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Migraine Guidelines: What Works, What Doesn't

Posted 23 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, April 23 – Dozens of medications are available to prevent debilitating migraine headaches, but most migraine sufferers don't use them, a new study finds. "Approximately 40 percent of people with migraines need preventive treatment, and only about one-third of them are actually getting it," said Dr. Stephen D. Silberstein, co-author of new guidelines developed by the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society. The drugs include prescription, over-the-counter and herbal medications. Which will work best "depends on the patient," said Silberstein, director of the Jefferson Headache Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. The guidelines, published in the April 24 issue of Neurology, were scheduled for presentation at the academy's annual meeting in New Orleans, April 21 to 28. Dr. Brian M. Grosberg, director of the Montefiore Headache Center in ... Read more

Regular Exercise Seems to Guard Against Migraine

Posted 12 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 12 – Exercise can prevent migraines just as well as drugs or relaxation techniques, a new study from Sweden suggests. "Our conclusion is that exercise can act as an alternative to relaxations and [the migraine drug] topiramate when it comes to preventing migraines, and is particularly appropriate for patients who are unwilling or unable to take preventative medicines," study lead author Emma Varkey, a physiotherapist and doctoral student at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, said in a university news release. In the study, Varkey and colleagues evaluated 91 migraine patients over the course of three months. One-third of the patients were asked to exercise for 40 minutes three times each week. Another third of the participants performed relaxation techniques and the final third were prescribed topiramate. The researchers also followed up with the patients ... Read more

Related support groups: Migraine, Migraine Prevention, Migraine Prophylaxis

Implantable Device May Help Ease Tough Migraines

Posted 23 Jun 2011 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, June 23 – An implantable device hidden in the nape of the neck may mean more headache-free days for people with severe migraines that don't respond to other treatments, a new study suggests. More than 36 million Americans get migraine headaches, which are marked by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, nausea and vomiting, according to the Migraine Research Foundation. Medication and lifestyle changes are the first-line treatments for migraine, but not everyone improves with these measures. The St. Jude Medical Genesis neurostimulator is a short, thin strip that is implanted behind the neck. A battery pack is then implanted elsewhere in the body. Activating the device stimulates the occipital nerve and can dim the pain of migraine headache. "There are a large number of patients for whom nothing works and whose lives are ruined by the daily pain of their migraine ... Read more

Related support groups: Migraine, Migraine Prevention, Migraine Prophylaxis

Facial Surgery May Offer Long-Term Migraine Relief for Some

Posted 13 Feb 2011 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Feb. 11 – Facial surgery to "deactivate" painful migraines may offer some patients long-lasting relief, a new study suggests. The vast majority of the study participants experienced partial relief from migraines, while one-third saw them disappear, the researchers reported. Specifically, based on the findings in 69 patients in the five-year follow-up study, 88 percent experienced an improvement in symptoms, 59 percent noted a substantial decrease in symptoms, and 29 percent had their migraine headaches eliminated, the study authors found. The research was published in the February issue of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. Before surgery, patients were given Botox injections to identify which trigger sites caused the pain that they were experiencing. One surgery involved disruption to the frowning muscles in the forehead and relieving pressure on key nerves, the researchers ... Read more

Related support groups: Migraine, Migraine Prevention, Migraine Prophylaxis

Health Tip: Keep a Headache Diary

Posted 4 Jan 2011 by Drugs.com

-- If you suffer from migraines, identifying what you've been eating, drinking or doing can help you keep these painful headaches under control. The womenshealth.gov Web site suggests what to log in a headache diary: The date and time of the migraine. The activity you were doing and where you were when the pain began. A list of all foods and drinks consumed within 24 hours of when the migraine began. For women, the span of your menstrual cycle. Read more

Scientists Discover Substance That Causes Pain

Posted 28 Apr 2010 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, April 28 – The human body produces a substance similar to capsaicin – which makes chili peppers hot – at sites of pain, and blocking production of this substance can ease pain, a new study shows. The findings may lead to the development of non-addictive painkillers, according to the researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. In work with mice, the scientists found that a family of fatty acids called oxidized linoleic acid metabolites (OLAMs) play an important role in the biology of pain. "This is a major breakthrough in understanding the mechanisms of pain and how to more effectively treat it," senior investigator Kenneth Hargreaves, chair of the Department of Endodontics in the Dental School at the UT Health Sciences Center, said in an UT news release. "These data demonstrate, for the first time, that OLAMs constitute a new family of ... Read more

Finding Good Migraine Care a Headache for the Uninsured

Posted 12 Apr 2010 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, April 12 – People who are uninsured or who are on Medicaid are much less likely to receive adequate care for their migraines than people who have private coverage. In fact, more than 5.5 million Americans may be at risk of receiving inadequate care for their migraines because of their insurance status, a new study suggests. "Left untreated or undertreated, as a result of being uninsured, will cause millions of Americans with migraine to suffer needlessly and place them at greater risk for developing more frequent migraine headaches," said Dr. Brian M. Grosberg, director of the Inpatient Headache Program at Montefiore Medical Center and assistant professor of neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. He was not involved in the study. The lag in care may stem from the fact that the uninsured tend to seek care at hospital emergency rooms rather than a ... Read more

Related support groups: Migraine, Migraine Prevention, Migraine Prophylaxis

Botox May Prevent Some Migraines

Posted 15 Feb 2010 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Feb. 15 – Botulinum toxin type A (Botox), the drug that can temporarily erase wrinkles, may also help prevent some types of migraines, a small study suggests. Specifically, Botox may help reduce the recurrence of those migraines people describe as crushing or eye-popping, otherwise known as ocular migraines. However, the treatment does not appear to work for migraines that are experienced as pressure inside the head, the researchers added. "In a previous study, neurologists discovered that most patients with imploding and ocular headaches responded to botulinum toxin A injections with a reduction of their headache frequency, while the majority of patients with exploding type migraines did not respond," said lead researcher Dr. Christine C. Kim, a dermatologist in Encino, Calif. "We tested this hypothesis in a cosmetic dermatology setting, using botulinum toxin A doses that were ... Read more

Related support groups: Migraine, Migraine Prevention, Botox, Migraine Prophylaxis

Clues Found to Brain Mechanism Behind Migraines

Posted 11 Mar 2009 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, March 11 – Scientists believe they may have found the biological trigger to a particular type of migraine headache. In the March 12 issue of Neuron, an Italian university study on mice found that increased levels of the neurotransmitter glutamate in the brain appear to kick off a cortical spreading depression (CSD), a phenomenon that causes migraine sufferers to experience a visual disturbance known as migraine aura. The mice in the study had a gene mutation that has been shown to make people more susceptible to familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM), a subtype of severe migraine accompanied by the aura. Brain imaging has previously shown that strong neuronal depolarization creeps across the cerebral cortex during CSD, initially increasing electrical signals in the brain, then suppressing neural activity for an extended period of time. Researchers have suspected CSD may flip on ... Read more

Related support groups: Migraine, Migraine Prevention

Belly Fat May Make Migraines More Likely

Posted 12 Feb 2009 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Feb. 12 – Being overweight may increase the risk of migraine headaches in young and middle-aged adults, suggests a U.S. study that included 22,211 people. Age, gender and the way body fat was distributed affected migraine risk. People ages 20 to 55 who had larger waistlines were more likely to have migraines than those with smaller waistlines. Migraine was reported by 37 percent of women in that age group who had excess abdominal fat, compared with 29 percent of those without abdominal obesity. Among men 20 to 55 years old, 20 percent of those with excess belly fat reported migraine, compared with 16 percent of those without it. Among those older than 55, total body obesity wasn't associated with migraine in women or men. But the risk of migraine actually decreased among women older than 55 with large waistlines. The study, which was released Thursday, is scheduled to be ... Read more

Related support groups: Migraine, Migraine Prevention

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