So the nurse asks, “Please indicate your level of pain, from 1, minimal, to 10, the most possible.”
And you’re suffering a migraine attack. You’re not feeling pain per se, maybe level 2 from a headache. However, you are suffering so bad that the dizziness or nausea or other symptom is as disabling as though you were feeling pain at level 7 or whatever.
What do you do? Do you explain the whole megilla about how you’re not in significant pain as such, but . . .?
Do you just say and mark “No pain,” or “2”?
Do you figure that you’re best off indicating “7” and then if they should ask you about your pain, then you can explain what’s going on?
I have filled these out before and they are confusing. I usually put that I range from no pain to a 10 because I sometimes do get a really bad headache but usually just have ataxia and dizziness. I circle the lowest and the highest number I get and write a short explanation on the side of the page or under the graph because sometimes drs will look at what you write and decide what to do …then rush thru the visit not giving as much time to questions. I err on the side of getting their attention by not filling it out in a typical way and risk "too much information " with them because not so many drs are truly familiar with vestibular migraine and I have to get them to think outside of the box to really help me. My new neurologist only treats migraine patients and she told me that vm only officially became a diagnosis about a year and a half ago in the USA. I am so happy I finally found a dr who actually knows more about vm than I do. Good luck!
Yeah they get a bit confused with me too, because I say I have absolutely no pain. I find pretty much only the neurologists understand me–most other doctors don’t understand that migraine can present without headache.
Jeanette, this is the first time I’ve heard that VM/MAV is new as a diagnostic category. Wow.
Probably makes a difference to insurers. I wonder if they are going to say, “Okayy, VM, these are the five possible recognized treatments, if they prescribe you something else we don’t have to pay unless they argue it’s justified.”
Just a little friendly evening paraoia there. Or maybe paranoia.
