Table 4 Quotes relating to impact on life

Inability to function fully – "You canna (can't)think clearly and you look at a sheet of paper and try and read it and you're not taking it in... your brain doesna (doesn't)work as well. You dinna (don't)function as well with a migraine." (Patient 6317, Female, 60)

Inability to function fully – "... I can't do like the kids need help with their homeworks occasionally, well if Dad's upstairs in a darkened room with a pounding head, well, he's not there for them." (Patient 8795, Male, 44)

Unpredictability of headaches – "... if I've been really looking forward to something, excited about something and that, as I say, it arrives, you know, that day's the day that you maybe get a migraine and you just, you're useless, you know, you can't do anything." (Patient 9423, Female, 40)

Effect on mood – "... if you've got it every day it just, it starts to drag you down a bit. You get a bit depressed I suppose." (Patient 2843, Male, 46)

Getting on with things – "... I try to push my head way to the back and I'm thinking, right, just get on with life, just forget about it. Because I've had it so long now it's just part of me." (Patient 4211, Female, 56)