Living with chronic migraine: a qualitative study on female patients’ perspectives from a specialised headache clinic in Spain

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to explore the views and experiences of a group of Spanish women suffering from chronic migraine (CM). SETTING Headache clinic at a university hospital in Madrid (Spain). PARTICIPANTS Purposeful sampling of patients that attended a specialised headache clinic for the first time between June 2016 and February 2017 was performed. The patients included were females aged 18-65 and with positive diagnoses of CM according to the International Classification of Headache disorders (third edition, beta version), with or without medication overuse. Accordingly, 20 patients participated in the study with a mean age of 38.65 years (SD 13.85). DESIGN Qualitative phenomenological study. METHODS Data were collected through in-depth interviews, researchers' field notes and patients' drawings. A thematic analysis was performed following appropriate guidelines for qualitative research. RESULTS Five main themes describing the significance of suffering emerged: (a) the shame of suffering from an invisible condition; (b) treatment: between need, scepticism and fear; (c) looking for physicians' support and sincerity and fighting misconceptions; (d) limiting the impact on daily life through self-control; and (e) family and work: between understanding and disbelief. The disease is experienced as an invisible process, and the journey to diagnosis can be a long and tortuous one. Drug prescription by the physician is greeted with distrust and scepticism. Patients expect sincerity, support and the involvement of their doctors in relation to their disease. Pain becomes the main focus of the patient's life, and it requires considerable self-control. The disease has a strong impact in the work and family environment, where the patient may feel misunderstood. CONCLUSIONS Qualitative research offers insight into the way patients with CM experience their disease and it may be helpful in establishing a more fruitful relationship with these patients.