Can you get feverfew migraine relief?

Claims have been made that feverfew migraine relief is a great answer for migraineurs. But what is feverfew, and what are the facts?

Feverfew, also called bachelor's button, is a popular folk remedy for headache. This herb is a member of the daisy family, and many people grow the plant themselves and then harvest the leaves. For a long time feverfew was thought to relieve fever symptoms (hence the name), but that didn't turn out to be the case. Today it's mainly used as a preventative for migraines.

Migraine relief is supposed to be achieved by taking a controlled amount of feverfew on a daily basis. In one study, over 2/3 of migraineurs experienced relief by taking feverfew regularly. Unfortunately, the successful studies of feverfew have often been poorly controlled, and the more scientific studies have failed to see the positive results that some people have claimed. So it may still be a while before we find out if feverfew migraine relief is a reality.

One of the more positive studies was published in 1997 (Palevitch, D. G. Earon, and R. Carasso. "Feverfew as a prophylactic treatment for migraine..."). This was a well controlled study which showed feverfew to not only significantly reduce pain, but also nausea and sensitivity to light and noise.

Feverfew is an anti-inflamitory, and so works much like ibuprofen. It is also believed that the herb may inhibit chemicals that cause the blood vessels in your head to spasm ( see our page on the cause of migraine ). New research is telling us that one key chemical in feverfew, parthenolide, may have leukemia-fighting properties (Monica Guzman, PhD, of the University of Rochester Medical School and research team, 2005). Someday it may be used in more varied treatments.

What does this mean for YOU? Here's the main thing: if feverfew really can provide relief for your migraine headache, we're still not really sure what type of dosage will be most helpful. But it's certainly worth a try! Remember that, like many herbs, it can cause side effects if you take too much. Feverfew has been known to cause skin rash and sore mouth. It's best to check with your doctor for a dose that works for you.

The popular migraine treatment Migrelief (see below) contains 100mg of feverfew. I've seen dosages between 100mg and 250mg per day recommended. The actual contents of feverfew varies from company to company - look for a reliable source! You'll want to get it right the first time when it comes to feverfew migraine relief. More on that below... Here's a picture of feverfew with more good information. We have lots more information about herbs for migraine and other headaches! Find out which ones are the best...

Research it - try it!