How I Travel with Migraine: Pack Your Patience
Where do I start when it comes to traveling with migraines? Vacations are meant to be fun getaways from work and the drudgery of day-to-day life. Too bad I can’t take a couple of weeks away from trigger avoidance and pain management. That’s not how an uncurable illness works though, is it? Migraine disease insists on traveling with me no matter where I go. It’s a good thing I’m a planner.
Migraine management requires discipline, and traveling usually turns my daily routine upside down, especially when airline travel is involved. One of my major triggers is changes in eating habits. I have a window of opportunity to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, otherwise I risk triggering an episode. Skipping meals is completely out of the question. I try to pick flights that give me a layover in the airport around mealtime. Most of the time, Plan A works out fine, but it’s good to have a contingency plan ready.
Sometimes flights don’t line up quite right or delayed flights mess up the schedule, and I’m left with no time to sit down in an airport restaurant for a meal. As soon as I see a grab-and-go sandwich opportunity, I take a few minutes to get food to carry onto the plane. It might not be the most delicious meal, but it’s good enough to satisfy my migraine requirements and keep vacation plans moving forward pain-free. I also buy a couple of granola bars to have in my purse. You can’t be too prepared when it comes to airplane travel.
If I’m getting ready for a driving vacation, researching towns along the travel route and packing lunch are weapons I use to fight off a potential migraine episode. Once I know what time I’m leaving home, it’s easy to map out where I’ll be at mealtimes. A quick search of restaurants in that town, and I have a plan for a hopefully delicious vacation memory and no need for migraine medicine.
If the travel route has unpopulated stretches of highway, having sandwiches and fruit in a cooler in the trunk is vital. If there’s a scenic landscape for the picnic, that’s even better. Some of you are old enough to understand the nostalgic aspect of having a picnic out of the trunk of the car. That’s how a lot of family vacations were when I was growing up in the ’70s.
Vacations toss sleeping patterns out the window, too. Sleeping too much or sleeping too little can be migraine triggers for me. Staying up late or sleeping longer in the mornings is not a good idea, even on vacation. Compromise is the key. I may give myself an extra 30 minutes of sleep, but then I’m up. I reward my discipline with a relaxing cup of tea enjoyed at a slower pace than the normal workday morning. This helps create a leisurely vacation feel to the start of the day without the danger of triggering an episode by sleeping too late.
Cigarette smoke and home fragrance scents are major migraine triggers for me. Staying in non-smoking hotels and vacation homes is non-negotiable. Most properties are non-smoking nowadays, but it’s best to find out before I book the reservation. When I’m staying in an Airbnb or VRBO home, I request the host remove all home fragrance devices before my visit. Most hotels and hosts are willing to accommodate medical requests.
Let’s not forget about medication. I make sure I have plenty of preventive and abortive medication on hand before traveling. I carry the medicine in its original packaging that has the prescription label on it just in case I need to contact my doctor or pharmacist. I usually pack syringes into my checked luggage to avoid an airport hassle.
Though it might sound nice to stop thinking about migraine illness while on vacation, the opposite approach helps me enjoy travel much more. Episodes can still happen, but a little extra thought and planning can keep my migraine traveling companion under control while I enjoy a fun getaway.
Originally published at WebMD.com on 10/21/24.
