The Senator and the Migraine
March 2, 2006 6:19 pm
He had numbness on the left side of his face, and his left hand. He had problems with his peripheral vision, and his balance. Sounds like Senator David Long from the USA had a minor stroke, doesn't it? But it was migraine.
On February 23, 2006 The senator woke up with the symptoms above, and went to the hospital for some tests. After the initial tests, sure enough, the doctors said that it looked like he may have had a minor stroke. But by the next day doctors had a different diagnosis - migraine.
It's true that there are links between migraine and stroke. But there are migraine types that do mimic stroke, such as hemiplegic migraine. Still, Mr. Long did the right thing - if you're having these symptoms, get them checked out right away. Stroke or migraine, there's help available.
» To reference this entry use this permalink
Migraine and headache bloggers - feeling better
March 6, 2006 11:55 am
I was getting a little tired of the problems on the migraine and headache blogs page. You know, this is the page where you can read recent posts from various bloggers who are living with migraine, cluster, chronic daily headache and so on. The page was very cool except for one thing. If a blog wasn't very well put together in the programming sense, the aggregator had trouble reading the feed.
So, I've changed the technology in hopes that there will be less errors. Along with the updated page, I've included a feed for the aggregator. This means that if you use a news reader, you can have the very same posts pop up there. Blogs will be changed and added from time to time. Just scroll to the bottom of the page to see the feed link.
Although you will see some news items there, the main focus is on bloggers who are themselves dealing with chronic disease (generally involving headache). That's why this is a page you can send friends to, to demonstrate that you're not the only person dealing with these crazy symptoms!
Here are some interesting posts from the last month for you to check out:
ApologiesAppointment With the NeurosurgeonAwakeningMigraine: A Survival GuideAn Open Letter to My BrainTesting is finally overTimeline of a MigraineWater & ProteinWoman Heartbroken After Ending Love Affair
» To reference this entry use this permalink
Where not to live in the USA
March 6, 2006 3:39 pm
If you live in the USA, you may be interested in the following list, created by Sperling's BestPlaces and sponsored by Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc. The question is, what is the worst place in the USA for a migraineur to live? The stats are not only based on how many people in the area have migraine, but also various environmental and lifestyle factors that tend to contribute to migraine. Over 100 large urban areas were taken into consideration.
And the winners...er....losers are:
1. Cincinnati, OH2. Madison, WI3. Little Rock, AR4. Knoxville, TN5. St. Louis, MO6. Nashville, TN7. Johnson City, TN8. Chattanooga, TN9. Greenville, SC10. Canton, OH
Ok, so most people aren't going to get up and move. It's just something to brag about to your friends. Then again, perhaps you don't want to mention it - you'll just be blamed for not moving. We just can't win, can we?
I'd love to see stats like this for other countries. In Canada, the Calgary area is notorious simply because of the dramatic weather changes. But then again, the lifestyle overall tends to be better than in a lot of urban areas. I've travelled and lived in various countries and haven't noticed much of a difference. How about you? Are your migraines geographically related?
» To reference this entry use this permalink
What's wrong with your soda pop?
March 10, 2006 1:03 pm
Here's an interesting success story that I just got from a HeadWay subscriber:
Thought maybe your readers would enjoy this bit of news. Recently my migraines started back up again to daily migraines and very strong in severity. They were so debilitating I almost couldn't work anymore. For so long I was doing pretty good. I realized that what I had changed in my diet was soda everyday. I had gone back to work, and I was drinking a coke at lunch for the caffeine boost. I stopped drinking it, and in about 3 days my migraines were just about gone! What a relief. My husband said he had seen something on TV about drinking colored soda and how bad it is for you. The program said you should drink only "clear" sodas if you have to drink soda. (Clear like 7-UP, Sierra Mist etc.)
~Sandra from NY, USA
I'm not exactly sure about the stats on "colored soda". Could the report have something to do with the phosphoric acid? The caramel color? I've heard rumours on the caramel colour thing, but I'm waiting for more information. Anyone know anything about that?
Of course there are other things in soda pop that could trigger migraine, such as caffeine and that sudden infusion of sugar (or questions about aspartame in diet versions). Whatever it is, there's growing evidence that some people are more sensitive than others. We need to pay attention to changes in our eating habits - a small thing can make a big difference.
» To reference this entry use this permalink
Antidepressants during pregnancy warning
March 13, 2006 8:44 am
Certain antidepressants may cause a life threatening risk to the baby, according to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine. It's a risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension, a serious disorder in which the arteries in the lungs are constricted. This means that the baby doesn't get enough oxygen in their blood.
The specific class of drugs are called Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). This includes drugs such as Prozac, Zoloft (which we talked about in the last issue of HeadWay), Paxil, and Effexor (to name just a few). The risk occurs when the drugs are taken in the second half of pregnancy.
In the USA, Food and Drug Administration official Sandra Kweder said the agency may require new warning labels. The risk of this disease, she said, is about 1%, although the findings are still preliminary. Health Canada took the study seriously enough to issue a warning, although doctors are urged to weigh the benefits and risks.
Many of these SSRIs are taken as preventative migraine medication. If you're pregnant and taking an SSRI, don't suddenly stop - talk to your doctor first about alternatives and what the risks are. Going off the drugs suddenly could do more harm.
Read the Health Canada advisory for more information on the antidepressants and pregnancy.
» To reference this entry use this permalink
Migraine fraud - one less
March 17, 2006 4:30 pm
Do you remember the migraine scam we talked about back in January? Well, it looks like the owner of the site, Arthur Vanmoor, has been indicted by a Fort Lauderdale grand jury for selling fake cures for migraine and cancer. He's been charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act violations. "Migraine Miracle" and the other products he tried to rip people off with are no longer allowed to be sold or promoted. It's about time.
The scary thing is that this site was particularly easy to spot, and yet still people were sending in their money. It's not that people are stupid - we can all be scammed, and there are much trickier sites out there ready to take your money. If someone tells you they have a cure for migraine, you'd better do your research. There are some great treatments - many people have been treated and are now migraine-free. But an overall cure for migraine? We're still waiting for that one.
Read more about this case of fraud.
» To reference this entry use this permalink
Botox and more headache related issues
March 18, 2006 9:25 am
I have to say one thing for the Mayo Clinic's newsletter, HealthQuest. They know how to write about things that people want to read. No, I don't get paid to promote the newsletter. But I have noticed that they write about headache and migraine very often. Why? Because it's something so many of us are dealing with!
Actually, this time it's a related topic I want to draw to your attention. It's related to the use of Botox. Now many of you know that Botox is being used to treat migraine, in more than one way. But Botox is also being used indirectly to treat headache. How? By treating things like neck muscle pain, muscle spasm, and even teeth grinding (bruxism).
Botox is not the treatment you should try first - generally it's recommended when other treatments have failed. Some migraineurs even use a combination of Botox and surgery - definitely closer to the "last resort" end of the scale.
Have you tried Botox for a headache related problem? Tell us how it went!
» To reference this entry use this permalink
Hole in heart - disappointing trial
March 21, 2006 9:35 pm
The most recent trial to see if a surgical procedure could help migraine sufferers was...not quite the success that was hoped for. Sort of.
The fact is that the hole in the heart closure, called the PFO closure procedure, so far hasn't turned out to be the migraine cure-all. The surgery did seem to decrease the "migraine load" on patients by 37% (migraine load refers to number of hours with headaches multiplied by number of headaches). That's great - except that other preventative treatments can do just as well or better. So the question is, who's going to want to go under the knife when they can get help without the surgery?
There are some good points, though. First, maybe this will help someone that hasn't been helped by anything else. Second, more trials are needed. There is something here that is helping us better understand where migraine comes from. It may be that future trials will give more clues and better results. It may be that certain types of migraine are affected more than others.
For more on the trial, check out the official NMT Medical's MIST Study press release.
» To reference this entry use this permalink
Prevention
March 27, 2006 11:14 am
When people think about headaches and migraine in particular, they're often in the middle of one. And when you're in the middle of one, you don't care about much else except how to make it go away. But if that's all you're ever thinking about, you may be missing out on an important aspect of migraine treatment - prevention.
When you look at clinical trials for migraine prevention, you'll often see statistics about frequency and severity - in other words, did people get less migraine attacks, and were those attacks less severe? If so, the prevention is a success.
There are lots of things people do to avoid attacks in the first place, such as taking a daily preventative drug, keeping their body healthy through various types of treatment, or simply making lifestyle changes. But if you're having migraine attacks often, and if they're making a significant impact on your life, don't just wait for one to hit - see if you can find ways of stopping them before they start. Not only will it help with the symptoms, it may improve your overall health.
Check this article for an overview of migraine prevention options.
» To reference this entry use this permalink
|
