Does migraine history disqualify you from military service?
I am very interested in joining the Army. However, I read that migraines in the past 3 years are an automatic DQ. I also read that they can possibly be waived. I had my first child in the spring of 2008 and had horrible headaches after wards for several months following her birth. I saw several diff. doctors and they were all quacks. They tried all sorts of meds but none worked, b/c as it turns out they were hormonal headaches or possibly a result of the epidural I had. One day, they went away on their own and never came back. I feel like I could get a waiver for this but I know this is opening up a can of worms. I am also concerned b/c one of the doctors thought depression was the cause of the headaches (which it was not), so that is in my records. I am confident I will never have a future problem, but I am afraid to lie at MEPS. I had a surgery that I will also have to get waived (I have scars so no way out of that one). It was while I was still having the headaches, and I was on topamax at the time (migraine medicine). I am afraid that when those records get sent in they will see I was on topamax since I filled out current meds. on the forms, so if I don’t disclose the headaches they will ask why. What should I do? Thanks 
I just wanted to clarify that I am no longer on any headache medicine at all and do not have headaches anymore. Thanks!
Tagged with: disqualify • from • History • migraine • military • service
Filed under: Migraine Headache in Children
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Tell the TRUTH…if you have had no further issues, it should not be an issue. Topomax is used to treat a variety of medical conditions.
What some people fail to realize is when they like at MEPS, later in their career, they try to obtain a security clearance…and it bites them in the hind quarters…
You should be honest, and get the waivers that you may require.
Good Luck!
Truthfully your recruiter will probably tell you to lie about it, liek he did me and when you go thru basic and AIT you can;t take your topomax and you know you will get fat without it (side effect of topomax is weight loss, YEA!!!) so you have to decide can you do without the topomax until you get to your first duty station and can see a neurologist thru your military clinic and get back on the stuff?
During this time, you can go to sick call in the morningas if the headache is to bad , but too many missed days of trainign means you will be recycled. Me? I only had two headaches my whole time in basic and two in AIT, don;t ask me how, but I was fine, its when I went active duty thatI had to get 24 hour quarters, and you have to inform your chain of command before you can even start resting for the 24 hours.
So knowing this, its on you to decide.
You get a doc to write up that it was pregnancy related and resolved itself, and that you no longer require any meds, that it was NOT depression, then a waiver should be doable. Not saying it’s guaranteed, but you have a case.