Part 3: Migraine Prevention
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Simulation Transcript
HOME VIGNETTE:
(SCREENS ARE BLACK, MINIMAL EXAGGERATED AUDIO: MAGGIE’S BREATHING, TICKING CLOCK, OVERHEAD VIEW OF MAGGIE LYING STILL IN THE DARK BEDROOM, BLINDS DRAWN. TRANSITION BETWEEN ALTERNATE SHOTS OF HER STRUGGLING FOR RELIEF:
- WITH A COMPRESS ON HER FOREHEAD
- BURYING HER HEAD IN A PILLOW
- COVERS PULLED OVER HER HEAD
SUDDENLY, THE RELATIVE CALM IS DISTURBED BY THE APPROACHING SOUNDS OF EXCITED CHILDREN CHORUSING, “WE’RE GOING TO THE MOVIES, WE’RE GOING TO THE MOVIES!” VOICES CRESCENDO UNTIL HER HUSBAND AND TWO CHILDREN BARGE INTO THE ROOM WITH HER HUSBAND, NOT EXPECTING TO FIND HER THERE.]
[HUSBAND ASSESSES THE SITUATION IMMEDIATELY, AND TRIES TO SUBDUE THE KIDS.]
HUSBAND: |
[DEJECTEDLY, SPEAKING SOFTLY] Oh no. That bad, huh? |
CHRISTOPHER: |
[UNDETERRED] Ready for our movie, mom? |
HUSBAND: |
[SHOOS CHILD AWAY WHISPERING] Honey, we have to be quiet for mommy. She's not feeling good again. |
CHRISTOPHER: |
Why can’t Mommy go with us? (IN A VOICE THAT’S PIERCING TO MAGGIE) |
CHILD #2: |
Yeah, mom, you promised! (PIERCING) |
EPILOGUE
Maggie's experience illustrates many common triggers of a migraine attack. Missed sleep (fatigue), skipping meals, and stress may all help cause a migraine, but the triggers may vary by individual. Migraine attacks can also occur in the absence of triggers. For Maggie, they led to a migraine attack with typical symptoms - pain on one side of her head, nausea, and sensitivity to light, noise and smell.
Migraine is a serious, chronic condition affecting 28 million adults. Women are three times more likely than men to experience migraine. Left untreated, migraine can severely impact a person's work, social, and family life, and studies have shown that migraine can be a progressive condition that worsens over time – in other words, having migraines can actually lead to more migraines.
Migraine can cost people valuable time, and can be very disruptive for those who experience frequent and severe migraine attacks, despite acute medications that are taken at the onset of an attack. Overuse of these short-acting acute medications can actually make some migraine attacks become more frequent. For people who experience at least two migraine attacks per month that interfere with their daily routines, a better solution may be to treat migraine preventively, so that you may be able to avoid an attack in the first place.
At least half of all people who experience migraine may be candidates for migraine prevention medicine, which may lead to fewer and less severe attacks.
To find out if migraine prevention medicine may be right for you, talk with your doctor, or visit www.mindovermigraine.com.
We hope this experience has enriched your understanding of migraine.
© Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2005. All rights reserved.
