinum toxin. As mentioned earlier, the injections were given in the same spots, causing very unpleasant pain under the very thin skin at my hairline and down to my shoulders.
It brought no relief for about three months afterward. I was then referred to another neurologist, who was present at my next appointment and took over my treatment.
There, I learned a lot about medication overuse. I had been diligently keeping my headache diary, and it was explained to me that I had been taking too many triptans per month to combat the numerous attacks. I was told to wean myself off all painkillers for a while.
This was the worst time I have ever had to endure. The time was extended with each appointment, with the hope that it would be over by the next one. In the end, it amounted to three-quarters of a year. When I presented this message to my family doctor and my neurologist, they immediately and spontaneously agreed that if there were days when I was more able to work, I only needed to call and they would send me a sick note, which I had to take advantage of despite having regular appointments.
Sometimes I felt so awful; I sometimes stayed in bed for two days straight, in complete rest and darkness. I also informed my employer about the very difficult ordeal of going cold turkey, and this was accepted.
Before and after the withdrawal, I tried various medications for prophylaxis, which brought temporary success, but nothing lasts forever. Then came the second attempt with Botox, which brought moderate success over a period of more than a year. I was told it would be a success if I had one-third fewer attacks or days with headaches. This also led to another change of doctor in the same town.
I rarely experience nausea or vomiting, but more often I have light and noise sensitivity. When I have a cold, the headaches are unbearable; nothing helps, which is why I deliberately use the term "headache" in this context. Then the tinnitus, which I've had for at least as long as the migraines, becomes unbearably loud!
I try not to use triptans more than the aforementioned 10 to a maximum of 15 times a month because I know exactly what could happen again.
I'm also on the list of candidates who would be eligible for the new "CGRP antagonist." It
's not my turn yet, so I'll continue as before with antidepressants for prevention and triptans.

To everyone going through something similar:
Hang in there.
We don't need well-meaning advice, we know what we're doing!

Regards, Jörg

I wish all the staff, doctors, and the professor a healthy and successful new year!
My stay in September/October 2018 was a complete success!
From the moment I arrived at the clinic until my discharge, I felt taken seriously and valued.
The professor's team is professional and always very helpful.
With almost 40 years of migraine experience, I finally received effective help. I think I've tried everything.
I knew a lot, but I internalized everything during those 16 days! The professor's book is always very important.
The seminars, the food, and the sports activities all emphasized the importance of this. Of course, taking a break from medication is easier in the clinic than at home. But I'm implementing much more at home.
Being proactive is also the motto!
Everything is regular: eating, sleeping, and appointments.
My quality of life has improved enormously.
My attacks have been significantly reduced! I still fondly remember the atmosphere in the house every day, the excellent food, the lovely room, the view of the water, walks along the Schwentine River, and the friendly fellow patients. Kudos to the kitchen staff for their awareness of the importance of carbohydrates!
The sports program is fantastic, and you can try everything. The psychologists are very helpful.
Professor Göbel has realized his lifelong dream, and we benefit greatly from it. Thank you so much!
I highly recommend the clinic. A thousand thanks to everyone!
Regina K. from Hamburg

Hello, thankfully I'm relatively rarely afflicted by this scourge of humanity, but when I am, it's so severe that I usually need a whole week to recover.
Migraines can be triggered, exacerbated, and aggravated by so many factors that I'm sometimes quite relieved when someone comes up with a new suggestion. I've found that hearing about miracle healers and miracle cures is an attempt to show empathy. It's important to "describe" the indescribable pain to those around you, to share scientific findings, and to substantiate the statement "I have migraines." The white and gray matter is so complex that neither sufferers nor researchers should be able to simply summarize it in a single word.

Hello everyone,
I've been suffering from migraines for about 20 years. At first, they weren't so frequent, but for the last 10 years or so, I've had about 15-20 attacks a month. I'm also still working. I've tried almost everything: five treatments, acupuncture, cupping, practically everything in the pharmacy, but unfortunately, nothing helped. Then my cardiologist even forbade me from taking migraine medication because it wasn't good for my heart. I was close to despair until I found a fantastic neurologist. After various tests, he started giving me Botox injections. Since 2009, it's been covered by health insurance. I get Botox injections every three months at 31 points on my head, neck, and shoulders. The result: I've had about 85-90% fewer attacks since then. I highly recommend it.

Dear Professor Göbel, dear clinic team,

I would like to sincerely thank you all for the outstanding, competent, friendly, and caring support I received in every respect during my stay at the clinic in 2018. Thank you for everything good and helpful that I experienced with you, and for the new knowledge I was able to take away with me.

After several specialists at my home were unable to help me with diagnosis and treatment, I arrived at the Kiel pain clinic in a very exhausted and discouraged state.

Since I have a long way to go to Kiel, I was grateful for the opportunity to arrive the day before my admission and stay overnight in a guest room at the clinic for a very fair price.

Even beforehand, everything was handled promptly by your administration. And every subsequent waiting period, however long it may initially seem, is worthwhile! I can't imagine anything better for severely affected pain patients than the Kiel Pain Clinic!

Since I had to fill out a lengthy questionnaire and list all previous therapies and treatments upon registration, a treatment plan was developed for me (which can still be adjusted if necessary). I received this plan upon admission, along with Professor Göbel's book and several relaxation CDs that I could use during my stay. The initial consultation with the attending physician took place within hours of my arrival and included a very thorough examination and a lengthy discussion. I was truly taken seriously, and they really listened to me! A precious commodity these days.

The therapies started practically immediately, which I found very convenient. The time spent there was used to its fullest potential.
The treatment plan included fixed appointments such as individual sessions (physiotherapy, psychology, biofeedback), fixed group sessions (pain management, progressive muscle relaxation, lectures by doctors or therapists), but also flexible group sessions with a wide range of relaxation and exercise options (at various levels of intensity), which I could choose myself depending on how I felt. A brilliant concept!

A doctor visited my room daily, during which I could ask any questions I had at my leisure. If I happened to be out for a private appointment, the doctor would come by later.

The food is delicious and varied. At lunchtime, you're even treated to a four-course meal! A real treat at every meal is the table laden with a variety of fruits, from which you can also help yourself to snacks. It's also great that glass carafes and glasses are provided for us patients in the kitchenettes, so we can enjoy the excellent Kiel tap water whenever we want.

The friendliness and empathy of all the staff is exceptional. During these 16 days, I felt wonderfully cared for, well looked after, pampered, and deeply relaxed. I returned home feeling strengthened, encouraged, and equipped with a sound, follow-up treatment plan.

And the best part is: I'm feeling much better now! Which, by the way, makes not only me but also my whole family very happy.

The worst thing for me was a doctor at the rehab clinic. During our conversation, I mentioned that I found it very strange that the rooms were so noisy and, unfortunately, there was no way to darken them. This is absolutely essential for me during a migraine attack, especially since they specialize in migraines. I also missed having a quiet place to retreat to. In short… everything was far too hectic and noisy for me.

His reply: Then go to the spa gardens. It would be quiet there.

Well, the only problem is that walking during a migraine attack isn't exactly my strong suit, and I'm just happy if I manage to get to the toilet without making a mistake. And the connection between "shadow" and "dark" doesn't make sense to me either.

He really knew his stuff! Unfortunately, he wasn't the only doctor who spouted such nonsense. After that rehab, I was really sick.

I learned about this new medication for the first time today; it's like a miracle! I've suffered from migraines since childhood and am now
62 years old. I'm immediately on board for the new migraine medication (aimovig). My sincere thanks to the research team and everyone involved. Karola Hötger Hegemann

I'm now in my early 50s and have suffered from migraines since early childhood. Of course, I'm familiar with all the stupid remarks, insinuations, and supposedly clever advice from people who have no clue.

The best thing I've heard so far was from some esoteric woman: "Your migraines could be punishment for being a bad person in a past life." Okay, if that's the case, then I certainly deserve the suffering :-D.

I use the migraine app regularly and find it very well done. I would like to see mental relaxation integrated as well.

A huge thank you to the nurses! You're doing a fantastic job.
My doctor, Dr. Gergely, was amazing!! She always took plenty of time for me. A truly wonderful doctor!!
Thank you again for everything.

Warm regards,
Tina Schütte

An interesting report, especially for someone like me who has suffered from migraines or tension headaches for 30 years and increasingly limited their daily and professional life, feeling they couldn't reveal it. Fortunately, thanks to my husband's support, I was able to reduce my working hours enough to manage both the headaches and my job. At work (social work), I couldn't expect any consideration during my headache attacks. The doctors only prescribed painkillers and hormones. It was only a course at the adult education center—led by a nutritionist—that provided me with the information that gradually led to improvement: dietary changes, giving up coffee and tea, reducing sugar, etc., no painkillers, regular exercise… and now, after menopause, the bimonthly headache attacks have almost ceased. However, I'm now worried about visual disturbances, which are probably caused by the migraine aura. My appointment with a neurologist is still pending.

What good are countless lists and endless tables to me... if a pain specialist diagnoses me with chronic migraine and then just leaves me to fend for myself?
To all those who doubt migraine, to all those I have to explain myself to... I wish they would experience a migraine attack lasting 3-4 days. Then they'll know why migraine sufferers are completely incapacitated during an attack!
I need help. I work, I'm a mother, and I have "free time." Everything is uncertain, I'm always worried... when a migraine strikes... and no medication helps anymore...
An illness doesn't always have to be visible to elicit empathy.

Finally

A recurring question: “Do you drink enough?”
What am I supposed to answer… “No, I’ve had migraines for 15 years because I don’t drink enough”?!?! What utter nonsense.
Or another popular one: “It’s the weather.”

I've had migraines since I was eight years old. Now I'm 55. The intervals between attacks have steadily increased, and I'm experiencing up to 17 attacks a month. A normal life is almost impossible. I've tried pretty much everything – diets, relaxation exercises, stays in pain clinics, psychotherapy, and medication – all without success. Of course, I'm familiar with almost all the well-meaning advice mentioned here. What hurt me the most was the doctor's comment after the birth of my first child, when I was 24. The pregnancy had been migraine-free from the fourth month onward, but on the day of delivery, I promptly had my first migraine attack again: "Well, you should be happy about that; then the migraines will probably disappear after menopause!" Great, whether that's true or not, I still don't know!

I give them a perfect score!
I'm so grateful!
I was admitted so spontaneously and without any fuss!
Despite the long wait!
I have cluster headaches, and Professor Dr. Göbel took me on as a patient! The entire staff was truly very attentive! The clinic is in a beautiful location, and most importantly, I was discharged at the beginning of August 2018 with a good treatment plan! So if the next episode occurs, I have medication that will help!!!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Dear Mrs. Frank

My deepest respect, gratitude and joy at this wonderful honor.

My warmest congratulations.

As someone personally affected, I have witnessed the dedication and passion you put into your work and your voluntary service
every day, and how compassionate and helpful you always are for us.

Thank you very much and all the best,
Sanni

Thank you so much for the article and your comments. I completely agree with everything.

The best thing I heard was:
“Do something about it, things can’t go on like this. No matter what it costs.”

You just want to scream!

Hang in there.

Hello,
my name is Thomas, and I'm a 56-year-old firefighter and paramedic.
My headaches started about seven years ago, and I was sent from doctor to doctor without getting a proper diagnosis.
Four years ago, I was sent to a health resort and met cluster headache patients who described their suffering and pain.
I immediately knew it was cluster headaches.
Through research and my paramedic training, I learned more about the disease.
I read about tension headaches and cell contractions.
Tablets didn't help, but I realized that alcohol might be a trigger for the attacks.
Since that day, I've completely cut out alcohol.
What I've discovered, however, is that medical oxygen can quickly alleviate the pain.
I'm at an outpatient pain clinic where I've shared my experiences and advise my fellow sufferers to try oxygen therapy.
My doctor gave me a long-term prescription for oxygen.
A 10-liter bottle sits next to my bed, and a small bottle is always with me.
And I'm telling you, life becomes more bearable
. Try it!

I agree, I've also suffered from migraines for many years and they just won't go away. Sometimes nothing helps anymore and I even have to call the emergency services. I would really like to get vaccinated, hoping that it will eventually stop.

I was at the pain clinic in Kiel in September 2017. I can highly recommend the clinic. I came with severe chronic migraines and first had to undergo a withdrawal from painkillers. I received expert and comprehensive treatment, and the entire staff was simply wonderful. They took plenty of time for me; the doctors, therapists, nurses, etc., were always approachable, patient, and caring. The whole team is well-connected, so every doctor, therapist, and nurse is always well-informed and up-to-date.
Prof. Dr. Göbel takes a lot of time for the patients and answers all their questions. He is very competent, compassionate, and has built an outstanding team at his clinic.
I learned an incredible amount there; the patient seminars were very informative and helpful. The behavioral therapy was very helpful for me, and my therapist was simply brilliant.
The range of sports activities is extensive. The physiotherapy department is also very good and highly competent. The general atmosphere among the patients is very pleasant and friendly. The food is very good and varied.
Even after my stay at the clinic, any questions that arose were answered.
I can wholeheartedly recommend this clinic. Going there was the best decision I ever made. I've implemented much of what I learned and have already been able to reduce my migraines, which feels really good.
In total, the 16 days I spent there helped me tremendously and continue to do so.
Many thanks to the entire team at the pain clinic.

Back in January 2016, I received excellent help here in managing my migraines and tension headaches, reducing the frequency and intensity of attacks. This was only possible thanks to the extremely kind, attentive, and competent staff under the direction of Professor Göbel. I've met other migraine researchers and the founders of the migraine clinic, all of whom had their strengths. However, Professor Göbel is the leading physician and scientist in this field, and that's what most people here and elsewhere agree on. Now, after two years, I can refresh my skills and recharge my energy at the Kiel Pain Clinic to better manage my migraines. And even a few days before my departure, things are already looking very good. This is especially true thanks to the wonderful new friends I've made here. I admire the patients with chronic or severe pain because there's no constant complaining here; instead, there's a genuine willingness to actively participate in their treatment, and humor is definitely part of the equation.

It would be a blessing for me and all those affected.
I would like to thank the researchers.

Bärbel Paulus

My top two idiotic reactions are still these:

– “So, have you had too much to drink again?” (During my school days, I eventually got a reputation as a heavy drinker. Whenever I dared to go to a party, which wasn't very often, the exertion (dancing, etc.) often triggered an attack that quickly became so severe that I eventually had to find the toilet and throw up. And that was despite the fact that I had only drunk water all evening.)

“This is clearly due to all the pills you're taking. If you ever take even one more pill in your life, it's your own fault. Stop immediately and completely.” (Quote from a neurologist(!) after glancing at my headache diary for a mere three seconds. At the time, I was taking medication about seven days a month, usually one or two paracetamol tablets for lack of alternatives. Unfortunately, she didn't suggest any alternative treatments. She ordered an MRI, and when that came back clear, I couldn't even get a follow-up appointment with her – “There's nothing wrong with you.”)

I'm curious to see what my neurologist says about it

I'm curious to see how our health insurance companies react regarding cost coverage, requirements, etc.
In any case, it's another glimmer of hope in the pain management field, and we should already be very grateful to the entire research team and everyone involved.
I personally will be discussing this with my neurologist, Olaf Biewald.

I've suffered from migraines since I was 18. Now I'm 59 and have tried so many things – grasping at straws. All the failed attempts have made me rather discouraged. Currently, I'm undergoing Botox treatment. This has at least reduced my pain days from 15 to 20 per month to an average of 12 to 15. That's a small relief. It gets really bad when I run out of my 10 triptans per month and have to endure the pain for the rest of the month. Sometimes I feel like I'm just fighting my way through life.
A migraine vaccine – which my neurologist has also mentioned – would be fantastic and offer so many people the chance for a better quality of life.
If further studies are conducted in Germany and participants are needed... I would be very happy to take part.

It's truly appalling when almost all sufferers share a common, negative experience. Why is it so difficult to accept migraines as a serious illness? Don't we suffer enough during attacks? I'd rather listen to a stupid comment every day than constantly take countless medications just to be able to lead a somewhat normal life.
I, too, have suffered from migraines since early childhood. My ears have had to endure quite a lot. But my bad luck was that I ended up with the wrong doctors.

My trust in doctors has severely impacted my life. I felt let down.

The best statements from doctors

Feel free to drop by if you have a migraine attack, then we'll see if I can help you.

The other doctor didn't believe me because he couldn't imagine that I suffered not only from migraines but also from regular headaches. So he gave me a medication that unfortunately triggered a migraine attack, which wasn't planned. His words to that effect were,
"Oh, now I know, you have lice and fleas!"

Just stumbled across this... Thank you so much!
I've had migraines for a good 30 years. Initially, a few a year, more frequent during my first pregnancy, almost nonexistent after giving birth, but with my second child, they returned massively. This gives me hope for a change. Only with triptans did it become bearable. No, almost good. Because as long as the effect lasts, I'm pain-free.
I know all too well the great advice from others, although I hear it much more often because of my sun allergy. My go-to suggestions are "ignore it" and "toughen up."
I think all chronically ill people are familiar with these remarks.

I was diagnosed with cluster headaches today. I'd never heard of this condition before and was surprised by how accurate the symptoms listed here are. I don't know when my first attack started because it usually disappeared after 1-2 days and was infrequent, but I've had it for at least 9 years. However, for about a week now, the attacks have been coming regularly, so I went to the hospital. After the diagnosis, I was immediately given an oxygen mask, and it helped! I'm so relieved. I'm 29 years old, and I finally feel less helpless in this situation and less like it's my fault. I'm so grateful to my friend for her support, and I thank you all for this great post.

Marlene Kempel:
My biggest worry is that I won't be able to take triptans anymore because I suffer from coronary artery disease. At the moment, I'm just continuing to take them since regular painkillers, even high doses, don't help. I'm constantly looking for alternatives, but so far I haven't found anything that can permanently and effectively reduce the pain. By now I could write a book about all the attempts I've made. Aside from the immense costs, which I've often had to bear myself, the disappointment is huge when there's no improvement whatsoever.

Hello everyone,
this article has been around for many years now. And thankfully, it's still here.
I'm lucky I'm not as badly off as you. But I should probably prepare myself for worse. I've had migraines for about 5-6 years. The first time, I thought I was having a stroke, and I had speech difficulties. Thankfully, that hasn't happened since. Otherwise, I have 3-5 attacks a year. I'm 48 years old now. And it's incredibly annoying. I'm trying to live with it. I also have a kind of diary, well, just any scraps of paper that are lying around. They're scattered everywhere now, at work, at home. Sometimes I find one by chance and think, "Aha, so that's how it was back then." With only 3 attacks a year, you don't have something like that readily available. The problem is, I don't know what happened in the days before, what I ate, or what my day was like, so I can't identify any factors that might trigger the migraines. I think it's not that severe for me so far. After half an hour, despite the headache and nausea, I can more or less get back to work, but of course, very reluctantly. I really don't feel like it anymore in that state. But I know some of you will say, "Lucky you."
I haven't gotten any stupid comments yet because I've always been able to hide it well, and I also have colleagues who suffer from it too. It's definitely hereditary on my mother's side. She also got it at a young age; I should ask her how long she's had it.
The only attack I was really able to handle was once before bed. I suddenly got a visual disturbance (aura), and it was immediately clear what was coming. Nausea was already setting in. So I quickly got ready, lay down, and fell asleep fast. I don't remember having any problems the next morning, maybe just a very mild one, so mild that I didn't even really notice it.

I'm curious to see what else is in store for me.
I wish you all the very best. Thank you for sharing your experiences here.

Greetings
Andreas
PS Since my last attack, about a week ago, I've been experiencing a slight, pressing, stabbing pain in the middle of the top of my head; I think it's from the migraine.

It's been three years since my stay at the pain clinic. It marked a turning point in my life; finally, someone explained to me how the illness "works." The pressure of feeling responsible for this unbearable pain was lifted. The thorough explanation of the connections gave me hope that I could influence the frequency of my attacks. The powerlessness in the face of the illness, the feeling of being at its mercy, used to be an added burden to the pain. As soon as I got home, I immediately started reducing my sugar intake and consistently followed the dietary recommendations. This meant deprivation, but I was ready for it – and things improved. A year later, I started eating vegetarian because of a bet. After about four weeks, I noticed that the attacks were becoming even less frequent. I stuck with it. I also consistently worked on filling my life with many beautiful moments. I fulfilled a wish of mine and joined a choir. This has enriched my life so much. I've discovered that classical music has a profound calming effect on me and that singing fills me with great joy. Migraines will probably accompany me for the rest of my life, but they will no longer control it. I am once again the master of my own destiny. Martina, 57 years old, migraine sufferer for 43 years.

Hello, I know two other people with migraines, but otherwise I felt pretty alone with it. It's interesting to read how many others here feel similarly/the same way. I've had migraines since I was 8 years old. Back then, they were about every three months. Since I was about 20, it's been once a month. I'm now in my mid-40s and have integrated this reliable episode into my life. "My migraine" almost always lasts exactly four days. The day before the increasing/raging headache starts, I feel really awful. I argue and find almost everything annoying; I just want to be alone. And I feel like I just need to have a good cry, but I never can. The next day, the headache starts, and it gets worse despite medication. Triptans help the most, but some pain remains, albeit slightly less intense, along with all the accompanying symptoms. These include a general feeling of depression/inadequacy, low resilience, severe lack of concentration... and, of course, the severe headache. I work in nursing, so I have to take sick leave regularly. Physical exertion makes things so much worse that I become a burden to those around me. I feel so awful that I only want people I trust to see me like that (family, for example).
I also get intense cravings for carbohydrates. And then there's this strange euphoria after a migraine episode, like I could move mountains. And I'm just so glad it's over. I don't get any disparaging remarks from my family, friends, or employer. I do hear the occasional stupid comment from someone, but that's rare. I just give them the middle finger because it's just plain stupid. I don't justify myself.
Thanks to everyone who has spoken so openly about this topic and "their migraines."
Over the years, I've learned to accept "my migraines" because I can't prevent them anyway. When one starts, I check my calendar and cancel everything for the next three days that isn't absolutely essential. My child is a teenager now, so I hardly feel guilty anymore about not functioning well. I get support.
Yes, that's all I can think of right now. Best regards

Hello, my dears,

So, my favorite "no-go" phrases are still:
– Don't make such a fuss about a little headache
– Change your job and your migraines will go away (quote from a doctor)
– Why don't you eat/drink any more sparkling wine/cheese/chocolate/cocoa? You don't get headaches from that!
– Don't be so sensitive to the weather

I wish you all strength to continue dealing with migraines

Hello.
I'm so glad to find like-minded people! I started getting migraines with and without aura when I was 12. Along with that, I experienced nausea, sensitivity to smells, light, and noise, even to the point of feeling seasick.
My parents just thought I was imagining it and making a big deal out of it.
Even today, you can't expect much understanding, and it's especially bad at work. It's hell having to work with loud equipment and do physically demanding work in that state.
While I know you shouldn't wish ill on anyone, sometimes I just wish these ignorant people would experience a three-day episode with all the symptoms!
Maybe then they'd understand that sticking your finger down your throat isn't perverse, but simply a way to relieve the unbearable pressure.
Sorry, I don't mean to complain; thankfully, the episodes have become less frequent over the years, only 3-4 a month now. Nevertheless, the behavior of "clever" non-affected people still infuriates me!
Thanks for listening, and I wish everyone many pain-free times. Best regards, Tina ????

It's a scandal what people with this disability have had to endure in their lives and continue to endure.
The mere fact that even on a good day I can hardly believe how I feel with a migraine makes me feel compassion for those fortunate enough to be spared this illness and unable to comprehend its devastating impact on an entire life.
My first experience, at age 10, with my then-family doctor, was diagnosis and treatment summed up in a single sentence:
"Once you're married, it'll go away."
After 48 years of this ordeal, my current family doctor's final comment was: "When will this finally be over!"
It takes nerves of steel to endure.
Nevertheless,
wishing you all health and success
, Marianne

I could have cried when I read all this – I feel exactly the same way. I've had headaches and migraines since childhood, I'm 52 now, and I've heard all the more or less well-meaning advice. My mother suffered from it too, but back then her friends, colleagues, family, etc., had even less understanding because migraines weren't a topic of public discussion at all. It really hurts when you're not taken seriously and people simply don't believe you – why don't you go to a chiropractor? / Why don't you try that naturopath? / Have you tried that diet? / Why don't you distract yourself with that? / I know an angel healer. / What kind of head do you have? It's unbelievable! / It'll go away after menopause. / You just need to do some exercise. / Go get some fresh air. / Drink more water. / You just need to have a shot of liquor, then it'll definitely get better. / Get drunk, then at least you'll know why you have a headache… etc. etc.
I've been seeing a doctor who practices Traditional Chinese Medicine for two years now and treats me weekly with acupuncture and special herbal tinctures – the migraine attacks have become less frequent, perhaps also due to my age and the onset of menopause, but I still get migraine attacks, for example, during weather changes, stress, anger, or going to bed late. which then have an effect for a few days afterward.
I am very grateful for this site – it makes you feel understood and not so alone anymore…

I've suffered from migraines for 30 years. At times, I had two attacks, three days a week. With only seven days in a week, that doesn't leave much usable time.
I also agree with the comments about volunteering for a study immediately.
Because of the numerous medications I take, I've already had to undergo several months of withdrawal due to medication-induced headaches.
I'm hoping for an improvement so I don't lose my job.

A glimmer of hope in the complex chaos of migraines; we can only thank the people who are researching this scourge of migraines so intensively.
But how does one get involved in a study or receive treatment?
In any case, I am very pleased with this excellent article.

Olaf Biewald

Good morning, dear staff of the Kiel Pain Clinic,
in December 2017 I had 29 days of pain. During that month, I took triptans on 13 days, but they only started working after several hours of agony (level 8 pain, nausea, and blurred vision). Furthermore, I sometimes took the painkillers for four days in a row. Mentally, I was a wreck. I spent 16 days at your clinic and had to take a break from medication. That was very difficult. But it was worth it. During that difficult time, the nurses took such loving care of me. Once, when I had to endure a very severe migraine attack and received an IV, one of the nurses even stroked my arm. If I hadn't been in such pain, I would have cried. Where else can you find such human compassion! The cleaning staff were all very friendly, greeted me, and kept my room spotlessly clean. The nursing team was the best I have ever experienced in a hospital—and I have been to many hospitals. Everything ran like clockwork in the administration. The staff there were incredibly friendly. All the physiotherapists I worked with were without exception kind and highly competent. If a therapist was ill, appointments weren't canceled but were covered by colleagues. My heartfelt thanks go to my ward physician, who was always there for me. Even longer conversations during her daily rounds were no problem. I felt extremely well cared for. All the therapeutic services were outstanding. To mention just a few: the nutritional counseling was simply superb, the psychological pain management was incredibly helpful, and the seminar led by the head physician himself was fantastic, very engaging, and extremely helpful. The clinic is headed by the best headache specialist in Germany. Should I ever need hospitalization again, this is the only clinic I would consider. Today I woke up for the seventh time in a row without a migraine. That's pure bliss. Thank you so much, you angel at the Kiel Pain Clinic.

I, Monika Kornberger, was an inpatient at the Kiel Pain Clinic in 2014. I have suffered from migraines since I was 27. I am now 65 and
still have severe migraines. I don't have a single pain-free day. I have recently been diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia, primarily on the right side and beginning to affect the left. I have
n't given up hope for improvement. I have very severe headaches, accompanied by tinnitus. I also have balance problems.
Because of the pain, I don't socialize as much anymore. I would be very grateful if this new medication would help.

A very interesting and highly competent discussion.
It should definitely be published in other media outlets, as important information
was shared for both patients and medical professionals.
Thank you very much.

Dear Pain Clinic Team,
thank you for allowing me to be with you in November.
You helped me so much. Never before have I felt so understood.
God bless you all.
M. Clemens

Thank you for the detailed and, above all, understandable explanation of the CGRP development in this December 2017 newsletter. Appropriately for Christmas: The big door of the advent calendar is about to open. While anticipation isn't exactly the greatest, hope for a positive effect is spreading, and that's something.
Merry Christmas and a hopeful 2018.

Thank you so much for the clear explanation of the effects of migraines. I've never read or heard such a description before. It makes me feel truly understood and taken seriously. It would be wonderful if the description above – "Severe migraine attacks are classified by the World Health Organization as one of the most disabling diseases, comparable to dementia, paraplegia affecting all four limbs (legs and arms), and active psychosis" – had a corresponding impact on disability assessments, pension applications, and so on. And it would be even better if one of the new medications could help me. Thank you for your work.

That gives me hope. I hope that antibody treatment can be used given my medical history. Relief after 39 years of migraines!?

Thank you so much, Professor Göbel, for this very kind and impressive Christmas greeting, as well as for the hopeful and informative articles.
Almost a year ago, I was a patient at your clinic, and I still think back on that time with very warm feelings. Thanks to the wealth of helpful information and treatment suggestions, I will be able to sing "Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen" (Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming) with my choir on Christmas Eve this year. I'm really looking forward to it.
I wish all the staff and readers a blessed Christmas and much joy and good health for 2018!

I would participate in the study immediately... I have 30 days of pain a month -.-

I would very much like to participate in this study.
I've had migraines since childhood. Every therapy I've tried has been unsuccessful. My migraines are very severe because even medication no longer helps. I often lie in bed feeling lifeless, and every member of my family suffers because of it. Perhaps this treatment would be a relief for me and my family!
Best regards from Frankfurt!

I'm so jealous of your comments! o.0 I was diagnosed with migraines when I was 5 or 6, and I have them up to 25 days a month… I'm really looking forward to the medication, and I'd do anything to get some relief… I'm only postponing the surgery with the probes because of the medication… But 5 times a month is almost a good result! oO

Staying at the Kiel Pain Clinic was the best decision I've ever made. I've tried many things, but since my stay at the clinic, I'm practically migraine-free – a wonderful feeling. I felt welcome and well cared for there. I can only recommend that everyone give it a try.

This medication has always worked wonders for me. Never had any side effects. Since it's unfortunately not as effective as it used to be, I'm now taking four to five times the dose. Now it works again. Everything's fine. It's just a shame it's more expensive. Has anyone ever wondered why the pharmaceutical industry lets the approval for an important drug expire? The end wasn't exactly a surprise

I've been suffering from migraines for 38 years now. I've lived with them longer than I've lived without them. I can't even begin to list everything I've tried, grasped at every straw. All to no avail. I hate how migraines control my/our life. In the end, I always have to resort to triptans just to be able to go to work and participate in life to some extent. The vaccination, I can hardly believe it, would be the greatest gift for me after all this time.

It's good to know that there are people who are dealing with migraines and don't give up in their efforts to overcome this disease.

Olaf Biewald

I would be there too – since I was 14 – and as I said – nobody believes how much it affects everyday life.
It's not just the patient who suffers – children, partners, colleagues – nobody takes that into account.

I have to say, I'm really lucky in terms of my environment. I've never had a stupid comment made about me; maybe it's because I always look incredibly pale and miserable during an attack, so my colleagues explicitly send me home.

My family doctor also approached the whole thing as an (organic) illness and not as "you need to work through your problem".

So the external circumstances are quite pleasant. The migraine itself, of course, is not, although I find the nausea almost worse than the pain. During an attack, I also have an aversion to water and have to drink other beverages. When the attack is over, I'm – although totally groggy – strangely euphoric and crave fries with mayo (which I otherwise rarely eat).
Pain-free days!!
Greetings,
Kylling

Regarding Kirsten's post, July 24, 2017

This review perfectly reflects my experience and the full scope of what I encountered during my stay from the end of December to the beginning of January.
Even during the holidays, we were looked after in every way; there was even a New Year's Eve buffet!
The entire concept at the Kiel Pain Clinic is unparalleled. Health ministers, ministries, and health insurance companies should take this as a model for truly effective pain and therapy clinics.
Olaf Biewald, a grateful patient

Also, some very “encouraging” advice: “Migraine is a thwarted orgasm. Let yourself go during sex and the migraine will disappear.” “It stems from childhood trauma; have you ever been in therapy?” “Are you stressed? Overwhelmed?” What reassures me is that carbohydrates are important for people who suffer from migraines. I eat a lot of chocolate before an attack and tons of pasta during attacks; I should actually be severely overweight—but I'm not. I always feel like my body simply needs much more energy than usual during those times. When the migraine is very severe, I can't consume anything at all. Not even water. To avoid dehydration, I regularly put water in my mouth. This can go on for two or three days, but thankfully, it's extremely rare. I've even been to the emergency room because of it.

Reading all the comments here makes me feel understood and no longer alone. I could repeat everything that's been shared here so far, but that would make this page far too long. I'm 32 (slim, no diabetes) and have suffered from migraines since my early 20s. Just yesterday I had another attack that caught me while I was asleep. I especially love that. It's difficult to explain or describe these pains to someone who doesn't experience them.

And I've also noticed among my friends and acquaintances that many don't even know the difference between a "normal" headache and a migraine. In those moments, I'm still grateful for any painkiller offered. Yesterday, for example, I was out of painkillers and overjoyed to at least get an ibuprofen 600. While the majority of the pain was gone, the rest lingered throughout the day. But at least I was able to work. Because you're also embarrassed about it and don't want to run to the doctor every time you have an attack. At least, that's how I feel.
And I've already received various "tips" like...

– Do more exercise
– Drink more water (yawn)
– You should take a closer look at your life circumstances and see what the cause might be and eliminate it. (yeah, right)
– Avoid stress at work (haha)
– Eat less chocolate (Nope!)
– etc.

And the worst part is that my family doctor gives the same advice. She asked me if I suffer from depression (that was the first thing she asked me) or if anything was bothering me, etc. It's nice that she cares about me and checks various things, but you feel completely disregarded, and especially so back then, because I was young. How could I possibly be sick, or even think I was sick? I'm still so young.
And you naturally think all sorts of things at first and want to rule out any organic causes (a completely normal reaction). So, last year, at my request, I got an MRI, and recently a referral to a neurologist. Admittedly, there were long waiting lists, but at least I have an appointment in August. Before the MRI, she asked ME what I thought I saw. Um, no idea. Tell me. In the end, nothing showed up. And a few years ago, I had an EEG that only partially detected some irregularities, which weren't investigated further.

I've tried everything: aspirin, ibuprofen, sumatriptan, etc. The triptans help a lot, but they really affect my circulation. I try to take as few pills as possible, especially not preventively. I'm trying not to become dependent. Now I'm thinking about applying for a rehabilitation program. I've been considering it for years, which is why I came across this website. Let's see what my doctor says. :-) My attacks aren't as frequent as they were at the beginning. Back then, I had them two or three times a week. Now it's "only" once a week, and it's so intense that, like some of you, I just want to bang my head against a wall. It's nice to be happy about that, but when an attack suddenly appears out of nowhere and you have plans or something else going on, it throws you off balance and you're socially isolated. You never know when it's going to happen, and when it does, you constantly have to explain yourself. What I also have is a permanent "brain fog." I'm constantly unwell because the attacks usually last a long time and take such a toll on my body that I can feel the effects for days afterward.

But what I can also say is that dietary changes aren't always just a myth. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it happens that we reach for ready-made mixes because we don't have time during the week to whip up a sauce from scratch. Personally, I've noticed that gluten, among other things, triggers my migraines. I also get migraines after eating at an Asian restaurant, and as we all know, they cook exclusively with gluten. So I've avoided it and have been cooking only from scratch for years now, and lo and behold, it's gotten better. Cutting back on meat has also reduced my migraines somewhat. I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I can confirm it.

Thank you all for your experiences and opinions on this topic, and I wish you all the very best!

Stay strong.

Greetings from Berlin

Hello everyone!

I spent 16 days in the pain clinic in May and can now say that going there was the best decision of my life. I hesitated for a long time about whether to take the plunge and had some reservations, but in retrospect, all my worries were for nothing and it was definitely worth it. Of course, you very rarely leave this clinic "cured," but you should be aware of that anyway. Unfortunately, you can't just "magically" make migraines disappear – I wish! – but with appropriate therapy, you can at least somewhat reduce the extent of the suffering.

Everyone in the facility, from the doctors and therapists to the nurses and even the kitchen and cleaning staff, is incredibly kind and always attentive to the patients' well-being. It's evident everywhere that everyone there is extremely knowledgeable about pain management, and consequently, patients receive the best possible care. The entire team is well-connected, ensuring that every doctor, therapist, and nurse is constantly informed. This means they truly work hand in hand – instead of one hand not knowing what the other is doing, which is often the case elsewhere.

During that time, I took a break from medication, which I was very afraid of, as I honestly couldn't imagine how I would manage even a single day without my painkillers. I felt very unwell on the very first day, but I was immediately cared for very kindly, and they tried to make me as comfortable as possible. A huge thank you again, especially to Sister Sabine, who was truly an angel. When I was in bed with a terrible migraine headache and nausea, they immediately brought me a cold pack, tea, and rusks, as I couldn't touch my usual food. Whenever I wasn't feeling well, my meals were brought directly to my room, so I didn't have to go down to the dining room. Sometimes I didn't even have to say what was on my mind; it felt like they were reading my mind.
If I couldn't keep my individual appointments, a replacement was arranged immediately and without any fuss. Once, when I was on an IV drip and therefore couldn't go to my appointment with my psychologist, she simply came to me and moved the session to my room. It's just wonderfully uncomplicated there. A big thank you to Ms. Fuhrmann, with whom I felt truly well cared for.

Regarding food, I can only say: I am a very picky eater and don't like many things, but if someone can't find anything they like there, then there's no helping them.

The patient seminars by Prof. Göbel and Dr. Heinze were very interesting and informative, and even those who thought they were already well-informed still learned quite a bit about their illness and its treatment options. During Dr. Heinze's presentation, we often laughed heartily, as he managed to present the topic in a very entertaining way.

Overall, it was a very worthwhile 16 days, and although I often felt unwell, I felt very comfortable and, above all, well cared for the entire time. You're not left alone with your pain there and you meet many like-minded people – that's so valuable.

Many thanks to the entire team at the pain clinic – and to all fellow sufferers who are still hesitating: do it and fill out the application, it's worth it.

Kirsten

Hello, I'm on the verge of an attack and was searching the internet for information again. I'm on the verge of being hospitalized. I'm 28 years old and female. It plagues me three times a week. My daily life is restricted, and I can only work three days a week. Nobody there understands. They say I have a headache and it's my own fault. It makes me very sad. And when I think about these situations and read your comments, I get tears in my eyes (I wish nobody else had to suffer like this). It's not the worst pain I've ever experienced (I had a body part bitten off), but it's the worst state. Vomiting 13 times in an hour is manageable. But you can't think straight and you bang your head against something. Both my parents have this, and I've read it's hereditary. I so desperately wish that something would be found quickly that makes the attacks less frequent or even eliminates them altogether. Nobody can imagine what it's like, and you wouldn't wish it on anyone.
Nothing helps me except triptans. No painkillers work, and I can't sleep. Sometimes I have to take three triptans because I spit them out. I'm copying in a text I wrote after a colleague didn't take me seriously, since many other female colleagues were using migraines to avoid work.

I can't today, I have a migraine… I don't give a damn about the headache

That's right, people who suffer from migraines can certainly live with headaches. Of course, they're part of migraine.
I'd like to clarify a few things here. A headache and a migraine attack are two completely different things, neurologically speaking. With a headache, the blood vessels in the brain constrict. During a migraine attack, they dilate. And that's why painkillers will never help with migraines. (It's still nice to be offered painkillers when you say you have a migraine.) And as if a headache (so intense you feel like banging your head against a wall) weren't enough, you also have to deal with other things: vomiting, hours of nausea, fatigue, fainting, dizziness, circulatory problems, speech difficulties, visual disturbances, and much more. This huge difference is now recognized as a neurological condition.

Many people simply experience intense pressure in their head and need darkness. Some have such severe visual disturbances that they can only perceive half of their surroundings, and then there are those who vomit for hours and feel like drilling holes in their heads. Anyone with such symptoms certainly doesn't have a headache or try to avoid doing something. Because nobody would wish such conditions on anyone. And then you suffer from this illness and have an attack. You have three options:
1. They deny it and don't take you seriously.
2. They listen to you and learn.
3. They are affected themselves.

I've experienced it all myself.
I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy for even five minutes.
I'm glad that some people are understanding. And then there are those people you tell this to, and they don't believe a single word (they probably don't have Google). You can explain to these people for hours that migraine isn't just a headache. They simply don't accept it. When you're suffering, you almost want to cry. They think you're trying to avoid something. But migraine sufferers are more likely to go to work with their nausea than people with headaches. I'm not saying that headaches are nothing. I just want to stop comparing them.
If you've read this far, you're welcome to know why I'm writing this.
I've been suffering for eight years now, and I experience it twice a week. I'm fed up with not being taken seriously. And even today, I still meet people who don't take me seriously. I'm tired of having to justify myself. I've had enough. I reach a point where I can barely walk or speak. The worst part is that I've practically married this nausea, yet I still go to work. Please, nobody tell me it's just a headache.

Hello everyone,
this morning I was surprised by a migraine while sleeping in bed… A little about me: I'm a geriatric care assistant with a license to provide treatment care, and I've also been dealing with aura migraines since my youth.
I can completely understand all people plagued by migraines, because it's hell to suffer for several hours or even days with excruciating headaches and all the accompanying symptoms like vomiting, light sensitivity, aura symptoms, depression, diarrhea, and so on… It can even lead to being unable to work, and anyone who doesn't understand that hasn't looked into this condition… What helps me, however, is a regular daily routine, when it actually works out, sufficient sleep, drinking plenty of water, having someone to talk to, some exercise, and a carbohydrate-rich diet, but without cheese containing natamycin, as that's a trigger…

My migraines are apparently hereditary. My father, my uncle, and my grandfather all had them – but mine are hormonal. I get an attack once a month that lasts about 72 hours. I'm always sensitive to noise – I'm only sometimes sensitive to light – and nausea is also only occasional.
People around me react differently. A former colleague once said, "You always have something going on. Don't make such a fuss. I get headaches sometimes too." My family is considerate: if Mom has a light on the sofa or bed outside of normal hours, then it's quiet time. Unfortunately, I haven't found a solution for myself yet. I don't want to take estrogen tablets. I'm hoping it will stop after menopause (since it started during puberty). My youngest son also gets migraines, but only once in a blue moon – thankfully.

I would pay for the vaccination immediately, as I have had migraines with aura for 35 years and since menopause about a year ago, I have been experiencing attacks much more frequently each month than before.

—–it should read “They hide behind the headaches”

People never believe me when I say it's really that bad… Everyone just says, "Oh, it's just a headache," but that's not true… I wouldn't wish the pain migraine sufferers sometimes have on me, not even on my worst enemy

Hello,
I've had migraines for as long as I can remember. My mother said the first attacks started when I was about 2 or 3 years old.
I'm 19 now. Migraines have dominated my entire life so far, as I suffer from them almost daily during bad spells, while at other times they only occur occasionally due to changes in the weather, dehydration, or other factors.
Since I've always taken Nurofen since my first attacks, and even today the 200mg tablets (for young children) help me (or rather, make the migraines disappear completely for a while), no doctor has yet seriously considered my condition or been able to tell me exactly what I'm suffering from or what can be done about it.
If I don't take medication, it gets so bad that I double over in pain and vomit constantly (and it has never gone away on its own without medication).
However, I don't want to take pills almost every day for the rest of my life.
Has anyone had similar experiences or have any tips for me?

Hello, I've been suffering from complicated migraines with stroke-like symptoms for years. I could write a book about well-meaning advice, tips, and even more ridiculous comments. The best one I've ever heard was: "Just have one or two more children, then the migraines will go away." Give me a break! Even during my pregnancies, I had some severe attacks. In the end, only high doses of painkillers and rest help; darkness is essential. During an attack, I'm completely incapacitated. It starts with vision loss and ends with complete neurological collapse. I've had to endure many hospital stays. What's much worse is that many people think I'm a bad mother because when I have an attack, my husband has to take care of our child. That's not true at all. I would much rather spend time with my child than lie in the dark, struggling with severe pain. And anyone who says, "It's just a headache," I wish they would experience just one day of migraine. They have absolutely no idea what life with migraines is like.

I have up to 17 attacks a month. Sometimes an attack lasts 7 days, after which I'm completely exhausted. On top of my cancer, which also causes pain, I'm almost never pain-free.
It's a shame that some people don't understand.

Hi :)
I've suffered from migraines with aura since I was 8 years old. I'm almost 20 now, and only this year did I stumble across something that has made my attacks disappear. My mother pointed it out to me: a study by researchers found that the brains of migraine patients are more efficient; we perceive movements and stimuli through our eyes more effectively (which is why we're usually more sensitive to light). This means our brains need more energy, and if they don't have it, an attack can occur. Therefore, you should pay attention to calorie-rich foods and absolutely avoid calorie-restricted diets! It's worked perfectly for me so far. Of course, you have to keep in mind:
1. My migraines were always irregular and occurred at least every two months.
2. My migraines progressed like this: 20 minutes of aura, then 3 hours of headache and nausea, so about 3-4 hours of migraine itself – which, as I learned from forums, is very short.
3. Every body is different.

But even so, if you haven't already tried it, I would recommend it to each of you :)
I myself am still testing it and have been migraine-free since January.

I hope this can help some of you. Even though my migraines don't last that long, I hope it helps those with more severe migraines too!

I never used to get headaches… it only started around age 20, with migraines. Now at 38, I don't get headaches anymore, just migraines. I've tried everything. I don't know why I get migraines. They disappeared during my pregnancy and while breastfeeding. After that, they came back, but very slowly. I didn't start taking the pill again until two years later. Now I'm considering stopping the pill for good. When the weather is bad, I get attacks on both sides of my head, left and right. Only sumatriptan helps for about 10 hours, but not always. Sometimes the effect lasts two hours, and then I feel awful for another two hours. It's always best if I take it an hour before going to sleep. I can somehow manage the pain during the day. I always go to work. What's a sick note? Then I'd just be sick all the time. I have an attack that lasts for three days. Before my pregnancy, I even vomited, but I don't do that anymore. Acupuncture? It helps if you believe in it, but it's costing me a fortune.
Thank you for the great report!

Hello,
I've been suffering from chronic migraines for 10 years now (since age 8). Initially, I was diagnosed with tension headaches. But with the onset of puberty, it worsened – especially under stress.
Even my parents didn't take my headaches seriously for the first few years, until I started vomiting and the intense stabbing pain made it nearly impossible for me to lead a normal life. I also often felt isolated, as no one could understand my pain. I started missing school several times and felt like I wasn't on equal footing. While others had plenty of time to prepare for exams, I lay in bed waiting for the pain to subside. Of course, I had to catch up on everything – so it robbed me of my free time. While others could go to the movies, parties, and out and about, I had to forgo these activities because they would trigger my migraines.
I took beta-blockers as a preventative measure for six months. My headaches seemed to lessen, the pain became less intense, and life seemed easier.
Then I was told, however, that the results didn't show any significant improvement. I had imagined I was feeling better. The preventative medication only gave me psychological reassurance.
I'm still looking for a solution to my chronic migraines.

Hello,
yes, you have to listen to such nonsense. The misconception that certain foods cause migraines is still very widespread. I often have intense cravings for chocolate during the aura phase, which I then indulge. Afterwards, people like to say: "If you hadn't eaten the chocolate, you wouldn't have a migraine." No, damn it! I already had the migraine (aura) before I ate the chocolate!
What annoys me is that even physiotherapists assume that migraines are caused by tension in the neck muscles.
It's incredibly frustrating that you have to talk yourself hoarse to get any understanding, so I stopped years ago.
in acute pain, you don't care about the stupid talk anyway.
I once had a department head who liked to tell me that our department couldn't afford to have employees who were unexpectedly off sick for a few days. I usually ignored such nonsense, and then this happened: For a few days, she strutted proudly around the department, announcing to everyone who wouldn't listen that she had tickets for the Linkin Park concert at the Lanxess Arena.
Great.
The day after the concert, she called in sick.
Stupid.
From then on, I made a point of humming a Linkin Park song whenever she bothered me with her drivel about a "single day off" due to a migraine.
She finally got the message and didn't say anything more.
It's nice when someone else's stupidity gives you a weapon.

Hi everyone,
you're all speaking my mind.
I'm 27 years old and have been suffering from migraine aura for about five years. I really can't take it anymore because lately I've been getting migraines every few days, and they last up to three days. I can't listen to anything other people say anymore, even if they mean well. Nobody takes me seriously; everyone always thinks, "Why is she exaggerating so much? It's just a headache, she shouldn't make such a fuss." Noooooo, it's not like that at all. It's unbearable; it drags me down so much. Sometimes the pain makes me so aggressive that I just cry uncontrollably for hours. During an attack, I don't care about anything else; I just want the pain to stop.
So, I wish you all a bearable time, good luck, and beautiful days in life.

My son is 21 years old and has had migraines with aura for about 16 years. What I find most upsetting is that my husband, for whom he works, accuses him of being lazy and work-shy :-( After the second attack within 48 hours, he even said he couldn't just kill him. The fact that even some family members don't understand leaves me sad and speechless!

Hello fellow sufferers, I've been hit too. Last year I was diagnosed with complicated migraine with aura. It's not a pleasant feeling, let me tell you, when you're practically blind for a while. Before it was diagnosed, it was always dismissed as harmless headaches, and then I had a severe attack that I couldn't make sense of
. I went to the doctor the next day, who urgently referred me to the hospital with a suspected stroke. Long story short, it turned out to be complicated migraine with aura. Since then, I've been trying to get through my daily life as best I can, which I usually fail at. It's also difficult to manage at work because no one understands what migraine actually means. Many think, "It's just a headache, what's so bad about it?" Until I showed them what a migraine is (I yelled at my boss). Everyone went quiet. I was very moody then. It was my absolute lowest point. He barely spoke to me all day. But friends and family have had to experience it too.

To all those suffering from this wretched torment, those whose condition has become severely chronic and who can no longer lead a normal life, to those who have tried everything and still have to listen to "helpful" platitudes, and to all those who somehow manage to keep going, I wish you a better 2017 and much strength!
And I thank all the doctors and staff of the Kiel Migraine Clinic for their dedication to the patients and their fight against this disease.

My stay in Kiel: December 29, 2015 – January 11, 2016; Duration: 14 days;
Diagnosis: Migraine without aura; Pain days: approx. 10-14 days/month;
Result: Incredibly great improvement; no medication needed for the entire year following my stay at the clinic; Pain days: approx. 1-2 days/quarter
; How: I gained a deeper understanding of migraine through explanations from the doctors and other specialists at the pain clinic. I largely implemented the recommendations from Kiel in my daily life. Lack of discipline is usually immediately "punished."
Conclusion: If you know how, you have to do it yourself.
Thanks to all the staff at the Kiel Pain Clinic.
Sincerely,
Andreas Ewert

Hello,

I would like to thank everyone involved who helped me get rid of my chronic headaches.
I was an inpatient at the Kiel Pain Clinic for 16 days in October 2016 and can wholeheartedly recommend it. I learned a lot about pain medication, and everything was explained very clearly. I successfully completed a medication break at the clinic. Even if you didn't feel well on some days, you weren't left alone with your worries and fears. The nurses and doctors were available at any time of day or night. The patients' emotional well-being is also taken into consideration. Therefore, special thanks to the kind psychologist, the always cheerful masseur, and the excellent cuisine. The food was delicious! And a heartfelt thank you goes to the polite and diligent cleaning staff. Everything was very clean, and I felt very comfortable. A special thank you also to my lovely roommate, with whom I always got along well. We even had the nicest room on the 3rd floor :)
They do everything possible to ensure patients have a good and successful stay at the clinic.
Since my discharge, I've only needed mild pain medication for tension headaches on 3 days a month.

Best wishes, a happy new year without headaches, and all the best for 2017
from
Tina!

In July 2012, three months after my stay at the Kiel Pain Clinic, I wrote, "Headache days reduced from 30 to 3."
Five years ago, that was an enormous treatment success for me. Today, headaches are no longer an issue for me. While I can't do without the preventative medication of Beloc Mite and 25mg of doxycycline, I've never needed the "emergency triptan" or any other painkillers since.
I stick to a good muesli breakfast, regularly go for walks in the fresh air with my bike or walking sticks, and try to get enough sleep—that's all. Working is much less strenuous for me, even though I took on a management position four years ago.
I want to encourage everyone to take the step of going to the pain clinic, to acknowledge their medication-overuse headaches, and to confidently accept the services offered by the doctors and therapists. For me, it was like winning the lottery.
I wish everyone similar treatment success!
Best regards, Marta

Even though my stay at the Kiel Pain Clinic was a year ago now, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire clinic team most sincerely. Professor Göbel, my two attending physicians, the nurses, the physiotherapy staff, the sports therapists, and last but not least, the psychologists, all do an outstanding job.

I myself don't suffer from headaches. But my husband does. He's had these headaches for nine years (they first appeared after a car accident). We've tried everything, from the neurologist, who after a while told him he was resistant to treatment. Then came thermotherapy in the hospital, a cerebrospinal fluid examination (very painful), and treatment at the university hospital. For the past six years, he's been a patient at the Kiel Pain Clinic. He sees us as an outpatient every four months and is admitted annually or every two years. We've tried every medication on the market for treatment and prevention.
We constantly hear, "Have you tried this or that?" Of course, we grasp at straws. But somehow, we feel like it's getting worse. The doctors can't pinpoint the exact cause of the headaches; is it cluster headaches or migraines?
had repeated courses of high-dose cortisone, blood pressure medication (even though his blood pressure is actually too low), etc.
He still works and refuses to let it get him down; he lives his life with me by his side. I'm also the only one who can tell from his voice or facial expression that he's having another attack. You wouldn't wish that on your worst enemy.

An outstanding clinic where everything is just right, from the excellent doctors and the exceptionally friendly nurses to the competent physiotherapists… to the varied and delicious food and the ever-helpful kitchen staff. Not to mention the administrative staff, who are so refreshingly different from the usual treatment found in other facilities. It couldn't be better! A heartfelt thank you to you all! During my two-and-a-half-week stay, I only encountered satisfied or even enthusiastic patients, and I received crucial help. I can wholeheartedly recommend this clinic to anyone with chronic pain, not just headache and migraine sufferers! Unfortunately, this is far too little known.

All doctors at the medical services of employment agencies and pension insurance companies should take a look at our comments…! We don't just have headaches! We have excruciating pain, unimaginable to anyone who only knows headaches. Imagine raging toothache plus middle ear infection, for 72 hours a day, night. While this doesn't even come close to the pain level of cluster headaches and migraines, it's an attempt to give the blissful non-migraine sufferers a tiny, tiny idea.

Metoclopramide (MCP) has always been the first-line treatment. Anyone who isn't plagued by migraines or dealing with the side effects of chemotherapy can't possibly appreciate how important this medication is, regardless of the dosage! In those cases, you'd simply take more to achieve the same effect for the patient.

During acute migraine attacks with vomiting, which can sometimes last up to 75 hours, you can feel like you're dying a miserable death. At that point, it doesn't matter anymore whether you're believed or not.
My personal recommendation, after medical consultation, is triptans. The only medication that has helped me.

The worst thing I've heard so far is that you're imagining it.

You don't feel like you're being taken seriously.

A terrible feeling.

Dear Pain Clinic Team!
Thank you so much to all the doctors, therapists, nurses, and staff at your clinic for the outstanding care I received during my stay over the past few weeks. I know of no other clinic where I have been treated with such dedication and expertise. Thank you for the excellent explanations and support; you are a fantastic team!
And thank you to Bettina Frank for her incredible commitment to Headbook!

A fantastic clinic that is a leader in its field of headache and migraine therapy. Highly competent and scientifically oriented doctors who finally provide relief to many sufferers. Wonderful staff who are all very empathetic and attentive, always there for every patient and ready to listen. Thank you for the excellent care, which is also available on an outpatient basis.

Their website is really very appealing. The video for patients is modern and informative. I especially like the live webcam.

Many doctors say MCP causes psychosis. What nonsense!!!

If someone is taking MCP and already has a psychosis, that's understandable!

MCP is a very good medication!!!

That sounds like a fairy tale, it would be revolutionary – one vaccination a month and everything would be fine… I would get vaccinated every week too, the main thing is no more fear of a migraine attack!
To be able to enjoy life again, not have to feel guilty towards my colleagues anymore, and so on and so forth… I would love to be there!

I would also immediately volunteer as a candidate! I've had migraines for as long as I can remember, and it seems I'm becoming more and more sensitive, or rather, the migraines are occurring more and more frequently, seemingly without any reason! I've tried all sorts of migraine preventatives and stopped taking them all because nothing helped. So, how can one participate in the study? The comments start in March 2015, right? Today, when I came across this page because I'm suffering from another migraine, it's September 19, 2016!

Hello,

Reading the comments here makes me realize again how lucky I am. I've suffered from migraines for 15 years (about 6 attacks per month).

However, these symptoms can be managed by taking triptans. I've never had to take sick leave or been absent from work for any other reason, I can do all kinds of sports, and I participate in all events even while taking medication.

I have to say, I hate these pills. While the migraine pain is gone, my mouth becomes dry, my tongue heavy, my reflexes slow, and I think much more slowly than usual. A workday becomes torture because the pills have a drowsy effect on me.

Nevertheless, I should be grateful that the illness does not restrict me and that I can live my life.

Well-intentioned advice is very annoying. However, I've only ever heard it from acquaintances, never from doctors.

Greetings to all.

I was a patient at the pain clinic in June. After 30 years of suffering from migraines, I took the plunge and went to Germany. I was quite apprehensive, as I had already undergone an unsuccessful attempt at painkiller withdrawal followed by rehabilitation in Switzerland 10 years prior.
However, I noticed on the very first day that everything was very professionally organized and that the doctors, nurses, and therapists were incredibly warm and friendly. Dr. Tomforde and the nurses knew about my failed attempt at taking off medication in Switzerland and took excellent care of me accordingly. My trust grew, and my anxiety diminished with each passing hour.
At the pain clinic, you can focus 100% on your mental well-being. Exercise, relaxation therapies, and massages were part of the daily routine. The physiotherapists offered a diverse program, and especially with Mr. Schley, there was always plenty of laughter. On good days, I participated in exercise classes from morning till night. On bad days, I stayed in bed (where the nurses took very good care of me) or participated in relaxation courses, depending on the situation. The pain management course with Ms. Voss was very interesting, and the necessary humor was also present. The mutual exchange within the group was very beneficial.
Upon request, I was granted additional massage and psychotherapy sessions, and an appointment with Prof. Dr. Göbel was also arranged for me. I felt taken seriously by all the doctors; many things were explained to me calmly and in detail.
The seminars, especially the one on pain medication and triptans, were very informative. Dr. Heinze even took the time after the seminar to answer further personal questions about triptans.

I was able to recover wonderfully during these 3 weeks. After a successful break from painkillers, renewed energy, adjusted prophylaxis and triptans, newly acquired (fellow sufferers) friends, and above all, a great deal of knowledge about migraines and medication, I returned to Switzerland with mixed feelings.

In three weeks in Kiel, I learned more than in 30 years of migraines in Switzerland. (Treated by the most renowned migraine specialists...)

I can hardly express my gratitude in words and deeply regret not having taken the step to Kiel sooner.
Thank you!

I was a patient in July for cluster headaches, and I wholeheartedly agree with all the many overwhelmingly positive reviews! Since my stay, I've been feeling really good again for the first time in a long time. I understand that cluster headaches are probably not (yet) curable, but I was given the tools and techniques to manage them, and the debilitating pain no longer controls me.
Many, many thanks to Prof. Dr. Göbel and Dr. Freischmidt! Many, many thanks to the perfect nursing team, the fantastic physiotherapy team (who also quickly and efficiently fixed my blocked sacroiliac joint), the psychologists, the incredibly friendly ladies in administration, the kitchen staff, and last but not least, the cleaning staff.
IT COULDN'T BE BETTER!
Sincerely,
Annemarie Linz

And although I know I'm not alone, this is the first time I've truly felt understood! I too send a smiley and tearful aura-eye while reading this article and the comments….

I have had migraines with aura since childhood. The aura lessened, the migraines settled at "only" 3 days per month when I had my period, but for the last six months they have been worsening again and are now chronic once more.

I've been in psychotherapy for years and tried practically every pill and contraceptive method, including hormonal methods. Nothing seems to help in a predictable way. Ibuprofen has become my best friend, and I'm really worried about just continuing to take all these pills. After all, I'm not just my head; I also have a kidney, liver, stomach, heart, and soul.

I now suffer from depression and an anxiety disorder, as well as a certain phobia of medication, and besides the constant pain attacks, I desperately want to be free of this feeling of being overwhelmed, of constantly having to cancel plans, of not being able to enjoy anything because someone's hand is on my head, half-massaging me, tired, trying to follow the conversations at the table while feeling drugged up, of having to give up my anticipation again and constantly disappointing others! I long to be able to plan normally for once, to actually do the things I'm looking forward to, and to experience that feeling of carefree joy again. Light that doesn't burn my eyes, exercise in the fresh air where too much wind, too much sun, or anything else isn't making my stomach and head flutter. Simply being, without the consequences of pain.

The lack of understanding from others, coupled with my own helplessness and constant guilt towards my own body due to the many medications, is so exhausting!! I always feel only half-developed… The other half of my life is filled with pain, the fear of pain, and isolation.

I'm also familiar with the 1000 mg Ibuprofen as a recommended dose. It's all well and good if that dose provides short-term relief (greetings to the rest of my body!), but then what? My attacks usually last 72 hours. The doctor's look was blank... More exercise, and above all, regular exercise. Sure. And please, like with chronic migraines, more than half the days of the month? I do it when I can. But I also constantly have other things to catch up on in this shorter lifespan. And I try... I really do.

I've known the tips about cola, water, coffee, lemons, stress, etc. since childhood...

What actually helps me is drinking enough still water, peppermint mints, using an ice pack, getting lots and lots of rest, eating regularly, not consuming too much sugar at once, drinking little alcohol, not bottling up feelings like anger and sadness, and yes, sometimes even sex… All of it provides a little relief. It doesn't make anything go away, though… But it's something.

I'm going to print out this article. Maybe I'll even get it tattooed on my forehead; who knows, perhaps THAT is the solution and the ultimate tip I just haven't received yet… :)

Stay brave and try to find your way, and never forget:

We are good and right just as we are. Whether we suffer from migraines or not, have shortened hours of happiness, stomachs full of pills, or negative feelings. We give what we can, just like everyone else. And in that sense, we are all the same.

Great, finally a website that clearly explains to everyone not affected by migraines what migraines are all about.

I personally suffer from migraines relatively rarely (5-6 times a year), but I always have an aura of about 30 minutes
before a migraine begins.
I've noticed that my body temperature drops to around 35-35.4°C before a migraine.
If I start running about 15-20 km immediately during this aura, I can stop the migraine.
What remains are mild headaches for the next few hours. My body temperature
then rises back to normal at 36.2-36.9°C after the run (normally, after a long run, my
body temperature briefly drops to 38-38.4°C). I don't know why running helps me, whether it's the improved circulation or the rise
in my low body temperature, but it does help. I only got this tip by chance from another sports colleague
who also suffers from migraines and regularly runs away from them.
Unfortunately, no doctor had been able to give me this tip before – it would have saved me a lot of painkillers and even more suffering.

I was a patient from June 6th to June 22nd and have never felt so well cared for as in this clinic. It's a place where you can completely switch off. Many thanks to the doctors and nursing team.
Since the therapy, I haven't had tension headaches and migraines as often, and I sincerely hope it stays that way.
Sincerely, Thomas Lucke

I've suffered from migraines since early childhood. My previous family doctor diagnosed them and prescribed various medications. I moved five years ago and still suffer from them. My current doctor says I don't have migraines and am just overly sensitive when I have headaches. :( She didn't even consider the reports from my old doctor. My boss said, "Have a baby and the migraines will go away." Let me tell you, forget that. During my pregnancy, I almost went crazy because you're not supposed to take medication, and my migraines were even worse. My gynecologist prescribed massages, which helped to some extent, and even after giving birth, the migraines didn't improve. I'm currently experiencing pain that I can manage with ibuprofen, turning into severe headaches, but that's no way to live. At least my partner tries to help, even if it's just by taking care of our little one after work.

Hello everyone, I also have migraines, which were diagnosed in the hospital. I'm one of the 3% who suffer from the rarest and most severe type of migraine. I carry several tablets with me, and when an attack starts, I first take Dolormin Migraine and then get into a very hot bath to relax my neck muscles. So far, this has helped me quite a bit. After that, I go to bed in a dark room and sleep. There are also times when it doesn't help because I end up vomiting more, and I don't know what else might help besides the injection in my neck. I hope that new findings in the field of migraines will bring new and helpful treatments.

Everything's been said. I've suffered from migraines for 32 years and it's incredibly painful not being there for my family and for celebrations so often. Since I only work three days a week, I somehow usually manage to schedule my migraines for my days off. I have no idea why that is. I'm familiar with all those nonsensical tips and I suffer from the prejudices and am ashamed of being absent so often. Only someone who has experienced it themselves can truly understand what it means. Everyone else will never be able to comprehend it.

A very nice and detailed article about the tomcat.

I'm not sure, though, if Jägermeister and Bloody Mary really belong at the end of the list. They might as well just postpone the hangover, since they contain alcohol themselves. If you're going to include them, you might as well include beer and all other types of alcohol too.

I'm always very skeptical when I hear about this so-called pain memory. I've suffered from severe migraines for 40 years, which have become chronic in the last few years. I've tried everything, spent weeks in three different clinics, where they told me I only needed to stop taking triptans for three months, and then my migraines would return to normal, meaning one or two attacks a month. During those three months, I didn't take a single pill, even though I was in excruciating pain, and afterward, everything was back to normal. Since then, I've been taking triptans almost every day, and they still work perfectly and don't cause me any side effects. The attack is over in about an hour, and I can live a normal life again.
I'm otherwise perfectly healthy, but I can no longer tolerate these attacks because of my age (73). I know that the migraines are now medication-induced, but I accept that.

I've had migraines for as long as I can remember, and the pain always started in my eyes. However, it got worse after a riding accident, and I've been to countless doctors. Every single one of them has blamed it on growth, the accident, my period, puberty, my muscles, or my spine. But now I have the feeling it's originating in my head. The problem is that when I take painkillers, the pain gets a little better, but afterward, I feel completely out of it, like I'm on drugs. My eyes still hurt, and my neck is still rock hard. Does anyone recognize this and have a solution? I'm starting to despair...
And how/which doctor can I find out if it's really originating in my head?

Dear Professor Göbel,
dear team of the pain clinic,
dear Bettina Frank,

I would like to sincerely thank you for the help that our son and I, as his mother, received during his hospital stay and for the support in the headbook.

For me, your clinic is distinguished not only by its great competence, but also especially by its very respectful, friendly and patient approach to patients.

Professor Göbel was the only doctor to diagnose our son's chronic migraines. As his mother, I had many questions afterward, all of which were answered patiently and as often as I needed. My sincere thanks again, especially to Dr. Petersen.
At the pain clinic, I had the impression for the first time that my son, as a patient, and I, as his mother, were seen as individuals and taken seriously as partners in our conversations. This allowed us to approach the treatment of his migraines with much more confidence.

Even after our hospital stay, we consistently received quick, reliable, competent, and understanding advice, support, and practical help during difficult times, either through the headbook, in live chats with Prof. Göbel, or through direct contact with the clinic. This was and is truly invaluable to us.
A heartfelt thank you again to Prof. Göbel and Bettina Frank, the moderator of the headbook.

Warmest regards,
Lilly

I was in the pain clinic a long time ago, and I have to say, I miss the friendly nursing staff, the kind doctors, and of course, Professor Göbel. It's almost a shame that I'm doing so much better now.

I was a patient from April 19th to May 8th, 2016. I felt very well cared for and have never experienced such a personal and empathetic doctor/therapist-patient relationship as in this clinic. You are truly "slowed down" and feel like you return to everyday life feeling more productive and full of inspiration for your own quality of life. THANK YOU!

Dear Prof. Dr. Hartmut Göbel, dear Drs. Axel Heinze and Katja Heinze-Kuhn,

I echo the many hopes expressed by the commentators. May I offer a suggestion regarding your very interesting and informative remarks? The article mentions, among other things, the results of the published Phase II studies. I would be very interested in the proposed timeline for further planning (Phase III, completion date of the regulatory dossier, and the anticipated approval date).

In my experience, hope plays a significant role in migraine treatment. For example, even the test group that received only a placebo injection showed improvement. I am 59 years old and take an average of 8 to 10 triptans per month. Since these medications are less common after the age of 65, I am naturally already thinking about what will happen in a few years. Currently, there is no real alternative to triptans for me. This makes the thought of no longer being able to take them in a few years a distressing one. Therefore, the timeline for future planning is of great interest to me (and I think I speak for many commenters here). Who knows, perhaps the mere prospect of help – even if it lies far in the future – will already improve the situation today. I can't rule this out for myself. After all, "hope springs eternal.".

Best regards and much success!

ADDENDUM: I took this medication myself for almost 5 years until the recall.
Since it's been back on the market, I've been taking it again. In the meantime, I didn't have to go without it; I had stockpiled it in time and ended up with tablets (10mg) from an acquaintance. He told me the tablets were still available as usual, only the drops were affected. Before I could check with my doctor, however, the drops were re-approved, and the problem was thus resolved (1mg/ml instead of 4mg/ml).
Sincerely, Dask

I also suffer from migraines (basically, for as long as I can remember) and have heard several of the listed "tips." Luckily, my family understands and takes care of me when I have an attack. Unfortunately, these attacks are becoming more frequent, and I'm plagued by headaches almost constantly – sometimes mild, sometimes severe. Since I'm still a minor, doctors can't prescribe stronger migraine medication, so I have to deal with classic painkillers like Dolormin or Thomapyrin several times a week. But during very severe attacks, only dark rooms, rest, and sleep usually help. Until a few months ago, I felt misunderstood and alone, like many others, because I didn't know that so many people have to cope with this illness. Of course, one hopes that the pain will eventually lessen or even disappear, but in my opinion, and apparently also in the opinion of doctors, this is hardly possible. Nevertheless, I wish you all the best in enjoying your lives and somehow coping with the pain; we don't really have much choice!

I use peppermint oil very often at the onset of a migraine and also during one.
It eases the pain somewhat.
But if I also have neck problems, for example, tension in my cervical spine, I rub peppermint oil on it, wrap a warm scarf around it, and the next day it's fine.

As someone who suffers from this condition, I couldn't have described chronic migraines during menstruation, or even with medication overuse, any better. It's exactly how it happens to me, word for word. What surprises me, though, is that when I describe my pain attacks to neurologists and pain specialists in precisely this way, I always get the impression that they can't make sense of it. I'm left with the feeling that my pain experiences are different from those of other sufferers.

I also find it a shame that you have to research many therapies yourself (including those described in this article) and then convince your doctor to give them a try. In my opinion, it should be the other way around.

I have chronic migraines, currently affecting up to 20 days a month, and usually take significantly more than 10 triptans.

I recently had a similarly bad experience with recurring migraines over five days. I took a total of four 25 mg doses of sumatriptan (suppositories), which helped. I very rarely take triptans otherwise and often manage to control my migraines reasonably well with 10-minute alternating hot and cold showers.

Question: During cataract surgery on both eyes, I received propofol as sedation and subsequently received severe migraines each time – with a time delay on the following day or even the day after, most recently the one described above.

Could this be an effect of propofol?

Regards,
Anna Schmitz

I read your report with interest. I too have suffered from hormonal migraines for about 20 years and, after much experimentation, am currently only taking Vomex because it makes me so pleasantly drowsy. I also use a hormone gel about four days before my period starts, which I then use for a total of about ten days. Would it perhaps help to also take prednisolone, or is that not recommended? Best regards

Thank you for the information. For me, Vomex helps with acute treatment of status migrainosus, but Diazepam is better.
Don't go to work, stay in bed, and keep the lights off.
For prophylaxis, I take Gabapentin, Topiramate, and Venlafaxine.
I had about 20 attacks in January; I'm currently down to about 8. Best regards
, Alex Rochmann

Dear Pain Clinic Team, thank you for the lovely farewell gift. It was a wonderful time with you, I will miss you and wish you all the best. Viola

Hello, since I was 14 I've had 2-3 attacks a month.
Until I was 40, I always treated them with Novalgin, caffeine, Omeprazole, paracetamol, and ibuprofen.
Only since I started taking triptans have I been able to cope with real life, thank God.
Sometimes I wish all those people with their great advice would just experience one of these shitty attacks so they'd understand how knocked out we are by one.
But I also had to learn one thing – avoid triggers like irregular meals, too much coffee, or red wine…

Yesterday I watched NDR's "Visite" program and saw that there's now a vaccine for migraines. I would get vaccinated immediately. Since menopause, which was very difficult, I suffer from migraines almost daily. Sometimes they're mild, sometimes severe, but they're always there. My strength is slowly waning, and my quality of life is so severely limited that sometimes I just don't want to go on. I'm 56 years young and I wonder how things will continue. If there were such a medication, it would be simply wonderful. It's a shame that we, as ordinary citizens, always find out about these things too late. It would be a dream to be free of pain and weakness again. I'm going to be a grandmother for the first time, and it makes me very sad that I won't be healthy enough for it

Hi everyone.
Yes, I know all the sayings and the suffering. I admit that I "only" get a migraine once a year. But then it lasts for 1-2 weeks!
I also heard a comment from a doctor: "How... migraine in winter, plus tension. That's not in the book."
I don't know which book she meant. (A diary?) But it's strange that my old GP, the emergency room doctor, and my neurologist all diagnosed me with migraines.
If I didn't have migraines, the triptan wouldn't work. And it does.
Best wishes to all migraine sufferers.

I have chronic migraines, very often accompanied by aura and the whole nine yards. It's awful! And the attacks have been quite frequent. Now, at the beginning of January, a family with a child moved into the apartment below us, and I'm getting migraine attacks every few days. The child is about four or five years old, is NEVER outside, and seems to think the apartment is his gym. From about 7:30 a.m. until usually just before 8 p.m., the boy runs (gallops, no joke) all day long without any significant breaks (breaks usually last two to four minutes) through the apartment, jumping off the furniture in every room. He does all this barefoot. The people live below us, but the noise is unbearable. The parents aren't much better: they don't know what "nice room volume" means. The doors are constantly slammed, and everything is falling and clattering. We went there, explained the situation, and asked if there was any way to reduce the noise. We even offered to buy them slippers. (They claimed they didn't have the money and that the child had nothing to play with, so he runs around all day and nobody is willing to stop him or go outside.) We bought three pairs of slippers and took some of our 16-year-old son's old toys downstairs to the neighbors, like Hot Wheels with a playmat, a Nintendo Wii with games (which my son actually wanted to sell), Lego, and other toys. Do you think it's gotten any quieter? NOT AT ALL.
I'm just so disappointed and quite ill. I have the flu, which isn't completely gone yet, plus the constant migraines, and I can't find a quiet place at home. I can't drive when I have an attack because I can't see, and the medication isn't really helping anymore since I have to take it three or four times a week. The other day, I just got in my car when it was dark and lay there, because that's not possible at home. I've been on sick leave for over six months (due to another illness) and am always at home. Moving out isn't an option, because the apartment is great and the rest of the neighbors are just wonderful. Can anyone give me tips or advice on what we can do, because things can't go on like this.

Sabine
: Hello everyone!
I've suffered from migraines and tension headaches since my teens, and during both of my pregnancies, I took ibuprofen instead of paracetamol. One son has asthma, and the other was diagnosed with ADHD, which I think is a trendy diagnosis.
Should I now think that ibuprofen triggered this?
What I'm trying to say, and what I want to tell all the moms out there, is: don't drive yourselves crazy and don't feel guilty. Of course, all pregnant women should currently avoid paracetamol, but those who have taken it shouldn't feel guilty. Who knows what tomorrow's study will reveal? Perhaps that the sheer number of current studies is causing anxiety in the population?

Sounds almost like back then with Contergan for insomnia.

I'm single and live alone. A company doctor once advised me to get rid of my migraines: "Get pregnant. You don't get migraines during pregnancy."
I find it appalling how completely thoughtless even doctors can be.

Dear Professor Göbel,

I wish you and the other participating doctors every success. It would be a revolution in migraine therapy. I'm already looking forward to it.

Many warm greetings,
S. Ritter

I've suffered from migraines since I was 14, and I could tell you a thing or two about "well-meaning" advice.
It's almost always about doctor recommendations, dietary tips (cut out alcohol, certain foods), exercise (which I do 3-4 times a week), Schüssler salts, and so on and so forth...
The best advice is always, "You just need to think positively!"
Thanks for these words... I had to share them right away for all the "advice-givers."

Dear Techniker team!
It would be great if you could add a few tips to the article on what to say to or do for migraine sufferers to make them feel supported.
It's often helpful to clearly communicate to family and friends how they should interact with you.
While this is naturally very individual, there are certainly tips for partners that are generally well-received by sufferers.
And: many companions of migraine sufferers will read this too!

Thank you and best regards!
AW

Ute, January 10, 2016

I've been suffering from migraines for over 20 years. Initially, I didn't have such acute attacks, but since 2006 it's been diagnosed as chronic. Society and doctors simply don't take you seriously. As described in the individual accounts, you're treated like a hypochondriac, ostracized, and belittled with sarcastic remarks. It's not just the attacks that wear you down, but also the superficial treatment in everyday life. I'm grateful for the accounts of those affected and hope that people around them will become more aware of this illness.

I went to the doctor yesterday because of a flu-like infection. I was prescribed paracetamol three times a day until the pack is empty, and I'm supposed to take it. I'm in my 10th week of pregnancy. I'm horrified. Good thing I haven't bought it yet.

Good day.

Yesterday I went to a clinic near me. I was out again after five minutes. They said there was nothing they could do for me. Beforehand, I filled out a questionnaire and then answered the doctor's questions. He classified my "triggers" as psychosomatic. They are indeed very specific. As soon as I open my eyes in the morning, I feel a cold sensation in my right eye. Previously, ordinary safety goggles were enough to provide my eyes with a comfortably warm, protective environment. Later, I needed completely sealed goggles that rested on my cheek with a rubber seal. But even those aren't enough outdoors anymore because the cold penetrates the lens and reaches my eye. Shortly afterward, I get stabbing pains behind my eye, which lead to a migraine an hour later. At home, I can pull a long beanie made of warm alaca wool diagonally over my right eye. The warmth from this makes the stabbing pain disappear immediately. If I miss this window, I get another migraine.

Now I come to psychosomatics. ;-) The other day I sat at the dentist for an hour without my safety glasses and without my alpaca hat. And lo and behold, no stings behind my eye, my head didn't get cold, everything was fine. I was distracted and my everyday problems faded into the background, at least for that hour. Hmm, maybe it really is my mind that's causing all this trouble, at least for me…

Greetings from the Sauerland region

It would be great if something like that could be found for cluster headaches too

Whoops, maybe finally a path to complete pain relief! That would be a real help for us migraine sufferers. Continued success to the research team and never give up!

I went to the hospital for the first time because of a massive, uncontrollable attack. I was asked if there were any general practitioners, waited five hours in the emergency room, and received an IV with Novalgin because they didn't have any triptans in the entire hospital?! Novalgin brought my blood pressure down, but the pain was still there. Then the doctor tried to get rid of me by telling me to go home and take my usual medication. She then tried to transfer me to another hospital, but they wouldn't admit me and advised me to have a CT scan of my head, give me Tramadol, and admit me. I did that, and... Meanwhile, the nurses told me how over the top it was, that it was probably just a pinched nerve, etc., etc. Tramadol, Novalgin, and the stay in a four-bed room didn't help. So the doctors came up with the idea that it might be a cluster headache and tried to treat me with oxygen… After two painful nights without sleep and many tears, I discharged myself… The doctor's report then stated: Suspected cluster headache, patient is tolerable, complaining, improvement after Tramadol and oxygen… Huh???

Very humorous and nicely written… (-; I think if you're going to listen to advice, it should come from people who have had positive experiences themselves. Just a few days ago, I heard from a young woman that singing helps her with her migraines! It's probably like with many other ailments; everyone simply has their own way and has to find out for themselves what works. So never stop trying things out.

I wish the research team continued success.
A breakthrough in this field would be a relief.

During my mother-and-child health retreat, the doctor explained to me that mustard helps her father-in-law with his migraines. Who needs medication then...?

A family doctor told me I needed to change my life. I was under too much stress. That's true. But I have absolutely no control over my father's cancer, the arson committed by a third party, or my child's serious illness. So I suggested I get a divorce, put the children up for adoption, quit my job, and apply for welfare. Those are the only things I can control. He didn't find that funny at all.

I stumbled across your website by chance and even commented on an article. After browsing your site a bit, I wanted to leave a big compliment here in the guestbook. I'm truly impressed by the content. The audio samples alone make me want to pay more attention to my own health. Especially now, with the Christmas season approaching, simply slowing down is good for everyone.
Thank you, it's fantastic!

Hello!
I'm 15 years old and have had migraines for over two years. I also have migraine sufferers in my family (father, sister), so I expect understanding from them. I often have migraines for several days at a time. At school, though, I mostly just get strange looks.
If someone asks me what was wrong and I say, "I had a headache," the usual response is, "Yeah, a week of headaches, sure." And even when I say I have a migraine, people act like I'm skipping school and make comments like, "Migraines don't exist," "It can't be that bad," or similar things. People who don't have migraines just don't understand what those who do go through. I haven't had this problem for very long and I don't really understand it myself, but I'm very sensitive to factors like stress, and I can't handle any additional pressure from classmates, friends, or teachers.
I wish this topic could be explained, but probably no one would understand it or take my illness seriously.

It's incredible how many people experience the same thing, yet you almost never meet like-minded people in everyday life! After 30 years of migraines and all sorts of treatments and medications that never helped, this study gives me incredible hope! I've had a little boy for nine months now, and as you can imagine, a child and migraines are the worst combination imaginable. I so hope that one day I won't have to be afraid of the attacks anymore and can enjoy life the way pain-free people can!

Note: I apologize for the poor grammar and spelling. I'm currently experiencing the after-effects of an aura.

As a woman, you also hear the comment that you are not capable or willing for sex/relationships/dates.

Hello dear team
, I've been home for two weeks now and I'm absolutely thrilled!
I benefited so much from my time in the clinic that my life is worth living again!
With a completely different approach, my pain was reduced to a significantly lower level!
I'm so happy and grateful that I was admitted and could receive the help I needed!
I would like to formally thank EVERYONE at the clinic who contributed to this!
First and foremost, Professor Göbel and the entire medical team (including the outpatient clinic)
and the entire nursing team.
My thanks also go to my psychologist and the physiotherapy team.
Furthermore, I would like to thank the ladies in administration
and the kitchen staff, with everyone who cared for and fed me!
I also want to thank the cleaning staff and the lovely maintenance man!
Thank you all for a wonderful time in Kiel and for the lasting help you provided!
I'm grateful to remain in good contact with the clinic
and happy to have an appointment in the outpatient clinic in December!
I wish all pain patients the same kind of help they received there as I did!
I wish the team continued success and all the best in their wonderful work!
Kind regards, Nina

Hello dear team,

Anyone experiencing pain should never give up seeking relief or a solution. Here at the clinic, you're in the right place. I hid for years, either half-heartedly trying to cope with my pain or simply living with it. Here, you'll find outstanding specialists in a wonderful and professional environment who can show you the way forward and are absolute experts in their field!
The additional services offered are also excellent, and you can choose to use them as needed.

Everyone here is incredibly nice and helpful! You immediately feel at home!

It's wonderful that such a clinic exists. I hope I won't have to come back here, but I wish everyone continued success and thank you for the great work!

Christian Stolz

Wouldn't that be wonderful – to have a "normal" mind, to be able to sleep restfully, and simply to experience each day... every single day!
Please stay tuned!

Dear team at the Kiel Pain Clinic,

Everyone here truly gives their best
and the patient is the focus.

My decision to move to Kiel
was probably the best of my life!
I can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel!

I would like to express my sincere thanks to all employees
and especially to Dr. Peters and Ms. Fuhrmann.

Jörg Behrendt
Bad Berka / Thuringia

I've had migraines since I was six years old. I'm 39 now, and I've had to listen to practically every single item on this list, some of them multiple times, in my life.
Then there was the physiotherapist who claimed she could massage my migraines away. The result was that I went from having mild migraines to having extremely severe migraines after the treatment, to ones that even triptans couldn't really help with.
Or the dentist who said all I needed was a mouthguard, and that would make the migraines disappear.
And an (ex)boyfriend who told me I should take Q10, that it would help with migraines.
Not to mention all the teachers during my school and apprenticeship years who sent me outside for some fresh air instead of letting me go home to bed.

I hate it when people start throwing around clever advice like, "Don't eat this anymore," "Give up that," and "Don't take so many pills" (one triptan per attack is hardly much and helps me if I take it in time).

However, I've now reached the point where I don't expect any understanding and I immediately dismiss anyone who gives me strange advice. Perhaps I should actually print this out and hand it out to people when needed. I'm curious to see their dumbfounded looks!

It's frightening how accurate these statements are and what one has already heard, or rather, from whom!
I've often wished that the person in question would have my symptoms, just for an hour.

I'd join in a heartbeat! Half the week in excruciating pain, 52 weeks a year – nobody can stand that! Finally free!

Those are truly fitting statements... but what's even worse is having to be insulted by people who don't know this pain. For example, I had to listen to someone telling me it wasn't a valid reason to miss work.

I've suffered from migraines since childhood, with nausea and vomiting every time; it's a nightmare, and it's been going on for almost 30 years. I've been taking citalopram for panic attacks for a few years now. I'm afraid to try triptans because of potential interactions. Other medications don't help me. That means I can manage without medication every time. I have an attack about once or twice a month, and then I just lie in bed and vomit. So, a life without migraines would be a dream, my greatest wish.

I have suffered from migraines for 50 years, and 10 years ago I also developed depression. I would immediately volunteer as a test subject to regain a normal quality of life. This invention would be a blessing!

After about 28 years of migraines and having tried all preventative medications, I would love to get a vaccination once a month and be free of migraines. I hope it will soon be a method accessible to everyone.

I was in the clinic in May 2014, which finally brought an end to my long suffering. Reading through forums and chats reminded me of the terrible time I'd been through. I never would have imagined living almost pain-free; headaches and migraines had plagued me for 40 years, influencing my life and almost every decision I made. Years of pain and taking topiramate had steadily worsened my physical and mental health. Looking back, I realize that my time in Kiel was the turning point. I finally received concrete help and, for the first time, felt no longer helplessly at the mercy of the pain. I've consistently continued to follow what I learned there. I still take vitamin B2, eat little sugar, and make sure I get enough carbohydrates. Since my time in Kiel, I've been steadily improving. A year ago, I started psychotherapy. I no longer take topiramate; the harm outweighed the benefits. Six months ago, I started a vegetarian diet—I just wanted to try it out. The astonishing "side effect" was that I haven't had a migraine attack since. I no longer take triptans. If (very rarely) a headache still occurs, it can be managed with a common painkiller and plenty of rest. I'm paying more attention to doing things that are good for me, I've started learning Spanish, and I sing in a choir. Being free from pain has brought back the joy of life I had lost. I never would have imagined writing these lines, and I want to encourage everyone who is still suffering. The fear of pain is still deeply ingrained, but I'm glad I haven't given up hope.

Incredible, so many comments, almost all of which I could have written myself. I'm 42 and have had migraines for as long as I can remember. I manage with beta-blockers, and for attacks (currently two a week), I take Allegro. My quality of life and enjoyment of life diminish year by year – the idea of ​​relief through a vaccine sounds too good to be true. When you've already tried every migraine treatment, it's hard to ever hope to lead a carefree life again. I live south of Munich and would volunteer as a test subject immediately.

I am 42 years old, have had migraines with aura for 20 years, nobody understands it, not even a neurologist, except the person affected. It's simply disgusting.

I'm 14 and because of my migraines, I can only go to school part-time. I read that migraines are supposed to peak around age 35, and that you can't work for several weeks after that. What am I supposed to do? I mean, I'm 14 and I can't even go to school properly anymore! I'm going to see a doctor tomorrow, though. What I don't like is that at home, my mother doesn't understand at all when I don't get up until around 1 p.m. because I've had a migraine all morning. She said I could still get up earlier. This makes me sad because I don't feel understood at all, and it's affecting our mother-daughter relationship...
But what I read above helped.
Thank you!

I suffer from migraines with aura. After I turned forty, I was free of them for seventeen (!!) years, but now they've returned. Despite taking beta-blockers, the attacks keep coming. It seems nothing can stop them; I'm desperate. I'll have to increase the dose of beta-blockers even though they cause side effects.
But all the comments today were helpful.

I would be available immediately. Side effects etc. wouldn't matter, because they can't be nearly as bad as having headaches and migraines almost 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

I would also very much like to volunteer as a test subject. I have suffered from migraines for 25 years and have tried many treatments without much success. Out of fear of not being able to care for my child and passing this terrible disease on to her, I have remained childless. At times, the disease has such a hold on me that I no longer find my life worth living.

Dear Pain Clinic Team!

From May 5th, 2015 to May 21st, 2015 I had my hospital stay at the Kiel Pain Clinic.

I have suffered from migraines for more than 40 years and have been treated by countless doctors during that time.

After many efforts, setbacks and finally a switch to Techniker Krankenkasse, it has finally worked out after many years to go to the Kiel pain clinic.

What can I say? – IT WAS THE BEST THING that has ever happened to me in my migraine treatment! For me personally, the result borders on a miracle! In the weeks and months leading up to my stay at the clinic, I had endured a terrible period of suffering. I could count the headache-free days on one hand.

In comparison, I'm feeling really great right now! I'm enjoying this time and am happy about every headache-free day.

Thank you to everyone who contributed, you are a wonderful team! I not only received excellent treatment and care, but also learned a great deal about the entire clinical picture of "tension headaches and migraines".

Many thanks and warm greetings from Baden-Württemberg,
Ilona Eckbauer

Ha! I also had a bad attack once. I called the deputy manager, and he said it couldn't be that serious and that I should come to work!
Okay, since he didn't believe me anyway, I went. When I got there (I was a sales assistant), I sat at the till. Five minutes later, the till was covered in vomit, and I had to go to the doctor immediately. From then on, he believed me ;-) because he also got a really nasty phone call from the doctor.

Good day, Professor Göbel,
I have suffered from migraines since I was 10 years old, so for 45 years.
Since I will be in your clinic from June 2nd, I would be happy to participate as a test subject!

How wonderful that would be.
I suffer from headaches every day and have full-blown migraine attacks every 3-5 days.
I'm afraid of passing this affliction on to my children and am currently childless.

Wishing everyone much hope and a pain-free time.
Because hope dies last.

Finally!
It's not just the migraine that completely knocks you out, but also the resulting psychological pressure of constantly having to justify yourself—I find that even worse now than the migraine itself. No one believes your pain, no one knows what it's like to be in pain for hours on end; your days are ruined…
My supervisor knows about my constant visits to various doctors, and yet she keeps saying things like: "Are you sure it's not a tension headache?" or "Maybe it's hormonal?" I've now been granted a 40% disability rating, and yet she still says things (during a migraine attack at work) like: "Why don't you go for a walk?" or "Don't drive to work, take the train"—as if that would be less irritating.

Thank you so much for this great post.
It's unbelievable what one has to, can, and is allowed to listen to.

I had to go to the hospital once and was given very strong antibiotics, and as a side effect, of course, I got a migraine.
I told the doctor that I'd been a migraine sufferer for years and needed a painkiller (my own triptan, or any painkiller she could give me). She then said, "I'll give you one paracetamol; that will definitely help." Of course, it didn't work.
The nurse's comment was, "You should consider whether you're addicted if even a paracetamol doesn't help with your headache."
My point that I didn't have a headache but a migraine was dismissed with a weary smile.
But, and I have to mention this, my roommate got incredibly upset about it! Every time the nurse or the doctor entered the room, she complained about such unprofessional treatment. She really stood up for me, and that actually helped me a lot.

Hello, I was also at the clinic. Professor Göbel is really great, and so is the whole team. I would recommend the clinic to anyone suffering from migraines or chronic migraines. It helped me. Thanks again to the whole team, you are great.

Today my stay at the pain clinic comes to an end.
What I experienced here is difficult to put into words. A competent team, all consistently friendly and helpful. Countless valuable encounters and conversations with fellow patients. The experience of being taken seriously and understood. Ultimately, the chance to learn so much about myself and my illness, and to no longer see it as an enemy, but as something that belongs to me and that I might even be able to accept someday – the foundation for that was laid here.
My heartfelt thanks to the attending physicians, the nurses, the physiotherapy team, the catering staff, the administration, and the cleaning team. I would gladly return anytime, though hopefully not too soon ;-)

Julia Bosse

Congratulations on the website relaunch! An informative and well-designed site showcasing an innovative team. I've been very satisfied with the treatment at the pain clinic for years.

Dear Prof. Göbel, dear team of the Kiel Pain Clinic,

My sincere thanks for allowing me to be with you again at the beginning of this year.

Despite the long journey, the advantages of your clinic are quite obvious to me:

1) The clinic is specialized and therefore very personal.
2) The head physician and medical team take plenty of time for each patient and address individual needs.
3) The sessions with the psychologists greatly support the healing process.
4) The nurses are very experienced and are like angels who are always there for you.
5) Sports and physiotherapy offer a welcome change of pace (the facial lymphatic drainage is fantastic!).
6) The administration and the head physician's office are very professional and always perfectly organized.

Once again, my sincere thanks and all the best to you all!

Yours sincerely, Oliver A.

Today I would finally like to renew my entry in the guestbook, which was lost last year during the redesign of the website.

In June 2014, I was admitted to the pain clinic for the second time for two weeks, and my experiences from my first stay in 2011 were confirmed.

Professor Göbel and his dedicated team work with joy and empathy. My ward physician, Dr. Gatzert, took time for me and my questions every day; together we found a preventative treatment that still helps me today, almost a year later.

Although I received good psychological support in my hometown, both the individual and group sessions in psychotherapy provided me with a number of interesting ideas. I was particularly pleased with the aspects of mindfulness training in the pain management seminar.

I would have liked to have daily massages from the physiotherapy team and their dedicated staff, but passive therapies alone are not enough for effective preventative care….

Following my stay, I decided to continue my outpatient care at the pain clinic. I would also like to express my gratitude for the consistently friendly and competent care I received both on-site and via telephone/email/letter.

The clinic is highly recommended, and anyone who is at their wit's end with their pain and has ended up here should definitely consider a stay.

But one mustn't forget that no one can perform miracles. A large degree of personal responsibility is essential; the necessary tools will be provided.

Many thanks to Kiel and all the best!

Johanna

My former boss once said to me, when I had a severe migraine, "I thought you only got migraines in the summer." I was speechless and stunned!

I know how you feel; I also suffer from migraines in connection with severe burnout. It's really not easy, especially with a toddler. Because of this, I had to give up my job and was under neurological treatment, which I still am today. But my boss was very understanding, as were my colleagues and friends, which I really appreciated. Thankfully, I haven't had any negative experiences related to the illness.

After examining me regarding a transfer due to my migraines, the company doctor said the following: "Oh, you're having thyroid surgery soon? Well, then everything is irrelevant; you won't have migraines anymore and can keep your job as normal.".

That was in 2013…nothing has changed since then. Which is inexplicable to the company doctor from “back then”.

I was in the pain clinic from March 16th to March 28th and have been very happy and relieved ever since.
The break from triptan medication worried me a lot beforehand, but my fears were unfounded, and I feel free and stronger. I'm trying to implement many of the suggestions, which is easy for me.
I can only recommend that every migraine patient visit the clinic.
I am very grateful to all the staff and felt cared for, understood, and very comfortable.

I have suffered from migraines since the age of 15 and would be very interested in participating in and following the progress of this study. I live in Berlin.

Dear Pain Clinic Team,
since my stay in November 2013, my life has changed completely.
I have learned a great deal about the illness and, above all, I have learned to live with it and not against it.
Especially since I began treatment, my life has become much more worth living and I am much happier.
I am particularly grateful to you, Dr. Heinze, for your tremendous efforts to help me. And with success!
Kind regards and see you in June, Kim Boock

All those who stir up sentiment against the pharmaceutical industry (and that happens very often) should experience what hope feels like when you have migraines almost every day and can only take triptans for 10 days. I'm currently on a triptan break and am going through hell on earth. The prospect of relief, even if it's only in a few years, is simply wonderful. Thank you to everyone working on this medication!

So far, only women have complained about their suffering, but it also affects men.
I've suffered from migraines for 39 years. I'm self-employed and work constantly, so Sunday is my only day off. On
Sundays, I usually just lie in bed with pain attacks. For attacks during the week, I even have a bed at my company to retreat to. I get a lot out of life, so I'd like to volunteer as a test subject.

I have suffered from severe migraines since childhood and would immediately volunteer for this study…

I'm 41 and have had migraines since childhood. Unfortunately, panic attacks started five years ago, and now I also have depression. Since I also suffer from asthma, I can't use beta-blockers for prevention. I would even volunteer to be a guinea pig in a heartbeat.

Hello, I would participate in the study immediately. I have suffered from migraines for 53 years, and they are particularly frequent at the moment. Best regards, Charlotte Maslonka

I've already heard all the advice and recommendations from doctors and even followed some of them, for example, years of psychotherapy – everyone has some skeletons in their closet, right? :-) Luckily, I have wonderful friends who don't make any stupid comments but are very understanding of my situation. After a two-year struggle, I've been retired since the beginning of 2015. So I don't have to worry about my job situation anymore.

That would be fantastic! A blessing for the many sufferers whose quality of life is impacted!!
After 45 years of migraines, currently with 13 to 16 migraine days per month, I would love to use it!

This would truly be a revolution. I would love to participate in this study. I've been suffering for over 35 years now!

Dear Professor Göbel,

That would be wonderful. I suffer from chronic migraines. I would also volunteer as a test subject immediately.
I sincerely hope for all migraine sufferers that this medication proves successful, as we all hope!

After 54 years of migraines, this was like winning the jackpot!

I would be glad if I could get these headaches under control. No one can imagine how much pain a person has to endure

I would be available immediately. It would be a dream come true for me to be pain-free again.

43 years of hell in my head and therefore in my life. I would so love to participate in the study.

Finally pain-free, that would be a wonderful gift, I would try it immediately!

Oh,
that would be a dream,
no more migraines :-)

Dear Clinic Team,
last May I was an inpatient at your clinic.
After everything I had read about the clinic, my expectations were very high. These expectations were far exceeded.
I have never met such a wonderful team. Everyone, truly everyone at the clinic, was very kind and empathetic. Professor Göbel takes a great deal of time, answers every question, and you never feel rushed so he can quickly see the next patient.
Dr. Gatzert and Ms. Petersen are also very competent and friendly doctors and were my daily contacts. The knowledge I now have about migraines is significantly greater than that of many doctors who have treated me over the past 16 years. I am therefore happy to make the 750 km trip to Kiel and continue to see Dr. Heinze twice a year for outpatient appointments. Even today, the clinic is always there for me with advice and support whenever I have questions or problems. And
I mustn't forget the Headbook and its members – they are simply fantastic.

I am very grateful and happy to have met this clinic and the doctors, and I wish you all continued success, good health, and that you all stay as you are – a blessing for us patients!

Greetings from Baden-Württemberg
SW

A revolution in migraine pain treatment. I would be available immediately.

That would be a miracle after 37 years of migraines!!!

A dream would come true

I was at the pain clinic in Kiel for the second time in February/March 2015.
When I arrived at the clinic, I was in very bad shape, as I could barely get out of my long migraine attacks. In addition, the migraines triggered my facial pain so severely that I could hardly bear the pain anymore.

I would like to thank Professor Dr. Göbel from the bottom of my heart for his tremendous dedication and help. My medication was optimally adjusted, and I also received invaluable personal support. Professor Dr. Göbel is the kind of doctor one could only wish for. He is genuinely committed to helping us patients, and I had the impression that he is completely dedicated to his work.
He answered every question and provided me with the best possible treatment. God bless you!

My other doctor, Dr. Gatzert, was also incredibly dedicated to my well-being and was always there for me, my pain, and my many questions as a competent physician and contact person. She helped me a great deal, and I felt very well cared for by her. Thank you so much!

Dr. Petersen, the senior physician at the pain clinic, is also an angel in a white coat, incredibly dedicated, possessing profound knowledge, and able to communicate it very effectively and clearly. Among other things, she conducts patient seminars on medications. I have learned so much here. These seminars have been invaluable. I wish they were offered daily, because this kind of knowledge is simply unavailable anywhere else.

My psychiatrist, Ms. Steinbrück, with whom I had my individual therapy sessions, gave me a great deal of valuable food for thought, helped me find good solutions, provided me with important addresses, books, and practical tips, and was also there for me and my problems far beyond what is normally expected. She even came to my room more often when I was feeling unwell.

It's incredible what I've encountered in this clinic – from the doctors, psychologists, administration, both secretaries, the nurses, the physiotherapy team, the group therapy team, and the Biodeedback team – without exception, the kindness, competence, dedication, and help I've experienced across the board. I can't even put it into words.

Also worth mentioning is the excellent cuisine, which is incredibly accommodating to allergies, intolerances, and special requests such as vegetarian or vegan meals. Even though I am lactose intolerant, I always received a very tasty meal. Thank you so much!.

It's also worth mentioning that I was pleasantly surprised by how clean the entire clinic was and how thoroughly the cleaning staff had cleaned the room and bathroom. Other hospitals and clinics could certainly learn a thing or two from that.

I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the physiotherapy team. The sports program, the relaxation techniques, and the manual therapy were all important components in learning relaxation techniques, and the massage also helped to ease the tension in my muscles, which had become very stiff due to the pain. I would particularly like to commend Ms. Dose, as she was able to provide me with valuable advice regarding posture and gait. In addition to my migraines and facial pain, I unfortunately suffer from numerous orthopedic problems, including various forms of osteoarthritis. The osteoarthritis of my big toe joint, in particular, causes me significant pain when walking, resulting in a severely deformed gait and likely contributing to the development of other types of osteoarthritis. Ms. Dose explained how I can move more easily and with less pain while protecting my joints and maintaining proper posture. A thousand thanks for her exceptional dedication and her refreshing sense of humor.

A thousand thanks to the entire team at the pain clinic, as everyone took such wonderful care of me. I felt very safe and understood, and I received a great deal of help with my pain and worries.

Your clinic and your staff are a blessing for us pain patients. That's why I travel over 600 km to continue my outpatient treatment with you, because I haven't found this level of competence, knowledge, and kindness anywhere else.

Hello,
I was in Kiel for two weeks from January 12th, 2015.
It was the first clinic where I could say "absolutely fantastic." The whole team is first-class.
Keep up the good work!
Best regards,
Tom

Dear Iris,

We've taken your important suggestion on board and are now discussing it in our Headbook at http://www.headbook.me . You're warmly invited to participate, read along, or whatever you like. Feel free to drop by; here's the direct link to the relevant subforum: http://www.headbook.me/groups/migrane-vorbeugung-durch-verhalten/forum/topic/was-man-menschen-mit-migraene-sagen-sollte/#post-98872

Best regards,
Bettina

I find the attacks as exhausting as a first birth—my whole body is working at peak performance and is suffering. Afterwards, I'm just as drained and blissful, only the reward is missing—no present (child ;))—only the fear of the next attack is there

What should/can you say to people with migraines?
I would be delighted to read a post like this. A friend of mine has suffered from migraines for years, and she also shared this link. It's becoming increasingly difficult for me to find the right words so I don't say the wrong thing. I hardly say anything anymore, but I also don't want to seem indifferent or rude.
After all, I know she suffers from unbearable migraine attacks.

I was at the Kiel Pain Clinic from December 3rd to December 16th, 2014, and I would like to thank Professor Göbel and his team from the bottom of my heart for the help they gave me. I am incredibly grateful and will never forget the people who do such extraordinary work at this clinic.
May God protect them all.

The doctors here are not just poring over textbooks during their medical studies, but truly love their profession. Thank you so much for the excellent treatment

Migraine sufferers? Of course!

I am a migraine sufferer;
a fighter,
a survivor,
someone who has the advantage of appreciating healthy days more
than those who "always" have healthy days,
someone who has had reason
to delve into the subject of health,
someone who likes to have fun without alcohol,
someone who nevertheless spat next to the "A-Team,"
someone who has had diverse life experiences,
an incorrigible optimist who always believes
that every day will be a good day,
an enthusiastic madman
who is occasionally forced to slow down,
a persistent type who will not give up his fight for well-being
until his deathbed.
Yes, I am, my soul, a migraine sufferer
, and I am proud of everything I have done
to feel better.
I am a fighter.
Don't come here and tell me
that I am affected and that I am suffering!
I don't want you to see misery
when you look at me.
I suffer from migraines,
and yet
so much
more
.

Åsa Stenström
(own translation from Swedish)

A doctor told me that migraines are psychological and wanted to refer me to a psychologist.
A friend of mine said the same thing.

Today we know that migraine is a neurological disease.

Hey, is it possible to feel at home in a hospital? Yes, it's great at the Kiel Pain Clinic; at least I felt right at home.
Better than actually being at home…! Unfortunately, I couldn't take Mr. Mariusz Wichert, the medical massage therapist, home with me ;( But I'll remember his reflexology treatment fondly. A thousand thanks to everyone!
Best regards, Hannelore K.

Hi everyone,
yes, I also took paracetamol without hesitation during both of my pregnancies because I constantly had headaches. Unfortunately, both my children are constantly sick. I don't know if it's due to the tablets. I'm afraid my son will be diagnosed with ADHD because he's very active and loud :-(

From December 1st to 12th, 2014, I was at the Kiel Pain Clinic for the second time, after a six-month wait. I have suffered from migraines for 40 years and came to the clinic with medication-induced migraines and tension headaches. As with my first visit, the reception by the administrative team (Ms. Sigora, Ms. Ziegler, Ms. Richter, and Ms. Schnoor) and the nurses (Sisters Claudia and Sibilla, as well as Britta and Miriam) made an extremely pleasant, friendly, and well-organized impression on me.
The treatments by Dr. Gatzert and Dr. Petersen were absolutely competent, and I immediately felt understood and well cared for. Both doctors were always attentive and, like the nurses, readily available to help with pain.
Furthermore, patient seminars were offered again, which I highly recommend.
If Kiel weren't 540 km from where I live, I would immediately seek outpatient follow-up treatment at the pain clinic.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the teams at the pain clinic once again for their kind and friendly manner and wish everyone a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year.

Have children, then you won't have time for migraines anymore.

I also have a few comments to add:

“What happened in your childhood that made you develop migraines to get attention?” (Direct quote from a doctor during rehabilitation)

“You’ve been working towards your disability pension for years, you’ve been planning this for a long time!” (Direct quote from the rehabilitation clinic as above, but from the head physician)

After pointing out to my family doctor that migraines are not a psychosomatic illness, his reaction was an eye roll, looking at the computer and saying, "Well, that's what YOU might think."

“Have you tried aspirin? Well, if that doesn’t work, then feel free to take two!” (I was taking eight aspirins a day at the time because nobody had told me about triptans.) (She was a gynecologist.)

“You’re just getting worked up about it!” (Ex-husband)

“Migraine? Never heard of it, what is it?” I’ve heard that before, wow.

“Headache? Children don’t get headaches!” (old people who were surprised when I already had migraines at age 5)

And many more comments… plus the ones mentioned above…

Since the age of four, I've had migraines associated with joyful occasions (Christmas, birthdays, holidays). The doctors I consulted said it would go away with puberty.
During puberty, my period triggered monthly migraines for about four to five days. The doctors again said it would stop once puberty was over.
From the age of 20, my migraines were also triggered by ovulation, affecting one side for about three days each time, and then the other side. Twice a month, I had five to seven days of migraines—one good week and one bad week.
The doctors suggested pregnancy could be the solution.
During pregnancy, I experienced completely uncontrolled, severe migraines with little respite. After giving birth, my migraines returned to their "normal" pattern.
After a total hysterectomy at age 48, I had no pattern at all, experiencing three to five days of migraines, followed by about three days completely symptom-free, etc., while on hormone replacement therapy. Unfortunately, hormones are absolutely essential, because then the triptans are no longer effective against the severity of the attacks.
I am very familiar with the entire list above!
The almost complete loss of quality of life, the unbearable physical suffering, and the desperate efforts to manage my workload (household, child, job) during attack-free periods often made me consider suicide, especially during the time before I started taking triptans (until 1992).
For the past five years, I have been receiving a partial disability pension. My former family doctor told me that I wouldn't be granted a pension for migraines; I would have to be much sicker. Thankfully, I didn't let him intimidate me and applied – successfully. I also received a disability rating of 30%. I now have more time to live, especially since my son is also grown up and therefore has the opportunity to do something enjoyable again, as long as I abstain from alcohol (a glass of wine with a good meal would sometimes be nice :-( and maintain a regular day-night rhythm).

On behalf of our association, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to the award winners.

Through their work, they have impressively demonstrated the importance of approaching the topic of headaches with different methods, be it through direct patient care and treatment, journalistic documentary work, or the provision and support of internet-based exchange forums.

The collaboration of all these efforts within the context of the headache network leads to improved, innovative and up-to-date care for headache patients.

And this applies not only to patients suffering from common conditions such as migraine or tension headache, but also to a large extent to patients with rare headache disorders such as cluster headache syndrome, CPH, SUNCT and many others.

I thank you for your outstanding and exemplary work for the benefit of headache patients.

Dr. Harald Müller,
Federal Association of Cluster Headache Self-Help Groups - CSG eV

Dear staff of the clinic,

My neurologist brought your website to my attention! I've been a migraine sufferer for 40 years and thought I was well-informed! Thank you for your comprehensive, informative, and easy-to-understand information!
However, I would like to point out one thing: Regarding possible migraine medications, I read that you still recommend MCP drops. Unfortunately, this medication has been discontinued and is now only available in tablet form. You probably already know this and simply forgot to remove it from your website.

Sincerely,
Tanja Tamm

Hello everyone, I'm 54 years old and have suffered from severe migraines since I was 16.
For many years, I didn't even know it was migraine.
I went to many doctors, often had emergency doctors at my house on weekends, received injections, and was back to normal on Monday. One doctor even called me a malingerer, so I often stayed silent and retreated to bed. Even during my pregnancies, I wasn't spared. I couldn't participate in many celebrations... I spent so many days and nights in bed, constantly swallowing pills, until a neurologist prescribed triptans about 10 years ago. Now I'm dependent on these pills and have migraine attacks almost daily, mostly at night.
Sometimes I get depressed because I just can't take it anymore. Perhaps I can go to this clinic; that's my great hope.
Warm regards to Kiel
, Britta Wollesen

I only took paracetamol once in my life, two 500mg tablets. At the time, I was in my first trimester of pregnancy with my second child and experiencing severe pain from my fibroids. I was admitted to the maternity ward due to heavy bleeding caused by the fibroids and was instructed to take the two tablets. Unfortunately, no one warned me about the potential side effects, even though it was already known at the time that paracetamol is toxic and could harm unborn children. My son was born seemingly healthy, but after 15 hours, he suddenly stopped breathing and died. The autopsy revealed that the cause of death was Williams-Campbell syndrome, an extreme lung malformation that can be fatal in newborns. After that, I gave birth to two healthy daughters; my first child is also healthy, but neither of them ever came into contact with paracetamol, neither in the womb nor afterward.
I find it extremely striking that my son had this particular condition. I also took the two tablets during a phase of my pregnancy when embryonic organ development was taking place and the lungs were forming.
Incidentally, I remember very clearly that I felt absolutely no pain relief after taking the two tablets. Why wasn't I offered an alternative or warned about side effects back then? Especially in a reputable clinic, study results that were already available in 2009 should have been known! Since that incident, I have never again relinquished responsibility to doctors.

Yes, I know that one. Plenty of times. The best was, “Why don’t you go for a walk by the lake and watch the little ducklings… or the swans…” Things like that make me sad, but sometimes they just make me angry. When I’m in pain, I couldn’t care less about those stupid birds, and sometimes comments like these make me think of my slap tree.

I was prescribed paracetamol in 2010, deemed safe during pregnancy (27th week), in the hospital for a triple leg fracture, and it's true: ridiculously effective for severe pain (I don't remember the dose, 1000mg per day??? I have no idea, I just know I tried to endure the pain because I was worried and had already received twilight sedation and then a full 12 weeks of thrombosis prophylaxis because I was in a wheelchair and could barely walk). I probably only took paracetamol regularly for 14 days?!)
AND I had a healthy, but very special daughter: she is hyper-confident and headstrong, very intelligent and extremely expressive (at 4 years old, she swears like a sailor) and she sleeps very little and is incredibly attentive. Even as a baby, she lay in her crib and could hardly sleep because of her curiosity – or so it seemed to me…
And now, after this study, I'm really worried about her health!!!

Dear Dr. Hartmut Göbel and team,

I hope you don't mind if I write my comments in English, instead of German (for today)?

This German article, and other articles/paper, provide amazing insight into Wagner, his migraines, and the effect that his severe migraines had on his compositions.

In fact, your insight about Wagner's migraines inspired me so much that I added your findings in my recent Blog Post in my new blog called Pain Matters (see link). I hope you don't mind...

Thank you very much,

Sabina Walker

The worst thing for me is that no one takes me seriously, not even my daughters… it's all psychosomatic…

Congratulations, you're really in the best hands here!

Dear Pain Clinic Team!

I too would like to say thank you for a valuable time spent at your facility. From the very first moment, I felt warmly and kindly welcomed. My room, with its magnificent view of the Schwentine River, often put me in a holiday mood. The clinic is exceptionally well-organized, the seminars and patient training sessions are very interesting, and the entire team deserves high praise; one feels cared for and taken seriously. The doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, administrative staff, cleaning staff, and kitchen staff all treat you with great kindness. The food was so delicious, I would have loved to stay longer!

Although I unfortunately only had a few pain-free days, the time did me a lot of good; I was able to recharge my batteries and my greatest wish was fulfilled: I left the clinic without a headache, which was a great feeling.

Thank you for a wonderful time, which I see as a path to a new life!

Anja Vogt

Very, very good post

I've been suffering from this for about 20 years. First, there was a break of 10 years, then another of 9. Now, since April, it's been my constant companion… up to 12 attacks a day! Affected is the right side: nose, eye, forehead, jaw, ear, and cheekbone. Medication: oxygen; Imigran Nasal.
If I manage to get oxygen right at the beginning, a full-blown attack can often be prevented. But if it's already underway, only Imigran, about 25 minutes later, helps to stop it. My longest attack this year, on Ascension Day morning, lasted a whopping 5 HOURS… it was HELL.
I'm really hoping that the switch will soon be turned off… hopefully.
To all those affected: stay strong!

According to my headache diary, there has (unfortunately) been a very clear trigger for my migraine attacks for many years: sport.

I have very often gotten migraines after jogging. Almost always about 4-5 hours after finishing my workout, despite adequate fluid and food intake.

Good day,

This article really resonates with me. Even as a pain specialist, I'm constantly confronted with the most absurd treatment suggestions. I'm going to print it out and put it in the pain clinic at our hospital. Good intentions don't always lead to good outcomes. Best regards and all the best, S. Wirz

Dear Ms. Ersfeld,
I find it wonderful that you haven't lost your sense of humor despite the often unbearable pain. I don't have migraines, but rather hemicrania continua, which is no less amusing, as it involves constant pain. The real challenge is hoping for understanding from those around you, since you often don't see how much you're suffering. Or rather, you tend to hide it or don't like to talk about it openly.
I wish you peaceful and pain-free, or at least low-pain, days.
, Beate

Dear Pain Clinic Team,
my stay from May 8th to May 23rd, 2014, was the best thing that ever happened to me.
From the very first moment, I felt understood and cared for. The entire team dedicated a great deal of time to me in order to achieve a positive outcome. I can only say one thing: "Successful!" If I put everything I learned into practice in the future, I can live a calm, peaceful life with my wife, children, and grandchild with significantly less pain. I hope and believe that you can help many more people suffering from severe pain to create a pain-free life for themselves.

Respectfully,
Axel Holtz