10 Tips for Traveling with Migraine

As a traveler with migraine I’ve experienced migraine symptoms at an airport, on a plane, in a hotel lobby, on a cruise, in a condo on the beach, and at friends/family members’ homes. I have learned from these experiences and have made adjustments to my travel routines to better manage my symptoms when traveling.

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Please note, I am not a medical Doctor, I am a fellow migraineur sharing tips that have worked for me. Visit Migraine Again for more about my personal migraine journey. Migraine is a very individual disease. It is important to recognize that what works for one migraine sufferer may not work for another. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or medications.

10 Tips for Traveling with Migraine

Focus on Migraine Prevention: Prior to travel I have found several routines that have helped me travel successfully without triggering migraine symptoms.

1. Keep a Consistent Sleep Schedule: Leading up to travel I try to get between 7-8 hrs per night. I used to stay up late packing and stressing out before travel. Now I start my packing process sooner, and pack over several days to allow me to keep my sleep routine. I still may have to get up early to catch a flight, but at least I’ve had consistent sleep leading up to the flight.
2. Eat Healthy Meals: Avoid any food triggers, too much sugar and processed foods leading up to travel. My husband and I used to get fast food to save time before traveling. Now we continue our normal meal routine of cooking meals at home. We also bring our own healthy snacks like granola and nuts, for flights and road trips. We typically splurge on unhealthy foods when traveling and I’ve found it helpful to load up on the veggies an unprocessed foods before we stray from our normal eating habits.
3. Meditate: Mentally release stress with meditation. Days before traveling I make sure to take at least a few minutes to meditate. This helps me clear my mind by letting go of any stress I may be holding on to. I often search YouTube to find a video that focuses on health and wellness to guide me in my meditation. I find visualization to also be helpful. I spend time visualizing where we are traveling to and the activities we plan. I imagine fully enjoying our trip free of migraine symptoms.
4. Exercise: Physically release stress with exercise. Previously, preparing for travel would completely throw me off of my gym routine. I wouldn’t go to the gym the week before traveling because I didn’t think I had the time. Now I realize how important exercise is to my migraine prevention. I continue my typical gym routine, even if that means going to yoga class the night before our flight. I make other adjustments to ensure I will be able to keep my exercise schedule prior to travel.
5. Fill Preventative Prescriptions:. Fill your preventative medication scripts ahead of time to ensure you will have plenty for your trip. I use a pill container for my preventative vitamins when I travel so I don’t have to travel with all of the pill bottles.
6. Shift Negative Thinking to Positive Thinking: Instead of getting caught up in a downward spiral of anxiety by constantly worrying “what if I have a migraine while traveling”, remind yourself of the travel preparation you’ve completed to set yourself up for success. When my migraine symptoms were chronic, preparing for travel was anxiety provoking. My mind constantly worried about what would happen if I experienced an acute attack. For me, worrying increased my stress, which caused my muscles to constantly become tense, increasing the probability of a migraine. Now I focus on what I can do leading up to travel to make it as stress free as possible. When my mind wanders to thinking “what if I have a migraine” I tell myself I’ve done everything I can to prevent a migraine and IF I still have an attack I am prepared with a back up plan. I can manage the symptoms.

Have a Back Up Plan: Even if you complete all of your travel prep, an exacerbation of migraine symptoms is always possible. We have to be realistic and be prepared if an attack occurs.

1. Fill Abortive Prescriptions: Ensure you have an appropriate supply of your abortive medications. I recommend following through with this step a month before travel, in case you need to get a new prescription and the pharmacy has to contact your Doctor’s office.
2. Carry Abortive Medications With You: Bring a small container that allows you to carry your abortive medications with you at all times when traveling. Often times I use a small waterproof plastic bag that fits in my purse or pocket. I always have at least enough medication to cover me for two hours. I’ve not been without my back up plan for years. My pills have been quite the travelers, accompanying me on the Edge Walk in Toronto, hiking to waterfalls in Costa Rica and spending time on secluded beaches in the Caribbean.
3. Inform Travel Partners of Your Migraine Diagnosis. Let them know you suffer from migraine and how the symptoms can affect you. Provide education on how they can support you if you experience symptoms. During one of our vacations we were at a very busy airport and I began to experience visual symptoms. Because Skylar understands my symptoms I was able to put on my sunglasses, close my eyes, hold on to Skylar and walk with him until we were in an area I could sit down.
4. Practice Flexible Travel Planning: Traveling with migraine sometimes means your plans have to change depending on one’s symptoms. When Skylar and I are planning trips we identify several activities we are interested in – more activities then we can fit into our trip. We identify a few activities or destinations to prioritize, but after that we stay flexible. This allows us to adjust our plans each day, sometimes multiple times each day, when needed. Flexible planning we end up enjoying more of our vacations, even when our initial plans don’t work out.

Fellow migraineurs, have you found any success trying any of these tips? Or do you have any tips to add to this list? Let me know in the comments. I am always open to trying new ways to manage migraine.