Celebs Who Cope With Migraines

Lisa Kudrow Actress Lisa Kudrow suffered from migraine headaches as a child, but she was in good hands: her father, Lee Kudrow, is a renowned headache specialist based in Southern California. Kudrow’s migraines faded as she got older, but her father’s research persisted. Kudrow was among the doctors who pioneered research about lidocaine, a sunburn remedy that has since helped ease the pain of millions of headache sufferers.

Carly Simon Award-winning singer-songwriter Carly Simon has suffered from migraines for years. Simon said that migraines even affected her relationship with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. “I tried so hard to act the part of being relaxed around her, but I would inevitably come home with a stiff neck and a migraine,” Simon said in Neurology Now. “The effort of trying to maintain the semblance of ease was very taxing.” Simon now controls her migraines primarily by avoiding alcohol.

Elizabeth Taylor Elizabeth Taylor suffered from a number of ailments throughout her life, but migraines affected her early in her career. Alexander Walker’s The Life of Elizabeth Taylor noted that Taylor suffered from migraines as a young star, and that they compounded the challenges she faced while filming Ivanhoe in London. Taylor persevered throughout her career, and despite suffering from many other illnesses, remained one of the most beloved film stars in history.

Janet Jackson Ms. Jackson suffers from vestibular migraines, a form of migraine that is accompanied by vertigo. Jackson’s migraines are so severe that they forced her to cancel a string of concerts in 2008. “[Janet is] a world-class entertainer and needs to be at the top of her game to her fans the show they expect,” her manager Kenneth Crear told People after announcing the concert cancellations. Migraines may temporarily sideline Jackson, but they’ve never stopped her from being at the top of her game.

Elvis Presley Even the King himself suffered from migraines. Elvis Presley suffered from severe migraines for years and took prescription drugs such as Demerol to manage his pain. Presley’s physician, Dr. George Nichopoulos, recently confirmed that Presley was indeed a migraine sufferer, and that he used a combination of potent prescriptions to deal with the pain.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a longtime migraine sufferer, but his migraines have gotten him into trouble. In 1998, Abdul-Jabbar was stopped by customs officers in Toronto and fined $500 for carrying a small amount of marijuana across the border. He was also arrested in 2000 for driving under the influence of marijuana, and in both cases, the basketball great explained that he uses marijuana to treat his migraine symptoms, including nausea. Unfortunately, that isn’t considered a valid excuse for pot possession – at least not without a doctor’s note.

Terrell Davis Terrell Davis was a star player for the Denver Broncos for six years, but he suffered from near-crippling migraines. Davis came down with a terrible migraine during the Super Bowl XXXII in 1998, but that didn’t stop him from making a brilliant play. “I’m seeing double and triple,” Davis told Denver coach Mike Shanahan during the game following a tough hit. But Davis steeled himself for one more brilliant play. He acted as a decoy, pretending to take a handoff, while teammate John Elway took the ball and scored a touchdown. This play earned a very woozy Davis the MVP trophy – not bad at all.

Marcia Cross Marcia Cross has become and advocate for migraine sufferers after years of fighting attacks. The Desperate Housewives actress has said that her painful migraine attacks were often accompanied by memory loss and blurred vision. After 10 years of dealing with migraines, Cross told People she learned to avoid certain foods and manage her stress and sleep schedules in order to get her migraines under control. Cross also takes medication to prevent her migraines, and has served as a spokesperson for Imitrex, a migraine medicine produced by GlaxoSmithKline.