The MRI showed nothing. The bloodwork showed nothing. But the pressure behind her right eye landed 14 days a month, every month, for 3 years.
That is when I knew Christina had been misdiagnosed, the way 3 in 4 chronic migraine patients are.
She was 38. She had logged every migraine in Migraine Buddy since 2021, and now she read at night under a blanket because the overhead light spiked the pressure.
"My neurologist told me to manage my stress," she said.
"He thinks I am exaggerating."
I knew what was happening. It had nothing to do with stress.
Christina was stuck in the cycle that turns episodic migraine into chronic. 89% of patients say the system itself made theirs harder to manage.
89% of Migraine Patients Say the System Made It Worse
A 2023 survey of 1,985 migraine patients found the majority watched their migraines worsen waiting on insurance approvals, step-therapy denials, and treatments that wear off before the next is allowed.