Living With Migraine And The Search For New Treatments
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-08-16/living-migraine-and-search-new-treatments
For those who suffer from migraine headaches, the pain can be devastating. Intense throbbing and sensitivity to light or sound often keeps people from their normal lives for hours or even days on end. The World Health Organization ranks migraine as one of the most debilitating diseases, and more than 10 percent of the population suffers from it. Yet migraine is not widely understood and is often misdiagnosed. But patients can find relief with the right treatments. As scientists learn more about the cause of migraines, doctors and patients have their sights on better medication. Diane and her guests discuss living with migraines and the search for new treatments.
Guests
Dr. Perry Richardson
neurologist at George Washington University Hospital.
Teri Robert
author of "Living Well With Migraine Disease and Headache."
Dr. David Dodick
neurologist at the Mayo Clinic and chair of the American Migraine Foundation.
Dr. Story Landis
director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health.
Web Extra: Dr. David Dodick Answers Audience Questions
Is there a correlation between migraine and epilepsy? How are migraines diagnosed in children? Dr. David Dodick of the Mayo Clinic responded to these listener questions and more. Some questions have been edited for space and clarity.
Q: Is it common for children to experience migraines during puberty and then grow out of them? -- From Twitter user @A_Fountain
A: Migraine tends to be begin during adolescence, peak in the 20’s-40’s, and diminish thereafter. While the clinical course is highly variable and migraine can go into remission at any time, it is not common for migraine to remit in adolescence. In addition, the predisposition to migraine is believed to be genetic and therefore, the predisposition is lifelong, though for a significant proportion of individuals, the attacks tend to diminish over time.
Q: What is the correlation between stroke, birth control and migraine? -- From Twitter user @MigraineLand
A: The risk of stroke, particularly in women less than age 45, is increased two-fold in those who have migraine with aura. That risk is increased by up to 8-fold in women who have migraine with aura who also use an oral contraceptive pill. This risk is increased even further if the woman smokes. Therefore, all women with migraine with aura should be encouraged to quit smoking (if they smoke). In regards to the oral contraceptive pill, recommendations vary from never using the OCP in a woman with migraine with aura to using if aura is infrequent and limited to visual symptoms only. In general, for those young women with frequent migraine with aura, or aura that is prolonged (lasting longer than 60 minutes), or in those whose aura started or worsened after starting the OCP, it is recommended that alternative means of birth control be explored to minimize the risk of stroke.
Also, please keep in mind that while the relative risk of stroke is increased by a factor of 2 in those with migraine with aura, the baseline risk of stroke in young women without migraine with aura is very low (approximately 4 per 100,000 women). That means that while the risk is double, the risk of stroke is still very small (8 per 100,000 women) and even when the OCP is added, the risk is approximately 60 per 100,000. Those individuals with a family or personal history of blood clotting disorder (deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolus, should certainly avoid the OCP)
Q: Are there any studies that establish a correlation between fibromyalgia and migraines? -- From Twitter user @araaajoooo
A: Yes, fibromyalgia and other chronic pain disorders are considered to be “comorbid” with migraine. That means that they are more often associated with migraine than one would expect to occur by change alone. This is likely due to abnormal function of the internal pain modulating networks in the brain in migraine, and this dysfunction leads migraine sufferers to be susceptible to other chronic pain conditions.
Q: I get cluster headaches which are often mistaken for migraines. Is it because I am female, or are they that similar? -- From Twitter user @MJnTJ
A: Cluster headache does share some features with migraine. For example, cluster headaches are almost always unilateral (migraine is unilateral about 50% of the time), and cluster headaches may be associated with sensitivity to light (photophobia) and noise (phonophobia), and, less commonly, with nausea. However, cluster headache can usually be distinguished easily from migraine because cluster headache is almost always unilateral, side-locked (which means they occur on the same side), last a shorter period of time (30minutes to 3 hours; compared to the 4-72 hours of migraine), are associated with prominent tearing, reddening of the eye and nasal congestion, on the same side as the pain, and patients with cluster often need to pace during an attack while migraine sufferers generally like to be at rest and still. Cluster usually occurs once to three times per day for a period of months and then go into remission for months to years (hence the name cluster). Finally, in those with cluster, attacks that awaken individuals from sleep are very common. While cluster used to be considered a disorder that affected men 20-times more commonly than women, we now know what the ratio is much smaller and while cluster is still more common in men, the ratio is more like 3:1.
Q: Are most migraines onset due to triggers? What are common triggers? -- From Twitter user @JoanneDavidhiza
A: The extent to which triggers are present varies considerably from one individual to another. It is certainly time well invested to keep a diary to determine which triggers may be relevant for you. Common triggers include stress, relief from stress, sleep deprivation, alcohol, certain medications (e.g. nitroglycerin), overuse of analgesics, triptans, narcotics, certain foods (processed meats, aged cheese, monosodium glutamate, aspartame, caffeine), menstruation, exercise, high altitude.
Q: Are the mental health issues mentioned by your guests also a concern for those who have aural migraines? -- From Twitter user @Tom_Godell
A: Yes, the mental health issues are equally a concern for those who have migraine with aura. For those who have chronic migraine (headache more than 15 days per month), mental health issues are even more common. Rates of depression and anxiety for example are higher in chronic migraine sufferers than in those with episodic migraine (less than 15 headache days per month). This association is very likely due to similar underlying biology – in other words, the altered chemistry in the brain in depression and anxiety may be similar in some ways to migraine. This may explain in part why some antidepressants are effective for the prevention of migraine.
Q: Is there a comorbidity or other correlation between migraine and epilepsy? -- From Twitter user @MmrghHmph
A: Yes, migraine sufferers are twice as likely to experience epilepsy and vice-versa. This is very likely due to a similar underlying biology. In other words, epilepsy and migraine are both due to abnormally excitable brain cells and networks in the brain. And, in fact, several of the most effective medications for the prevention of migraine are antiepileptic drugs.
Q: What research is being done regarding long term impact of migraine on the brain and long term (20+ years) exposure to daily meds? -- From Twitter user @nikki_d
A: There have been a number of studies that have evaluated the long-term neurological effects of migraine, particularly with respect to cognitive function. A very recent and large study that evaluated over 6,300 women over the age of 65 at the time of the evaluation, and who had migraine with and without aura throughout their lives, found that cognitive decline was no more significant or rapid in those with migraine (with or without aura) compared to those without migraine. However, there is evidence that migraine sufferers are at an increased risk of stroke and brain lesions, particular those with migraine with aura. These individuals are at double the risk of stroke and up to 15-times more likely to develop brain lesions. It is not clear whether these lesions have an effect on these particular migraine sufferers over time compared to those without these lesions.
With regard to the long-term effects of migraine medications that are taken daily, while there are adverse effects associated with all medications, and the type and severity of adverse effects vary between patients and depending on the particular medication, there is no definitive evidence that there are serious long-term effects of preventive migraine medications taken daily for migraine. All of the preventive drugs taken for migraine are used long-term for other disorders such as epilepsy, depression, high blood pressure, and other disorders, so there is extensive evidence that the long-term effects of these medications taken for other purposes appear to be relatively safe long-term.
Q: Biofeedback machines, watching my state of mind and breathing techniques changed my migraines substantially. I had been a serious sufferer from 12 until 21 years old and still get them, but not nearly as often. Please discuss application of meditation and breathing techniques. Was this my imagination? -- From Facebook user Kathleen Galt
A: Biofeedback has been demonstrated to be effective and is recommended for the preventive treatment of migraine. By becoming aware of your body’s automatic responses to pain and stress, and learning to control those responses, some individuals are able to lessen your pain. Biofeedback monitors and measures your body’s involuntary physical responses to pain and stress, such as breathing patterns, heart rate, body temperature, and muscle tension. The monitors provide feedback to the patient during a session and with this information, individuals can better understand how their body reacts in certain situations and how they can modify these responses to reduce pain. These techniques are felt to exert control over the autonomic (‘involuntary’) nervous system and engage the internal pain modulation system in the brain and in these, and potentially other ways, have a positive impact on migraine.
Q: Is there any relationship between the brain disorder that causes migraines and trigeminal neuralgia? -- From Facebook user Donna Mitchell MacKinney
A: No, trigeminal neuralgia and migraine are felt to be distinctly different disorders. They each have a unique biology and are treated differently.
Q: I was wondering if you can have migraines that do not manifest as headaches? I had ear pains that literally gave me vertigo so bad that I had to use my medical leave. We were never able to figure out what caused the ear pain. -- From Facebook user Valerie Garza Estes
A: Migraine is a neurological disorder that can cause a wide variety of different symptoms, of which headache is one. However, other symptoms of migraine may appear without pain. In particular, the aura of migraine (e.g. visual disturbance may occur without pain), vertigo, and other symptoms may occur in the absence of headache. In children, abdominal pain, vomiting, and other symptoms may also occur in the absence of pain. The presence of ear (especially inner ear pain) with vertigo may be due to disorders other than migraine.
Q: I have suffered for over 30 years and now I am getting nocturnal migraines. Any idea why they are happening while I am sleeping? I have also suffered two episodes of cluster headaches in 1990 and 1996. Any input on what could have triggered my cluster headaches? -- From Facebook user Chris DeBottis
A: It's very common for cluster headache to occur during sleep and in fact, its also common for migraine to occur during sleep or upon awakening. While sleep sometimes provides relief of migraine, it can also sometimes trigger migraine. This may be due to inactivation of certain regions in the brain that may lead to activation of the pain pathways and other brain networks involved in generating a migraine attack. One should also beware that there may be sleep disordered breathing (sleep apnea), elevated blood pressure during sleep, and other disorders that can either trigger cluster headache or migraine during sleep. If patients whose attacks begin to occur during sleep, or occur exclusively or predominantly during sleep, a sleep evaluation, sometimes with overnight sleep studies (polysomnography) is recommended.
Q: My 5-year-old son has been suffering from weekly headaches for just over a year. They can be debilitating if we don't treat them with Tylenol or Ibuprofen immediately. His pediatrician has prescribed Periactin nightly. How are migraines diagnosed in children, and is there more we could be doing? -- From Marla via Website
A: Migraine is a clinical diagnosis, based on characteristics of the headache and associated symptoms. In other words, there is no blood test, x-ray, or brain scan that can make the diagnosis of migraine. These tests are used to exclude other disorders that can mimic migraine. While there may be some differences between migraine in children and adults (e.g headache may lasts shorter period of time), in general, the attacks are similar. Cyproheptadine (Periactin) is a commonly prescribed medication used in children to prevent attacks. There are a variety of treatment options, both pharmacological (drug) and non-drug treatments that can be used to effectively manage migraine in children. For those children who do are not responding to conventional treatment, and who are suffering from frequent and disabling headaches, one could consider a referral to a pediatric migraine specialist.
Q: I've heard that migraines are also associated with a higher incident of stroke. Does the latest research, which moves the disease from the vascular space to the neurological space, support that? -- From acdames via Website
A: Yes, there is now considerable evidence that women who have migraine with aura are at an increased risk of stroke. Even though the migraine aura and the migraine headache is now not considered to be due to constriction and dilation o f blood vessels, migraine may be triggered in some patients by alterations within the brain blood vessels (e.g. reduced blood flow, particles in the blood). Also, during migraine attacks, there may be secondary changes in the blood vessels that affect blood flow and increase the risk of stroke. For example, during migraine with aura attacks, there may be a reduction in brain blood flow as a result of changes in brain activity. Also, individuals with migraine, especially with aura, are also at an increased risk for other disorders (patent foramen ovale, arterial dissection) that may increase the risk of stroke.
Q: Could there be a correlation between gastrointestinal diseases and migraine headaches? You discussed in detail on the show the numerous neurological conditions that have a strong relationship to migraines, but is there any research being done about possible relationships between Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and migraines? -- From Schandra via Website
A: There is evidence of a relationship between migraine and irritable bowel syndrome. There is also evidence that gastric stasis (reduced movement or motility of the stomach) may be present during and in between migraine attacks. However, there is not yet convincing evidence that migraine is related to or more commonly associated with inflammatory bowel disorders that would occur by chance.
Q: What is the difference between migraine and Benign Paroxysmal Vertigo syndrome? If you have BPVS, will you become a migraine sufferer? -- From Facebook user Deborah Couch
A: Benign Paroxysmal Positioning Vertigo (BPPV) is an inner ear disorder and unrelated to migraine. However, paroxysmal vertigo (episodes of vertigo) may occur in association with migraine attacks, whether or not the migraine attack is accompanied by the headache. This has been termed migraine associated vertigo or vestibular migraine. In fact, in young women, migraine is one of the most common causes of unexplained episodes of vertigo.
Q: While going through peri-menopause, I started suffering from the most painful headaches that often came in the middle of the night and often induced vomiting. Is there a link between migraine and menopause? I have a younger sister who is now going through the same symptoms I had at about the same time in her life. -- From Facebook user Candy Allen-Smith
A: Yes, migraine is often affected by changes in hormonal cycles in women. For example, the onset of menstruation during adolescence, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, hormone replacement therapy, oral contraceptive therapy, and menopause all may have a dramatic effect of migraine. However, there is considerable variation in the effect of each of these periods, including menopause, among individuals. Certainly, a significant number of women improve after menopause, but a substantial number of women worsen while going through menopause. The effect of fluctuating levels of female hormones during menopause appear to have an effect on the excitability of brain networks, including pain systems, that may adversely effect women with migraine and those genetically susceptible to migraine.
Q: Are ocular migraines related in any way to migraine headaches? Are they connected to any type of brain disorder, or something completely different? -- From Facebook user Suzanne Rose
A: The formal or accurate term for “Ocular migraine” is migraine aura without headache. The visual symptoms experienced by these individuals is the same as those who experience the visual symptoms associated with the headache. One can think of the visual symptoms and the headache as two of many symptoms of the migraine attack. Sometimes they occur together, sometimes they occur in isolation.
Q: I have had dizzy spells for months, which some doctors think are related to migraine. I have tried physical therapy with mixed success to "retrain" the brain. Do you think this approach makes sense? -- From Facebook user Barbara Carney-Coston
A: Yes, vestibular rehabilitation therapy is recommended for those with vesibular symtoms, whether related or unrelated to migraine. There are other potential approaches to treatment as well, and guidance from a neuro-otologist or migraine specialist may be useful if you do not make progress with physical/vestibular therapy.
Q: I still get the visual auras and as my migraines became less [severe], I began to have acute tinnitus. Is there a connection between tinnitus and migraines? I am 63. -- From Facebook user Virginia Ann Ullrich-Serna
A: Yes, there appears to be a relationship between tinnitus and migraine. A number of migraine sufferers report tinnitus during migraine attacks. However, age-related tinnitus can have other causes as well, the most common of which is sensori-neural hearing loss.
Q: I think I have visual migraine when I exercise vigorously or I'm dehydrated. I have jagged lines in my field of vision, but no pain or sensitivity. It happens one or two times a year. Is that a migraine? -- From Facebook user Janie Moretz
A: Yes, that is a migraine aura without headache. It has the same underlying biology as when these symptoms are associated with headache.
Q: My migraines seem to be triggered by hormones and seem to be getting worse as I approach menopause (I'm 45). Are there different approaches for hormonally-triggered migraines? Can I expect some relief after I go through menopause? -- From Facebook user Lisa Tait
A: As noted above, migraine may worsen while individuals are progressing through menopause and may improve after menopause. This of course is not true for all. While treatment approaches may be the same as for migraine that is not associated with hormonal changes, there may be very specific strategies for treatment that include hormonal replacement therapy. It is highly advisable however that you enlist your doctor’s advice and guidance regarding the pros and cons of hormonal therapy.
Q: Has marijuana shown any promise as a treatment for migraines? -- From Facebook user Lionel Hubbs
A: There is no evidence to support the use of marijuana for the treatment of migraine.
Q: If as much as 10% of the population suffers from migraines, why does the medical community lack basic knowledge of common symptoms and treatments? What will it take to put migraines on doctors' radars? -- From Erin via Website
A: That is an excellent question but complex to answer. A misunderstanding of the biological nature of migraine for centuries, an underestimation of the impact and suffering experienced by a substantial number of individuals with migraine, and the lack of education in undergraduate and post-graduate medical education of physicians and health care providers are certainly leading reasons. It’s also true that it takes approximately 15 years for advances in medical knowledge to make it into clinical practice. With the emergence of the internet and direct-to-consumer advertising, patients have and will continue to become more empowered and engaged in the management of their illness, and seek the most appropriate medical care for their condition. Also, as medicine moves toward reimbursement (“pay”) for performance rather than “pay-for-service”, physicians and health care providers will need to integrate evidence-based guidelines and best practices to ensure optimal patient outcomes.
Comments
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I have suffered migraines with aura since I was 3 and do not respond well to triptan drugs. I have heard that there is a new ergotamine drug getting ready to come out but that it has been delayed in FDA approval. Could your guests comment on whether they know anything about this? Thanks so much for the show!
Sharon and others have you read Dr. Bucholz's book on triggers? Worth reading. Sure wish they would talk about other ways to deal with migraines besides more drugs which of course are necessary. Serious when I said earlier that breathing techniques and other meditation techniques helped me cut off migraines off at the pass when I would catch them in the early stage auras, loss of vision etc. Could stop the vomiting, pounding through sitting and using breathing techniques. Really worked. Wish they would talk about any research done on these uses?
My mother and I have had headaches/migraines for many years. I've also been diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia, but over the past couple of years became addicted to hydrocodone, which seemed to help my pain. I completely stopped the pain meds, which was a horrible experience, and now am not taking anything for the pain. I have tried imitrex and zomig in the past with no results. I have been to the emergency room a few times with the pain, where they give me either a shot of torridol or a vicodin, which helps for a couple of hours. I had a hysterectomy (kept my ovaries) at age 34, have had breast cancer twice, and now have daily headaches (4 or more hours), sinus pain, sensitivity to light and noise, but also to hot temperatures. I have trouble with concentration, memory, and sleep (for which I now take ambien cr)....never thought those were migraine related! I am 46 now, and feel like my life is wasting away from inactivity due to my physical and mental condition...I also have been diagnosed with dysthemia (3 major depressive episodes), and increasing anxiety as I get older. My questions are 1) does having TN make migraines more frequent or worsen, and 2) does the sensitivity to light and sound increase anxiety? Thank you for this show, its very helpful.
I had my first attack around the age of 44, during a time of extreme stress, and the migraine lasted for days. It was the only time I ever threw up during a migraine.
Subsequently, a neurologist diagnosed migraine because, he said, he had eliminated everything else.
Eventually, I learned to live with them and they grew shorter and more manageable. They nearly always present themselves right-sided, centering in my ear--very infrequently one will develop in my left ear. There is no aura, but I get a feeling something like a catch in my ear and I know one is coming on. They most frequently occur now in the middle of the night or on first awakening.
They are very manipulatable; I can self-induce by handling my ear too roughly during bathing or when washing my hair. I try to avoid driving, as it is very painful to turn my head in the direction of the migraine. However, I discovered early on that one treatment nearly always works for me: heat. The affected ear is very susceptible to cold, so I stumbled onto using a heating pad, held at the base of my skull and wrapped around the migraine ear. This, combined with lying quietly in a dark room, preferably taking a short nap, will take care of the migraine nearly every time.
I have high blood pressure and Verapamil was prescribed early on as a treatment, which is probably why my migraines are so manageable now. Before that I was briefly prescribed amitriptyline, which caused me to be so sleepy I had trouble waking on time, even though the dosage was extremely small. Happily, Verapamil and heat have consistently worked for me, and my migraines now are merely a nuisance, not debilitating. Incidentally, I remember my father used to have what he called sick headaches when I was a child and which I now realize were probably migraines.
Thanks for a great show,
Portia McCracken
Is there any evidence at use of tryptans more than three times a week causes rebound?
I am on depakote but have headaches almost every othe day
Amecrge works great but I fear I am having rebound taking this so often
Thanks!!!
Kendall
Hemiplegic Migraine: This has not been mentioned this morning. I have these. Sudden stroke like symptoms on the right side of body. First numbness in the right corner of my mouth, followed by dizzyness, then sudden weakness in the right arm followed by the right leg. After sitting for a few minutes - not more than 5 min, the symptoms disappear completely with no after effects. At first it was thought I has a TIA, but after several of these, and landing in the hospital and undergoing an very large and intensive number of tests - nothing was found at all. On summary, I was diagnosed with hemiplegic migraine. After a period of about 3 months, these have passed completely. I had severe migraines as a teenager. But they disappeared in adulthood, and to this day I don't have headaches - except for this that has taken place this year. And I have never had pain or aura with this. Only one doctor that I saw knew anything about this. Any comments would be appreciated.
My wife and are both 51.
1) I formerly suffered from occasional migraines, but they seem to have been replaced by periods of Vertigo. Are they related?
2) My wife is suffering migraine episodes much more frequently. Does menopause have a deleterious effect on migraines, making them more frequent? If so, how best to manage?
Thanks
Bob
Jacksonville, Florida
Dr. Dodick. Not to knock these important new drug discoveries for migraines sufferers But could you please address my earlier questions about any research into breathing and meditation techniques that help with migraines. I am a believer. I was a serious sufferer from age 13 to 21 when I worked with a psychologist and bio feed back. Would use particular breathing techniques to slow my system down when the triggers would appear (aura, loss of peripheral vision) could not catch it if vomiting set in then the horrendous pounding. But really believe these breathing and meditation techniques work if early triggers are paid attention to. Any research on this way of dealing with migraines?
Also started drinking small amounts of caffeine at this age. Small amounts. Seems to help
A question for the Doctor:
I have a migraine, at least, 2 or 3 times monthly. It has changed my life, caused malaise, mental disorientation. I am a writer, so, my life has been cordoned off into blocks. I can focus for periods of time and that's it. My migraine begins with a strange emotional detachment and then my stomach distends. It's almost like it's filled with air. Doesn't matter what I eat, if I don't eat at all, doesn't matter. The show helped, I can now understand it as my homeostasis has been imbalanced. Have you heard of a migraine stomach inflammation connection? Can you recommend doctors in the NYC area? Thank you, so much for all of the work that you are doing!
Tanya
Dr. Cooper is also my dr. He is an awesome neurologist! It took me 4yrs. to find him. I would recommend him to everyone. I have been going to him for 9yrs. He has helped significantly. I have faith that if there is a solution to your husbands headaches he will find it! Good luck :)
I have a question: is migraine related to seizure disorders? I have heard this correlation made before. My grandmother has seizures which are controlled by Dilantin. I have had migraines with aura since approximately age 14, and now my three daughters have begun to experience them, ages 14, 10 and 20. Is it reasonable to assume that our migraines are our form of "seizure"?
Thank you,
Cara Randall
I suffer from cluster headaches, but they are often mistaken for migraines when I go to urgent care/ER (happens often because no meds have worked yet). Do you think they assume I have a migraine because I am female or are the two headaches that similar? I don't have light sensitivity. I get the pain on one side, most sharply behind my eye and at the temple. I get do get nausea. I also get stuffy nose on the headache side, watery eye on the headache side, difficulty thinking, focusing, communicating, and slight face numbness on headache side.
I too have migraines which appear to be hereditary. I also would like to know if having had a concussion, possibly 2, at a young age made me more susceptable to this illness? Thank you so much for covering this topic. It gave me great relief to know that I am not making it up, or it is "all in my head!" I have great hope that research and knowledge will increase in this area leading to cures.
Dr. Dodick: Can you tell me if there is any relationship between migraines and Menieures disease? I have both and feel some commonality of symptoms. Does this require a different approach?
Where do you suggest in Washington for treatment; is NIH doing anything on this?
Painfully yours,
Jane Scully
I began getting migraines in my 40s with the episodes intensifying in frequency after menopause several years later. My current regimen includes a daily preventive along with nutritional supplements. I take triptans as needed. How unusual is it for migraines to begin near menopause and to continue thereafter?
Good morning Diane & guests,
I suffered with migraines through my 20's and early 30's, and of note, my father suffered with them as well. My headaches always affected the left side of my head and face,
(as did my father's) with the common symptoms of aura, nausea/vomiting, extreme photophobia and the near incapacitation that affects so many sufferers. My headaches were so severe, I honestly felt like I had a brain tumor. I had been treated with Cafergot; Verapamil; Tramadol and Imitrix (which I had a severe allergic reaction to).
In desperation, I sought out a Neurologist I knew on staff at the military hospital we both worked in. He recommended a significant change in diet and two excellent books, one of which a physician friend of his had written, which were very informative and helpful. I immediately began the dietary changes and have avoided caffeine in any forms; dark chocolate; aged meats/cheeses; sulfites/nitrites and MSG for over 25 years. I have been migraine free the entire time and to me, the sacrifices were well worth getting my life back. I would love to recommend the books, but I loaned them to other migraine sufferers, and unfortunately, they were not returned. I too, believe there are environmental connections in addition to prevalence in women (hormonal connections),
but it costs very little to make the dietary changes. Of course, please see a medical professional first, for appropriate testing to ensure there is no underlying condition, and for guidance in treatment. It may drastically improve the quality of your life! Thank you kindly for great coverage on a medical condition that is too often, overlooked.
Several family members suffer from migraines. My son has epilepsy & niece & nephew have MS. My mother & her mother had strokes. Are these things somehow connected? Could these be related/ inherited? Or an increased chance.
Childhood friend of my wife's has tried all kinds of medications for her migraines, nothing worked until she tried marijhuana, one puff stops the migraine when she feels it coming on. Also have a friend who started gluten free diet, stopped her migraines.
I too have been having debilitating vertigo lately. My neurologist had a MRA performed (similar to a MRI only it looks at the veins). Yes! they are definetely related. Good Luck!
Acdames the stats that they reported on migraine sufferers chances of stroke etc being much higher than non migraine sufferers was astounding. Going to listen to the show or read the transcript again. Lots of information in this show. And when you read the comment page one's heart goes out to all. Big topic, serious pain. Remember wanting to just jump off a bridge to stop the pain as a young person as a sufferer. Again mine have been curbed and now only basically a memory of excruciating pain. So much to learn from listening again and people sharing their stories and help they have discovered. Best to all. I still encourage trying meditation and breathing techniques when you notice the triggers coming on. But drugs are certainly important life and sanity savers
My plea is to PARENTS out there: if you have a child with headaches, get it addressed ASAP! One thing I had to learn as an adult with children that have headaches: headaches are NOT normal. If your child even has ONE HEADACHE A WEEK, that's too many!
I'm 35 years old but started having headaches when I was 4 or 5. By the time I was 13, my headaches were so chronic that I had no idea what it was like NOT to have a headache. My parents took me to doctors, but it was much harder to address by that time (and honestly, the doctors didn't believe I could have headaches 24-7).
If your child goes without treatment, headaches will likely get worse and more frequent, becoming chronic in the technical sense or even absolutely chronic as it did for me. It's no way to live!!!
In the case of my 9-y-o son, a trip to a pediatric neurologist who prescribed a low-level antihistamine called cyproheptadine has helped tremendously. Claritin helps my 5-y-o daughter.
As for me, after many years, many doctors, and many medications, I only started feeling relief after about a year of upper cervical chiropractics. I still have headaches most of the time, but at least I am without one here and there. I don't want this life for my kids, and I know you don't want it for yours.
Please listen to your children when they have pain, and do whatever you can to get help. Headaches are not normal for kids!
So sorry for all of us who suffer so. I've had Migraine fro over 40 years. Been trough many treatments. Had 3 months of Botox shots (35 to the head)...lost it's effectiveness. Back up to 14 or more a month with 4 being #10's (eek!) Then started a cource of Nurontin (Nerve Pain) now Dr. has put me on Tizanidine. I start next week. Fingers Crossed.
I suffered from common migraines for over 20 years starting at age 45. I read everything I could find on migraines and tried everything reccommended including diet charts, eating for my blood type, supplements and drugs. I too had a mini-stroke and after researching, came to the conclussion that it was caused by a migraine, called a MIA.
I finally decided to try a gallbladder flush, and to my amazment, after doing 3 of them a few months apart, I do not get any more migraines.
I never hear people talk of a gallbladder flush as a solution. I tried it because I often got my migraines at 3 o'clock in the morning which, I read on the Internet, pointed to gallbladder problems.
I hope my experience will help other people with migraines.
Thank you
Hang in there Tanya. I've been in the same spot as you...still trying to live, work. If it helps...you're not alone.
My husband and I listened to the entire program waiting for mention of cluster headaches, which finally came at the very end of the show saying brain surgery has been tried but less invasive methods are under study (or something like that). My husband had episodic headaches since childhood that developed into classic cluster headaches at around 40 years old. Dr. Saper in Ann Arbor MI treated him. My husband is a recovering alcoholic. He quit drinking but the clusters returned about once a year, lasting about 3 months. He quit smoking for maybe a year, then started again and the headaches returned. Dr. Saper said he wouldn't treat him unless he quit smoking. He quit, and he has never had a cluster since (about 25 years). However, our son (37), even knowing his dad's history, has not quit smoking and has clusters with a slightly different profile -- but very similar. He can't afford insurance (w/preexisting condition) so uses oxygen for a quick fix in mid-headache and occasionally gets Verapamil prescription. I'm anxious to know what is new in the study of cluster headaches. 25 years ago we were told they are NOT migraines. Has that changed?
I don't know why no one mentioned Feverfew. I used to have regular migraines with auras during times of stress, going back to the 1970's. I began taking one capsule of Feverfew herb every day since 2009, and I've only had one or two mild migraines since. It's commonly available and affordable.
Are there any recommendations for a woman either pregnant or trying to conceive who has chronic migraines, both in terms of prevention and pain medication (there's one ruled out for me because of low blood pressure)? Also, my doctor thinks that Cambia (or the generic pill diclofenac) might be safe, at least in the first couple of trimesters. Do you know about this drug? Thanks!
The show was very interesting for me. After suffering chronic migraines, multiple migraines per day every day for more than 50 years, I was referred to a doctor in the Dept of Neurology at Georgetown Univ. I had tried virtually all drugs and therapies and gone to specialized headache specialists and clinics.
The doctor at GU, who is no longer there, put me on Namenda and after several weeks, my migraines have virtually disappeared for the last three years. How come I don’t hear more about this drug for prophylaxis of migraine? I now can’t find any doctors who even know anything about its use for migraines and whether there are any long term dangers, etc.
Can you enlighten me on how this drug may work, it’s possible disadvantages and what the likelihood is that this drug will continue to be available in the future since it appears to not be very effective for Alz for which it is prescribed. I’m concerned that it may no longer be manufactured.
Have you had any experience with it?
Thanks very much!!!
Dave M.
Migraine Headaches; are indirectly caused by the individual’s lifestyle;
Two things contribute to ones migraines. The first is diet. Diets are either to weak insufficient to provide the necessary balanced nutrition for the expenditure of energy by the individual. The second is the excessive physical activity, mind boggling, because the body does not have time to perform its necessary ablutions in a 24 hour day.
Hence, stress may be a symptom of a deficiency in the two symptoms list above. Balance is obviously out of order ?
Most of all remember it is the indirect cause, not the visual pain experienced in the brain . . . about migraines. It is usually something within the flora of the stomach and or the subjective cause about something the individual practices, which directly is influencing mind’s complaint.
Extraordinary emphasis, worry, pressure from induces outside influences, not normal to the five senses (the objective) are also causes. The headache, some as bad as migraines . . . is little more than a sever mind’s means of objecting to its own system of handling “out of this world” information, it cannot comprehend. In other words, “forced concentration totally without reason” the mind is objecting.
The 24 hour period of rest every day is the time for average stuff to be processed by minds in Brains. When that system of routine is broken into, and never quite allowed to find its peace on it own accord, then minds bulks and bam! Headache.
Thank You
E. A. Dellinger
Menstroika: A Foundation of Insight
I had experience, diagnosed as TIA: tried to read book I had been reading, and could not. Tried to tell my husband, and could hear these were not the words I was trying to say. Laughed because they were so "goofy." Husband said "It sounds like you're having a stroke," so I quit laughing. Symptoms went away pretty quickly. No trouble walking etc. About an hour later I had the usual migraine aura I have gotten so often before life-long migraines. All tests were negative: no blood clots in brain, neck, around heart,etc. But being diagnosed as TIA meant I am classified as having "heart trouble." I think now it was not a TIA. Before, I was taking "sniffer" dose of sumatriptan, which warded off severe headaches, but still felt "headachey", mild nausea, sensative to sound, smells & light. When we had our own business & I had severe stress, had migraines 3 to 4 times every week. But had to keep working (when your name is on the store, you get to work a lot more!) Now, post-menopausal & retired, I no longer have headaches! Occasional aura, but not followed by headache. Life is good!