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Stick to the western half of the USA. Don't go any further east than Salina, KS except for perhaps the upper Midwest area like Wisconsin or Minnesota. The humidity in the Summer is stifling in eastern KS and MO and points south and east throughout much of the Midwest. It does get a bit drier and more bearable in places like northern IA, northern IL and IN and northern OH. Northern PA and most of NY away from the ocean would also be bearable.
Have you tried taking Imitrex for your migraines? My doctor prescribed imitrex for me and my headaches have been GREATLY reduced.
Oh yes. Imitrex and I are good buddies. I started taking imitrex about 5 years ago, and although it worked really good in the beginning, it doesn't work anywhere near as good now. In the last couple of years my migraines have gotten a lot worse.
To be specific about the problem, someone asked if it's allergies and it doesn't appear to be that. Some things I've noticed is that it is a lot better in the winter than the summer (literally I can go through the entire winter with 1 or maybe 2 migraines). During the last 2 summers I have gotten either a headache or a migraine atleast 5 of the 7 days a week that begins around noon and goes away as soon as the sun goes down. My neurologist thinks it is directly related to the intense heat and humidity in Texas right now.
The reason I'm willing to make such a drastic change is because I'm in a great position to do so right now. I have to stay in Houston for a year, but after that nothing is tying me down, so now is really the best time.
I'm getting a lot of great suggestions and I thank you all very much for that.
WILWRadio- This is the advice that I'm getting from lots of people, to stay in the Western half of the US. I like the idea of Minnesota and Wisconsin (they both have good grad schools). What about Michigan? Would that fall into the same category as Minnesota and Wisconsin?
radraja- Dry seems to be what works, but I also want to get away from the intense heat (which I assume NM would have). I like the idea of Salt Lake, though I've never been there so I'm just basing this on what I've heard.
desert sun- I agree with you, the intense heat is killer.
JMT- while the Migraines aren't related to allergies, or from what I've seen they aren't, a cooler dry climate is definitely what I'm after.
txgal78- On Sterling's list of the worst hot spots for migraines, it seems TN showed up there a lot, so I think I'm going to avoid that. I like the idea of Virginia though.
One other question for everyone. What do you think of the VA/DC/MD area? Government is what my degree is in, and I'm going to grad school for international affairs, so being near DC would definitely benefit me school wise. I've only been up there once, and it was in March... and it snowed, lol. Other than that the climate was fine, but I have not been there in the summer.
First post here, but as a migrane sufferer myself, and someone who has been around I thought I would put my $.02 in. If you want dry then you need to stay west. I lived in Raton, NM and it was definitely dry there. In the 6 years that I was there I never felt the need for air conditiong. I had a girl friend come out from Indiana one August to visit me and she was cold (low 80s and low humidity). The winters was powder snow. I visited Denver and Colorado Spring plenty and they're weather was the same.
I live in Indiana now, which so far this year the summer hasn't been unbearable, but that could change anyday now. The humidity is normally very high here. Because of the weather I wouldn't hesitate about going to Colorado Springs or Denver.
Oh yes. Imitrex and I are good buddies. I started taking imitrex about 5 years ago, and although it worked really good in the beginning, it doesn't work anywhere near as good now. In the last couple of years my migraines have gotten a lot worse.
To be specific about the problem, someone asked if it's allergies and it doesn't appear to be that. Some things I've noticed is that it is a lot better in the winter than the summer (literally I can go through the entire winter with 1 or maybe 2 migraines). During the last 2 summers I have gotten either a headache or a migraine atleast 5 of the 7 days a week that begins around noon and goes away as soon as the sun goes down. My neurologist thinks it is directly related to the intense heat and humidity in Texas right now.
The reason I'm willing to make such a drastic change is because I'm in a great position to do so right now. I have to stay in Houston for a year, but after that nothing is tying me down, so now is really the best time.
I'm getting a lot of great suggestions and I thank you all very much for that.
WILWRadio- This is the advice that I'm getting from lots of people, to stay in the Western half of the US. I like the idea of Minnesota and Wisconsin (they both have good grad schools). What about Michigan? Would that fall into the same category as Minnesota and Wisconsin?
radraja- Dry seems to be what works, but I also want to get away from the intense heat (which I assume NM would have). I like the idea of Salt Lake, though I've never been there so I'm just basing this on what I've heard.
desert sun- I agree with you, the intense heat is killer.
JMT- while the Migraines aren't related to allergies, or from what I've seen they aren't, a cooler dry climate is definitely what I'm after.
txgal78- On Sterling's list of the worst hot spots for migraines, it seems TN showed up there a lot, so I think I'm going to avoid that. I like the idea of Virginia though.
One other question for everyone. What do you think of the VA/DC/MD area? Government is what my degree is in, and I'm going to grad school for international affairs, so being near DC would definitely benefit me school wise. I've only been up there once, and it was in March... and it snowed, lol. Other than that the climate was fine, but I have not been there in the summer.
Thank you all so much!
VA/DC/MD is VERY hot and humid in summer, I was there in early June it was in the upper 90's most of the time with pretty high humidity.
One suggestion I have is Duluth, MN. The average high is 75 in July and has cold,snowy winters. I'm guessing it's kinda humid but given that most of the summer it's in the low-to-mid 70s, that probably makes it more bearable. On a typical winter day, you would expect highs in the mid-to-upper 10s, with lows usually around 0.
You should definitely look into North Carolina. It is the south, and it gets warm there too... but the summers are much shorter. Also, if the weather is triggering your headaches, then extreme cold may not be good for you either. In addition, there are many great universities where you could go to grad school. You would probably want to be in the piedmont or western part of the state. Universities there include Duke, UNC, NCSU, Appalachain State, Wake Forest, and many smaller colleges. We also have wonderful hospital systems because of those schools.
I am living in Houston for the summer... it is a great place, but nothing in comparison to my North Carolina. I think that Virginia and Tennessee would be good options for you also. Hope you find what you are looking for!
What is Sterlings? Is this another website.
I also have severe chronic migraines and am researching locations that might improve them. I am focusing on places that have stable weather conditions, as I think it is the change the triggers the migraines. (by the way, I have lived in a few of the places suggested and they didn't help my migraines - Nebraska and Minnesota. My migraines developed while living in St. Paul, Minnesota. And I'm originally from Nebraska - they never improved while I was visiting.) I've heard that moving to a Pacific Island helps migraines but I don't know if that's a practical option. Right now I live in Switzerland and I have had to give up going into the mountains because that is one of my worst triggers, along with weather changes.
What is Sterlings? Is this another website.
I also have severe chronic migraines and am researching locations that might improve them. I am focusing on places that have stable weather conditions, as I think it is the change the triggers the migraines. (by the way, I have lived in a few of the places suggested and they didn't help my migraines - Nebraska and Minnesota. My migraines developed while living in St. Paul, Minnesota. And I'm originally from Nebraska - they never improved while I was visiting.) I've heard that moving to a Pacific Island helps migraines but I don't know if that's a practical option. Right now I live in Switzerland and I have had to give up going into the mountains because that is one of my worst triggers, along with weather changes.
Sorry to bring this topic back from the dead! I didn't know there had been replies but I got an email...
I have been to Minnesota, Colorado, Jackson HOle Wyoming, etc... plenty of times in the winter and have never had a problem with migraines. Based on the journal I've kept of migraines involving weather, my neurologist thinks it's the humidity and extreme heat, not change in weather, that affect them.
I don't mind moving North, but I've never lived anywhere other than Texas and I don't know how different it will be to go somewhere where there's a foot or more of snow on the ground during the winter.
I think everyone tends to have different triggers and you're right to pay attention to your own experience.
You could probably check the weather records to compare humidity & temperature conditions.
Nebraska (at least omaha where I'm from) is very hot and humid in the summer. Probably not compared to Texas, but the last time I was there is August it hit 116. Minnesota may be a little less hot but still very humid. It's the land of 10,000 lakes after all. A great place to live though and it's where I went to grad school.
What about Madison, Wisconsin or Chicago?
By the way, what is this Sterling's list? I have been trying to find a good place to research weather records for different locations.
Last edited by AboleynCH; 07-17-2008 at 11:06 AM..
Reason: forgot something
I don't know much about migraines but I know my cousin moved to Australia for college, married an Australian, and stuck around and she never gets migraines anymore where she used to have frequent, painful ones living in Modesto. So, I also don't know much about the climate in Australia but I think it's pretty dry and warm.
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