Headache & Migraine News Blog

Considering what a major disability migraine is, and cluster is, and headaches are, it's amazing that they're so little understood.  And so little talked about.

Oh, sure, we talk about them a lot here!  But in general they're not given the priority it would seem they need, considering the people that suffer, and the productivity that's lost.

The World Health Organization, World Headache Alliance, International Headache Society and European Headache Federation want to change all that.  These organizations are working on a project called Lifting The Burden - The Global Campaign to Reduce the Burden of Headache Worldwide.  Their hope is that global awareness can be raised, and solutions can be found.  By November 2005, the WHO hopes to collect information on headache from around the world in order to better understand the impact of these disorders and diseases, and to work on changes from there.

The WHO already has migraine on the top 20 list of disabilities, because it is so widespread and debilitating.  Then there's cluster, rare but one of the most painful disabilities there is.

Valerie South, CEO of the WHA says,"We all have a role to play in this important initiative.  By working closely with WHO and the International Headache Society we hope to be able to develop a global awareness campaign which will help relieve the burden of headache for sufferers worldwide."

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Very important - CO2 Migraine Treatment
October 3, 2005 9:46 am

You need to be very clear about the new C02 treatment for migraine.  Some of the reports have not been clear, so here's what you need to know:

There's a treatment being developed that uses Carbon Dioxide (CO2) to treat migraine.

This treatment is only in the experimental stages, it's not on the market yet.

The results of a recent study are still being reviewed.

This treatment does not involve inhaling Carbon Dioxide

That's right, don't run off and start inhaling CO2 when you have a migraine.  That's not how the treatment works.  Inhaling CO2 is dangerous!

This proposed treatment involves the use of a special device.  The special concentration of CO2 basically goes in one nostril and not the other.  It is believed that it may stop the pain chain-reaction in the trigeminal nerve system, although it's not fully understood what is happening.

The good news is that 30% of migraineurs were pain free within two hours of the initial treatment (as opposed to 9% that received a placebo).  In fact, nearly 20% were pain free after only 30 minutes.  The treatment seems to work best with a mild to moderate attack if taken early in the attack.

The next phase of this study is planned for early 2006.

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Some site clean up
October 3, 2005 8:47 pm

There have been a number of updates to the site over the past little while.  This includes updated information, fixing of broken links, and reworking of some pages.

For example, there's a bigger list of headache types now, and the page is (I hope) a little clearer.

The page about preventative migraine medications has been greatly updated, with links to some of the drug profiles we've been seeing on the site.  You can read articles on drugs such as Topomax, ibuprofen, Botox, and many more.  Thanks to a request from a HeadWay subscriber, some recent issues have included up to date profiles on some of the popular migraine and headache meds.  Most recently (in September) methysergide (Sansert, Deseril) was profiled.

This site is always being updated with new research and more information - feel free to look around and see what else is new!

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Does relaxation training help children and teens?
October 5, 2005 6:04 pm

This summer Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain reported on a study about children and adolescents and relaxation therapy.  The question was, is relaxation training a help for those suffering from tension type headaches and migraine?  And what is the best way to get the treatment?

Since there are fewer drugs approved for children and teens, doctors are on the lookout for alternative forms of treatment.  The good news was that this treatment was effective for both types of headache.  However, the way the treatment was received varied in effectiveness.

Those with tension type headache responded well to self-training, training from a school nurse or a therapist.  Migraine sufferers only benefited from relaxation from a trained therapist.  If you know a child or teen with headache or migraine, this may be a helpful treatment, if it's done right.  Read a summary of this Headache study here.

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Trigger points
October 6, 2005 12:04 pm

Most people with chronic pain have had someone mention to them the concept of "trigger points".  A lot of us have had a friend tell us that this or that trigger point will relieve our pain.

On my lookout for helpful books, I came across this one, the latest edition published last summer.  It has gotten excellent reviews.  Some people have found that it is a little bit difficult for the novice, and that the illustrations could be clearer.  At the same time, lots of people have tried it and have found a great deal of relief from pain that has been plaguing them for a long time.  It is intended to be a self-help book.

I would be interested to hear from anyone who has tried The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook.  If you have another resource that has been a help, share that with us too.

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Sports injuries
October 7, 2005 11:11 am

It couldn't have been worse for the company.  After specifically mentioning the new fancy helmets before the game, the Riddell Revolution, one of the players got a head injury.  The doctors diagnosed him with concussion, and he'll be out for at least a couple of games.

People are concerned about sports injuries, specifically head injuries.  This is why we recently featured an article on post-traumatic migraine in HeadWay.  If you're looking for more information on sports head trauma, and the lingering headaches that can come along, you've come to the right place.  Check out this new article on head sports trauma for the facts you need to know.

You can check Google News for more on the investigation into the Riddell Revolution helmets.  It's quite likely that this was not the fault of the helmet, just very bad timing for everbody.  Still, it's very important to make sure you're wearing a good helmet for any type of sport.

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Congrats to a poet
October 7, 2005 12:04 pm

Way to go, Jessica!  A migraine blogger is about to achieve even greater fame.  A poem she wrote, entitled Tears on my Pillow, is going to be in the new movie That Beautiful Somewhere.  One of the film's main characters is a migraineur, so it will be interesting to see what the movie is like.

Why the Canada goose?  Well, this movie is being filmed in Northern Ontario, Canada.  That's very cool, since my wife was born in Northern Ontario, and she's the long suffering wife of a migraineur.  ;-)  Besides, how often do you get to put a picture of a goose on a headache website?

Jessica has a well written poem - be sure to swing by her site and read it.

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Blood pressure medication
October 10, 2005 9:08 pm

There's a new report in the Oct 11 2005 edition of the journal Circulation about headaches and blood pressure medication.  The question is, do drugs that are meant to treat high blood pressure also help alleviate headaches?  The answer seems to be yes.  But why?

The types of drugs we're talking about are beta blockers, thiazide diuretics, ACE inhibitors, and angiotensin II receptor antagonists.  According to the report, they seem to generally lessen headaches by about a third.

It was once thought that headaches were a result of high blood pressure, but the facts didn't seem to bear this out.  Of course, migraine attacks were thought to be all about blood vessels too, but it's now believed that migraine originates deep in the chemicals of the brain.

Some of these drugs may sound familiar to a migraineur.  Beta blockers, for example, are often used for migraine.  It may be that migraineurs were mixed in with the headache patients, and that may have coloured the results.  In the end, we really don't know for sure why these drugs work.

The authors of the report are quick to point out that this is by no means the answer when you have a headache.  For one thing, lessening headaches by a third is not really that spectacular.  There are many drugs that can do much better, and a simple aspirin or tylenol is probably all you need, if anything.  Still, this may be a clue into what causes headaches, or what makes them worse.

Read about the study on blood pressure medication at WebMD, or find out more about preventative migraine medication, such as beta-blockers.

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Mixing up drugs
October 11, 2005 9:31 pm

Lately I've been hearing about new studies on medical errors.  You know, surgery done on the wrong knee, the wrong drug is given to you, incorrect advice.  It's startling to know how often it happens, which is why it's important to find a doctor you trust, and to double check the information for yourself (which is why you're here!).

One mistake is becoming so bad in the USA that a drug company is launching a campaign to make people aware.  The problem is that two drugs are getting mixed up.  The two are:

Topamax (topiramate) tablets

Toprol-XL (metroprolol succinate) extended-release tablets

Both Topamax and Toprol-XL (a beta blocker) are used for migraine.  But obviously, even if you're taking them for the same condition, confusing the two can be very dangerous.

When your doctor prescribes your medication, make sure she tells you what it is, and doesn't just hand you a piece of paper.  Double check at the pharmacy that you're getting the right thing.  This is one medical error we can do something about.

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Two topamax studies
October 18, 2005 8:32 am

A recent study in Headache, the journal of the American Headache Society, demonstrated once again that Topamax (topiramate) can help some migraineurs.  Dr Merle Diamond and her team wanted to know if there was a real improvement in quality of life for patients on the drug.

The quality of life study was a success, as you can tell by its title Topiramate improves health-related quality of life when used to prevent migraine.  It was published last month, and the conclusion was that quality of life does improve.  The dosage recommended is 100mg in two daily doses.

Topamax got another boost at the 12th Congress of the International Headache Society.  The recent study was all about chronic tension headache.  Patients in the trial found that they had about half the headaches they used to have.  It does need to be tried for at least 3 months to be effective, however.  Some of topiramate's side effects also take a few weeks to diminish.

Topamax is a powerful drug, so it's not the first thing to try.  But for some patients, it seems to be the answer.  Read more about Topamax here, or check out the information at drugstore.com.

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Blogging friends...
October 21, 2005 7:54 pm

My apologies that the headache and migraine blog aggregator has been down.  Normally we have featured there many excellent blogs, such as Stream of Unconsciousness, The Daily Headache, and A ClusterHead's Life.  Stop by these sites if you haven't seen them!  Those and the others will be featured here again soon.

I'm hoping that the new and improved blog page will be up next week.  Technology is still developing in this area, so all going well it will get better and better!  Technology - it's great when it works...

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The bloggers are back!
October 25, 2005 5:44 pm

They're back!  Well, they've never been gone, but the view from here has been a little hazy.  You can once again be introduced to other great bloggers via this page on the site.  And the page is better than ever - much more current, for one thing.  For example, posts that I enjoyed from today include Kerrie's discussion of prescription drug stickers, Jessica's update on her meds, and from Teri a clever device you can use to monitor how much water you're drinking.  Is this great stuff or what?

The other advantage to the new page is that the name of the blog is included in the title.  This means that you can find your favourite bloggers at a glance.  The purpose of this page is to introduce you to other sites, and people that you may be able to relate to.  We're better together!

Remember, these blogs will be edited and added to - check back often for new bloggers, new entries, and great ideas for dealing with headaches, migraine and cluster headaches!  Read the latest posts now...

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PFO and cluster
October 26, 2005 7:53 am

You knew that PFO, a congenital (present at birth) heart defect was related to migraine, but did you know it was related to clusters as well?  The heart defect known as Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is an opening between the left and right atria of the heart.  1 in 5 people may have this defect.  In most cases, that's not a big deal.

At the Univeristy of Genoa in Italy, Dr Cinzia Finocchi and team found that cluster patients were far more likely to have the defect than others.

Why?  It has been theorized that low oxygen in the blood may help start the cluster cycle.  The mixing of blood through the hole could make enough of a difference.

Dr Finocchi doesn't recommend everyone rush out to get the available surgery just yet, however.  There's no evidence...not yet...that closing the hole will end the cluster attacks.

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The power of the patient
October 28, 2005 3:17 pm

In the last issue of HeadWay I mentioned the above book, because I think it has some excellent guidance when it comes to understanding headache related symptoms.  One story in particular demonstrates the power of the patient, and particularly the group of patients (like us) to solve problems.

Anyone who has poked around this site knows that I believe doctors and other medical professionals serve an important purpose.  But when it comes to really solving the problem, the patient can play a key role.  The story goes like this:

In 1993 a strange bleeding lung disease broke out in a certain area of the USA.  The State health departments got involved, experts at a university, the federal government...and for weeks the investigation went on while more people died.  No answers were being found.

But since the disease had hit the Navajo people hard, someone had the bright idea of asking the Navajo themselves for their opinion.  These were just ordinary people - but ordinary people that had noticed some things about the disease in the past.

The Navajo had noticed a connection between rainfall, mice, and the mysterious disease.  In fact, they had even predicted outbreaks.  We now know the disease as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS).  The book concludes:  The moral of the story is talk to everyone, scrutinize everything, and keep an open mind!

Ordinary people, like you and I, may notice things that a doctor won't.  Keep searching, keep trying, and never give up!

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The Migraine Quiz
October 28, 2005 3:44 pm

Are you looking for a gentle way to let your friends know a little more about migraine?  Does it seem like they just don't understand, but you're tired of trying to explain?  Then send them over to the Migraine [sensitivity] Quiz.  Let them see for themselves just how sensitive they are to a friend or family member who's a migraineur.

It's a short quiz - only 15 true or false questions.  At the end, they'll get a score, and have a chance to learn more.  But I think they'll find they've already learned a lot!

My only request is that you link to the introductory page, and not the quiz itself.  That page is located at:

http://www.relieve-migraine-headache.com/migraine-quiz.html

Feel free to copy the graphic above and use it on your own site.  And remember - fair's fair - feel free to take the quiz yourself!  No, you don't have to tell anyone your score (unless you got 100% and want to rub it in)...

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Dentists, sleep and headaches
October 29, 2005 12:39 pm

You have headaches?  Morning headaches?  Do you feel refreshed in the morning, or exhausted?  Have you ever thought about seeing your dentist?

More and more dentists are noticing the link between these three things - sleep, headaches and dentistry.  Organizations can be found on the net that take the connection seriously.  Take for example the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine.

Of course, this shouldn't come as a surprise.  Sleep issues, such as sleep apnea, have been linked to diseases such as cluster.  Migraineurs have found relief with dental devices such as NTI-tss, which doesn't allow you to tense migraine-triggering muscles while you sleep.

Some dentists are being told: if your patient is falling asleep in the dentist chair, that may be a clue that there are sleep problems involved.  Your dentist may even give you an initial screening for sleeping problems, before sending you to a sleep specialist.

There are several devices and treatments that a dentist can do to help you with sleep problems, headaches, cluster and migraine.  If you've been avoiding your dentist, maybe it's time you made an appointment and talked about more than just your teeth.

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