Posts Tagged ‘Migrane’

Rebound headaches from prescription and over-the-counter migraine headache medications – what you need to know!

Many chronic migraine sufferers resort to taking prescription medicines named triptans when a migraine gets out of control. These medicines are used “acutely.”  This means you take them when you already have a migraine you want to try to stop.  These drugs do not prevent migraines from occurring.

In fact, not only do they not prevent migraines, the general consensus amongst researchers and clinicians is that on-going regular use of triptan drugs like Imitrex or Zomig actually increase the total number of migraines that many users of the drugs have. This phenomenon is known as “Rebound Headache.”

Some readers of this article may recognize this pattern in their own lives. A migraine develops that won’t go away and one of these drugs is administered. The current migraine either goes away or decreases in intensity to the point where it is manageable but a day or two later, another migraine occurs:  “The Rebound Headache.”

If users are not careful this can lead to increasing drug use and a cycle of reoccurring migraines. This rebound cycle occurs not only with triptan drugs but with caffeine-containing over-the-counter medicines like Excedrin.

Caffeine can help reduce the pain of headaches and migraines in some sufferers. But unfortunately it is caffeine that causes many headaches and contributes to the development of migraines in many, if not most sufferers.

In fact, several well known neurologists who specialize in treating migraine sufferers have stated that one of the most powerful ways to reduce the number of migraines that sufferers experience is to remove caffeine from their diets.

Unfortunately, this is easier said than done, because caffeine is addictive and many sufferers when they try to ween off of it actually go through withdrawal-like symptoms and experience a temporary, short increase in their headaches or migraines. Fortunately, this will last only a short time, perhaps several days and then a significant decrease in the frequency and intensity of migraines should occur.

The above information highlights why preventing migraines from occurring is a much safer and desirable short and long-term choice in dealing with the effect of migraines on your life.

MigreLief  has proven time and time again, to be the easiest and most effective prevention solution for literally hundreds of thousands of migraine sufferers. In fact, the biggest percentage of chronic migraines sufferers who use MigreLief, comes from the referrals of the country-wide network of neurologists, internists and general practitioners who have relied upon MigreLief for well over a decade.

I have written many articles about why preventing chronic migraines is a more logical and healthier option than a life-time of treating them with pain-killing OTC or prescription drugs.

Rebound headaches from over-using the pain-killing option are a known fact and the extra migraines caused by this over-use are now referred to a “Medication Over-Use Headaches (MOH).

So while I have written about natural options that have been clinically shown to prevent a percentage of migraines from occurring and also reduce the intensity of those migraines that do occur, according to a study just recently completed in Norway, there are lifestyle changes, that at least for teenagers (and I wouldn’t be surprised if they also worked for adults) can help to prevent migraines as well.

The study examined, interviewed and had nearly 6000 teenagers fill out lifestyle questionnaires.
Analysis of the data yielded some interesting, and perhaps, not surprising results:

• Smoking increased the risk of chronic headaches like migraines by 50%
• Being over-weight increased the risk by 40%
• Being physically inactive increased the risk by 20%

The authors found that as the presence of unhealthy lifestyle choices and factors increased, the risk to teenagers of chronic headaches increased substantially.

I would not be at all surprised that if the authors expanded this study to include adults………the findings would apply to them as well.

This study highlights the potential preventive benefits of life-style changes for teenage chronic migraine sufferers.

To your good health,

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

Dr. Stephen Silberstein is one of the most published migraine neurologists in the country. I follow much of his research and articles. His comments in this article are honest and very important for chronic migraine sufferers to understand and points that all of my readers need pay attention to.

Chronic migraines sufferers “over medicate” with either prescription pain relieving medications or over the counter medications containing an OTC pain killer with added caffeine. Over-use of the medications cause additional “rebound” headaches and actually worsen migraine frequency. Many sufferers will use the medication to eliminate or reduce the pain of a current migraine only to have another occur in the next day or two.

Dr. Silberstein then goes on to say that migraine prevention products are grossly under-used. The most popular of the prescription migraine prevention medicines is associated with significant side effects such as temporary memory dysfunction and slurring of speech which cause many people to discontinue its use. The clinically proven ingredients in MigreLief are very effective, with no such side-effects. ~ Curt Hendrix,

Preventing Migraines Better Than Treatment

United Press International

(United Press International via COMTEX) — A migraine expert said Thursday…Therapy to prevent migraines can be more effective than attempting to treat the pain.

Dr. Stephen Silberstein, director of the Jefferson Headache Center and professor of neurology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, made the statement during an American Medical Association briefing in New York.

Silberstein said migraine treatment has come a long way during the past five years, with a key treatment factor being the development of triptans — drugs capable of combining with neuronal receptors in the brain to initiate drug actions.

Said Silberstein: “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.”

He added, “Migraine preventive therapy is grossly underused.”

About 25 to 30 million Americans experience migraine headaches and many more are undiagnosed.

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Belly Fat and Migraine Risk – Curt Hendrix M.S. C.C.N. C.N.S.

In a paper presented at the American Academy of Neurology, it was suggested that patients between the ages of 20-55 ( both men and women but especially women) who had bigger waistline, particularly with excess fat around the stomach, were at increased risk of experiencing migraines.

The fat cells can release inflammatory proteins called cytokines, which may play a role in causing migraines. Gentle, but consistent aerobic exercise with moderate calorie reduction can help reduce abdominal fat and help chronic migraineurs.

If monthly or more frequent migraines are something you struggle with learn about MigreLief at www.migrelief.com.

Migraine Headaches and Later Life Brain Health – Curt Hendrix M.S. C.C.N. C.N.S.

The Universtiy of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine reported that middle-aged women who suffered migraines accompanied by either visual or speaking difficulties, known as aura, had higher risk of brain lesions in later life.

Though it is not yet proven that these lesions have any effect on brain function and health, when coupled with previous data reporting that migraine with aura is associated with an increased risk of clinically evident stroke or coronary artery disease, prevention of migraines is a clear choice.

WOMEN WHOSE MIGRAINES ARE PRECEDED BY VISUAL OR VERBAL DISTRUBANCES (AURAS) ARE AT INCREASED RISK OF HEART DISEASE AND HEART ATTACK – JAMA 2006; 296, No. 3: 283-291.

Women with migraines and no auras (by far the larger group) are not subjected to increased cardiovascular disease, heart attack and strokes…, but women who do experiences these auras need to decrease risk factors like obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking. I strongly suggest that women in this category consider supplementing with Omega-3 fatty acids, which are cardioprotective and have been shown to decrease the risk of sudden death due to carfiovascular events. I would also suggest eating a diet high in antioxidants (green and yellow vegetables, fruits) which can protect the arteries against oxidative damage. Reducing the number of auras and actual migraines that occur is certainly desirable.

The brain of migraineurs likes consistency. All kinds of changes can potentiate migraines: changes in sleep times, number of hours slept, changes in airpressure, temperature, humidity, fragrances, can all cause migraines in some people.

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.

Beware of allergy season, 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.

The University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine reported that middle-aged women who suffered migraines accompanied by either visual or speaking difficulties, known as aura, had higher risk of brain lesions in later life.

This study seems to indicate that migraines are NOT benign and could be a progressive, brain damaging condition.

In another study, Dutch researchers found that patients who had migraines accompanied by aura were at 13X the risk for having a cerebral blood clot (infarction) resulting in brain cell death, compared with non-migraineurs.

The risk for cerebral infarction was 7X higher for migraineurs without aura versus non-migraineurs.

Both studies indicated the risk of damage increased with the number of migraines experienced.

Previously published data demonstrated that repetitive migraines increased the risk of stroke and coronary artery disease.

Avoiding migraines from the start rather than trying to treat the pain after the migraine has occurred, is clearly the preferred choice.

FDA Warns on Mixing Antidepressants with Migraine Drugs

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.

See www.MigreLief.com a dietary supplement for the nutritional support of cerebrovascular function in migraine sufferers.