Many people suffering with migraines are being let down as the condition is not taken seriously, Natasha Asghar MS has said.
The South East Wales politician backed calls for better migraine care in Wales after meeting with patient advocates and staff from The Migraine Trust this week.
One in seven adults experience migraine. Over one million people in the UK live with chronic migraine, meaning they experience headache for at least 15 days a month for at least three months and migraine symptoms on most of these days.
The impact of migraine goes far beyond pain. Migraine can affect all areas of life, including ability to work and maintain relationships, leaving many of those affected feeling isolated.
A survey by The Migraine Trust found 29% of respondents had moved from full-time to part-time work due to their migraine and 25% had left a job as a result of it (rising to a third among those with chronic migraine). 43% felt their workplace had not believed them when they had taken sick leave due to a migraine attack and 34% had felt discriminated against at work.
For Migraine Awareness Week in September, The Migraine Trust released a report that showed how people with migraine are struggling to access appropriate diagnoses and treatments. Misunderstanding of the condition as ‘just a headache’, lack of specialist care and unequal provision of treatments means many are left struggling alone with debilitating symptoms.
In its report ‘Heading in the wrong direction’, the charity heard from many people who feel health professionals, especially in primary care, do not understand migraine. They report having their pain dismissed, being told nothing can be done for them and waiting years to access treatments. As a result, many are left feeling depressed, frustrated and unable to cope.
Most people who live with migraine should be successfully supported in primary care by their GP, who can diagnose migraine and advise on medication options and lifestyle adaptations. However, some will need to be referred to a healthcare professional who specialises in migraine, such as a GP with a Special Interest in headache or a neurologist. High numbers of patients reported incorrect referrals, long waiting lists for specialist support or simply that they feel dismissed.
Lisa, who lives with chronic migraine, said: “I have had migraine since I was 14 years old. My migraine started as severe but infrequent pain once or twice a month. I would vomit and have to lie in a dark room. Over the years the intensity and variety of symptoms have increased, especially after the birth of both my children. I would have around 25 migraine episodes a month. Almost daily I suffer from excruciating head pain, loss of vision and numbness on one side.
“Further, migraines are not the only challenge in my life - my 12-year old son is severely disabled and under palliative care. He requires 24-hour care and treatments. I don’t have the luxury of retiring to a dark room to wait out the migraine.
"When I went private, I was finally diagnosed with chronic migraine. It took years to get referred to the NHS migraine service, as the GP was unaware of its existence. Currently I’m having Botox via the NHS migraine clinic - it helps but only slightly. I’ve gone down from 25 migraine days a month to 11-18. I am glad that after many years of struggling I got into the migraine service, but a lot needs to improve. The impact of migraine is so much more than the pain - it affects every area of life and people living with migraine deserve so much better than the care we currently get.”
Natasha Asghar MS said: “It was very powerful to meet people impacted by migraine and hear how it disrupts their personal lives and ability to work, and the struggles too many of them have faced to secure treatment. Migraine is not being taken seriously as a health condition and many of those with the condition are clearly being let down.”
Rob Music, Chief Executive of The Migraine Trust, said: “We are pleased to have Natasha’s support in our campaign for better migraine care in Wales. We know that many people are suffering unnecessarily because of patchy GP knowledge of migraine care and long waiting lists for specialist appointments. Improvements to migraine care will have an enormous impact of many peoples’ quality of life, ability to work and wellbeing.”
__________________________________________________________________
Mae llawer o bobl sy'n dioddef o feigryn yn cael eu methu gan nad yw'r cyflwr yn cael ei gymryd o ddifrif, meddai Natasha Asghar AS.
Mae’r Aelod o’r Senedd dros Ddwyrain De Cymru yn cefnogi galwadau am well gofal meigryn yng Nghymru ar ôl cwrdd ag eiriolwyr cleifion a staff The Migraine Trust yr wythnos hon.
Mae un o bob saith oedolyn yn profi meigryn. Mae dros filiwn o bobl yn y DU yn byw gyda meigryn cronig, sy'n golygu eu bod yn cael cur pen am o leiaf 15 diwrnod y mis am o leiaf dri mis a symptomau meigryn ar y rhan fwyaf o'r dyddiau hyn.
Mae effaith meigryn yn mynd ymhell y tu hwnt i boen. Gall meigryn effeithio ar bob agwedd ar fywyd, gan gynnwys y gallu i weithio a chynnal perthnasoedd, a bydd llawer o'r rhai yr effeithir arnyn nhw’n teimlo'n ynysig yn sgil hyn.
Canfu arolwg gan The Migraine Trust fod 29% o'r ymatebwyr wedi symud o waith llawn amser i waith rhan-amser oherwydd eu meigryn ac roedd 25% wedi gadael swydd yn sgil hynny (gan godi i draean ymhlith y rhai â meigryn cronig). Roedd 43% yn teimlo nad oedd eu gweithle wedi eu credu pan oedden nhw wedi cymryd absenoldeb salwch oherwydd pwl o feigryn ac roedd 34% wedi teimlo bod gwahaniaethu yn eu herbyn yn y gwaith.
Ar gyfer Wythnos Ymwybyddiaeth Meigryn ym mis Medi, cyhoeddodd The Migraine Trust adroddiad a oedd yn dangos sut mae pobl â meigryn yn ei chael hi'n anodd cael diagnosis a thriniaethau priodol. Mae camddealltwriaeth o'r cyflwr fel 'cur pen yn unig', diffyg gofal arbenigol a darpariaeth anghyfartal o driniaethau yn golygu bod llawer yn cael eu gadael ar eu pen eu hunain i geisio ymdopi gyda symptomau gwanychol.
Yn ei hadroddiad 'Heading in the wrong direction', clywodd yr elusen gan lawer o bobl sy'n teimlo nad yw gweithwyr iechyd proffesiynol, yn enwedig mewn gofal sylfaenol, yn deall meigryn. Maen nhw'n dweud eu bod wedi diystyru eu poen, yn dweud na ellir gwneud dim ar eu cyfer ac yn aros blynyddoedd i gael triniaethau. O ganlyniad, mae llawer yn teimlo'n isel, yn rhwystredig ac yn methu ymdopi.
Dylai'r rhan fwyaf o bobl sy'n byw gyda meigryn gael cefnogaeth lwyddiannus mewn gofal sylfaenol gan eu meddyg teulu, a all wneud diagnosis o feigryn a chynghori ar opsiynau meddyginiaeth ac addasiadau i'w ffordd o fyw. Fodd bynnag, bydd angen cyfeirio rhai at weithiwr gofal iechyd proffesiynol sy'n arbenigo mewn meigryn, fel meddyg teulu sydd â diddordeb arbennig mewn cur pen neu niwrolegydd. Soniodd nifer uchel o gleifion am atgyfeiriadau anghywir, rhestrau aros hir am gymorth arbenigol neu eu bod yn teimlo eu bod wedi'u diystyru.
Meddai Lisa, sy'n byw gyda meigryn cronig: "Rydw i wedi cael meigryn ers pan oeddwn i'n 14 oed. Dechreuodd fy meigryn fel poen difrifol ond anaml, unwaith neu ddwywaith y mis. Byddwn yn chwydu ac yn gorfod gorwedd mewn ystafell dywyll. Dros y blynyddoedd mae dwyster ac amrywiaeth y symptomau wedi cynyddu, yn enwedig ar ôl genedigaeth fy mhlant. Byddwn yn cael tua 25 pwl o feigryn y mis. Bron bob dydd rwy'n dioddef o boen pen, yn colli golwg ac yn colli teimlad ar un ochr y corff.
"Nid meigryn yw'r unig her yn fy mywyd - mae gan fy mab 12 oed anabledd difrifol ac mae o dan ofal lliniarol. Mae angen gofal a thriniaeth 24 awr arno. Alla i ddim mynd i ystafell dywyll i aros nes bydd y meigryn wedi gwella.
"Pan es i'n breifat, cefais ddiagnosis o meigryn cronig o'r diwedd. Cymerodd flynyddoedd i mi gael fy nghyfeirio at wasanaeth meigryn y GIG, gan nad oedd y meddyg teulu yn ymwybodol o'i fodolaeth. Ar hyn o bryd dwi'n cael Botox drwy glinig meigryn y GIG - mae'n helpu ond dim ond i ryw raddau. Rydw i wedi mynd i lawr o 25 diwrnod meigryn y mis i 11-18. Rwy'n falch fy mod wedi cael fy ngweld gan y gwasanaeth meigryn ar ôl blynyddoedd lawer, ond mae angen i lawer wella. Mae effaith meigryn gymaint yn fwy na'r boen - mae'n effeithio ar bob rhan o fywyd ac mae pobl sy'n byw gyda meigryn yn haeddu cymaint gwell na'r gofal a gawn ar hyn o bryd."
Meddai Natasha Asghar AS: "Roedd hi’n brofiad ysgytwol cwrdd â phobl y mae meigryn yn effeithio arnyn nhw a chlywed sut mae'n amharu ar eu bywydau personol a'u gallu i weithio, a'r brwydrau y mae gormod ohonyn nhw wedi'u hwynebu i sicrhau triniaeth. Dydy meigryn ddim yn cael ei gymryd o ddifrif fel cyflwr iechyd ac mae'n amlwg bod llawer o'r rhai sydd â'r cyflwr yn cael eu methu."
Meddai Rob Music, Prif Weithredwr The Migraine Trust: "Rydyn ni’n falch o gael cefnogaeth Natasha yn ein hymgyrch i gael gwell gofal meigryn yng Nghymru. Gwyddom fod llawer o bobl yn dioddef yn ddiangen oherwydd gwybodaeth anghyson gan feddygon teulu am ofal meigryn a rhestrau aros hir ar gyfer apwyntiadau arbenigol. Bydd gwelliannau i ofal meigryn yn cael effaith enfawr ar ansawdd bywyd, gallu llawer o bobl i weithio ac ar les."
