For years I thought episodic was just “one attack, then you’re fine,” versus chronic daily being “migraines every single day.” But nobody ever talks about what I actually have: this constant baseline pressure behind my eyes that’s just… there. It’s a 2 or 3 most days. Then prodrome hits and it becomes an actual attack.
I push through shifts on the baseline, and people don’t see it as a problem. But when I’m mid-prodrome and dragging, suddenly I’m “slow.” Last month I started tracking exact times. Paramedic habit: precise vitals and timestamps. Turns out I’m not having daily separate attacks.
I’m living in a constant state with spikes on top. The pressure never goes away. It just gets worse or quieter. My neurologist calls it chronic daily.
But the way she prescribes: triptan for the spike, preventive for the thing that isn’t quite daily but never leaves. It feels like she’s treating me episodic. Nurtec helps the spike, but the baseline just sits there. Here’s what I need to know: For people w/ chronic daily migraine, does everyone have this baseline that nobody mentions?
Or is mine supposed to be gone, and I’m just not on the right preventive?