Posts Tagged ‘Curt Hendrix’

Medication Overuse Headache- (MOH) - A big dilemma.

The following comment is from Stephen Silberstein, M.D.,  director of the Jefferson Headache Center and professor of neurology, Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia

“One of the greatest bugaboos we see every day in headache centers is patients with chronic daily or near-daily headache, who are overusing medication. It is our most common problem. These patients have often not responded to treatment and in an attempt to treat themselves, actually make the problem worse. This is not addiction or an attempt to get ‘high’; rather, it is motivated by the patient’s desire to relieve pain and dysfunction. Migraine preventive therapy is grossly underused.”

Do you find yourself taking more and more medications to try to keep your migraines/headaches under control? Do you find that one or two days after taking your medications that your headaches return?  Do you use more than three triptan drugs a week?  Are you taking OTC drugs 15 days or more out of every month?

If your answer to any of the above questions is “YES”, then you may very well be suffering from Medication-Over-Use-Headaches.  The drugs you are taking are actually causing you to experience more headaches, even if they temporarily help the headache at hand.

Triptans, ergot drugs, opiates (morphine, codeine, meperidine (Demerol), oxycodone (Oxycontin) (Butorphanol) and OTC pain pills can all cause medication over-use headaches (MOH). If people use 3 or more triptans a week they will probably get rebounds, the same for opiates and if they are using Excedrin or other OTC pain pills 12-15 days a month or more, they will definitely get rebound headaches as well.

TIME TO DETOX

Research has shown that withdrawing (detoxing) from these drugs can in many cases reduce the total number of headaches you experience as well as the intensity of those headaches.  Withdrawal is not easy and the symptoms of withdrawal can be challenging, but the results are definitely worth it for most sufferers.

For triptans, the detox period during which there may be withdrawal symptoms, like continuing headaches, nausea, vomiting, and disrupted sleep will last about 4-5 days on average. 

The symptoms may last up to 8-10 days for withdrawing from opiates, ergots or OTC drugs.

The literature and research states that it is important to start taking a preventive treatment product prior to or at the same time you start the detox program. (see www.MIGRELIEF.COM) We recommend starting MigreLief one week before withdrawing from the drug that is being over-used.

There seems to be little difference in the ultimate results and success whether people withdraw “cold turkey” or gradually.

Keep a rescue pain medication available that is different from the medication that has been over-used, for emergency situations, only!

So if you are withdrawing from triptans or opiates, keep ibuprofen or Excedrine Migraine available, BUT JUST FOR EMERGENCIES WHERE THE PAIN CAN NO LONGER BE TOLERATED.  USE THE RESCUE MEDICATION VERY SPARINGLY; YOU DON’T WANT TO SWITCH FROM OVER-USING ONE DRUG FOR A NEW ONE. (THAT WILL GET YOU NO WHERE!).

If withdrawing from OTC medications, keep a triptan or opiate drug available for an emergency rescue situation only. 

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO STAY VERY WELL HYDRATED. DRINK AS MUCH WATER AS POSSIBLE.

At the end of 5-10 days, depending upon what medication you are withdrawing from, you should find that your rebound headaches have significantly diminished or disappeared.

Your use of the offending medication should be either eliminated or substantially reduced.  Be sure to keep taking MigreLief daily because preventive products are very important to the success of this program.  Continue to take  MigreLief to maintain the benefits you have achieved.  

45% OF SUFFERERS WHO GO THROUGH THIS PROCEDURE MAY RELAPSE.  IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE USE OF THE PREVENTIVE AND KEEP THE USE OF RESCUE MEDICATIONS TO AN ABSOLUTE MINIMUM TO PREVENT RELAPSE.

To the Best of Health,

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

The brain of migraineurs likes consistency. Many factors change with the seasons and influence migraines.   Changes in sleep patterns, light, air-pressure, temperature, humidity, and fragrances, can all increase the the frequency and tendency of migraines.

Beware of hotter days. A team of researchers at Harvard found that an increase in temperatures occurred 24 hours before increases in admissions to emergency rooms for treatment of migraines.   There is not much a patient can do to control the weather or avoid warm temperatures or changes in barometric pressure, therefore it is important to be vigilant about managing other triggers such as sleep and diet.  Avoid well known food triggers, and drastic changes in your sleep pattern if you can.  It  is also very important to stay well hydrated and to avoid strenuous outdoor activities or exercise during times of the day when it’s excessively warm or humid.

Spring is allergy season, and for many people sinus or allergy headaches can lead to migraines.

Tips to avoid “Spring” migraines:

1.  To avoid airborne allergens in your home, clean or change A/C filters
2.  If you are allergy prone, make sure your allergy meds are handy.
3.  With higher temperature, dehydration occurs even if we don’t feel dehydrated. Dehydration is a big cause of migraines. Drink lots of water

4. Stick with a sleep schedule, try to got to bed at the same time as much as possible and determine what number of hours is best for you. Both too little and too much sleep can increase migraine risk.

5. Light (photophobia) is a major contributor to migraine risk. Purchase a polarized, high grade pair of sunglasses and wear a hat with a brim to keep out even more light.

6. Be careful of new fragrances that you introduce not only in perfumes but moisturizers as well.

Follow these tips, use your Migrelief and enjoy the fun and beauty of Spring.

To the Best of Health,

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

Related Article – “The Anti-Migraine Diet”

FDA Warns on Mixing Antidepressants with Migraine Drugs (First released in 2010)

ROCKVILLE, Md., July 20 — Mixing common migraine drugs with antidepressants can trigger a life-threatening condition called serotonin-syndrome, the FDA has warned.

Serotonin-syndrome is characterized by rapid heart beat, sudden changes in blood pressure, and increased body temperature. Other symptoms include restlessness, hallucinations, loss of coordination, overactive reflexes, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Options successful at preventing the occurrence of migraines would decrease the risk described above in patients taking anti-depressant and experiencing migraines.  

For warning signs of serotonin syndrome and more info on Anti-depressants and migraine drugs click on the link at the end of this article.  For information on your natural migraine control option recommended by doctors, neurologists and pharmacists, go to  www.MigreLief.com

MigreLief is a dietary supplement for the nutritional support of cerebrovascular function in migraine sufferers age 2 years and above.

RELATED ARTICLE:  ANTI-DEPRESSANTS AND MIGRAINES – A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS COMBINATION!   Symptoms of Serotonin Syndrome etc…

For most chronic migraine sufferers, trying to control and/or eliminate their almost daily migraines seems like “Mission Impossible”.  But with MigreLief, it’s ‘mission accomplished’ for literally tens of thousands of chronic migraine sufferers.

Living a life of consistently taking pain relievers for you migraines, is tantamount to giving up on the idea of stopping your migraines before they start.  With MigreLief this is now possible, as user after user report both on our site (www.migrelief.com/testimonials) and on our Facebook page.

By correcting 3 of the major changes that occur in migraine sufferers and not in people without migraines, MigreLief maintains normal brain function that is necessary to avoid migraines from starting.

MigreLief corrects:

1-      Cellular energy deficiencies that occur in chronic migraine sufferers.

2-      Prevents excessive platelet clumping, which causes arteries to expand and trigger nerve pain.

3-      Keeps arteries from spasming.

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to try MigreLief for 90 days and learn that no matter what you have tried in the past MigreLief makes taking control over your migraines…MISSION POSSIBLE.

A new study published in the July issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, confirmed the findings of a smaller study published last year that revealed that women diagnosed with migraines had a 26 percent lower risk of breast cancer than women who did not suffer from migraines.

The reduction in breast cancer risk applied pretty much across the board:

• ·        Whether or not the women were pre or post menopausal
• ·        Regardless of the medications they took
• ·        Regardless of the age at which they were diagnosed
• ·        Regardless of which migraine triggers they tried to avoid

Though it is known that both breast cancer and migraines have hormonal factors that are involved in their etiology, the researchers could not explain why having migraines would decrease the risk of getting breast cancer.

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

A recently published study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that rates of obesity are 33% less in people who smoke marijuana at least three times a week compared to non-smokers of marijuana.

The reporting of this study made me smile.  First of all, don’t people who smoke marijuana get the munchies and wouldn’t that make them susceptible to weight-gain not weight-loss?

In fact, cannabis (marijuana) is given to cancer patients to help to increase their appetites. So, it is unclear as to why frequent smokers of marijuana are less obese than non-smokers.

One theory is that replacing what may be a compulsive habit of eating too much with pot smoking, may be the reason frequent pot smokers tend to be less obese.

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

As women approach menopause, some are not plagued with the well know symptoms of hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, poor sleep, excitability, depression, poor concentration, fatigue, and some are to the point of distraction.

All of the symptoms are caused, at least in part, by the hormonal changes that are occurring during this phase of a woman’s life.

To deal with these problems many women’s physicians suggest going on hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
It is well known that HRT increases the risk of blood clots, strokes, and various cancers like breast, ovarian and uterine. Therefore, there is little to lose and much to gain by first trying natural alternatives that are supported by clinical evidence, before running the risks associated with HRT.

The natural medicines that seem to work best for many women are:

Black Cohosh 20 mg twice per day
Chaste Tree Extract 400 mg/day
Fermented Soy Foods – i.e. Tempeh, Miso, Natto. ( I am not in favor of soymilk, soy protein, or pill forms of soy isoflavones) *
Vitamin E succinate 800 IU per day
Maca – 2000 mg/day

Best of Health,

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

*Read about the possible dangers of consuming non-fermented soy products – Dr. Kaayla Daniel, author of The Whole Soy Story

FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW TO LEARN ABOUT MIGRELIEF+M & HORMONE RELATED MIGRAINES

MIGRELIEF+M  – A BREAKTHROUGH FOR HORMONE & MENSTRUAL MIGRAINES, PMS & PCOS.

30 minutes a day to exercise doesn’t sound so difficult until you try to do it and struggle finding the time.  Then the mindset is, well if I can’t do the 30 minutes, I may as well not do anything because it’s not going to help anyway.

The really good news is that researchers from Taiwan’s National Health Research Institute studied 416,000 participants over a 13 year period during which their health records and level of physical activity was monitored and recorded. Their findings were that only 15 minutes a day of moderate exercise, like brisk walking, was enough to increase life expectancy by 3 years compared to people who didn’t put in the 15 minutes a day.

It turns out the first 15 minutes yields tremendous benefits and in addition to increasing life expectancy by 3 years, the active group had a 10% reduction in cancer risk as well. This info should encourage everyone to get out there and reap the benefits of just putting in 15 minutes a day.

EVERYONE CAN DO THAT AND IT’S EXCITING!

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

It is often said that migraine frequency will drop as women enter menopause, but nothing about migraines is ever clear and simple.

A recent study presented in Lisbon at The European Neurological Society found that certain women as they approach menopause do experience an improvement in their migraines, but other women can find their migraines either start at menopause or worsen. The researchers found that women, whose migraines were closely tied to their menstrual cycle during their fertile years, had a better chance (but by no means certain) of seeing their migraines improve or even stop with menopause.

Learn more about the migraine/hormone connection and preventing migraines while balancing hormones naturally.

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S

Recently the U.S. Department of Health reccomended that total daily sodium consumption be kept to no more than 1500 mg. per day for people over age 50 and 2300 mg. per day if you are 50 or below.

The average person consumes over 3500 mg. of sodium a day.
Too much salt can cause bloating and increase blood pressure both of which can strain our hearts and lead to heart failure. 

Top 10 High Salt Foods

1. Hot Dog – 1300 mg
2. Sausages 1200 mg
3. Cheese Nachos – 1250 mg.
4. Soy Sauce (1 tbsp) – 1000 mg.
5. Canned Soups – 600 – 1000 mg.
6. Processed Meats;  3 oz Corned Beef – 1700 mg …. 3 oz. Dried Beef 4000 mg.
7. Wheat Flakes – 800 mg.
8. Canadian BAcon – 2500 mg.
9. Bouillon Cubes – 5000 mg.
10. Processed Cheese 1200 mg.