This is a series of articles that deals with Migraines and the challenges a family faces to find a cure. Migraines can have a hugely negative impact not only on the person suffering but also everyone involved. Hopefully other migraine victims will find helpful relief … if not within these articles from the resources available to date.

Part 4

Patience, sacrifice and diligence: these three distinguishing qualities are helpful in any endeavor in life. When trying to unravel the enigma surrounding migraines … patience, sacrifice and diligence are indispensable. Don’t rule out anything as a possible trigger. There are some excellent articles on triggers on this website.
» Continue reading “The Headaches of Family Life with a Migraine – Part 4″

This is a series of articles that deals with Migraines and the challenges a family faces to find a cure. Migraines can have a hugely negative impact not only on the person suffering but also everyone involved. Hopefully other migraine victims will find helpful relief … if not within these articles from the resources available to date.

Part 3

The first doctor’s visit was to our family doctor. I was surprised to learn that migraines can come for a variety of reasons: Current medications, Stress, Different foods to name a few. The list went on and on. When we left we not only had a referral visit to a neurologist but more questions than answers.
» Continue reading “The Headaches of Family Life with a Migraine – Part 3″

This is a series of articles that deals with Migraines and the challenges a family faces to find a cure. Migraines can have a hugely negative impact not only on the person suffering but also everyone involved. Hopefully other migraine victims will find helpful relief … if not within these articles from the resources available to date.

» Continue reading “The Headaches of Family Life with a Migraine Part 2″

This is a series of articles that deals with Migraines and the challenges a family faces to find a cure. Migraines can have a hugely negative impact not only on the person suffering but also everyone involved. Hopefully other migraine victims will find helpful relief … if not within these articles from the resources available to date.

» Continue reading “The Headaches of Family Life with a Migraine – Part 1″

Migraines are the number one side effect reported by women who use oral contraception. This is generally attributed to the fluctuation of estrogen levels in the body and occurs most frequently in women that are using combination estrogen-progestin pills. Although 20% of women who use contraceptives report migraine headaches, it can be difficult to diagnose the exact cause since women are more prone to migraine headaches and tend to fall into multiple risk profiles.

A study by the http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16150254 concluded that headaches that occur in the early cycles of contraceptive use tend to improve or disappear with continued use. The study also suggests that manipulating the extent or duration of estrogen withdrawal may provide some benefit as well.

If you believe that your migraine headaches are a side effect of oral contraceptives, then it is important that you consult with your physician to make sure that all of the risk factors are considered. You should also let your doctor know if you have a history of migraines prior to using any type of oral contraceptive. Many women who suffer from severe migraine headaches use not estrogen based forms of contraception.

If you suffer from severe migraine headaches and are currently enrolled to receive Medicare benefits, then you may be eligible to receive coverage that will pay for many of the most powerful prescription drugs on the market. The drugs most widely prescribed for the treatment or of chronic headaches are known as Triptans.

Triptans are medications used to reduce the symptoms or abort the onset of a migraine headache. Since their introduction in the 1990′s, triptans have been an effective treatment for millions of migraine sufferers. Unfortunately, many are still only available as name brands and are thus very expensive. Luckily, Medicare does provide limited coverage for those that qualify.

Under the current Medicare drug plan, the following Triptans are covered. Note that you may have to meet certain pre certification criteria and there will most likely be some quantity limits.

• Amerge® (naratriptan)
• Imitrex® (sumatriptan inj, nasal spray and tablets)
• Maxalt®, Maxalt MLT® (rizatriptan)
• Relpax® (eletriptan)
• Axert® (almotriptan)
• Frova® (Frova)
• Zomig®, Zomig ZMT® (zolmitriptan)

All of these drugs are available only with a prescription and require close medical supervision.

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that is produced by the pineal gland inside of the brain. There is increasing evidence that melatonin levels are related to migraine and cluster headaches. Synthetic melatonin is commonly used by people with sleeping disorders, such as insomnia, to help regulate their sleep cycles. Studies are currently under way to evaluate the efficacy of melatonin in the prevention and treatment of migraine headaches.

Although more research is required, early results are promising. In a study published in the August 2004 issue of Neurology, participants took just 3 mg of melatonin 30 minutes before bedtime for a period of 3 months. At the end of the study, 78% of participants reported a 50% decrease in headache frequency and 25% of participants reported no headaches at all during the study period.

If you are a migraine sufferer, then this may be an alternative therapy that is worth considering. Even though melatonin is available over the counter, you should always consult your doctor before beginning any new treatment.

If you are one of the more than 28 million people who suffer from migraine headaches, then you may have to look no farther than your dinner plate to find the cause. One study by the Cleveland Clinic found that over 25% of migraine headaches are triggered by ingesting foods with high levels of tyramine.

Tyramine is a chemical that is produced naturally through the breakdown of the amino acid tyrosene. This occurs in aged foods, and foods that are fermented or stored for extended period of time.

What to Avoid

• Aged Cheese – Unfortunately this includes all of the good stuff; blue cheese, brie, cheddar, swiss, provolone, guda, feta, and mozzarella all have high levels of tyramine. Processed cheeses such as Velveeta and American cheese are alright.
• Fermented Soy Products – If you have a great big whopper of a headache after eating PF Changs, it’s not just the MSG that is causing it. Although MSG is a known trigger, any type of soy sauce, miso, or teryaki sauce can have the same effect on susceptible individuals.
• Nuts – All nuts and seeds can be triggers for migraines. This includes peanuts, walnuts, pecans, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and any products such as peanut butter.
• Alcoholic Beverages – All fermented drinks contain high levels of tyramine.

If you suffer from chronic migraines, then you may want to start eliminating these foods from your diet. A complete list of food triggers can be found at http://www.headaches.org/consumer/topicsheets/.

Migraine headaches can be very disruptive for those who suffer from them.
These headaches can occur at anytime and can be triggered by various causes.
Migraine headaches are so bad that many times it takes days for the side
effects to go away completely. It’s no wonder that migraine headache sufferers
face both negative physical symptoms as well as emotional symptoms.

Migraine headaches must be treated with a variety of integrated approaches.
There is no one solution that cures everyone. Treatments include medication,
techniques to promote relaxation, and physical therapy.