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.

Massage Oils Reduce Migraine Pain

If you feel a migraine coming on but you don’t want to swallow a whole load of expensive chemicals in your body, massage oils may be a natural alternative for providing quick relief. I’m grateful to Errilyn who shared this information with me and I hope that it helps you too.

Hi Sile

Hope you are well, just thought I’d pass on to you that I use massage oils on my neck when I have a headache whether it’s just a headache or one that is heading migraine way…

I use to use a blend of oils with Lavender & Rosemary which calmed it down a little however I ran out over a week ago & looked everywhere & couldn’t find any so grabbed some oils & made some up.

In the meantime Hubby went to a New Age Holistic store & found some it is based on Sweet Almond oil, apricot kernel oil, ylang ylang, Patchouli, sweet orange, Lavender, Sandalwood & Jasmine, at first I wasn’t sure about the mix But the first time used it within 15mins the headache had eased & within 1/2 it was gone, have used it a total of 4 times in the past week each time with the same results.

I was on medication (sandomigran) which I took 2 times a day however one of the side effects was rapid weight gain & after putting on 2 stone decided to ditch the medication ( gets very expensive when having to keep buying clothes etc in larger sizes all the time not to mention the health aspects).

Am much happier just using the oils & if I get a migraine so be it…
take care
xo Errilyn

If you enjoyed the post, or know of other massage oils that might benefit migraine sufferers, please leave a comment here below.

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)

Cold Laser Kills Your Migraines… Naturally

In searching for new posts on alternative and natural migraine relief, this organisation caught my eye. If results are as good as it claims, I wished it had been around when I was looking for effective treatment!

BioVeda Technologies is a two year old company founded by a small group of doctors and practice management professionals that have over 50 years of combined experience in the holistic and alternative health care industry.

They specialize in scientifically integrating holistic medical philosophy with modern technology providing an alternative, non-invasive and natural approach to health and wellness.

This pioneering technology and medical devices to licensed health care practitioners seeking to expand their practice by providing therapeutic relief to their patient’s acute and chronic conditions.

They claim that thanks to their unique understanding of how environmental substances can impact and influence normal body function, they are able to provide assessment and therapy for a wide range of acute and chronic systemic conditions by utilizing NSRT or Neurological Stress Reduction Therapy. The technology is patented, FDA cleared and fully automated. Neurological stress reduction is achieved using their proprietary LASER (Light And Sound Energy Relaxation) technique that first assesses the specific substances that cause stress on the nervous system followed by positively conditioning the body to react neutrally or appropriately to the identified harmless substances.

Watch this video:

Their goal as a company is to help as many people realize improved health and relief using our technology by getting our medical device into as many capable doctor’s hands as possible. They are guided by a patient before profit approach and look for doctors that share their principles and ideology.

For more information, their website is http://biovedawellness.com

If anyone has used this service, I’d be very interested to hear from you.
If you’ve found this post helpful, please leave a comment below.

Oranges Can Cause Magnesium Deficiency… and Migraines

The next post is brought to you thanks to Amber Stephenson  who is a member of my facebook page aptly called Natural Migraine Relief. She found the part about oranges causing magnesium deficiency in some migraine sufferers, interesting. I have to say I was intrigued as well.

Here is the article:

The idea that oranges are considered a possible trigger for migraine has surprised many of us, as orange juice is usually considered to be beneficial in our diet.

Not if you are sensitive to citrus. The citrus group of foods is a known allergen, including fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit. Additionally, a lot of commercial orange juice is squeezed with the rind on, subsequently bruising it and releasing synephrine, a vasoconstrictor.

There have been links between migraine headaches and synephrine as well as related vasoconstrictors, so it makes sense that this could be a trigger. Many patients found that freshly squeezed orange juice made at home had no adverse effect.

A 2004 study found that: “In migraine patients, plasma levels of octopamine and synephrine were higher compared with controls, although in migraine with aura, the difference was not significant”.(1)

Synephrine is a stimulant that raises blood pressure, which can also cause migraines. The theory being that migraine sufferers with a citrus allergy can gain relief from a low dosage of daily blood pressure medication.

Citrus fruits also cause magnesium deficiency in some patients, and magnesium deficiency has been linked to migraine without aura. In a study where thirty migraine patients were treated with magnesium versus ten treated with placebo, the number of patients experiencing relief was so high that the possibility of the test results being coincidental was less than a 1 in 1000 chance.(2) The magnesium was administered as a magnesium citrate supplement, 600mg per day, orally. Patients were assessed by computerized tomography before and after the three month treatment period.

Citrus fruits also contain histamine, another suspect in food related allergies. A study at Texas Tech in El Paso TX found a correlation between high histamine levels and migraine attacks in susceptible persons.

An unhappy relationship between hypoglycemia and migraine can be heightened by drinking of orange juice, lemonade or other citrus juice in an attempt to raise the blood sugar – the orange juice can actually increase the migraine pain and the blood sugar level is blamed instead. This justifies the importance of maintaining a food diary and testing for food allergies.(3)

One woman related how she had taken migraine medication daily for years, washing it down with an 8 oz glass of orange juice each morning. Finally, when her sons were diagnosed, it became apparent that by giving them juice daily, she had simply been stimulating the cycle of migraines. Incidentally, orange flavored drinks such as Tang and Sunny D also contain migraine triggering substances similar to the natural fruits, so if citrus is a problem for you, avoid them as well!

Elimination of citrus is much simpler than many other migraine trigger foods, and is relatively easy to live without. For people suffering severe food intolerance migraines, living without orange juice, lemonade and key lime pie was a minor exclusion from their diet.

Sources:

(1) pubmed15159465.do, Cure Hunter, 05/25/2004
(2) Magnesium Research, Jun 2008;21(2):101-8. PMID: 18705538, by Koseoglu E, Talaslioglu A, Gonul AS, Kula M. Erciyes University, Medicine Faculty, Neurology Department, Kayseri, Turkey
(3) Leira R, Rodriguez R, Revista de Neurologia 1996 May;24(129):534-8

Research by Grace-Alexander

When I used to have migraines, bananas would give me migraines and I thought it was the excess potassium but I couldn’t find any back up in science.

I was allergic to a number of foods (any kind of cheese except cottage cheese, coffee, chocolate, tuna fish, grapes, not gluten or wheat though etc) Since I got completely rid of my migraines, I also got rid of my food allergies and thankfully now can eat anything.

I believe that you can too.

Amber told me she’s researching all types of foods that trigger migraines and that don’t and that she’s really starting to go head over heels into Migraine Research which is GREAT because there is a lot of information on the web and I would love all the natural solutions, remedies and treatments be listed on one website (err.. this one!) for your benefit.

So thank you again Amber  for sharing this with everyone.

How to Relieve Stomach Migraines Naturally

Migraines are usually known as severe headaches but there are also stomach migraines, which if untreated, are also as painful. Although rare, this kind of migraine is treated via medication and other easy steps.

Stomach migraines are conditions of the health that can bring about extreme pain to a person. There are varied causes, signs, and treatments of such migraines and those will actually depend on an individual’s lifestyle. This kind of migraine should not be viewed as an illness, as it is one of your body’s way to inform and warn you that there is something wrong with your health.

How does one then identify a stomach migraine? The symptom that is usually experienced by a patient is internal aching in the stomach. This is because the muscles of the stomach vigorously contract to ease the pain. Other people may feel bloated or otherwise experience an acidic tummy, even for those non-hyper acidic folks.

There are also those who occasionally vomit and feel nauseous. It is also possible that the stomach pain may spread to key muscle areas located in the torso, making you feel weak all of the sudden, like you are about to faint. The pain chemical prostaglandin is actually responsible for the feeling of pain spreading throughout.

Some may suffer more than just stomach pains, as headaches may concurrently occur, which can sometimes immobilize the patient. Because of this, many of those who suffer from stomach migraines have high anxiety levels, which cause them to also increase their level of adrenaline. This actually makes the situation worse.

Children are the usual victims of this ailment, especially those between three to ten years of age. This often makes it difficult for parents to identify it as a stomach migraine because their kids have a hard time describing what they are experiencing. To address this, consult your pediatrician when the problem occurs.

To treat a stomach migraine, the first thing you have to do is minimize your consumption of food that is loaded with artificial flavor and substances. This will ease the options of the stomach in order to stabilize its activities. Next on the to-do list is to drink beverages that are not acidic, nor should they contain substances that are acidic. It is also beneficial to consult a gastroenterologist to avoid attacks in the future. And when visiting the doctor, make sure that you explain clearly to him or her what type of food you have eaten as well as other activities you have been taking on so that proper evaluation can be done regarding your condition.

Article from: www.healthbulb.com/migraines/how-to-treat-migraines-of-the-stomach/

Sile’s personal note: I found that drinking room temperature Seven Up or Sprite in very small quantities actually relieved my stomach when I had stomach migraines. Alternatively warmed water with a spoonful of sugar and lemon calmed the compulsive hiccup sensation in my stomach.

Alternative Supplements for Natural Migraine Relief

I came across this video where this jaded migraine sufferer describes her initial reluctance to try out a specific type of vitamin and mineral supplements for natural migraine relief. In the video below, she explains the types of migraines she has had such as chronic headaches and stomach migraines. Her description of her journey from doctors to chiropractors to medications to pain killers to finally how regular use of the supplements have worked for her is quite inspiring for anyone who thinks they are destined to be chained to their migraines.

Watch this video below and then take action!

The supplement is also suitable for children and has an effect on mood swings and temper problems.

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.

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.

This Ingredient can Drastically Reduce Migraines

A new animal study presented at the International Headache Society’s 14th International Congress provided evidence that Theobroma cacao may be an appropriate dietary supplement for those suffering with migraine headaches. The ingredient is thought to repress inflammatory responses in the brain that are associated with pain.

Approximately 30 million Americans suffer with migraine headaches. A migraine is a severe, painful headache that can last for hours or even days. During the headache, the temporal artery enlarges, producing a release of chemicals that cause inflammation and pain.

Theobroma cacoa is the botanical name for the cocoa plant, and it has long been used in folk medicine as an antiseptic and diuretic. The seeds are used to make chocolate – which is often indicted as a trigger food for migraine headaches because of its caffeine and tyramine content, ingredients thought to restrict blood flow.

Pure cocoa alone has been shown in some studies to have other positive effects on health, including improving hypertension and glucose metabolism. Cocoa also contains phenylethylamine, which has anti-depressant properties and can cause the brain to release chemicals that fight pain.

Dietary intervention is one of the methods of treatment for migraine headaches, as some foods are thought to be trigger foods for attacks. The foods thought to exacerbate symptoms are cheese, chocolate, citrus fruits, meats with high nitrate content (ie: hot dogs), MSG, aspartame, and alcoholic beverages. Unfortunately, avoiding these trigger foods does not always prevent migraine headaches from occurring.

According to WebMD, food triggers often act in combination with other factors such as stress and hormonal changes. The amount of food eaten that can trigger an attack is also a consideration. Small amounts may not cause a migraine, but eating large quantities can induce symptoms.

Another natural treatment for migraine headaches is exercise. A study published in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, researchers found that the frequency of headaches decreased with a regular aerobic exercise program. Headache intensity and amount of medications taken also decreased. Exercise reduces stress, which is often a factor in migraine headaches.

Medical experts will not likely soon promote eating chocolate as a method to reduce the pain of headaches, as most chocolate products are low in actual cocoa and the processing of cocoa into chocolate reduces its beneficial phytochemical properties. However, there are currently manufacturers of cocoa extract dietary supplements, which are often not regulated and may not be as beneficial to health.

Sources: Medical News Today and WebMD.

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