Welcome to the Migraine and Headache Blog!
December 22, 2004 4:34 pm
You want current information, so now there's another way you can get it! This will be a spot for quick newsbytes and ideas about - you guessed it! Migraines, headaches, cluster headaches, tension headaches, and all that stuff that we wish we didn't have to deal with.
Bookmark this page and come back once in a while to see the latest. Better yet, check out the RSS feed and use your newsreader to keep notify you about new posts! Either way, stay informed, and fight back against headaches of every kind!
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Cox-2 Inhibitors - in the news again
December 22, 2004 4:54 pm
The information is coming in so fast that it's hard to keep up to date! Many of you read in the last issue of HeadWay about emerging concerns about drugs such as Celebrex and Bextra. Now these drugs are getting more attention, and more studies are being done. You will notice some updates in this article about Cox2 Inhibitors, which will hopefully clear up some of your questions. Although the Vice-President of the US National Cancer Institute urges caution about jumping to conclusions about this study, I think we should continue to be cautious about using these drugs until more studies are completed.
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More on melotonin
December 22, 2004 10:47 pm
Back in October, HeadWay subscribers may have been intrigued to hear about an article in Neurology about melatonin and it's possible benefit to migraineurs. Actually, I was rather intrigued myself, so I decided to look into the study and related topics a little more.
Sleep is something that just keeps coming up in migraine research - whether it's just getting good, regular rest, or something to do with the chemicals in your body that have to do with sleep. Serotonin, of course, is the most famous chemical when it comes to migraine.
Actually, melatonin has been studied for its relation to tension headache, and even cluster headache. So this is certainly something we should be thinking about. Read more in the new article on melatonin and migraines.
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Migraines and predicting the weather
December 23, 2004 3:40 pm
I suspected that the migraine might be coming, and maybe I should have done something about it. My barometer told me that the pressure was starting to drop, and sure enough by the middle of the night Mr. Migraine had arrived.
With very little scientific evidence, migraineurs have been claiming for years that their symptoms were linked to weather. Finally, in the last few years, science has begun to catch up. This past summer, a study was done by Dr Marcelo E. Bigal of the New England Center for Headache. The study told us two things - first, a large percentage of migraineurs do have weather-related migraine. Second, some who thought they had weather related migraine apparently didn't. Dr Bigal says that most people thought they could predict the weather that would cause migraine, but they couldn't.
So what's going on here? I don't think we should write the migraine meteorologist off quite so quickly. First, it seems that there are complex weather patterns triggering symptoms. It probably isn't as simple as just heat or humidity or pressure alone. That's why your predictions may be right some of the time. Second, triggers vary from person to person, and even in the same person.
So don't stop watching the weather just yet. If I'd paid attention and taken some medication a little sooner, I might not have the headache I have today. :-)
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Do you hate needles too?
December 24, 2004 7:43 am
It's coming, but not soon enough for many of us! What I'm talking about is the Aradigm needle-free injection system, called Intraject. The Intraject system is placed against the skin, and *swoosh*, just like in Star Trek's sick bay (except faster - Intraject takes less than a tenth of a second) you've got your medication.
For certain medications, Imitrex included, the faster the better. When you feel that migraine coming on, the sooner you can get the abortive medication into your system, the sooner it can stop the symptoms.
The early trials are very promising, but the bulk of the trials are still coming up later in 2005, and the company doesn't expect to launch the product until 2007. Right now the company is selling stocks to raise money for the rest of the research and the launch. For those with cluster headaches and migraine, I'm sure 2007 won't be soon enough.
Visit the official website of Aradigm here to find out more, and to see pictures of the unit in action.
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FDA Health Advisory - Bextra, Celebrex and Aleve
December 24, 2004 3:02 pm
Yesterday the American FDA issued a health advisory regarding the drugs Cox-2 drugs Bextra and Celebrex, and the NSAID naproxen. Basically, they're recommending that caution should be exercised with the drugs Bextra and Celebrex. Recent studies seem to indicate that they may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. There is also concern about naproxen (popularly sold as Aleve, Anaprox,Naprosyn and others), which is not a Cox-2 drug like Bextra. Recent studies show that naproxen may also increase risk of heart problems. If you're taking naproxen in any form for more than 10 days, talk to your doctor. If you're on any of these drugs and you have any history of heart trouble, talk to your doctor. The FDA is awaiting further reviews on these drugs. You can read yesterday's health advisory put out by the FDA on their website. WebMD has some excellent information on some of the recent studies involving Bextra and Celebrex.
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Do you get a headache after you exercise?
December 27, 2004 2:51 pm
So it's time again for those New Years resolutions, and you're thinking about exercising more. But wait! Every time you do any intense exercise (ie the kind your doctor says you need) you get a headache soon afterwards. So should you just try to write more letters this year instead?
No, don't give up on the exercise idea yet. But do be cautious if you're having problems. We have a new article on the after-exercise headache, including a link to a very helpful article by Dr Trisha Macnair. The article lists a few more possible causes of headache brought on by exercise, underlining the fact once again that you should see a doctor if you start getting headaches for the first time.
Exercise is just so beneficial that you shouldn't let anything get in your way - especially a headache.
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If not Cox-2, then what?
December 27, 2004 10:07 pm
As you may have noticed, there are ads all over the place now promoting alternatives to the Cox-2 inhibitors, such as Vioxx, which have come under fire in the last few months. The traditional NSAIDs, such as Advil, have increasingly concerned consumers because of gastrointestinal problems. This is especially a concern for those with chronic headaches, who may have, early on, taken more than their bodies could safely handle.
There are NSAIDs that are less harsh on the stomach, including Motrin. If you already have stomach problems, you can take your NSAID along with something to protect your stomach, such as Misoprostol
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New guidelines for children with migraine
December 28, 2004 7:44 am
Researchers are realizing how crucial it is to understand migraine in children. Many questions need to be answered - are migraine triggers the same in children as adults? What medications work for children, and which ones don't? What about alternative therapies?
The American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society published some new guidelines to summarize some of the findings to date. Both ibuprofen and acetaminophen have been found to be good treatments for migraine symptoms. Sumatriptan nasal spray is also an effective treatment in adolescents, but oral triptans so far don't seem to be all that helpful.
The recent report is a good reminder that we need to watch for symptoms in children, and not just treat them with the medication we use but take them to a doctor and be well informed ourselves.
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Tsunami disaster relief
December 29, 2004 7:20 am
Most of you know by now about the terrible disaster which is still taking place in Asia. The earthquake and resulting tsunami devistated the coasts of several countries, with a death toll in the thousands. But the disaster is far from over. The death toll could double as disease begins to spread in these areas, if we don't act fast.
Readers of this site are people who are well aware of pain, people who are understanding enough to be willing to help. So although this may not specifically be migraine news, it's a story that affects us all, and an issue that will cause huge health problems in that area and perhaps around the world.
So no matter where you're from, why not take a moment to give to the Red Cross using the link below. 100% of the money donated will go directly to the Red Cross relief efforts. Time is running out for thousands in Asia, but you can make a difference now!
Thanks from all writers and readers of Relieve-Migraine-Headache.com!
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Exploring with Botox
December 30, 2004 3:40 pm
Botox has increasingly come an important treatment in the world of migraine, even though we're still trying to understand why it works. But there's a newer way that Botox is being used to treat migraine.
It seems that Botox injections affect muscles in the face in such a way that the migraine is relieved. So, researchers have tried giving patients Botox injections in order to find out which muscles are making the difference. Next, the patient undergoes surgery in which the offending muscles are detached. The study found a 92% improvement in the frequency, intensity and duration of migraine symptoms. For a third of the patients, symptoms completely disappeared!
This may seem like a rather drastic approach to those who have never experienced migraine, and yes, it is drastic. But it does give us more information about why migraine acts the way it does. And this may be a new line of treatment for those with constant, severe migraine headache and other symptoms. This study was published in the January 2005 issue of the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal.
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Hemiplegic Migraine
December 30, 2004 9:29 pm
With all the talk about the connections between migraine and stroke, a certain type of migraine deserves a little attention. That is, hemiplegic migraine. Hemiplegic, of course, refers to something that is happening on one side of the body, usually numbness or paralysis (hemi meaning half, plegic meaning unable to move). A hemiplegic migraine, then, is just like it sounds. One of the symptoms is numbness or paralysis, and this is usually accompanied by some of the other familiar symptoms - headache, nausea, sensitivity to light, etc.
Research still needs to be done to understand if there is a closer connection between hemiplegic migraine and stroke. For now, it's simply important for those with symptoms like this to see a doctor right away. It's far too important to risk a self diagnosis or mis-diagnosis.
To clear up some of the mystery, there is now an article here about the symptoms and treatment of hemiplegic migraine. Check it out today! Many migraine symptoms can be pretty frightening when they first happen. A little knowledge can help you on the path to recovery.
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New migraine genetic research
December 31, 2004 6:25 pm
You may have read about the new study done by Dr. Andrew D. Hershey and his team. The study was published in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain in November.
The team took 56 patients, 7 of whom had migraine and 15 of whom had chronic migraine. Blood samples were taken from all the patients, and genomic expression patterns were analyzed. Genomic what?!
Basically, this means that the researchers read some of the genetic "language" in the material that makes up human blood. Imagine intercepting coded language between a foreign government and its spies - you might find out what they're being told to do, who they are, and so on. These researchers have intercepted messages in the human body.
What they've discovered is that the messages in migraineurs are quite different than the messages in the other patients. For example, there seem to be more messages encouraging the increase of blood platelets (those things that help blood clot). There was common ground between those with migraine and chronic migraine, but there were also differences between the two types of migraine.
So what does this mean? Well, it's further evidence that migraine has a strong genetic component. It also may mean that we'll someday be able to differentiate between different types of migraine on a genetic level, and so develop custom-made treatments for your specific migraine. For now, this information isn't a lot of help when you've got a pain in the head. But it does mean that research is progressing.
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