Migraine and college exams

<p>So my daughter's freshman year at college was going really well until yesterday -- when she got a migraine for the first time in three years. In the past, when she has gotten one migraine, it has been followed by others, usually within a short period of time, and then the problem goes away again. </p>

<p>My daughter gets the kind of migraine that comes with visual disturbances -- the so-called aura. During the aura, which lasts about 45 minutes for her, her vision is so distorted that she cannot read. She has three exams coming up within the next week, and she faces the terrifying possibility that a migraine might start during one of those exams, suddenly making the test questions illegible. Obviously, she is very upset.</p>

<p>Do any of you have kids at college who get migraines with aura? How do they cope with the possibility that one might start during an exam?</p>

<p>My daughter is attempting to find out what her college's policy is in such situations, but it would be helpful to hear from others about how the problem is handled on campuses in general.</p>

<p>As a physician who treats migraines, I can suggest some things that she can speak with her physician or practitioner about; or she can ask for assistance via student health with this basic knowledge about options. But suggestions of meds on the board are often greated with criticism and nonmedication alternatives. Those can work also. If the nonmedicinal/alternative options do not help, PM me with questions and I will be glad to summarize about some prophylactic treatments, and some things that can nip a classic migraine with aura in the bud early during symptoms. Sounds like your D has classic migraines in clusters. It is not unusual to have a flare freshman year.</p>

<p>deferred to SunnyFlorida...</p>

<p>The extra stress of worrying about it could help put her over the edge to trigger a migraine, so it would seem to be very helpful for your daughter to find out her options, via the student health center verifying her Hx of migraine and/or the dean's office helping her understand her options with the instructor.</p>

<p>Thank you very much for the offer of help, Sunnyflorida, but I wasn't asking about the medical aspects. If the problem becomes frequent, my daughter will consult a physician at the college clinic about medication options that are better than what she has available now, or she will see the neurologist whom she has seen in the past when she comes home for winter break.</p>

<p>I was asking about the logistics of coping with the practical problem of having a migraine aura occur during a college test. Basically, what we're trying to find out is whether there is any option other than simply not completing the test and failing it.</p>

<p>I get these types of migraines also. The only thing that works for me is to take Excedrin and then lay down with my eyes shut. If I get this type of migraine while I am out and about, I can withstand it for a varying amount of time, but if I don't get to a bed soon, I will throw up. If I had to take a test with this migraine, I would hold my head with my hand and keep one eye shut. </p>

<p>Take solice in the fact that the percentages of her actually getting one of these migraines while she is taking a test is very small. </p>

<p>I can't give you any technical info on them like others here can, only my personal experiences.</p>

<p>Personal experiences are what I was looking for, red sox 7327. Thank you for yours. </p>

<p>I agree with you that the statistical likelihood is very low, particularly since stress (including the stress of taking tests) has never been a migraine trigger for my daughter.</p>

<p>I have been coping with quite debilitating migraines (with and without aura) for about 25 years and the only thing that I can suggest is that your daughter get some medications prescribed to abort an impending migraine and carry them with her, ready to administer if she should get an aura during an exam. I, for instance, hardly ever leave my house without a small kit that contains a syringe and some injectible Imitrex. That way, if I get a headache at work, I can catch it in the early stages, before it becomes a full blown headache. Perhaps the doctor who prescribes whatever medication your daughter is prescribed can also write a note (on the doctor's stationery) explaining what the medication is, why she is carrying it, and that she be allowed to use it in such situations. (I have a similar note in my possession at all times, to explain why I am carrying a syringe!) For the record, Imitrex and other migraine agents also come in tablets and nose spray now. As I tend to get sick to my stomach with the onset of a headache, I prefer the injectible kind, as it cannot be (sorry for being graphic, folks ...) thrown up. Best of luck to your daughter. As a fellow sufferer, I know how horrible these things are.</p>

<p>My daughter, who is a senior, suffers from migraines. I don't know that she has ever had one that affected her ability to take an exam. However, there have been times when she had to miss a class because of a migraine. She always sent a prompt email to the professor, explaining the exact reason for her absence and asking about arrangements for making up work or turning in a missed assignment. She has never had a professor who was difficult to deal with. I would think that good communication with the professor is the key, should a migraine interfere with class work. If your daughter has a professor who is not so understanding, I would think that getting in touch with the student health center and talking to them about it might be helpful.</p>

<p>"Basically, what we're trying to find out is whether there is any option other than simply not completing the test and failing it."</p>

<p>I'm guessing that it's like any other illness - up to the discretion of the professor what accommodations he or she is willing to make.</p>

<p>Thanks for all the input, people. You're a big help.</p>

<p>Marian, My son had knew someone at his school last year who apparently was experiencing migraines for the first time. Her family had her come home in the middle of a semester for an entire week. She emailed each professor explaining the situation and adding that she was seeing a neurologist at home. They all allowed her to make up whatever she missed. Perhaps some gave assignments to do via email, but I am not sure about that. Many professors at the school put classnotes online, and that could help students keep up if they are up to doing some work.</p>

<p>In my daughter's case, keeping up with the work is not a problem. Neither is the possibility of missing classes -- there are lots of online notes and/or friends in all her classes. Besides, she could probably attend classes during a migraine as long as there was no exam; she just might not be able to take notes. And even when her migraines were at their worst (during puberty, in middle school), it was a matter of being incapacitated for maybe four or five hours once every two weeks or so. More recently, the problem has been very rare (but it could be starting up again now).</p>

<p>Unless the migraines suddenly became more frequent or more severe than they have ever been before, her only real concern is the possibility of having to take a test during the aura. She could do it during the headache that follows (although it would be an unpleasant and difficult experience). She has done that before. But during the aura, she literally cannot see well enough to read the test paper.</p>

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But during the aura, she literally cannot see well enough to read the test paper.

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<p>Is there a possibility of either:
1-explaining this to each professor 1:1, so they are aware of this in advance.</p>

<p>2-Could she see a private physician or school's medical doctor to give her a note,so that she could go to the office of disabilities (or whatever it is called at her school) for accomodations spelled out in letter form that she can hand to each professor?</p>

<p>Those are good ideas, northeastmom. I'll share them with my daughter.</p>

<p>I can't imagine a college professor having a big problem with letting your daughter make the test up at another time. For 90% of my tests, there are usually 1 or 2 kids who need to make the exam up. If a professor ever denied your daughter the ability to make the test up at a later time then you could easily go through higher authorities to get the situation remedied in your favor. However, I can't imagine this ever getting to that point unless the student in question has a history of cheating/slacking/blowing off assignments, which I am sure that your daughter does not.</p>

<p>I get them too, and along with vision disturbance I get aphasia to the point that I can't say my own name. (really). Like notmamarose, I rely on injectible meds for same reason she described, and the good news is, it works when used at the onset of symptoms. This has saved my professional life. </p>

<p>Please seek medical help for your daughter ASAP. There is no reason to suffer this way, with modern drugs. I know I'm giving medical advice without a license, but I so empathize with your D. I had to take tests in this condition 30 years ago, and it was just wrong.</p>

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Please seek medical help for your daughter ASAP.

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<p>She has seen a doctor about this, but the frequency and severity have never been great enough to justify the really strong drugs. If that situation changes, of course she will see a doctor again. She's probably going to see a doctor at her college clinic just so that if a problem comes up with a professor, she can say, "Yes, and I've seen Dr. X at the clinic about this." But she's not likely to get stronger medicines unless the problem gets worse. It wouldn't be medically justified.</p>

<p>Marian - I can't tell if your reply to me was sarcastic or not, (sorry if it wasn't) but I was simply trying to say that when kids are sick they need to tell their profs and make arrangements accordingly. It could be the flu, it could be mono, it could be an injury, etc. They tell the prof, and the prof reschedules the exam or whatever. If she gets sick in the middle of an exam, she needs to get up and tell the professor she is ill. People get sick! I'm sure they know that. It would probably help her case at that point if she went to the health center, just for verification purposes.</p>

<p>If this is an uncommon event, it seems like it would be very hard for her to somehow "warn" every professor in every class all four years that she might need to get out of an exam. I'd think it is better to just deal with it if it happens.</p>

<p>Many years ago, back when lots of people still flunked out of school, I went to the health clinic for a migraine and was given fiorinal... which worked so well that I went to take my first organic chemistry exam. When I got it back, I saw I hadn't done so well... I'd even misspelled my own name, so I lost those 20 points... total score: 0 points out of 140. </p>

<p>The professor let me retake the exam.</p>

<p>If your daughter has a migraine problem during an exam, my recommendation would be to ask immediately to leave, then go directly to the medical clinic and check in with them (for the record of her illness, should it be necessary).</p>