This might be the biggest thing that enlightened me recently: being diagnosed with migraines and learning about rizatriptan.
Migraines
A migraine is a chronic condition characterized by recurring moderate to severe headaches, usually accompanied by various autonomic nervous system symptoms. The English word “Migraine” comes from the Greek ἡμικρανία (hemikrania), meaning “pain on one side of the head,” where ἡμι- (hemi-) means “half,” and κρανίον (kranion) means “skull.”
Typically this headache is unilateral (involving only one side of the head) and pulsating, lasting 2-72 hours. Related symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light and sound, and physical activity worsening the pain. One-third of migraine sufferers experience an aura: brief visual, sensory, speech, or motor disturbances that signal an impending headache. (Quoted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migraine)
Rizatriptan
Rizatriptan is a triptan 5-HT1 agonist developed by Merck for treating migraines, sold under the brand name Maxalt. (Quoted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rizatriptan)
My Experience
Under the bombardment of irregular “discomfort”1 including headaches, stomachaches, photophobia, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and rhinitis attacks, I went to the hospital almost once a month for checkups. Of course, these checkups were just routine examinations in neurology, ENT, ophthalmology, and gastroenterology. After these checkups, doctors would prescribe medication for the corresponding symptoms, and some doctors would even prescribe “Chinese patent medicines”2. After episode after episode, I also felt the futility of these methods.
On the internet outside the hospital, on Wikipedia, I saw descriptions of migraine symptoms. Comparing my symptoms with them, I found a high degree of overlap. But as someone not in the medical profession, I naturally wouldn’t self-diagnose based on a description, as this could be a form of “hypochondria”3.
During one of my many medical visits, a doctor suggested I find out when a vertigo specialist was available. Eventually, the specialist confirmed my migraine diagnosis. The doctor mentioned rizatriptan, an internationally recognized migraine treatment drug. Although the hospital didn’t have this prescription drug at the time, at my request, the doctor wrote the drug name on a piece of paper for me to find.
Again with the help of the internet, I made an appointment on JD Health, got a prescription, and bought rizatriptan.
Results
During my most recent migraine attack (symptoms had appeared but were still mild), I took rizatriptan. Without ruling out the placebo effect, the symptoms disappeared.
Having relied on alternative medicine4 for years, I finally managed to overcome this chronic condition5 using modern scientific methods. Enlightening.
“Discomfort” is used here to indicate the difficulty of diagnosis, mainly reflected in uncertain symptoms ↩︎
Chinese patent medicines are more meaningful for hospital and doctor revenue than for their actual effectiveness ↩︎
Hypochondria, now classified as somatic symptom disorder, mainly refers to patients worrying or believing they have one or more serious physical illnesses. Patients report physical symptoms, repeatedly seek medical attention, and even after repeated medical tests showing negative results and doctors explaining there’s no corresponding disease, patients’ concerns cannot be dispelled. Often accompanied by anxiety or depression ↩︎
This refers to acupuncture, moxibustion, etc. in Traditional Chinese Medicine, which generally have some effect when migraines occur ↩︎
“Overcome” here means being able to eliminate symptoms with medication when migraines occur ↩︎
