Can a migraine sufferer enlist in the Army?

LTC Tom Jones — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 11:50:55 -0400

Former student of mine has suffered about three to six migraine headaches a year since the age of around 13. He is now 18 and wants to join the Army. He is smart and extremely fit and wants to serve. His doctor has diagnosed him with "classic" migraines meaning he can feel them coming on and can take a prescription to block them from occurring. His recruiter, who I believe to be a pretty good guy but may not be totally up on the subject, says that, because of the infrequency of the problem, he is good to go--no problem. What do you think? Help, please.

Response by SGT Javier Silva made Jul 12 at 2019 12:06 PM

SGT Javier Silva — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 12:06:56 -0400

LTC Tom Jones To be honest, sir, only a medical professional at MEPS can answer this question. There are some factors that would be considered disqualifying, but they aren't all publicly available. He can go through the process, and get an official answer from them.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2019 12:14 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 12:14:18 -0400

According to DODI 6130.03 section 5.26 line e, the following applies:

SECTION 5: DISQUALIFYING CONDITIONS 41
DoDI 6130.03, March 30, 2018
e. History of headaches, including but not limited to, migraines and tension headaches that:
(1) Are severe enough to disrupt normal activities (e.g., loss of time from school or work) more than twice per year in the past 2 years;
(2) Require prescription medications more than twice per year within the last 2 years; or
(3) Are associated with neurological deficit other than scotoma.

Response by SFC Michael D. made Jul 12 at 2019 12:20 PM

SFC Michael D. — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 12:20:36 -0400

I did and Retired. One day they just went away. Probably after 9 years.

Response by SSG Brian G. made Jul 12 at 2019 12:58 PM

SSG Brian G. — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 12:58:05 -0400

Basically to be disqualifying the migraine attacks must be severe enough to interfere with daily routines and operations. However that is by the book.

Run with what the recruiter says. This at the very least gets him a trip to MEPS where Doctors there will make the final call as to yes, no or requires a waiver.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Jul 12 at 2019 1:27 PM

CSM Darieus ZaGara — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 13:27:36 -0400

The primary issue with a waiver would be the availability of and access to such medication in certain deployed environments. It never hurts to check. Example is that illnesses creating seizures is not waiverable just becasue it can be controlled with medication, it is the inevitability of an environment in which the required medication may be difficult to access. Good luck, and thank you for your service.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2019 1:31 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 13:31:37 -0400

LTC Tom Jones I would venture to say HECK NO. The "M" word is what they diagnosed me with up at Minot; which caused the subsequent 18.5 year fight to get back in. It killed my PRP. I had to get, practically, a novel of paperwork stating that I did not ever, nor now do I, suffer from migraines - to include a letter from the Chief of Neurology at my local VA hospital.

Given the circumstances, if the recruiter thinks they can get him in, I would get all the documentation in the world that shines a positive light on the situation as preventable and non-interfering, sir.

Response by SSgt Richard Kensinger made Jul 12 at 2019 1:38 PM

SSgt Richard Kensinger — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 13:38:51 -0400

It may depend on how well these migraines are controlled and what medication he takes for them continuously or prn (as needed). And it may depend on his chosen MOS.
Rich

Response by LCpl Russell Wallace made Jul 12 at 2019 1:39 PM

LCpl Russell Wallace — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 13:39:07 -0400

As long as he doesn’t admit to anything he should be good. Usually you can’t enlist when you have a prescription but as long as he doesn’t tell, no harm done. And he may be able to get disability for it when he gets out.

Response by PV2 Duane Schlender made Jul 12 at 2019 4:56 PM

PV2 Duane Schlender — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 16:56:34 -0400

LTC Tom Jones, One thing that you may want to have your potentate check on is magnesium levels in his blood stream/body. Also check Zinc levels.
The reason I say this, is because (if not related to other medical issues) 1) magnesium deficiency causes headaches/migraines and is a common deficiency, and 2) too much Zinc causes the body to develop headaches/migraines as well. If the headaches/migraines can be ruled as a magnesium or zinc problem, then I would say that your potentate has a fighting chance beyond what 1LT Kyle Brooks, DrBA has stated quoting regulations.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2019 5:30 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 17:30:00 -0400

AR 40-501 are the standards for medical fitness. I don't have a copy on this computer but that's where to look for Army.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Jul 13 at 2019 1:18 PM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Sat, 13 Jul 2019 13:18:31 -0400

That's a really interesting question, one I hadn't seen before...to me, and I only say this as I'd covered a good deal of this in various neurology coursework and residency stuff I'd done for my clinical allied health doctorate, we shut my license off sevl yrs ago as I'm total perm disabled, I wasn't medicine, though I trained under and with many physicians, both M.D. as well as D.O., the level of detail would need to be increased...as you say, he's got what's most likely, as you describe it, classic migraine "aura" symptoms, whether visual, olfactory, as the case may be...my wife had ophthalmic migraines that actually affected her field of view, mainly on her right, with a kind of silvery, shimmering gridlike haze in her field of vision, though they've subsided over the past sevl yrs...that being said, there are numerous other types and/or varieties, tension band, cluster, the category of migraine isn't that unidimensional any longer...in all seriousness, he'd need, I'd think, to go to a major univ med ctr, if at all possible, with a neurology headache clinic, he'd likely need to be considered for CT and/or MRI, with or without contrast, depending on his allergies, as well as possibly a PET scan, and, also, not just regular EEG, have him ask about quantitative EEG (qEEG), that uses a more sophisticated approach, involving what's termed and J- or Z-score, as well as possibly an evoked potential study, as well as possibly a polysomnography, though that's normally for sleep apnea, that's purely a guess, that uses conventional EEG, however, I honestly think it might give a more thorough depiction of him neurologically, both awake, as well as asleep...the med aspect, that's different, the reg mentioned is is the reg, and if that's what it is, that's what it is...it also depends on how far he and/or his family might want to carry the whole thing...purely as another thought, just as an idea, if he's in a state that has a state defense force (SDF), as listed with their group SGAUS, I'd just thought you might care to possibly suggest that for him to "test drive" how he'd function in as close to a svc environment, we know someone who took my advice by us, and went into the NY Guard (NYG) by us, then went NY ARNG thereafter, NYG released him, he didn't have such symptomatology, so far as we knew, however, I merely mention it as an idea, that's all, honest...next, I'd most definitely suggest serious acupuncture, however, under and supervised by physicians, not just an L.Ac., by a physician supervising a team of L.Ac.s, such physicians do most def exist, my wife and I do in fact use a husband-and-wife clinical M.D. couple who do exactly such a practice, incl. acupuncture electrostim...then, too, suggest osteopathic manipulative med/therapy (OMM/OMT), done solely by D.O.s, I'm quite well aware that such approaches, which are most definitely NOT chiropractic, though I have quite high regard for good chiro, I assure you, in fact, chiro was actually derived from OMM/OMT, look up the text by Andrew Taylor Still, M.D., a Harvard-trained Union war hero and surgeon who in fact invented OMM/OMT, he found that manipulating joints changed neurovascular characteristics, extensively research by him about 150 yrs ago or so for migraines and other varities of headaches, it's a type of trigger-point manipulation, M.D.s aren't trained in it, only D.O.s are, though few do it, fewer take insurance for it, though hospital OMM/OMT clinics generally do, I looked into those for my wife, I'd wanted D.O., I could never get it due to my disability, I'd had a chance to go Caribbean M.D. a long while ago, the disability and bad advice kept me from doing that, as well as also dental, which I'd wanted for oral and maxillofacial surg (OMFS), specifically, orthognathic surg, which is for crainiofacial reconstruction, in fact, many dentists often become involved in headache care, as there are numerous dental corroborations involving bruxing, e.g., the grinding of teeth, or possibly temporomandibular joint (TMJ) derangement, so you might possibly care to suggest that aspect as well, along with an extremely extensive neuro-ophthalmologic workup, which is what I got for my wife, she has active gout, the neuro-ophthalmologist had wanted a bilateral (B/L) temporal-artery biopsy (Bx) on her, so he might also warrant a rheumatologic workup also, just another thought, as I've tended to observe that, at least occasionally, I'd noticed a quite distinct correlation between rheumatologic and neurologic interaction, though I was never entirely certain just exactly how far such an association tended to extend...those are just my thoughts, such as they are, hope they're of at least some use, if you'd care to chat further, just lemme know, whenever you'd want, no rush, as I'd said, I was never medicine, however, I was quite seriously trained, as far as I'd gone, which is why I tend to be aware of such aspects, in addn to all my wife had by way of her problems, over a fairly protracted period, as I'd said, obv...if he goes for a chiropractic workup, ask him to ask about what's termed activator therapy, though I'd most def suggest an extremely experienced chiro, who'd done chiro orthopedics, neuro, and/or radiology residencies, that approach would be only one facet, of course, of how his whole symptomatology cluster should be evald, D.O.s and OMM/OMT are little-known about by many, that's most esp why I suggest them, they're physicians, just as are M.D.s, I have very great regard for good chiro, as I'd said, I'd most def also suggest a physiatry/rehab-med consult, those are physicians who typically supervise PTs and OTs, if he goes for PT and/or OT at all, suggest he go for a doctoral-level PT, or DPT, those are pretty much the norm now, or a DOT, I believe those also exist for OT, as well...sometimes, also, migraines can have a distinct relation to otorhinolaryngology (ENT), as well as head-and-neck, which, of course, are totally separate med disciplines, obv, though I'd most def suggest all of those, it's likely take a really long time to get such a thoroughly detailed workup, however, to my mind, if he's gonna do it at all, what I've suggested to you here are, pretty much, the major areas all such patients should, at least to my way of thinking, most def consider...obv, also, the reg being what it is, all that might do no good, and he still might not be waiverable, even if he did well in an SDF, however, those, honestly, are my very best suggestions, it'd likely take a good deal of time to sort out just exactly what he has, if anything, other than classic "aura"-type migraine, and/or what other comoribidities might be contributing to it, if any, however, I can assure you that all of the foregoing, in addition to possibly a thorough audiology eval by a doctoral-level audiologist, they generally work with ENTs and head-and-neck, as well as maybe a speech-language path (SLP) workup, should, given sufficient time, let him and his family have a pretty decent idea of exactly what he has, within reason, and why...what to do about it, obv, goes beyond what I could suggest, however, I assure you that, while perhaps more than you expected by way of suggestions, the workup regimen possibilities I listed here would, I think, cover pretty much every possibility I can conceive of, at least at the moment...if I think of anything else, I'll also try to send it, as well, I hope that wasn't too much, or too overwhelming, my wife tells me I tend to deluge others at times, as have others on the site here, however, it was actually an extremely interesting, quite unusual questions, that got my mental gears going, which was why I figured you might possibly find the level of detail I'd gone into here of at least some possible potential value for him, that's all I'm trying to say, many thanks, I'd be most eager for your thoughts whenever you might possibly have any time, or to know more, whenever you'd learn more, so far as you might be able to elaborate at all, of course, once again, no rush, obviously....