How I Traveled to London and Egypt with Migraine

I was born with migraine disease in February of 1964, discovered its name somewhere around 1987, and have spent the last 30 years learning how to manage the illness. I wish migraine didn’t have to accompany me during the bucket list phase of my life, but that’s not how incurable illness works, is it?

So far, migraine has joined me caving in Canada, cruising down the Rhine in Europe, and watching the aurora borealis in Alaska. This year, my husband and I chose to lay eyes on some of the great wonders of the world – the pyramids and temples of Egypt. Friends and family questioned our sanity, considering the recent violent unrest in the Middle East.

I was scared, but not about safety. I knew it was in Egypt’s best financial interest to protect tourists. No, what scared me was how migraine episodes could derail everything. Like I said, I had spent 30 years studying what this illness could do. Knowledge taught me how to manage sleep, meals, exposure to triggering odors, and the most effective use of medication. Traveling through multiple time zones to a different culture would wreak havoc on migraine management.

Change in eating pattern was my first known migraine trigger. Three meals a day at regularly spaced intervals was easy at home, but less easy when you jump time zones and have no control over the tour group’s schedule. My plan for the airplane was to eat a little bit every few hours no matter what time my phone told me it was or if I was hungry or not. Once I got there, I planned to resume my three meals a day regardless of what time my body thought it was.

That worked well until we exited the plane at Heathrow Airport in London. I hadn’t anticipated that it would be like a perfume mall with an airport attached to it. By the time I walked – mouth breathing and eyes squinting, through the stench of fragrances to the next gate – an episode had started. I took my abortive medication and made a mental note to wear a mask at Heathrow on the way back home.

The tour director kept us on a decent meal schedule, except for one day. Traffic caused us to get a late start for visiting the King Tut exhibit at the museum, so lunch was well past my window of opportunity. Migraine triggered. At the earliest sign of the episode, I downed a triptan pill and was able to still enjoy marveling at the golden sarcophagus and other relics.

The pyramids, temples, and tombs did not disappoint, but I will warn migraine warriors thinking about traveling abroad that the Egyptian culture involves a fair amount of cigarette smoking. There were cigarette butts littered all around the No Smoking signs, which would be funny if it weren’t so not funny. It was helpful to have my husband looking out for me in situations like this.

Throughout the excursions, he would say, “Smoker 10 o’clock,” or “Cigarette coming toward us.” I heeded his warnings even if I didn’t have eyes on the culprit. I protected myself with whatever I had available to block the offensive odor, such as my hand, a scarf, or a face mask. Thanks to my migraine team and avoidance tactics, I only had to treat one episode triggered by cigarette smoke during our trip. 

When traveling abroad, I advise that you take as many of your migraine tools with you as you can – whether those are face masks, essential oils, ice caps, special sunglasses, or whatever. Have a plan and pivot, when necessary. Always have plenty of preventive and abortive medication on your person. Oh, and remember to wear a face mask if you’re landing at London’s Heathrow Airport. Seriously, just take my word for it.

Migraines complicate every aspect of our lives. Daily battles with this disease are what make us the strong warriors that we are. We don’t always win against migraine, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try our best to enjoy life’s bucket list moments.

Originally published at WebMD.com on 12-16-24.