migraines and ESA50 form

Thank you for your advice. I will use the 'it varies' option although sometimes you do not get points for this,but maybe with using info box it may help.

It is great to see that in the physical questions about staying conscious,because of the new way it is worded has become a very substantual question for migraines and possibly the best one for points for this condition.

twiggy123 wrote:

Thank you for your advice. I will use the 'it varies' option although sometimes you do not get points for this,but maybe with using info box it may help.

It is great to see that in the physical questions about staying conscious,because of the new way it is worded has become a very substantual question for migraines and possibly the best one for points for this condition.

Do your migraines make you sleep, knock you out?

The last severe migraine I had did make me sleep for two nights and one day, only getting up to be sick,but even less severe ones do knock me out in the sense that I am unable to function on a day to day basis.

twiggy123 wrote:

Thank you for your advice. I will use the 'it varies' option although sometimes you do not get points for this,but maybe with using info box it may help.

It is great to see that in the physical questions about staying conscious,because of the new way it is worded has become a very substantual question for migraines and possibly the best one for points for this condition.

I hate to mention this Twiggy, but in the Training & Development Revised WCA Handbook (March 2011), healthcare professionals are told that migraine should not be considered under the "Consciousness" section of ESA. The handbook says on page 88:

"Migraine, even when headache is preceded by an aura, does not result in altered consciousness or epileptiform seizures.
An aura occurs in about 25% of migraine sufferers (the remaining 75% have paroxysmal headaches without any preceding aura). The aura, when it occurs, is usually visual, experienced as flashing lights or other disturbances of vision: but there is no loss of conscious awareness.
The effect of migraine headache on any other functional category should be assessed in the same way as the effect of any other pain, bearing in mind the frequency and severity of the attacks."

Yes I was wondering if sleeping, even for several days, would be class as a consciousness issue or not.

Hi twiggy123
I'm giving a link to the Fluctuating Conditions Report April 2011 which was done by several support organisations, MS, Parkinson’s, HIV, forward-ME, Arthritis Care & Crohn’s & Colitis UK as part of the Harrison Review of ESA & the WCA. The report has the quote from Lord Freud below.
www.parkinsons.org.uk/pdf/FluctuatingconditionsreportFINAL.pdf

“Additionally, Lord Freud during the House of Lords debate 9 into changes to the WCA descriptors that were brought in on 28th March 2011 stated that in relation to fluctuating conditions [specifically including CFS/ME]: “It must be possible for all the descriptors to be completed reliably, repeatedly and safely, otherwise the individual is considered unable to complete the activity.”
9 Employment and Support Allowance (Limited Capability for Work and Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity) (Amendment) Regulations 2011, Motion to Annul, Moved By Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope, debated at 7.32 pm on 16th March in the House of Lords.
Available at services.parliament.uk/hansard/Lords/ByD...debates/part013.html

The other factor to consider is whether or not you can repeat the descriptor ‘within a reasonable period of time’.
Hope this helps

mayflower