A young French woman suffering from chronic migraines killed herself at the end of 2021, after an obstacle course to find an effective and reimbursed treatment – without success. What is the impact of pathology in France?
- Suffering from acute chronic migraines that conventional drug treatments did not relieve, Marine ended her life on November 5, 2021. She was 26 years old. Those close to him recounted his tormented journey for the first time in the columns of Le Parisien.
- It is estimated that, like Marine, 15% of people with refractory migraines have already thought about committing suicide, according to a survey carried out in 2020 by the association La Voix des migraineurs. At issue: pain and therapeutic impasse, sometimes linked to the prohibitive cost of certain treatments – as was the case here.
- Sold in pharmacies “between 245 and 270 euros” on prescription from a neurologist, “anti-CGRP treatments [des anticorps qui bloquent les douleurs migraineuses réfractaires, ndlr] are still not reimbursed by Health Insurance, even though they are in 23 European countries”, regrets the president of the association, Sabine Debremaeker.
Suffering from acute chronic migraines that conventional drug treatments did not relieve, Marine ended her life on November 5, 2021. She was 26 years old. Those close to him recounted his tormented journey for the first time in the columns of Parisian.
Chronic migraines: due to lack of reimbursement for her treatment, she commits suicide
The young woman’s headaches began when she was 8 years old and were linked to her adenomyosis, a form of endometriosis, confides her husband Nicolas. Under the care of a neurologist, Marine entered a clinical trial in 2020 for a treatment that divides her refractory migraines “in twos, or even threes”allowing him to “relive normally”. But the test ends and the young patient finds herself without “no solution”, explains the president of the association La Voix des migraineurs, Sabine Debremaeker, relaying Nicolas’ words on LinkedIn. Indeed, if the drug is available in neighboring countries, its cost (500 euros per month) is too high for Marine. While Health Insurance refused her any financial assistance in October 2021, the young woman killed herself two weeks later.
Marine’s story is not isolated. It is estimated that 15% of people with intractable migraines have already thought about committing suicide, a figure that even rises to 43% during the headache attack, according to one study. investigation carried out in 2020 by the association La Voix des migraineurs. At issue: pain and therapeutic impasse, sometimes linked to the prohibitive cost of certain treatments – as was the case here.
Sold in pharmacies “between 245 and 270 euros” on prescription from a neurologist, “anti-CGRP treatments [des anticorps qui bloquent les douleurs migraineuses réfractaires, ndlr] are still not reimbursed by Health Insurance, even though they are in 23 European countries., regrets the president of the association, Sabine Debremaeker. The coverage of mutual insurance companies is very variable, and we must arm ourselves with “patience”. In another survey carried out in 2022 by the same association, more than one migraine patient in three described their care pathway as “obstacle course”and one in five of “quest for the Grail”.
For half of chronic migraine sufferers, the disease “ruins their entire life”
“Migraine is the leading disease in the world under the age of 50”, recalls the 2020 survey by La Voix des migraineurs. Beyond the dark thoughts they generate, chronic headaches concretely affect the daily lives of sufferers. 45% of them have the impression that the pathology “ruins their whole life”, with in particular a quarter (24%) who cannot cope with daily tasks (shopping, meals, cleaning, etc.). Ultimately, only 7% of migraine sufferers say they have no difficulty caring for children. And, while headaches have a negative impact on couple activities (33%) or sexuality (39%), almost half of sufferers (45%) believe that their partner “do not understand” the pathology.
Unsurprisingly, patients’ professional lives are also affected: 51% have to be absent from work regularly because of their migraines, and 13% have even given up working. “Sick leave is very regulated and migraine is not yet really considered to justify sick leave”, recalls the association. Likewise, only 5.5% and 2.4% of migraine sufferers are recognized as disabled and disabled.
