Posts Tagged ‘migraine’
February 3, 2012 | 
Author For many women with migraine, menopause can actually signal a time of headache relief. However, the years leading up to menopause when hormone levels fluctuate and ovaries produce less estrogen, headaches can actually become worse. According to Susan Broner, MD, of The Headache Institute of New York, perimenopausal
women may experience insomnia, irregular periods, and hot flashes… changes that may lead to more frequent migraines. “Some women who haven’t experienced migraines since their 20s find they return with a vengeance during perimenopause.” While this can be a troublesome time, Dr. Broner suggests there is room for optimism. “Once the hormone fluctuation stops and menopause begins, most women tend to see improvements.” HeadWise Vol 1, Issue 3 Sarah Fister Gale
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While scientific studies have suggested that peppermint and lavender essential oils can help manage migraine headache pain, Dr. Alexander Mauskop, MD, director of the New York Headache Center recommends inhaling the scents to avoid smells that may trigger an attack. Migraststick is a small, inexpensive roller that contains peppermint and lavender essential oils. Dr. Mauskop tells patients who get stuck on a train or bus next to a heavy cologne wearer to take the roller out, and inhale. It may be worth a try….. HeadWise Volume 1, Issue 3 Allecia Vermillion
Algorithms(decision trees) do not work for headache patients(some illnesses, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, are more amenable to algorithms). So, official “guidelines” as to headache treatment do not work very well. This is becuase everybody is unique; if we have 100 different headache folks, we will go 100 different ways with medicines, non-medication therapies, etc. What drives where we go with meds is the headaches and comorbidities. The headache part includes: what type of headache(migraine vs. tension/chronic daily), severity, frequency, how well the “as needed” abortives work, etc.. The comorbidities include other conditions going on in the person, including anxiety, depression, IBS(irritable bowel syndrome), as well as other medical conditions(HTN, arthritis, diabetes, etc.). For instance, many people with chronic frequent headaches also have anxiety or depression or IBS; these color and influence our medical decision-making. In addition, of course input from the patient is paramount; they may not want to take a daily preventive, or may not want certain types of meds. Costs of meds, and insurance, also play a significant role. The care and treatment of a headache patient takes time and patience and significant thought; for some return visits, it would be helpful to have 2 hours! In addition, it “takes a village” to help a severe headache or pain patient; we “get other villagers” involved(whether it is psychotherapy, physical therapy, yoga, etc. etc.).
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston have recently identified three genes in which a genetic variation is linked to an increased risk for migraine headache. Of these newly identified genes, one is solely connected to women. This discovery may help to explain why women are nearly three times more likely than men to experience migraines. The findings, published in the journal Nature Genetics also point out that inheritance of any of these genetic variants prompts the likelihood of migraine by 10 to 15 percent.
Lead author Daniel Chasman, PhD, assistant professor at BWH and Harvard Medical School believes this new information is significant towards understanding migraine headache. ” While migraine remains incompletely understood and its underlying causes difficult to pin down, identifying these three genetic variants helps shed light on the biological roots for this common and debilitating condition.” Headwise National Headache Foundation Volume 1, Issue 2
Hopefully there is a new formulation of sumatriptan(brand=Imitrex) coming..it is a skin patch of sumatriptan, that is a relatively low dose, few side effects…it lasts a long time, maybe very good for long, prolonged migraines. The only side effect that is worrisome is an occasional skin rash. This bypasses the GI system, which is a problem(due to slowing of the gut during a migraine) with tablets..the tablets often just sit down there and do not get absorbed very quickly. This sumatriptan patch(from NuPathe Pharm..) may be useful for those with chronic(frequent) migraines……
Research has shown that sexual, physical, and especially emotional abuse create a predisposition to headache. Dr. Elliott A. Schulman, MD reports in the November/December 2011 issue of HEADACHE that some adults with migraine have experienced abuse as children, and that childhood maltreatment is associated with an earlier onset of migraine.
Emotional abuse includes threats, harassment, neglect and bullying. Physical abuse can be defined as slapping, hitting, striking, pinching or kicking. Sexual abuse is any nonconsensual sexual activity. For children and adolescents, sexual abuse also includes any sexual activity with an older individual, whether consensual or not.
Significant stress occurring in childhood can sometimes lead to an exaggerated response to stress in adulthood, and for some stress is the most important trigger for migraine. Migraine can also be aggravated by the anxiety and depression that often follows abuse.
Talking to a counselor or calling an abuse hotline can help in coping with the prior abuse. Attempting to “forget” about the past or deny that it ever happened will not make the feelings go away. From the perspective of treating your headache, health care providers can provide suggestions for stress management therapies along with medication.
The following is a sampling of patient resources….
Futures without Violence: http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/section/_get_help
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) http://www.trynova.org
1-800-879-6682
National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov
The Migraine Research Foundation (MRF) has announced a new resource available on its Web site. An expanded list of children’s headache centers is available at www.migraineresearchfoundation.org. Organized by state, the MRF list also includes information parents may need in finding a doctor who can treat the specific age of their child.
The Migraine Research Foundation’s children’s headache center list is one part of “For Our Children” initiative. Its goals are to not only raise funds for childhood migraine research, but to raise awareness and provide information for families dealing with childhood migraine. 24 grants have been awarded since 2007. Because operating costs are underwritten, all money raised is used for fund research… Kids headaches are a major major problem….From PAIN MEDICINE NEWS September 2010
Research at the National Institute of Mental Health shows that mental health disabilities are on the rise, even as physical disabilities are declining. Hundreds of thousands of Americans age 65 and under rated their difficulties with tasks, and then chose the reason from a list which included conditions such as arthritis, obesity, as well as a category of mental health issues defined as “depression, anxiety, or emotional problems.”
From 1997 through 2009, the non-elderly population mental health disability rose by a third. Study authors at Johns Hopkins say this indicates that Americans are beginning to understand ”that psychic distress can be debilitating and that ailments like depression and anxiety often come with physical symptoms.”
It’s important to have medical care that understands and addresses the causes as well as the symptoms. Migraine patients often have underlying ailments, such as depression or anxiety, that manifest themselves in pain. Each patient is unique and it is essential for the physician to understand what conditions are affecting the whole person, in order to successfully treat the patient.
Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd President of the United States has often been included in lists of famous migraineurs. Diamond S.; and Franklin M.A. of Diamond Headache Clinic have suggested in their abstract The Jeffersonian Headache that Jefferson actually was afflicted with cluster headaches.
Jefferson kept detailed journals, often describing his daily experiences. In these journals, and personal correspondence, he left a wealth of information reporting the timing and duration of the headaches.
While historically Jefferson was reported to have migraine headaches, his own descriptions point to the diagnosis of cluster headache. HEADACHE The Journal of Head and Face Pain Vol. 48
A study by Global Outcomes Research, Merck and Co., Inc., looked at reasons why patients do not treat their migraine pain as early as they may want to treat it.
Adult patients were asked questions regarding time of treatment, whether the attack was treated when desired, and satisfaction with pain relief. Of the 2001 patients surveyed, 840 reported they would have preferred treating the migraine pain earlier. The most common reason for waiting was a desire to save medication for a more severe migraine. Health plan quantity limit, not having medication available at the time of the migraine pain, and inability to swallow because of nausea were also reported.
The study concluded that overcoming these reasons could help migraine patients find relief sooner. HEADACHE The Journal of Head and Face Pain Volume 48
