Is Your Medication Giving You Migraines?

When you feel that throbbing pain on one side of your face, the first thing you do is reach for your migraine medication, certainly not natural migraine relief products. After all, you think that migraines medication will get rid of your migraine faster than anything else and you certainly don’t want to waste a day cowering in pain. But if you’re experiencing migraine headaches more often or your migraines are getting steadily worse, your pain relief pills could be to blame.

Taking too many pain medications too often – as little as three times a week or 10 times a month – can put your migraines in a rebound cycle. Your body becomes accustomed to the pain medication being in your system, so when it wears off, you start to get another headache – prompting you to take more medication. Any painkiller can cause rebound headaches, though doctors think that drugs containing caffeine, aspirin and acetaminophen, and ergotamines and triptans carry the most risk.

Migraines on the rebound!

How can you tell if you’re suffering from rebound headaches? Most patients with rebound migraines experience low-grade headaches almost continuously. Many wake up with their head already hurting. Some find that their headaches get worse within a few hours of taking medication.

If you’re experiencing frequent migraines while taking pain medication, your best option is to go cold turkey – stop taking painkillers, and you will break the rebound cycle. Of course, giving up pain medication makes many patients nervous. Migraines are excruciating, and facing them without medication can seem like a terrifying prospect.

However, some all-natural remedies can provide relief without creating the rebound cycle caused by over-the-counter and prescription medications. Lipigesic-M, a migraine pain reliever, uses a unique sublingual delivery method to send its medicinal ingredients into the bloodstream quickly for fast relief. The individually packaged dosages contain migraine-fighting ingredients, including feverfew and ginger. Best of all, none of the ingredients are associated with rebound headaches, so you can relieve your migraine pain without worrying about making your headaches worse.

For more information, visit www.lipigesic.com.

How Eram Finally Got Rid of Her Migraines

I love seeing how people achieve what they thought was impossible, like getting rid of your migraines forever and never having to rely on pills ever again.

I am especially grateful to Eram who shares her story with you below.

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I had suffered from migraines since childhood, until only few weeks ago. Migraines were like a part of life, a very strong reality for me that I thought I just have to live with all my life. As a kid I used to really get scared when I had to go to a party because it always ended with a strong headache and nausea for me. This was really tough because I always looked forward to any family gatherings but I associated any gathering of people, with bad headaches. Perfumes have been a major trigger of migraine for me which obviously used to be in abundance in any gathering.

My migraines got really worse during teenage. I had to skip school for 2 to 3 days almost every 3 or 4 weeks. That is when my parents started to take me to doctors and we got to know that I have complex migraines. The doctors gave me a lot of pills which lessened the occurrence of migraines but once it attacked it used to last for 2 to 3 days.

As I grew up more triggers came into play. Boredom and stress being the major ones. I used to get really exhausted with boredom and stress and then I would have a migraine. I have been to a lot of different doctors and have taken a zillion pills, some of which had really bad reactions but nothing got rid of the migraines.

During the last four or five years my migraines became worse as my ability to cope with stress lessened. I used to get a headache on a slight hint of tension. This is when I stopped any treatment and started taking pain killers only. However, I got too desperate to get rid of my stress and looked for ways other than medicines.

This is when I came across the Natural migraine relief website. I signed up for the top 10 tips and amazingly they worked. I started making notes of my feelings, conditions and triggers of migraines. I could figure out more triggers and could avoid them. Increasing my water intake really helped and so did yoga and specially the hand mudras. I actually learned more about hand mudras and now use many mudras regularly for various benefits. The blogs also helped. I started using the ice therapy mentioned in one of the blogs and it so quickly vaporized the migraine. I also became aware of my sleeping habits and started taking proper naps. This not only reduced the occurrence of migraine attacks but also made me less stressful and less anxious.

Then I read the book Living Deliberately (which you get once you sign up for Sile’s top tips) and after being inspired by Sile who is an Avatar master, I went for the Avatar training course.

This is what really transformed my life and helped me in actually getting rid of the migraines. I now have only minor headaches that I can get rid of through Avatar tools but I haven’t had a migraine since the course.

Avatar is truly the most powerful self development course. It surely is a guide to one’s own self. I had a chance to journey through my self and see what troubles me, what causes stress and how easily I can choose not to be stressed.

During this 9-day course I had a chance to look at my beliefs that I had constructed. These beliefs were just there operating my life and causing stress and anxiety in my experiences. The Avatar tools helped me to free my attention and once I realized what believes I was operating with, I began to change them.

The tools made it so easy. I learned how I could dis-create my stress, my fears, my judgments of others and myself, my fixed attentions, my lost concentration, every negativity that was stopping me from loving and experiencing and eventually my migraines.

Even the frequency and intensity of the minor headaches that I am left with is decreasing. Being migraine-free is a huge blessing. Also being medicine-free is a huge blessing.

Love
Eram

Sile’s note: I hope to bring you many more stories about people who are migraine-free in the near future. Question is: do you want to read about it or write about it?! What would your life be like without migraines?

PS The next dates for the Avatar courses are:

May 1-9, 2010 – Berg en Dal, Netherlands

June 12-20, 2010 – Egmond aan Zee, Netherlands

July 3-11, 2010 – Orlando, Florida, USA

Did Larry King Interview Sile on Migraines?

Catchy title eh?  Me on Larry King Live, being interviewed on how I got rid of my migraines and asked to come back again? I wish! Well, who knows. Anything can happen!

Anyway, I had so much fun creating this video, I hope you enjoy it too.

If you want to see me back on the show, please post your questions below. Hopefully, I’ll be back soon!

In the meantime, if anyone is interested in watching another video about the training course I mention, click on www.avatarintro.com

The First Step to a Migraine-Free Year

Happy New Year!

Are you looking forward to 2010?

Let me ask you think: have you set your intention to get your migraines under control?

Have you decided to prioritise making your health the best it can be?

Is 2010 the year you manage to get rid of your migraines completely?

Without medicines?

For me real change started with a decision; the kind that fused body, heart and soul.  I decided I had had enough. I decided that I wanted to live my life without the extruciating pain of migraines. I decided I was going to *murder* my migraines… naturally.

But before you make any decision, just think:

What will your life look/feel like without migraines?

What would you do? What would you dare to do that you couldn’t before?

What effect would this have on your family and friends?

How much life are your migraines costing you now?

What would it be worth to you to have zapped your migraines out of your life?

What if others had done it naturally without expensive pills (and medical cat scans confirm that their brain is no different from yours)? What if it were possible for you to do the same?

Isn’t it worth considering to give it a go?

I did it and I *know* you can too, if you’d only take the first step.

So please take the first step:

Sign up for my top ten tips (top of this blog enter your name and email and a message a day will be sent to you). Read and take whatever advice of this blog and others on migraines you find useful and try them out.

But ultimately…

*Decide* that 2010 is the year, you get control over your migraines.

To Your Success!

Sile

(that’s Sheila)

I Need Migraine Case Studies – Will You Help?

Over the past few months, I have been writing and mulling over my book, Natural Migraine Relief – Killing Your Pain Without Painkillers and to finish it, I really need your help.

I want this book to touch and help as many people as possible and I need a few more perspectives. I would like to have a few case studies about different migraine sufferers’ experience and find out what has and hasn’t worked for them. In return I will give you an ecopy absolutely free or a hard copy for free, if you pay shipping and handling – once it is finished.

Before answering the questions, I need to know if any of the Ten Top Tips have helped you (mentally and physically) become stronger and in a better position to tackle your migraines. Describe the state of your health now.

If you haven’t signed up yet, you can do so now  (there are a few hidden gems in there – http://naturalmigrainereliefnow.com) After reading and following the tips, I’d be grateful if you could let me know.

Please answer the 12 questions in the comments box below: (see website http://naturalmigrainereliefnow.com in case you are reading this anywhere else) .

1. Describe your migraine in detail (when did it first strike you and now, when does it happen? What happens to you? How long does it last? What do you do to cope?)

2. What do you think is/are the cause(s) of your migraines?

3. What alternative methods have you tried? What happened?

4. How often are you (mentally) stressed? What happens to your body?

5. What (events, foods, things, other)/who causes you stress?

6. How do you deal with this stress?

7. What do you believe about yourself and your migraines? (please list your most common beliefs about them)

8. Do you believe you can get rid of your migraines completely? If not, why not?

9. What would it be worth to you to get rid of your migraines?

10. Can you imagine how your life would be without migraines?

11. Can you describe how you would feel what you would do and what your day would now be like?

12. Would you be willing to try something you haven’t tried before?

Please answer every question in the comment box below.

Thanks  to everyone in advance who will take the time to answer these questions! Now I need to get back to writing.

Namaste!

Ice therapy: Fast and Effective Migraine Relief

Cold packs or cold face towels are a fast and effective way to prevent and relieve the pain of a Migraine Headache, naturally. The application of ice causes the blood vessels in the area to constrict (or get smaller). Constricting the blood vessels has a strong anti-inflammatory effect that stops the pounding sensation common in vascular headaches like migraines.

Ice therapy works especially well in the first stages of the migraine – before the pain has become intense.

In searching the web for more information on ice therapy, I came across a novel product to treat migraine headaches using a natural and proven alternative to drugs or medication. Introducing the Headache Ice Pillow. This pillow uses time-honored and medically recommended cold therapy in treating dull, moderate and severe headaches, like migraine and tension headaches.

The advantages of the pillow is that it:

• Helps relieve headaches and neck stiffness.
• Uses medically accepted cold therapy.
• Clinically proven.
• Designed to support your neck and head in their most natural positions.
• Great for travel.

This pillow uses a unique, compact design to help relieve headaches by providing support to your neck while sleeping or resting. An anatomically designed, soft-frozen gel pack can be inserted into the pillow for added relief. Great for travel, reading or sleeping, this pillow also can provide relief from pinched nerves, stiffness, sprains, neck injuries or other traumas. The gel pack stores in your freezer until needed. An optional massage unit provides gentle massaging action for added comfort and relief. Clinically proven to relieve headaches, this pillow was shown to categorically help nearly 80% of uses.

Not surprisingly, you can order an ice pillow from China (where I think 95% of this planet’s products are now manufactured) and I am considering ordering one. I would be interested to know if you or anyone you know tried it and how well it worked.

What Are Menstrual Migraines?

Menstrual headaches or migraines appear to occur when estrogen levels in the blood drop during the menstrual cycle. Estrogen is involved in setting the threshold for pain activity. Falling estrogen levels are associated with a greater sensitivity to pain and increased activity in body systems that cause inflammation. These changes can make women more susceptible to experiencing several different types of pain, such as headache, cramps, and muscle or joint aches, just before or during their menstrual period.

Taking oral contraceptive pills (i.e., birth control pills) can exaggerate the drop in estrogen levels before the start of menstrual bleeding. Consequently, taking the pill can sometimes worsen migraine patterns. Many women will experience an improvement in their health and a decrease of or even no migraines after menopause.

There are a number of natural medicinal and non-medicinal treatments for the prevention of menstrual migraine.

Non-Medicinal Treatments for Menstrual Migraine
Women with migraine are generally more susceptible to dietary, physical, environmental, and other triggers for migraine attacks during the week before and the first few days of their period. Following are some guidelines that can decrease the likelihood of having a migraine from these triggers.

• Eat regularly scheduled, well-balanced meals. Avoid missing meals because low blood sugar and hunger are frequent triggers for migraine attacks. On the other hand, avoid eating sweets or meals the contain a lot of carbohydrates because doing so might lead to a rapid drop in blood sugar levels two to three hours after you have these foods (this is sometimes called a “sugar or carbohydrate crash”).

• Drink plenty of fluid. Avoid dehydration because this too is a frequent migraine trigger.

• Get a good night’s sleep. Follow a regular and consistent schedule of waking and sleeping. Avoid going to bed late, “sleeping in,” becoming sleep deprived, or a haphazard sleep schedule.

• Stay away from well-known migraine triggers such as wine, beer, or other alcohol containing drinks; chocolate and other sweets; aged cheeses such as cheddar or Brie; and salty foods, especially during the week before your period.

• Participate in a regular aerobic exercise program. If you have not been exercising regularly, discuss exercise plans with your doctor and set up a physical conditioning plan that matches your needs. Start your exercise program slowly and gradually build up your level of activity as your physical condition improves.

• Learn and regularly practice biofeedback and other relaxation techniques. These types of treatment have demonstrated excellent benefit in clinical studies; and best of all, there are no potential side effects.

Above content provided by the National Pain Foundation in partnership with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. For advice about your medical care, consult your doctor.

Yoga Hand Mudra to naturally relieve migraines

If you are looking for a natural alternative to relieving your migraines, this healing hand mudra is an extremely simple exercise and it works!

I’ve noticed that it has a calming effect on me and my head feels clearer, particularly when I have a lot to get done fast. Try it and please leave a comment to share how it works for you.

Does Chocolate Relieve Migraine Headaches?

In an earlier post I had written about a tasty ingredient which helps to relieve migraines. The issue is quite complicated as this next article shows us that there is no such thing as a blanket solution for everyone.

Can a tasty treat like chocolate really make migraines better? Find out what a new study shows and why migraine relief may be as close as your next candy bar.

Migraine headaches are one of the most common causes of missed days from work and school. Many people find these headaches to be so painful that their only recourse is to seek the solace of a dark room. Not only are they painful, but the symptoms can drag on for hours or even days without treatment. Although there are medications to help migraine headaches as well as reduce their frequency, these drugs often have side effects and some drugs can even cause rebound headaches and withdrawal symptoms. What if there was a natural way to relieve migraines without the need for prescription medications

Chocolate to Relieve Migraine Headaches?: A Study

A new study presented at the International Headache Society’s meeting shows that cocoa may have the potential to relieve migraine headaches naturally. According to a study conducted on rats, cocoa may be effective in reducing the inflammatory response associated with migraine headaches. The exact cause of migraines isn’t completely understood, but there are a variety of theories. It’s believed that irritation of the trigeminal nerve leads to an inflammatory response that triggers release of brain biochemicals known as neuropeptides which leads to headache pain. In rats, cocoa appears to block this inflammatory response that leads to painful migraine headaches.

In reality, the cause of migraine headaches is more complicated than this since other factors seem to be important – particularly serotonin levels. Serotonin is a brain neurotransmitter involved in mood, appetite, and sleep. Levels of serotonin drop at the onset of a migraine headache which serves as a trigger for release of the neuropeptides that cause pain. Because serotonin plays a key role in bringing on migraine headaches, anti-depressants that alter serotonin levels are sometimes used to prevent migraine headaches.

Chocolate: Does It Trigger or Help Migraine Headaches?

Interestingly, chocolate can be a migraine headache trigger for some people. Migraines can be brought on by certain foods such as red wine, certain cheese, beer, and yes, chocolate. It’s unclear what component of chocolate is actually triggering the headache, but it goes to show how complicated the issue of cocoa and migraine may be. Some component of cocoa or chocolate could trigger migraines, while another may relieve the symptoms.

Cocoa to Help Migraine Headaches: The Bottom Line

It’s too early to recommend cocoa as a natural way to relieve migraine headaches, particularly when it seems to trigger migraines in some people. More research is needed to determine exactly what component of cocoa is beneficial. What does the future hold for chocolate and migraines? Hopefully, further studies will reveal the answer.

By Kristie Leong MD

http://healthmad.com

Supplements: a natural alternative to migraine relief?

If you suffer from migraine headaches, you know how debilitating and painful they can be and the search for natural relief may not always be obvious. Often times, migraines cause so much pain that people become physically ill and suffer additional symptoms such as stomach ache and blurred vision. The symptoms can be so bad that people miss work, leave family events, or become unable to function.

So, what can you do to relieve such horrible pain?

Many people treat migraine headaches with prescription medications. These medications can be effective, but they are not without some serious side effects. Some of these prescription medications are taken orally, while others are inhaled by nasal spray into the nose. Either way, some of the more common side effects include tingling at the site, unusual taste, or dizziness. If you happen to suffer from the more serious side effects, these can include high blood pressure and elevated risk of heart disease.

Because of the serious nature of the side effects, and because migraine sufferers need relief quickly and on a regular basis, natural and alternative and natural remedies are becoming a more popular way to treat migraine headaches. Before we take a look at some of the best supplements to treat migraines, let’s look at the nature of the migraine headache. It is easier to understand your treatment plan if you understand the nature of the headaches themselves.

Most people consider the term ‘migraine’ synonymous with ‘migraine headaches’, but migraines are actually a condition that has headache as one of its many symptoms. Because the headache is the most painful, most obvious symptom of a migraine, people tend to think that a migraine and a migraine headache are the same thing. Migraines are actually a neurological syndrome. The headache is the worst part, perhaps, but the syndrome can also be characterized by nausea and unusual visions that according to some sufferers can almost be hallucinatory in nature. Oddly enough, the very fact that a migraine is coming on is sometimes signified by an ‘aura’, described by most as an almost out-of-body sense that the awful headache is about to occur. Then, when it does, it is sometimes accompanied by odd visions or senses as well.

Once the headache sets in, and even after the person feels physically ill, he or she may also suffer from increased sensitivity to bright lights and loud sounds, preferring to remain in total silence and darkness until the headache subsides. The problem is, migraines often last for quite some time. The average migraine lasts for about four hours, although chronic sufferers can experience migraine symptoms for up to seventy-two hours sometimes! They will feel a severe and painful throbbing in the temple region, usually on one side, for the duration of the migraine. These are the individuals who need the most help.

So what help is out there? To begin with, there are some dietary changes that may help, but not for everyone. One of the most common changes to try first is to get rid of all gluten (wheat) in the diet. Other common triggers include foods such as hot dogs, wine, chocolate and cheese. This may help some people and not others, since there are so many triggers for migraine and not all of them have to do with diet. Some other triggers include the weather, sleep changes, and even stress; certainly, it is better for these people to explore supplements since they can do nothing to change the weather!

One supplement that has been shown to be effective in relieving migraines is Feverfew. Feverfew is an herb that you can buy in your local vitamin store or on the internet, and it is good for prevention of migraine as well as treatment of the symptoms once the headache has onset. Especially good for the treatment of symptoms is the combination of this herbal supplement with a natural caffeine source, such as guarana.

Ginger has long been used as a digestive aid and as a treatment for nausea, but there is also some evidence that it is helpful for migraines. You can eat ginger, of course, but if you don’t like the taste you can also find ginger capsules or ginger tea that has other flavors included in it.

Sometimes migraines come about because of fatigue or irregular sleep patterns. If this is the case for you, you may want to try taking melatonin before bed. Melatonin is produced naturally in the body, but the production of it slows as we age. If you supplement with it, your body’s sleep cycles will become more regular and you may find it helps prevent the migraines from coming back.

B vitamins such as vitamin B12 and riboflavin have also been known to help, as well as magnesium. These are such commonly used supplements that you should be able to take a multi-vitamin and mineral tablet and get your requirements.

Rather than suffer these debilitating headaches or resign yourself to taking prescriptions for the rest of your life, try these healthier alternatives. You just may get the relief you have long been seeking.

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