I have been to Turkey on holiday and was 90% better. I have been to Spain and was 90% better
I went to Luxembourg for work and I was working my arse off under a lot of stress. I was working 14 hour days without stopping. I was skipping meals and eating everything I shouldn’t. But i was 75% better. I wasn’t great after going out drinking the night before but that only lasted a day.
It doesn’t make sense. Every time I leave the country I feel better.
Has anyone else found this?
I have never left the country since I got MAV…maybe I should! 
U should Jem! I was 85% on holiday this summer! Xx
I think you should permanently leave the country. Check out Australia.
Do you live in a really polluted or allergy ridden area? Maybe it has to do with air quality. That is definitely a trigger for me at least.
I was 80% better in Europe for three weeks and I was NON stop on the go the whole time. I wasn’t cured but I’m sure it would take more than 3 weeks to break the migraine cycle if you know what I mean.
I am actually from Australia and found I got increasingly ill since moving to England. A lot of people tell me to go home and see if I feel better then. I am currently waiting for my boyfriends relationship visa to be approved so we can move to Melbourne. Once I’m there I will let you know whether I feel better!
I think it’s the dull weather, the humidty, the pressure in the air, etc.
Robert, are there any countries you have been to where you felt worse?
I generally get migraine about 3 days into my holidays abroad and they stay with me until a week after I get back home (home is UK). I have also had two severe vertigo attacks while I have been abroad.
When I went to Israel, I felt brilliant, all the way through it, its the one place I felt really well, I have never worked out why.
Christine
I was 90 percent in Brugge . 95 in USA .
Weird huh ?
Do you think it could have anything to do with the stress relief factor of going on holidays? I know that they’re not always stress free and can be a lot of hassle sometimes, but generally your mind is so focused on other things and you probably get a better chance to fully relax more than you would in your normal routine.
Stress is a big trigger for me, and when I can get some relief from it, like when I visit my parents for a couple of days, I feel a lot better and my symptoms are more in the background, my whole body relaxes.
I also notice that being away from my job where I have to sit down all day long makes me feel much better. So maybe being away on holidays means a bit more movement and less sitting, so therefore less MAV symptoms?
BTW I haven’t been diagnosed with MAV, still in the process of visiting different doctors, but MAV looks very likely.
cmoc - They are the only countries that I have been to since MAV. I am going to the America in a months time so I will let you know how I get on there.
I was under a lot of stress on one of my trips and I was still better. It doesn’t make sense.
I wonder if countries in Asia or South America have MAV
This little map might be of some interest:-
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Migra … HO2002.svg
Guess take it with a pinch of salt as it might just be we diagnose it better in Northern Europe or maybe a different reason altogether.
Well I for one, am going to live in the yellow bit :?
I wonder if they get migraine in the underdeveloped regions, where they just have to think about catching some fish for supper :?
Christine
Lol that’s a good theory! I guess they may have less stress and no dodgy food additives in there freshly caught fish. Maybe we should all move to the yellow bit of the world. Either we would all be migraine free or we would make the yellow bit of the map go red overnight!
— Begin quote from “Julia333”
This little map might be of some interest:-
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Migra … HO2002.svg
Guess take it with a pinch of salt as it might just be we diagnose it better in Northern Europe or maybe a different reason altogether.
— End quote
Take the map with a real big grain of salt:
See that little spot of red in the middle of all the yellow…
Israel - that’s where I live.
Belive me it’s a real headache living here.
We are heading to Thailand in a couple of weeks and am very nervous about how my migraine brain will cope … this gives me some encouragement … thank you.
— Begin quote from “Julia333”
This little map might be of some interest:-
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Migra … HO2002.svg
Guess take it with a pinch of salt as it might just be we diagnose it better in Northern Europe or maybe a different reason altogether.
— End quote
I’m off to Madagascar!
No, in all seriousness, this has happened to me too- every time I leave the country, even if it was to go just from London to Paris for a work event, I was much less dizzy. Last Xmas I announced I was cured on the board, only to crash severely less than a week after being back at home.
There’s something in it. I tend to lean towards the psychological aspect. I believe percieved stress and the unconscious stress is massive. Oliver Sacks talks about this phenomenon in his Migraine book actually.
Having said all that, I had the biggest crash I’ve ever experienced 3 weeks ago when I flew from London to Scotland, and I literally couldn’t walk round the city. I needed a wheel chair, though none were available. I opted for 2 valiums instead which just made me not care so much (and also was a good excuse as to why I spent shit loads in duty free… sorry, it was the valium relaxing me ha) . I did go up there though off the back of the most stressful week filled with every trigger in the book.
It’s all about triggers. I believe flying to another country takes away a trigger- it takes away the stress we don’t even realise we have of being at home, with the demands of our every day life. Being away from that in any capacity frees the mind a bit.
— Begin quote from “missmoss83”
There’s something in it. I tend to lean towards the psychological aspect. I believe percieved stress and the unconscious stress is massive.
It’s all about triggers. I believe flying to another country takes away a trigger- it takes away the stress we don’t even realise we have of being at home, with the demands of our every day life. Being away from that in any capacity frees the mind a bit.
— End quote
I absolutely believe you have it spot on there MM. I’ve been at this VM lark a long time now and it has never been so clear to me just how stress - the sort that we hardly realise we have, unconscious stress, just as you say - impacts our health and our type of migraine in particular.
The million dollar question though is how on earth do we deal with it? Apart from leaving the country of course. Although to be honest, that ploy has never worked for me unfortunately.
Brenda
Hey Fairy Godmother!
How the devil are you doing??
Long time no speak. x
I have wondered about meditation and yoga. Though I guess that can only do so much.
I also think that creating a space for yourself to relax in could be really beneficial although I haven’t managed to do that one yet either… I have plans to move into a my own flat, and fill it every evening with candle light only, soft music, and stacks of my favourite books, and maybe some oil burning insence stuff, and throw in a few hot bubble baths.
My friend always has a candle lit flat in every room, and it’s so so relaxing. Possibly a massive health and safety hazard should you have pets or children but you can work with what you have 
Perhaps even just converting say a spare room into your own ‘chilling out’ room, where you go to unwind, relax and be on your own and switch off.
That place could then possible act like the ‘flying to a different country’ if you know you’re not gonna be disturbed there. Psychologically I think it could work… I guess it requires the cooperation of the people around you or it won’t work.
Christ, I’m sounding like a hippy. I think my love of vintage clothes is seeping into my skin and turning me into the person who first wore them, in some kind of freaky horroesque movie style.
— Begin quote from “missmoss83”
Hey Fairy Godmother!
How the devil are you doing??
Long time no speak. x
.
— End quote
Hiya MM, yeah, too long! Gosh, I was just thinking how great it would be if I could wave my wand, sprinkle fairy dust on everyone and see us all free from VM and back to ‘normal’ lives. I’d do it in a heartbeat if I could.
As for me, well, it’s been a rough year to be honest. I’ve hardly been able to keep up with myself and essentials, let alone anything else over and above that. Throw in a heap of unforeseen curve balls, an increase in work load and a falling off the diet wagon (well who wants to eat rice cakes when feeling depressed and hubbie’s chocolate is there in front of you?!) and bingo, you have a recipe for disaster!
Mind you, it’s really highlighted to me how important lifestyle is and for me especially, as I’m not on any meds, how the diet is key. I knew it really, just hoped I could get away with it I guess. But learned I couldn’t. Doh!
I love your idea of setting up a little place as a substitute get-away. A brilliant suggestion, I’m going to think about that one. I think sometimes we have to work with what we have as opposed to what we wish we had.
Anyway, I’m blowing some fairy dust your way and hoping it does the trick…
Brenda
I know someone who is moving to Ecuador for her migraines and dizziness. She hopes being on the equator helps.
