Migraines and nursing?

Nurses Disabilities

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I just recently graduated from nursing school and am currently sitting for state boards.

One of my biggest fears about starting my nursing career is the fact that I suffer from somewhat frequent severe migraines. I was fortunate enough to make it through most of my clinical days in nursing school without getting a migraine, however I do get on average one a week. I take medication which is somewhat helpful.

Do any nurses on here also suffer from migraines? What do you do when you're halfway through a shift and a severe migraine strikes? How can I approach a prospective boss about my health?

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Has anyone with migraine had the board of nursing question your meds?

Not mine.

Specializes in Med-surg; OB/Well baby; pulmonology; RTS.

I've had migraines since I was 13 and there were times I had to leave early (if it was really bad, I'd go straight to the ER) or call in if one hit me hours before I was supposed to be at work and I couldn't get it under control. If you know your triggers, do your best to avoid them. Get frequent sips of water or fluid, keep snacks handy if you get 5 minutes of calmness to keep your blood sugar from crashing, etc. My rescue med is Relpax, so I would have a couple of tablets in my purse and I kept Excedrin Migraine as well as ibuprofen in my locker; if I felt like my headache was a migraine (mine are without auras), I'd take Excedrin Migraine or high dose ibuprofen (600-800 mg per my doc's advice) first and if that didn't help, I'd take my Relpax an hour after Excedrin or ibuprofen.

You do NOT have to disclose your migraines during interviews and I wouldn't do so.

Specializes in Med-surg; OB/Well baby; pulmonology; RTS.
I, too, get a weird Aura. It's not visual. It's a weird feeling, sense of doom kinds feeling that is accompanied by body temp fluctuations. Anyone else experience this? ?

My migraines are without aura but I do get a "weird" feeling....like a phenomonon for lack of a better word. Sometimes I'm wrong but I've been instructed by my doctor to take my rescue med if I feel it's a migraine and it turns out not to be.

Google the Cephaly device. It's a TENS unite recently approved by the FDA. It was developed specifically as a daily preventative treatment for Migraine Disease. It was recommended by my neuro but it's pricey at $350.

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