Headache in Temples - No More Headaches

The grumbles of sinus headaches are arriving along with cooler rainy weather in many northern areas of the country.  Thankfully drug store shelves are fully stocked with sinus medication for chronic headache sufferers combating symptoms such as pain, nausea and stuffy headedness.  “Nonsense!” say many experts like an otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist) who wrote an article recently in the Brattleboro Reformer about the number of patients he sees, who mistakenly seek treatment for sinusitis when in fact they have migraines.  If you think your chronic headaches are caused by a sinus problem, think again.  More likely than not, what you need is a migraine treatment!

The American Headache Society cites a research study involving approximately 3000 subjects who had never been diagnosed with migraine, but did in fact claim to have sinus headaches over a 6 month period leading up to the study.  After applying International Classifications of Headache Disorder standards, the researchers found that 88 percent of the subjects were actually experiencing migraines.  This was surprising, since the typical migraine symptoms experienced by the subjects were also accompanied by sinus and nasal congestion and pain in the face.  Since these people were not using migraine treatments, but rather conventional sinus treatments such as anti-histamines, decongestants and nasal sprays, they were not finding relief from their chronic headache symptoms.

According to the American Headache Society, various research studies indicate that many migraineurs in fact experience sinus-like symptoms with migraines, and that in 93 percent of ‘sinus headache’ cases, if two of the following three questions can be answered with ‘yes’, these headaches are likely migraines.

• Do your headaches interfere with daily obligations and activities?


• Do you experience nausea with these headaches?


• Do you also feel bothered by light during these headaches?

If the weather is cooling down and rainy in your neck of the woods, and your sinuses are giving you a headache, reconsider throwing your money out on sinus medication.  It is very likely your chronic headaches are waiting for a migraine treatment instead!

The connection between depression and migraines is irrefutable.  If you are afflicted with chronic migraines it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that you may also have depression.  After all, spending at least 15 days each month struggling to carry on with your normal life while battling the pain, nausea and other debilitating symptoms of migraines is certainly sufficient reason to develop depression.  A recent story in Clinical Psychiatry News reports that a research study, presented at the European Headache and Migraine Trust International Congress, found that depression is actually a risk factor in transforming episodic migraines into chronic migraine.  Treatment for depression, evidently, would be a very important step in developing a comprehensive migraine treatment.

The National Headache Foundation defines Transformed Headaches as chronic migraines that originated as episodic headaches and then over a period of time, ranging from a month to several years, became more frequent.  This variant of migraine tends to afflict women, more so than men, who began having migraines relatively early in life.  The nature of these migraines is sometimes a combination of tension headache as well as migraine,  and medication overuse among this population may actually worsen the headaches.  It would seem that these migraineurs would definitely benefit from a migraine treatment or procedure that offers long-term relief without the reliance on drugs.

This American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention study results, published on the government’s National Institutes of HealthClinicalTrials.gov website, suggests that treating the underlying depression is key in preventing this transforming phenomenon.  If you experience episodic headaches or migraines, and suspect that you may also be dealing with some depression, don’t hesitate to bring this to your physician’s attention.  By seeking depression treatment, migraines that occur infrequently may never develop into chronic migraines.  Fortunately many lifestyle medications for both conditions are similar:

• Get plenty of exercise


• Eat a nutritious well-balanced diet


• Get quality and adequate sleep


• Practice relaxation techniques like meditation

As always, a healthy mind and body work best together!

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Dr. Richard Weiner, talked about Migraine Treatment Centers of America’s Omega migraine procedure on Good Morning Texas on Wednesday.  Watch the segment!

Working from home can be a blessing or a curse depending on your workspace design.  If you suffer with chronic headaches or migraines, sometimes even the thought of opening your emails and getting going on those files can be enough to trigger pain from a tension headache or migraine.  What you could really use is a drug free migraine treatment that you can ‘have’ with your work.  This is precisely what a migraine-friendly home office design can offer!

• Sound Proof Space – minimizing loud noise is helpful in most work environments but for a migraineur it is particularly important to reduce this potential trigger.  Carpeting on the floor, fabric window treatments and even thick wall covering such as acoustic foam or cork can insulate you from the loudest rock band.  Consider a sound source, such as a music player or CD player to play recordings of white noise or soothing tunes.  The hum of a ceiling fan can also work wonders.


• Lovely Lighting – whether you suffer with migraines or another chronic headache type, bright lights can make your symptoms unbearable. In fact office lighting has been known to trigger headaches in many people, due in part to imperceptible flickering in fluorescent light bulbs.  Make sure to keep fluorescent bulbs out of your office, and choose incandescent ones instead.  You may want to experiment with placing lamps in different positions to find your ideal spot.  A well-positioned desk lamp, rather than overhead lighting, should work best as long as the glare doesn’t hit your eyes.


• Comfy Seat – when you sense a headache approaching or tension building, having an easily accessible place to recline for a while and rest may ward off or lessen the severity of a headache.  A sofa or futon work double duty as seating for visitors.


• Ergonomics – make sure your desk chair fits you.  Your feet should rest flat on the floor and your computer screen should be at eye level or slightly below.  If your seat back has a supported neck and head rest you can lean back and ease strain that arises from unconsciously craning your head forward.  At the top of the list for most drug free migraine solutions, is minimizing muscular tension.  Back and shoulder tension when you work tends to creep up into the neck and head.  If you have chronic tension headaches, it’s very important to be mindful of maintaining good ergonomics and posture.


• Bring in a little nature – The British source Daily Mail featured a health report on MailOnline about a Swedish study that found adding a potted plant to your desk can help reduce stress and headaches while your work.

Stress and tension are widely recognized triggers for migraines and other chronic headache conditions.   With the tips above, you can minimize these culprits in your workspace and enhance not only your health but your productivity as well.  That’s a double bonus drug-free migraine therapy we can all use.

You are a sensible person who struggles to manage chronic migraines using conventional methods.  You’ve never been one to buy into ‘alternative medicine practices.’  When you sense a migraine approaching, you know the drill: retreat into a dark room, take your over-the-counter or prescription medication, lie down and brace yourself.  You’ve discussed undergoing a migraine procedure should your condition worsen or the migraine treatments no longer allow you to live a relatively normal lifestyle.  Here is some great and ‘sensible’ information you might want to use to combat your migraine condition: Yoga as a migraine treatment has scientific backing!  You no longer have to take the chatter about yoga benefits on faith alone.   The throngs of yogis rushing into class at your local gym with colorful mats and blocks may actually be on to something.  Scientists have provided us with research findings to prove that yoga not only has preventative but therapeutic effects on chronic migraines.

A study conducted by medical researchers in India and the UK, published this year in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, found that yoga had a measurable positive impact on chronic migraine sufferers.  Researchers divided a group of 70 males and females between the ages of 18 and 65 years, who experience migraines at least 15 days out the month, into two groups.  The first group was treated with conventional migraine treatments and the second was taken through a 4-session per week, 12-week program of hour-long yoga classes.   The yoga therapist emphasized relaxation, release of tension in the muscles and feeling of helping oneself.  At the end of the study and then again 6 months later, researchers noted reduced frequency and length of migraine attacks.  All medication usage was reduced, as were feelings of depression that often accompany chronic migraine.

Conventional and alternative medical experts also recommend yoga for the prevention of chronic migraines and headaches.  An interesting article published a few years ago, by a physician who experiences migraines herself, in The American Academy of Neurology  journal Neurology Now discussed how neurologists with migraines cope with their own headaches.  One of the preventative measures was minimizing the stress trigger through relaxation techniques such as yoga.

As always, before you begin a new diet/exercise program, make sure your doctor gives you the thumbs up.  Emboldened with some medical research, and the knowledge that neurologists with migraines choose yoga as a preventative and therapeutic migraine treatment, perhaps you’ll join your local yogis and head into the ‘mind-body’ room to try out some Asanas, or poses!

Believe it or not, there’s actually an App for That!  Yoga for migraines, that is.  We learned in one of our recent articles, that yoga has been proven to help individuals with chronic migraine and headaches.  So if you are open to exploring this ancient practice and find out if you too can derive the benefits and pleasure from yoga, here is some information that may help you get started in your new drug free migraine therapy.

Since stress is one of the major chronic migraine triggers, yoga’s relaxing and restorative nature has a therapeutic effect on your nervous system.  As with any exercise form, make sure your doctor gives you the OK to proceed.

Who Should Teach You?

If you decide to try a class, make sure the instructor is qualified to teach the type of yoga you will be practicing in the class.  As with most sports and therapies, it’s wise to make the investment of learning from someone who is competent to teach you the correct technique so that you reap the rewards, without putting yourself at risk for injury.  Health clubs, community centers, wellness centers and dedicated yoga studios all offer classes.  Be sure to let the instructor know about your medical condition so that he can help you modify your poses to suit your needs.  Also, start with a beginner class.

What Type of Yoga Should You Look For?

As a preventative drug free migraine solution, gentle yoga will yield the best results.  Avoid inverted poses, especially if you are experiencing a headache, as this will worsen matters.  Varieties like Hot Yoga, Power Yoga or Vinyasa will be too demanding and stressful rather than therapeutic and should be avoided as well.  Restorative Yoga uses props like blankets and blocks to help you hold poses.  According to the American Headache Society this variant may be helpful to headache sufferers, and the types of yoga that allow you to move continuously without holding difficult poses for too long may be good for beginners.

Some Helpful Poses

• For prevention try: Downward Dog.  Beginning in the crawl position with hands flat on the floor, lift your butt toward the ceiling while pressing your heels flat into the floor.  Hold this V-position for about 15 seconds before releasing back onto your knees and hands.


• For restoration (during a headache) try: Reclining Bound. Lying flat on the floor, with your knees bent and spread outward, and the soles of your feet touching each other and drawn upward toward your body while resting on the floor, bring your hands to rest on your tummy.  Have some pillows to tuck under your knees, if the stretch is uncomfortable, and a cool compress to cover your eyes.  Relax for about 8 to 10 minutes.

Practicing yoga helps chronic migraine sufferers and other individuals with medical conditions release stress and tension.  According to the American Headache Society musculoskeletal stiffness, poor posture and imbalances aggravate headache conditions.  Since yoga may help correct all of these ailments, it may work as a terrific drug free migraine treatment also.  So if Yoga is something you want to try, go for it….  ‘Namaste’!

If you are a woman and a Dallas Migraine sufferer, you are probably riddled with mixed feelings about the Texas State Fair coming to town later this month.   There has been some past research suggesting a link between chronic migraines and excess weight gain in women.  With fried Twinkies and corn dogs arriving with the State Fair, this obviously poses a stressful dilemma for many women.  After all is it really worth putting on weight and then suffering with depleting pain and nausea just for a few minutes of sinful decadence in the form of deep fried cookie dough slipping past your lips and melting on your happy tongue?  Well….

Do not fret, because here is some good news for you!  Reuters Health recently reported that researchers from the French national research institute, INSERM and the University of Bordeaux analyzed data from the Women’s Health Study, which began in the 1990’s and tracked thousands of women in the U.S. They found that women with migraines at the beginning of the study were no more likely than the migraine-free women to gain more than the average weight of approximately 10 pounds.  The weight gain across both groups was nearly the same.  The researchers further found that women with severe or chronic migraines were not likelier to gain more weight than those women who experienced migraines infrequently.  So if you have migraines in Dallas what does this mean for you later this month?  Maybe a little treat on special occasions isn’t all that bad?

The study, which was published in the journal Cephalalgia, did not examine the reverse relationship: whether excess weight or obesity in women raised the risk of developing a migraine condition.  In an email interview with Reuters, one of the study’s scientists stated that, “several studies have now shown that obesity is associated with increased migraine frequency.” However, he added that since obesity rates have been rising over the last decades whereas migraine rates have remained steady, it’s not a very likely connection.

If you suffer with chronic migraines though, you are aware that it interferes with your regular exercise routine on days when you can barely drag yourself out of bed or hold your food down.  In general, it is best to maintain a stable healthy weight by eating nutritiously and making exercise a priority in your life.  But, back to the question of whether you should go for that Texas State Fair fried Twinkie: Migraineurs in Dallas and elsewhere… let’s be grateful to folks in France for showing us the way to Joie de Vivre through (in moderation please…) enjoyment of great food!

For teenagers heading back to school after the lazy days of summer, the stress and turmoil of juggling classes, activities, socializing and homework can be daunting.  If your teen suffers with chronic headaches or migraines, this time of year can be especially overwhelming, according to the American Headaches Society’s educational website.  If your child’s physician has ruled out any serious medical condition underlying these headaches, and has recommended treating them with medication and home remedies, you may want to try out some drug free migraine therapies as a first line of conservative treatment for your teen.  Lifestyle modifications and trigger avoidance strategies are complicated enough for adults to manage, but for teenagers who often lack mature judgment and control over their schedules, it can be impossible!

The following are some common triggers that may set off your teen’s chronic headache condition this back-to-school season.  Avoiding them will go a long way toward managing his or her headaches and migraines drug free:

• Bus Rides:  Noisy, hot, bumpy and long bus-rides, to and from school, or worse yet… on field trips, are miserable for anyone and especially for a headache prone youngster.  Offer to drive your child to school and field trips by volunteering to chaperone.


• Skipping Meals:  Teenagers tend to skip meals for various reasons from peer pressure to lose weight to harried schedules that interfere with regular nutritious meals.  Give them healthy snacks like dried fruit, nuts and whole grain protein bars to keep in their backpacks for when they can’t or will not have a proper meal.


• Excessive Screen Time:  Limit television time and encourage active breaks from time spent staring at the computer screen.


• Stress and Lack of Sleep:  Encourage your teenager to discuss the stress they are dealing with and help them develop time management skills, with a focus on putting their health first.  Make sure they get plenty of sleep to break out of the vicious cycle of groggy days, poor performance and late stressful nights studying.


• Caffeine, alcohol and smoking:  Educate your child about the powerful and harmful effects each of these substances has on their overall health, academic and athletic performance, and headache condition.  Not to mention legal issues concerning underage usage and the devastating consequences that could follow.


• Hormonal Changes:  While obviously unavoidable, they are also tricky to identify as triggers.  It’s best to check in with your teen’s physician to make sure they are physically fine, and then reassure your child that they will make it through this phase with patience and self-care.

Avoiding the above chronic headache and migraine triggers could be just the solution most teenagers need.  If your teen’s headaches are not responding to these drug-free migraine tips, over the counter medications such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen may help. Making sure they…and you… get regular fresh air, downtime, and exercise will also help getting them…and you…through the start of the school year.

From Sydney to Franklin, migraine afflicted women around the world may find relief from the severity of their symptoms in the dietary supplement folate. This conclusion comes from a research study performed by dietetic experts at the Griffith University in Australia, and recently presented at the International Congress of Dietetics in Sydney.  The study’s outcome offers a promising new ingredient you can add to your drug free migraine box of recipes.

Folate, also known as Vitamin B9, is the naturally occurring nutritional element found in foods.  Folic acid is the synthetic variety used to supplement nutritional intake for individuals who don’t receive adequate amounts of the vitamin in their daily diet.  You may have noticed that it is used to fortify many cereals and bread products that you purchase at the supermarket.  Widely known to prevent birth defects and taken by pregnant women in their ‘super-vitamins’, it can now be appreciated as a drug free migraine treatment as well.  So how is clinical science suggesting a Franklin migraineur can benefit from adding this nutrient to her diet?

Over a 6-month period the research study, out of the Griffith University in Australia, tracked data from 147 women with migraines accompanied by aura.  The women were consuming a diet rich with the synthetic form of folate, or folic acid. Their folate intake was further enriched by the Australian government’s recent regulations requiring that flour  in baked products contains folic acid.  The researchers noted the subjects blood folate levels at the beginning of the study.  At the end of the study’s period they found that the women’s migraine symptoms has lessened by 14% along with the rises in blood folate concentration.

Taking advantage of this new information could offer an added drug free migraine tool for you.  After discussing this option with your physician, reach for folate-rich foods like leafy greens, beans, citrus fruits and a wide variety of enriched breads and cereals.  So despite being worlds apart in Australia and Tennessee, women from Sydney to Franklin with migraines may be able to lessen the severity of their headaches and symptoms simply by adding this precious nutrient to their daily diet.

It’s no surprise that when young kids get in to trouble or have difficulties performing their schoolwork and extracurricular activities, there is usually an underlying reason.  It may be that they are feeling under the weather, or that a bully is causing them anxiety.  If your child has been having coping difficulties and experiencing chronic migraines or chronic headaches, there is a new research finding you may want to learn about.

Doctors from the Glia Institute in Sao Paolo, Brazil and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York found that in a subject group of 1,856 young children more than half of those with headaches and migraines experienced emotional and behavioral difficulties, compared with less than 20% of the non-headache group.  Interestingly, they further discovered that the more frequently these kids experienced headaches, the more emotional and behavior issues they had.

It may be tricky to readily see this connection if you are a parent of a child with chronic migraines or other chronic headache conditions, such as tensions type headaches. This is because the researchers found that the emotional and behavioral difficulties linked with these headaches were internalized rather than disruptive or aggressive actions that would affect other children or annoy caretakers.  For example, these kids may experience depression, anxiety or trouble focusing rather than picking fights with others.  The study’s authors also referred to past studies that identified a link between social, focus and emotional problems with migraines in kids.  They pointed out that a major significant discovery with this study was a correlation between tension type headaches and headache frequency with the occurrence of psychological issues.

So if your little guy or girl struggles with chronic headaches, migraines and and crankiness or other emotional or attention issues, consider following up with your family doctor.  This research study, recently published in the International Headache Society’s journal Cephalalgia, would suggest that finding the right headache treatment may prove to solve your child’s depression, social problems or even lagging grades.

Admittedly many of this season’s ridiculous outfits parading at fashion shows around the world are potential triggers for any chronic migraine sufferer.  In fact, at a fall Milan show in Italy last week, style icon and actress Sharon Stone, was overcome with a migraine attack and had to be rushed off to the hospital to receive migraine treatment.  The story, which was reported in the New York Daily News, has a happy ending with Stone being released and doing well.  Although this story made the news because this migraineur is a celebrity, another significant reason is that she had a past history with a brain aneurysm and naturally everyone feared the worst.  So what does this mean for chronic migraine sufferers? Is there a link between the two conditions?

A cerebral (brain) aneurysm occurs when a weakness in the blood vessel wall results in an outward bulge, according to Medline.  Symptoms can range from none at all to the worst headache of someone’s life, in the event the aneurysm begins to trickle slowly or ruptures, which would be considered a medical emergency.  Symptoms can mimic a migraine.  For chronic migraine sufferers who may be at risk for an aneurysm, this can be a confusing and scary way to experience migraine attacks.  It helps to understand the symptoms as well as risk factors to determine whether someone is in grave danger or rather in need of effective migraine treatment.

According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, signals that a brain aneurysm may have ruptured include neurological issues like neck stiffness and facial paralysis, unconsciousness, light sensitivity, visual disturbances, stiffness in the neck, and migraine type nausea and headache.  Similar symptoms may also occur just prior to a rupture, perhaps if a nerve is under pressure.  Risk factors include diabetes, hypertension, genetics or injury to the vessel.

Although many aneurysm symptoms seem to dovetail with migraines, if you suffer with a chronic migraine condition there are a couple of things you should know to ease your anxiety about aneurysms.  The onset of a post-rupture headache is sudden and massive in nature, unlike any other headache a person has experienced.   Also, people with known risk factors can be vigilant and monitor their health with regular visits to the physicians.   And it should also be reassuring to know that there is no significant known link between both conditions.  So, if you suffer with chronic migraines, chances are very good that your next migraine will respond best to your tried and true migraine treatment.

Photo courtesy © Can Stock Photo Inc.

Doesn’t it sound ridiculous: holding a magnet up to the back of your head and … poof …your migraine disappears? Most people think of magnet therapy in terms of magnetic bracelets and rings, hawked on late night shopping shows and worn by athletes who swear they alleviate pain.  The science community generally views these gizmos as, well … gizmos and nothing more.  Well, there may be more to the ‘magnetic’ drug fee migraine treatment that doctors presented recently at the European Headache and Migraine Trust International Congress, held in London.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), the science behind the technology presented at the London conference, is based on magnetic impulses transmitted transcutaneously (above the skin) into the brain. TMS is relatively new and its use has been limited to treating depression and neuro-diagnostic testing.  In diagnostics TMS has been used to gauge neuromuscular activity in patients who have suffered strokes or spinal cord injuries.

The way it is being used as a drug free migraine treatment is by creating an interference with neurological signals that enable a migraine to occur.  A hand-held device, controlled by the patient himself, sends a strong magnetic pulse to the back of the head at the first sign of a migraine.  The magnetic stimulating device, manufactured by an American company, alters the magnetic field inside the brain and produces an electrical current, which interferes with the circuitry between the neurons involved with the migraine event.

Treatment testing results showed that among 60 migraineurs treated in British clinics, pain was reduced in 73 percent while other symptoms such as nausea were reduced in 63 percent of the patients. The results were reported in the British publication MailOnline.  Patients interviewed in the report were optimistic about a drug free alternative migraine treatment.  If indeed TMS turns out to be an effective migraine treatment it will be interesting to learn whether or not the relief stems from magnet therapy or nerve stimulation from the physical impulses.  In any event, despite the lack of scientific support, the other variety of “magnet therapy” will no doubt encourage late night impulsive shoppers to purchase nifty magnetic jewelry and accessories… If it makes them happy and there’s no harm done…why not?

Photo courtesy © Can Stock Photo Inc.

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If you believe that men are from Mars and women are from Venus you will be interested in the latest research study out of Boston that seems to verify that women and men’s brains may actually function differently, at least when it comes to chronic migraines.  So if there is a difference in how men and women experience migraines, this may imply that gender specific research could be the next frontier in finding migraine treatments.

The science news website ScienceNOW reported that the study examined 44 subjects.  Within this group of men and women, half of them suffered with migraines.  Based on self-reported surveys, the women and men both described their migraines as intense, but the women experienced pain that was more miserable.  The head researcher, a neurologist and neurobiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School likened this to the difference of the loudness compared with the anguish of fingernails scratching a chalkboard.

The researchers then analyzed data from brain scans of the subjects.  They found that female migraine sufferers, who weren’t having a migraine during the scan, had thickened grey matter in two areas, which relate to pain processing and another area, which is linked to migraines as well as the location of a person’s consciousness.  They also tested brain activity responses to pain, and noticed a difference between the men and women with migraine.  They found that the brain structures responding to pain in the women were involved the emotional network, whereas in men it involved a specific area typically associated with reward circuitry, that is studied with addiction issues.  This may suggest that the most effective migraine treatments for men versus women chronic migraine sufferers might not be same.

Although men and women aren’t really from different planets, this study published in the journal Brain, suggests a difference in brain structure and functionality between the sexes who suffer with chronic migraines.  Not surprisingly, when women experience migraine, the emotional circuitry is more engaged than it is when men experience migraine.  Similarly, among men, sensory processing is more engaged than it is with women during a migraine.

Furthermore, the results also support the notion that sex differences involve both brain structure as well as functional circuits, in that emotional circuitry compared with sensory processing appears involved to a greater degree in female than male migraineurs.

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Wouldn’t you be grateful to have an early warning system for your chronic migraine condition?  Warnings for approaching earthquakes or tornados allow people to take steps to prepare for the onslaught of destructive force, as well as the opportunity to avoid the path of destruction.  A prodrome is exactly the warning system that might give migraineurs the opportunity to prepare for or to avoid the full-blown wrath of a migraine attack with its intense pain, nausea and other symptoms.  If you suffer with migraines which are preceded by prodromes, you have the opportunity to avoid your migraine triggers, make some behavioral modifications to relax yourself, and make sure your migraine treatments are nearby, just in case.

So what exactly is this prodrome warning?   To answer this question it helps to understand the four phases of a migraine.  According to Wikipedia, they are:

Prodrome

This phase precedes the headache from several days to several hours prior to the onset. For chronic migraine sufferers, this may be the first sign of a migraine. Various sources indicate about 40 to 60 percent of migraineurs may experience them.

Aura

This is a neurological phenomenon immediately preceding the onset of the pain phase, involving visual and sometimes sensory disturbances.

Pain

It is the commonly understood ‘headache’ phase. Once this phase occurs, preventative migraine treatments no longer work, and pain medication is most effective along with retreating to a dark soothing place to rest.

Postdrome

Possibly lasting for days following the headache, this phase may involve persistent mild pain, fuzzyheaded thinking, weakness, and gastrointestinal issues.  Some reports even indicate feelings of euphoria and others refer to depression.

The Mayo Clinic lists some early warning prodrome signs which might occur up to a couple of days before the migraine:

• Gastrointestinal upset


• Mood fluctuations including depression and irritability


• Food craving


• Stiffness in the neck


• Hyperactivity or lethargy and yawning

If you are one of the 60 percent of chronic migraine sufferers who are ‘lucky’ enough to have a prodrome, make sure to take preventative and preparatory steps to help you cope with your migraines.  The earlier you begin your migraine treatment, the better your shot at lessening the symptoms when the headache hits, or possibly ward off the migraine itself by avoiding your triggers during this phase.  So, arm yourself with a migraine diary, and track the phases of your headaches to best manage your condition.

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A while back, we learned about something called the “Let-Down Migraine”.  Scientists at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City confirmed the phenomenon, which affects many people with chronic migraines. Stress is a common migraine trigger that can be confusing since the onset of a headache and other symptoms may be delayed.  For some people, migraines kick in on the weekend, after a stressful week at work.  Drug free migraine treatments for these stress or excitement “let-down” headaches are similar to those for the more common stress-triggered variety.  Managing your stressful situations, maintaining a nutritious diet and getting plenty of sleep are very helpful. If you are sending your children off to college, you may be slammed with a double whammy: Empty Nest Syndrome and “Let-Down Migraines”.

Since high school graduation, it has been a frenetic summer of whirlwind parties, traveling and endless shopping for college.  If you are a migraineur, these are all stressful, albeit in a good way, activities.  Perhaps you’ve managed to ward off chronic migraines, or maybe you’ve successfully engaged your drug free migraine treatments.  Regardless, you need to anticipate how you will cope with a sudden let-down in excitement, possible sadness and temporary depression that often arrives when grown children move to college and out of their parents home (cheer up, they’ll be back for breaks!)

The following tips will help this transition period flow smoothly, and have you feeling better:

• Refocus your newly underutilized energies into your own work, hobbies or interests.  Personal goals and projects will engage you with a positive energy and take the place of negative or stressful emotions that would otherwise take over.


• Add some soothing elements to your surroundings to calm your senses.  Scatter aromatherapy oils or candles around your home, workspace or bathtub! Now that  loud pop music and video games will not be triggering your migraines, replace them with soothing classical music or sounds of nature.


• Attend to your nutrition by taking vitamins and trying new grown-up recipes packed with healthy protein, veggies and herbs that your teenager would never let you serve before.  No harried meals for you from the drive-through before rushing off to practices, meets and games!


• Make sure to get fresh air and exercise every day, now that you have no excuses to miss the best and healthiest preventative medicine of all!

The publication Pain Medicine News reported that the Montefiore study authors concluded, “Awareness of mood and stress may improve headache prediction and provide targets for behavioral or pharmacological interventions.”  So, rather than being sad, put a smile on your face knowing that your children are going to be great, and you have earned some well-deserved Me-Time.  With these tips, including some drug-free migraine solutions, you may be able to manage your chronic migraines, and stay positive!

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You avoid red wine and chocolate.  And, not that you’re famous, but you even avoid the paparazzi’s flashing lights as they try to shoot your photo coming out of the coffee bar in your sunglasses!  Work and the kiddos haven’t been stressing you out any more than usual, so why are you having so much difficulty managing your chronic migraines?  After waking up with a daily chronic headache, it’s all you can do to drag yourself through your family chores and work, keeping yourself going with caffeine, only to crash into bed exhausted every night.  It might be time for a little ‘sleep investigation’.

You may have Obstructive Sleep Apnea, a sleep disorder, which has been linked with triggering chronic migraines and causing chronic daily headaches.  Several studies have researched this connection, including a 2010 study from the Missouri State University Center for Biomedical and Life Sciences.  The researchers found that sleep disturbances increase the risk for developing chronic headaches and migraines or triggering chronic migraines.  The scientists determined that REM sleep disturbances increased the levels of certain proteins that play a role in triggering chronic pain in facial nerves involved with the neurological events underlying migraines.

The American Headache Society also indicates that risk factors, for transforming episodic migraines into chronic migraines, are snoring and sleep apnea. ACHE, the educational website for the American Headache Society states that snoring, an indicator of abnormal sleep breathing, is a common risk factor for chronic daily headaches.  Other apnea symptoms include interrupted breathing patterns, awakening, nighttime urination, daytime drowsiness and night sweats.

Experts suggest asking your bed partner to note any night-time breathing interruptions and snoring.  If you suspect you may have sleep apnea, you should journal your sleep activities, along with your migraine journal to determine if there is a connection between your headaches and a possible sleep disorder.  You may find that overnight testing by medical experts at a sleep center is necessary to diagnose your condition.  If it turns out that you have a sleeping disorder, treating it could go a long way in managing the symptoms of your chronic migraines or headaches as well.

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Our recent article about medical research linking sleep disorders with headaches and migraines presented a wonderful opportunity to learn about another drug free migraine treatment: Sleep!  Scientists from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill tested a migraine-sleep theory in 2006, and found that behavioral modifications to improve sleeping resulted in fewer and less severe migraines. The subjects of the study were prescribed sleep plans that included the following instructions: allocate 8 regular hours toward bedtime; don’t engage in watching TV, listening to music or reading in bed; think of mental pictures to fall asleep quicker; don’t eat within 4 hours or drink within 2 hours of going to bed; eliminate daytime naps.  The American Headache Society’s education website suggests various ways to improve your sleep.

Eliminating or managing impediments to getting a proper night’s rest is key in your drug free migraine treatment protocol:

• Life Stresses: events such as the death of a loved one, divorce or employment interruption, are unavoidable but it’s important to manage the impact it has on your well being. Consider your daily stressors and ways to better deal with those.


• Emotional and Mental Health Disorders: Conditions like depression or anxiety can cause too much or little sleep.  Seek out professional help to address these issues.


• Medications: whether prescription or over the counter, medication can interfere with sleep due to side effects such as grogginess or anxiety from stimulants.  Discuss options with your doctor.


• Untreated Medical Conditions:  These can result in restless sleep, and treating these primary illnesses or condition will improve your sleep quality also.


• Hormonal Fluctuations: In women this can be a major cause of sleep interruption, occurring when estrogen levels fall.  Menstrual cycles and menopause can wreak havoc with sleeping.


• Bad habits: These include consuming alcohol, which although makes you drowsy, results in restless sleep and nighttime awakening and morning grogginess; nicotine and caffeine which cause you to feel wired and jumpy; and stimulating nighttime activities like studying in bed, watching TV or surfing the internet.

The American Headache Society recommends taking proactive behavioral modification steps during the day and at bedtime to help chase away insomnia.  Things that you can proactively do for your drug free migraine treatment plan are:

• Engage in soothing and relaxing activities before bedtime, like warm baths, listening to peaceful music, practicing mind-body relaxation such as yoga, meditation and prayer.


• Exercise during the day and get some fresh air while you’re at it.


• Create a ‘zen-place’ in your bedroom with soothing sights, sounds and smells.

With these sleepy-time tips, according to science and common sense you should hopefully begin to feel better and finally get some quality ZZZZZZ’s!

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Her agonizing story of living with chronic migraine pain and nausea is an all too familiar one to so many migraineurs.  A British writer recently shared her personal struggle of living with migraine symptoms and desperately seeking a treatment that would enable her to emerge from her migraine misery, on MailOnline, the British Daily Mail’s website.  She reports that recently her 10-year migraine history worsened from the occasional occurrence to a chronic condition.  Although she may have been a candidate for several migraine procedures, it wasn’t until visiting her current neurologist that she underwent an interventional treatment.

When her headaches became a full on chronic migraine condition, her doctors were confounded by the cause for the transformation and apparent failure of all the common migraine treatments they were prescribing.  She recounts waking up with pain and barely making it to the bathroom before vomiting and returning to bed to succumb to depression.  About 85 percent of her time, she estimates, was spent in bed.   She tried prescription painkillers and triptans that narrow dilated blood vessels during a migraine, to no avail.  Seemingly unaware of migraine procedures that may have helped, she tried magnesium and feverfew supplements; acupuncture and cranial therapy; and even gave up alcohol, cheese and chocolate!  Nothing alleviated her growing despair and debilitating migraine symptoms.

She was finally referred to a neurologist at the London Bridge Hospital, who focuses on treating migraines and severe headaches.  At first he attempted to treat her with preventative medications: amitriptyline, an antidepressant and pizotifen, a serotonin blocker, both of which knocked her out; and propranolo, a beta blocker which left her woozy.  Lastly, he prescribed Topiramate, the anti-epilepsy drug, which she writes, made her feel like ants were crawling under her skin at night.  Once it was evident that she could not tolerate the side effects from medication, and that nothing worked to alleviate her chronic migraines, she underwent nerve block injections.   She describes her migraine procedure as less than fun, but is amazed that her migraine pain and symptoms are virtually gone and that her one migraine in the last 5 weeks,  responded quickly to a triptan that she took.

This brave woman’s story shows us how important it is for migraineurs to seek out excellent health information; medical specialists and migraine procedures and treatments that can finally help them put their suffering to rest.

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As if you needed a medical excuse to go out and book a massage appointment!  For those of you with chronic headaches or chronic migraines triggered by stress, poor sleep and muscle tension, massage therapy might be a treatment to relieve your pain and other symptoms. When excessive use of pain and preventative medication has been linked to overuse headaches, and discomforting side effects, holistic therapies become more enticing and are even scientifically supported.

But, with the elaborate menu of services at massage therapy facilities, it can be overwhelming choosing the right one, or even understanding what the various massage modalities involve.  Here are some therapies that could help prevent or lessen the frequency and severity of headaches and migraines:

Craniosacral Therapy

This controversial osteopathic therapy is based on the theory that the central nervous system has rhythmic pulses that can be modified to release energy blockages, improve cerebral-spinal fluid flow and relieve pain. The therapist uses gentle pressure with his/her hands to manipulate the skeleton and connective tissues with a focus on the skull and tailbone. Although it’s very relaxing, scientific support is scant.

Reflexology

Based on the theory that a map of areas on your feet and hands correspond with specific locations on your body, the therapist applies pressure to these areas.  This is supposed to release blockages and pain in the corresponding distressed part of the body.

Trigger Point Therapy (Neuromuscular Massage)

This therapy is directed toward painful locations of the skin and muscles commonly know as ‘knots’.  When moderate pressure is applied to certain trigger points, blood circulation is improved, and nerve compression and muscular tension is released, alleviating pain.

Self-Massage

While maybe not as effective and delightful as the effects from a professional massage therapist, it is certainly less expensive.  Most importantly, in the throes of migraine, you may be able to help yourself in a pinch by heading into a darkened room and with your thumbs, begin to apply gentle massaging pressure along your hairline and temples to relieve pain.  As with any new therapy, check with your physician before you begin any new treatment.

A 2006 research paper, from the University of Auckland, concluded that there was preliminary evidence indicating massage therapy is a nonpharmacologic treatment for migraines.  Similarly, a 2002 study by researchers at the Boulder College of Massage Therapy found that massage of the neck and shoulder muscles resulted in few chronic tension headaches.  Both studies have been published on the National Institutes of Health PubMed website.

One thing is for certain, most massage therapy techniques will relax muscular tension, and reduce stress in people suffering with chronic headaches and chronic migraines.  While negative side effects are not common from massage therapy, some people get post-massage headaches and certain individuals may be advised against this treatment as it may worsen medical conditions or injuries.  You must get your doctors OK before heading out to find a well-qualified massage therapist who may help your pain melt away and send you off to your ‘Zen’ place!

Photo courtesy © Can Stock Photo Inc.

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At the age of 21, University of Wisconsin defensive tackle, Jordan Kohout made the painful decision to retire from playing football.  Following a medical diagnosis indicating that he had, unknowingly, experienced 2 small strokes linked to migraines, he made the brave decision to forgo the game he loves in favor of protecting his health.  He noticed that contact during play would precipitate the migraines.  So, his decision to quit playing was best migraine treatment under the circumstances.

The Wisconsin Badgers junior didn’t have a chronic migraine condition, but during his high school career, experienced cluster headaches and the occasional migraine.  Then, during the spring season he began experiencing severe migraines with aura. In an interview on UWBadgers.com, he described them. “It starts with a light flash, light streaks… Tunnel vision would kind of form and it was followed by pretty intense pain; sometimes vertigo, too.”

Treatment for migraines with aura is the same as for chronic migraines.  Pain relieving medications should be taken at the first sign of aura or migraine.  Preventative medications, to reduce the number of migraines, include blood pressure lowering medication, antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs and botulin injections.

So what exactly is ‘aura’ and what are the symptoms?  Aura may precede usual migraine symptoms, with visual or sensory disturbances, and last about an hour before disappearing.  According to the Mayo Clinic, most aura symptoms are visual and begin in the middle of your field of vision before spreading sideways.  They include:

• Blind spots


• Zigzag floating lines


• Shimmering spots or stars


• Changes in vision


• Flashes of light

Sensory disturbances include:

• Numbness


• Slurred or disrupted speech


• Muscle weakness.

Fortunately for Jordan Kohout, the migraines have stopped.  He has had cluster headaches but he said, “they’re not to the degree of the migraines I had in the spring.’’ The young athlete is looking forward to student coaching this year and said, “As much as I love football, life has a lot of other things to offer as well.’’ How inspiring and wise …and only 21!

Photo courtesy © Can Stock Photo Inc.

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What do high performance athletes, people with ADHD, migraines, chronic headaches, musicians, corporate executives and people with post-traumatic stress disorder all have in common?  They have all learned to improve their well-being and enhance their performance with the help of Biofeedback!  It has also been used as a treatment for many other conditions without any adverse effects.  This alternative and complementary medicine treatment uses specialized sensing and testing equipment that monitors involuntary biological responses, such as heart rate or muscular tension, to external stimulation. The patient learns to change his/her response, for example through taught relaxation techniques, and therefore learns to control physical responses with her/his own mind. It can be used as a drug free migraine treatment for example, by helping a patient identify triggers by gauging rising muscular tension.  The patient can then learn to take preventative measures to relax and withdraw from the trigger, warding off the onset of the migraine itself.

A recent retroactive study out of the University of Washington, in Seattle, found that 48% of pediatric patients with chronic headaches experienced positive results from biofeedback therapy.  The study, published on PubMed, reviewed data of 132 pediatric patients between the ages of 8 and 18, who participated in at least 2 biofeedback sessions between 2004 and 2008.  Researchers found that following treatment, headache frequency fell from 7 days to 4 days per week. In an interview with Reuters Health, a co-author of the study said that headache patients are taught visualization and relaxation techniques to lessen muscular tension and help manage autonomic functions such as skin temperature and heart rate.  They apply these techniques at the onset of a headache to prevent its progression or lessen its symptoms.  For pediatric patients, biofeedback might be a safer drug free migraine treatment than prescription medication.

If your child has a chronic headache condition or if you are looking to treat his/her migraines drug free, biofeedback could be a wonderful alternative therapy to include in your treatment plan.  Despite requiring time and effort to learn the techniques and develop a heightened awareness of one’s physical responses, it could go a long way in developing a positive attitude about taking responsibility and control over one’s health.  That is certainly a great life-long lesson for young and not so young alike!

Photo courtesy © Can Stock Photo Inc.

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The search for effective migraine treatments has been baffling medical scientists for years.  This may have at least a little to do with the fact that the mechanism and nature of chronic migraines is also not completely understood with certainty.  What is for certain is that science has come a very long way in developing a variety of treatments which offer migraine sufferers a choice among therapies that are best suited for their unique migraine condition and symptoms.  From medications to interventional procedures, like the Omega Migraine Procedure, the right treatment may often depend on trial and error for each patient.

The Wall Street Journal reported recently that researchers are directing much of their efforts in developing drugs that either block or act like antibodies to absorb the brain chemical CGRP  (calcitonin gene-related peptide neurotransmitter), which they suspect has something to do with migraine pain.  Their objective is to prevent CGRP from binding to its receptors, before pain occurs. Scientists are hoping to develop this category of migraine treatment, since many of the existing products may only help 50-60 percent of sufferers, and some patients may not be able to take them at all due to pre-existing medical conditions such as heart disease.

A little over a decade ago it was believed that migraines were triggered by vascular constriction in the brain.  Most recently scientists have come to understand that migraines are a brain disorder, involving a miscommunication of the pain sensory circuitry.  Experts still disagree as to the exact triggers of migraines, but know that the trigeminal nerve is involved with transmitting the pain signals

The Wall Street Journal reports that while the CGRP blockers, or antagonists are promising, they have been linked to liver toxicity during early developmental studies.  Otherwise, however, the drug would not pose a danger to those with cardiovascular disease.  At this point it seems like there are no perfect medicines available to patients who are currently suffering with migraine symptoms.  Interventional procedures may provide a more desirable and long lasting treatment for some.  The Omega Migraine Procedure, performed by Migraine Treatment Centers of America’s network of board certified physicians, could be just the answer to the quest for migraine sufferers who are looking for a drug free treatment.

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While you may feel like you’re ‘losing your mind’, certainly while you’re in the throes of a chronic migraine attack, science however says: Nope!  According to a recent study out of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, there is no strong link between migraines and significant cognitive decline over long periods of time.  In the past, there have been small studies, which suggested such a link might exist, but this large-scale study indicates otherwise.  The study states that as much as 20% of women suffer with migraines, which are usually treated in a variety of ways, from at home remedies, and medications to interventional migraine procedures, which offer long term remedies.

The research team analyzed data from 6,349 women, 45 of age and up, who provided migraine status information through a health survey project.  This larger group was further broken into 4 subgroups based on their headache history: no history of headaches; migraines with aura; migraines without aura; past migraine history.  The participating women were then given a baseline test of cognitive ability, and then retested at two year intervals for up to three times.  The study found that there was no significant connection between either type of migraines and long term effects on cognition or brain function.  This is certainly promising news for migraine sufferers who can now focus their attention on finding the best therapies and migraine procedures to relieve their short-term migraine symptoms.

Interestingly, the study, which was published online in the British Medical Journal, seems to offer us yet one more reason to exercise and follow a healthy diet.  The researchers wrote: “We did observe greater rates of cognitive decline in the subgroup of women who experience migraine with aura and had a history of cardiovascular disease compared with women who experience migraine with aura and did not have history of cardiovascular disease.” So, once again, following a heart healthy lifestyle may also help you protect your brain fitness.  If you’re a chronic migraineur, healthy habits, therapeutic treatments and migraine procedures can help ward off the debilitating symptoms that accompany migraines, along with that sense of ‘losing your mind’, (which at least we now know isn’t really happening…thank goodness!)

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When you suffer with chronic migraines, it can be reassuring and helpful to hear about how migraineurs from far-away places cope with the same disability.  After all, one of the benefits, from this past National Migraine Awareness Month, was the communication of personal migraine stories across various social media platforms.  Migraineurs shared stories of daily struggles, preventative strategies, treatments, and interventional migraine procedures.  If one person’s triumphant story, for example undergoing a successful Omega migraine procedure at Migraine Treatment Centers of America, can help another migraineur find relief from their suffering, we can say that ‘Awareness is the best Medicine’!

The Times of India reported recently on a successful migraine story, which highlights how fortunate we are in the United States to have so many treatment options and so much medical information available to us.  Smita Kulkarni, a 31 year-old mother suffered for 16 years with chronic migraines, which ran in her family.  Her conditioned worsened to the point that she consumed 15 ibuprofen pills per day, to no avail.  Since medication was no longer working and she had visited several physicians, she qualified to become the second patient in India to undergo a nerve stimulator procedure with neurosurgeon Paresh Doshi.

Dr. Doshi, who performed the 5-hour minimally invasive procedure, implanted a stimulator device near her occipital nerve.  It works by sending electrical impulses through an implanted power source, to stimulate the occipital nerve, thereby breaking the pain circuit.  He said,  “Doctors believe the procedure works in three ways. The implants increase the patient’s pain threshold, they jam the pain signals and or change the neuro-transmitter patterns.”

Ms. Kulkarni’s referring neurologist, Dr. K Ravishankar at Jaslok and Lilavati Hospitals, told the Times of India that chronic migraine is a “disorder that won’t go away just with a two-or-three-month treatment. But unfortunately, there is no awareness in India about the need to handle it like other chronic conditions such as diabetes or asthma.”

It’s reassuring to know that, even if you suffer with chronic migraines in the United States, there is hope that comes with awareness of this debilitating condition.  Only by learning about various preventative therapies, medicines, and minimally invasive procedures like the Omega migraine procedure, can you make an informed decision, together with your physician, for your optimal migraine treatment plan.

Photo courtesy © Can Stock Photo Inc. / Graytown

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Some days it seems that everybody in your local coffee shop, around 4 in the afternoon is complaining of a migraine.  You’ve seen them, tapping their feet while impatiently waiting for the flustered barista to finish blending the triple-decaf- no-whip-caramel-mocha-iced-non-fat concoction for some 14 year old.  It’s maddening! With your chronic migraine kicking in, you NEED your cup of java! But… what about everyone in line ahead of you?  Do they all suffer with chronic migraines?  Most likely they do not.  Chronic headache conditions include not only migraines, but also a variety of other headache types.

True chronic headaches are primary headaches, which don’t occur as a symptom of another condition.  They occur at least 15 days each month, and are categorized by whether they occur for more or less than 4 hours per day. Chronic migraines fall into the first category and are often confused with three other conditions.  According to the Mayo Clinic, these are:

Chronic Tension-type headaches

This condition is usually preceded by episodic tension headaches and progresses to a chronic condition, with symptoms lasting from several hours to ongoing.  Mild to moderate tightening pain is experienced on both sides of the head.  Moderate physical activity doesn’t intensify the pain, which may be accompanied by mild nausea or visual and auditory sensitivity.

New Daily Persistent Headache

The symptoms of this condition are similar to those of chronic tension headaches, and sometimes also to chronic migraines.  However, the onset of these headaches is unique in that within 3 days of a new headache, these headaches become constant and usually go away on their own in a few months.  Although they are categorized as primary headaches, there is a theory that they may be linked with a virus.

Hemicrania continua

Moderate pain, with spikes in severity, characterizes this condition, which occurs on one side of the head only.  Pain is incessant and may worsen, accompanied by migraine-like symptoms.  This headache is accompanied by eye irritation on the affected side, runny nose and congestion, and drooping eyelid or constricted pupil.

The Mayo Clinic indicates, if you rely on daily pain medication or your pain doesn’t respond to regular doses of over the counter drugs, you should consult with a physician.

So next time you’re in line to get that cup of Joe, know that the folks ahead may not have a migraine, but they also need their P.M. double Espresso!

Photo courtesy © Can Stock Photo www.canstockphoto.com

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You are very likely part of the estimated 90% of the population in the United States who regularly partakes in this psychoactive drug.  Some say it’s the world’s most popular drug.  That’s right…caffeine.  Even if you aren’t a coffee drinker, this central nervous system stimulant known as a chronic migraine trigger, can be found in teas, soft drinks, chocolate and energy drinks.  It’s also an ingredient in various migraine medications and over the counter pain relievers, as it enhances the effectiveness of the other elements.  The Mayo Clinic lists caffeine as a migraine trigger if ingested in large quantities, and the University of Maryland indicates the sudden withdrawal of caffeine as a cause for headaches.  Depending on your sensitivity and personal migraine history, eliminating caffeine could be an effective drug free migraine treatment or migraine trigger.

During a migraine attack, the amount of the brain chemical adenosine is elevated, which causes a dilation or widening of blood vessels.  Adenosine binds to neuroreceptors, which cannot tell the difference between adenosine and caffeine.  So when caffeine is introduced to the chain of biochemical events during a migraine attack, it has the effect of blocking the effects of adenosine, binding to the same neuroreceptors, and constricting the blood vessels, thereby relieving painful symptoms.  For those who are highly sensitive to environmental or physiological triggers, caffeine’s stimulating effects may actually trigger a migraine.  A drug free migraine treatment for these individuals would be the elimination of all caffeine products.

Withdrawal effects of caffeine are often linked to migraines and headaches.  The physical and emotional uplifting qualities of caffeine cause some to gradually increase the amount consumed, in their attempt to self medicate and maintain the feel-good effects from the stimulant.  The University of Maryland Medical Center indicates that sudden change or withdrawal of caffeine consumption allows for increased blood flow to the brain, triggering ‘withdrawal headaches’ or migraines.

To determine the effect caffeine has on your chronic migraine condition, you should maintain a ‘migraine journal’ to look for your symptomatic reactions to caffeine.  If your migraines are triggered, by all means include avoidance of caffeine to your list of drug free migraine treatments.   If you are one of the migraineurs who benefit from regular and moderate amounts of caffeine to manage your pain effectively, you can go ahead and add coffee to your bag of therapies.

Photo courtesy © Can Stock Photo www.canstockphoto.com

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To what lengths would you go for relief from your chronic headache condition?  Your kitchen cupboard, the pharmacy…how about the black market? When Novartis, the maker of popular over the counter headache reliever Excedrin, announced a recall of the drug on January 8 of this year, that’s exactly what chronic migraine sufferers did.  They turned to ‘alternative’ sources, like ebay, willing to pay anything for Excedrin tablets.  For many migraineurs, it’s the only drug, they often swear, that works for them.  Out of desperation they have been paying hugely inflated prices.  According to ABC News, a recent bid for 50 tablets yielded a price of $60, while another seller was offering 100 tablets for a whopping $150.

Novartis has suggested that their products will return to store shelves in the second half of the year, but hasn’t specified which products will be rolled out and when.  The original recall was attributed to defects in packaging, which resulted in various prescription pain pills appearing in the products.  There were no illnesses reported in connection with the recalled products, but that doesn’t mitigate the risks that people are taking by ingesting medication from unauthorized resellers of products on auction sites.

“These medications are being passed on by private individuals, and there’s no control over where that particular medication has been or if there’s been tampering,” Dr. Charles Flippen, a professor of medicine at UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine, told ABC.

So what is the magic elixir in this medication that has driven the intense loyalty among chronic headache sufferers, who are now willing to defy caution and reason while rushing to unscrupulous sources to obtain the elusive drug? The active ingredients in one Excedrin tablet are aspirin, acetaminophen and caffeine.  According to Dr. Joel Saper,  director of the Michigan Headache and Neurological Institute, taking the equivalent individual ingredients, 250 mg of aspirin, 250 mg of acetaminophen (Tylenol) and 65 mg of caffeine (about one cup of coffee) may help just as well.  Generic versions of this combination exist, however some people swear that these do not work as well.

Dr. Saper told ABC News, however, that although Excedrin does in fact work very well for some chronic migraine sufferers, caution must be used to avoid overusing any migraine drugs. “You have to be careful with these drugs. You can get trapped in them. It’s not addictive by its components, but in some cases, the more you take it, the more headaches you have, then the more you take and it may start to actually drive the headaches.”  While Novartis restocks the migraine drug shelves, generics, individual ingredients, alternatives and interventional medicine offer many solutions to migraine symptoms, so you can skip a shopping trip to the ‘black market’.

Photo courtesy © Can Stock Photo www.canstockphoto.com

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Office politics are stressful for anyone, let alone a TV talk-show hostess, caught in the middle and on air, for all of America to see!  It’s the ultimate trigger for a chronic migraine flare-up.  In fact, according to the New York Post, co-host of the popular early morning NBC “Today” show, Savannah Guthrie has been struggling with migraines since starting her new role on the show.  Earlier this month NBC ousted “Today” show co-host and TV veteran Ann Curry, after only one year on the job, and replaced her with Savannah Guthrie.  Due to the pressure of the tensions surrounding her predecessors dismissal, and recent ratings war with ABC’s “Good Morning America”, sources reported that Guthrie has been seeking migraine treatment a couple of times per week.

Conflicting reports from unnamed sources commented on the co-host’s current migraine treatment.  One report states that she has been seeing a doctor twice per week and ordered to wear dark sunglasses to shield her eyes from bright light, a known migraine trigger, when not on set.  A contradictory report states that she hasn’t been seen wearing these glasses. However, both sources agree that she has a history of chronic migraines.  While details of her medical treatment haven’t been released, it is likely, based on reported multiple weekly doctor visits, that she is receiving injections to manage her pain and symptoms.

Along the continuum of migraine treatment, interventional pain management solutions include narcotic and nerve block injections.  Narcotics injected intramuscularly, such as Demerol or Toradol, work by controlling pain.   Whereas nerve blocks, such as Botox, Depomedrone and Sarapin, work by paralyzing nerves transmitting pain signals.  These injections may prove to be helpful in managing the incapacitating symptoms of migraine attacks.  However, for long term benefits lifestyle changes and stress management could go a long way in preventing the frequency or severity of migraine episodes.  For people with chronic migraine, whose symptoms are not managed with conservative prevention, and who are looking for a long term migraine treatment, surgical options such as the Omega procedure or migraine plastic surgery offer excellent outcomes.

So without taking sides in TV’s morning show politics and wars, one thing we can all agree on, is that we are hoping that Savannah Guthrie is feeling better very soon!

Photo Courtesy of www.blog.shankbone.org /David Shankbone

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It makes the whole house smell wonderful when baked in cookies. It’s found in teas, Asian dishes, and in candies…it’s the amazing ginger root!  It is also believed to be a drug free migraine treatment that many chronic migraine sufferers incorporate into their comprehensive migraine treatment plan.

What is it

With historical origins in Asia, India and the Middle East the ginger plant root has long been used in various foods as well as in healing therapies. Its anti-inflammatory properties are believed to help with a variety of conditions from digestive disorders and nausea to arthritis and colic. Ginger root is found in most produce sections of grocery stores.  Usually a brown peel covers the pink or tan, dry and fibrous flesh.

How does it work

A 1990 scientific report, out of the Institute of Biology, Odense University, Denmark, found that ginger might have preventative and abortive effects on migraines by blocking prostaglandins, thought to contribute to migraines.  It is believed that ginger contains anti-inflammatory properties.  The University of Maryland Medical Center suggests important active components of the ginger root are volatile oils and pungent phenol compounds (including gingerols and shogaols).

How do you use it

Ginger is available in various forms: extracts, capsules, oils, powder, dried or fresh.  The best ways to take ginger as a drug free migraine treatment, are steeped in boiling water as a tea, powder, dried as a snack, freshly grated in various dishes, blended into juice, or in supplement form.  If you are hoping to treat chronic migraines, sprinkling some ginger powder in cookie batter or sipping ginger ale, probably isn’t enough to be very effective at all.

Some Things to Consider

The website of the University of Maryland Medical Center indicates that ginger or (zingiber officinale) is an herb that may have migraine benefits, but may have side effects, interact with other supplements, herbs or medications and should be taken under the advice of your health practitioner.  Individuals who are taking blood thinners or have bleeding disorders are especially cautioned to use care with taking ginger. Women who may be pregnant should also avoid ginger.

It seems that science isn’t yet certain of the ginger’s efficacy as a drug free migraine therapy, but if you suffer with chronic migraines, and are looking into trying a new conservative therapy, some gingerbread cookies, ginger ale and stir-fried ginger chicken may at the very least soothe your senses.

Photo courtesy © Can Stock Photo Inc.

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Can you imagine running one of the hottest fashion publications in the nation, in one of the world’s most congested and loud cities for over a decade with chronic migraines?  Well, that is exactly what Kim France, a founder and former editor in chief of Lucky Magazine has valiantly and successfully accomplished.  So it was no surprise when she finally needed a migraine treatment that would help alleviate her battle with this debilitating condition.  In a recent interview with The New York Times, she said she “was suffering from serious, pretty much daily migraine headaches that I had begun to suspect only a pretty profound lifestyle change could improve.”  Several months after leaving her post, she noticed that her headaches had all but disappeared.

If you are suffering with chronic migraines or other headache condition, and suspect your job or lifestyle may be to blame, here are some things to consider about possible environmental migraine triggers:

Pollution

Pollution has been long suspected to be a trigger for migraines and headaches.  Several research studies have confirmed this suspicion.  Among the research, a Chilean study, published in 2009 in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found that elevated levels of pollution at any time during the year were positively linked with migraines.  If finding another job or relocating your business to pristine surroundings isn’t possible consider improving the air quality in your workplace.  When pollution levels are at their highest, make sure to keep windows closed and air conditioning or heating systems on and well maintained with clean filters.

Elevated Noise Levels

Sensitivity to sound is a well-established attribute of migraine sufferers.  Most migraineurs will find solace in a quiet space when in the throes of an attack.  Loud noise from traffic and human congestion may be unavoidable for those who work in big cities.  Keeping windows closed, and drawing noise muffling window treatments will be helpful.  Bringing noise-blocking headphones to work is a great way to transport yourself into a virtual solitary cocoon of silence… That is if your boss and coworkers don’t mind you ‘disappearing’ from the team for a while.

So if switching jobs or moving your company offices to the backwoods or beach isn’t possible, consider trigger avoidance migraine treatments such as minimizing your exposure to pollution and elevated noise levels at your job, to ward off chronic migraine attacks.

The New York Times reported that Ms. France has launched her own fashion and lifestyle blog since leaving her job at Lucky magazine.  Perhaps she has tapped into something all chronic migraine sufferers can learn from.  She is working at a job that she loves, in the controlled environment of her home, which she can modify to accommodate her need for comfort as well as job productivity.  The best migraine treatment after all, is the one that works for you and your unique set of triggers and symptoms.