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Beta blockers for heart patients are also popular for preventing migraines; symptoms like pounding headache, nausea, and dizziness, common with chronic migraines, sometimes diminish with reduced heart rate and lower blood pressure. Here are some facts about migraine prevention with beta blockers:

Don’t miss the next installment, which will cover drug interactions and side effects- Preventing Migraines with Beta Blockers, Part 2: Warnings and Tips

Beta blockers for migraine prophylaxis

Beta blockers work by blocking chemicals produced in the adrenal gland, thus lowering blood pressure and heart rate. Doctors prescribe beta blockers for irregular heartbeat, hypertension, heart failure, and angina, but headache specialists may also prescribe them for preventing migraine headaches.

Which beta blockers are best for migraine prevention?

If your neurologist or migraine specialist decides to put you on beta blockers, he will most likely choose one of the following beta blockers for migraine prophylaxis:

*Propranolol hydrochloride (Inderal)

*Atenolol (Tenormin)

*Metoprolol tartrate (Lopressor, Lopressor LA)

*Metoprolol succinate (Toprol XL)

*Nadolol (Corgard)

*Timolol maleate (Blocadren)

How do beta blockers prevent migraines?

It’s unclear exactly how beta blockers prevent migraines, but some headache specialists theorize that it involves their effect on serotonin levels or prostaglandin.

Migraine Sufferers, this is where your Pain Pills are going

Other medications for high blood pressure

Besides beta blockers, other blood pressure medications include:

*Diuretics (water pills)

*Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors: lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), captopril (Capoten), and ramipril (Altace)

*Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB): olmesartan (Benicar), losartan (Cozaar), and valsartan (Diovan)

*Calcium channel blockers: diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor XR), amlodipine (Norvasc), and nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia)

*Renin inhibitors: Aliskiren (Tekturna), not to be taken with ACE inhibitors or ARBs.

Please tell us…

Do you currently use beta blockers for migraine prophylaxis?

Are you aware of the potential side effects or drug interactions?

If not, please see the next installment, Preventing Migraines with Beta Blockers, Part 2: Warnings and Tips

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

Read more about migraine prevention

Integrative Medicine for Migraines- East meets West

References:

Choosing blood pressure medications

Beta Blockers Drugs on MedicineNet.com

Migraine Symptoms, Causes, Treatment on MedicineNet

Images:

IAN HOOTON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY, TEK IMAGE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Are you satisfied with your current chronic headache medicine? If not, join the club. Many chronic migraine patients would like to try natural ingredients, but either don’t know how or are too intimidated to take that first leap of faith.  But with help from your headache specialist, you can join the increasing number of migraine and chronic headache patients using natural ingredients for migraines.

A word about addiction

Remember, taking painkillers for migraines or chronic headache does not lead to addiction! There’s an important difference between addiction and dependence.  Drug addicts take narcotics for the high, not because they need them medically.

Chemical dependency occurs when you can’t stop taking a medication because of the pain you will suffer as a result, and this gets to be a problem if:

• Side effects become intolerable or dangerous
• Your develop a tolerance for the drug

And that, dear friends, is what drives so many chronic pain sufferers to natural alternative medicine for migraine headaches.

Tips for success

Please do not try weaning off prescription medications or introducing new migraine treatments without your doctor’s approval. This is not medical advice, just encouragement gathered from likeminded migraine sufferers on the web. For a tapering regimen, consult your doctor.

• For treating MOH headaches, wean off gradually, not suddenly.
• Don’t expect immediate results. Once you start weaning off painkillers, it can take a few months before you start experiencing relief.
• During those first two or three months, expect to suffer withdrawal symptoms- immense headaches, irritability, mood swings, delirium, vomiting, night sweats, and seizures. It’s part of the process as toxins leave your body.
• If possible, consider weaning off painkillers as an inpatient at a hospital.
• Do not attempt to wean off beta-blockers for migraines on your own- it must be done with help from your physician.  Remember to have your heart rate checked often, and report symptoms of rebound hypertension, like anxiety, dizziness, and chest pain.
• In addition to weaning off prescription painkillers or NSAIDs, remember to also supplement with natural herbs, vitamins, and minerals for optimum health benefits.
• Remember the hot and cold rule- to relieve chronic headaches, apply heat.  For migraines, use a cold pack.
• If at any point, you feel that you cannot tolerate withdrawal symptoms, or feel that you are in danger, do not hesitate to contact your doctor, or emergency services.

Please tell us…

Have you weaned off prescription or OTC medications for migraines and noticed an improvement in pain symptoms?  What natural ingredients do you currently use?

Please share your success story!

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

Read more about natural remedies for migraines

Introducing Natural Ingredients for Migraines: What are the Benefits?

New: Alternative Medicine for Migraines Endorsed by the American Academy of Neurology

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) for Chronic Pain

References:

How to Taper Off Beta Blockers

A Hidden Cause of Headache Pain

Rebound Headache Cycle: How to Safely Taper off Medications

Images:

YaiSirichai, photostock

Are you satisfied with your current chronic headache medicine? If not, join the club. Many chronic migraine patients would like to try natural ingredients, but either don’t know how or are too intimidated to take that first leap of faith.  But with help from your headache specialist, you can join the increasing number of migraine and chronic headache patients using natural ingredients for migraines.

Migraineurs Catch-22

It’s a lose/lose situation: your doctor tells you to limit your use of both OTC and prescription painkillers, lest you get the dreaded medication overuse headache (MOH), in addition to migraine headaches.  So you take migraine prophylaxis meds like Topamax, to prevent migraines from occurring, and what do you get?

More often than not, side effects like:

• Lack of concentration (brain fog)
• Fatigue
• Memory loss
• Painful tingling sensations
• Weight gain
• Hair loss
• Muscular pain and joint stiffness
• Rebound headache

It’s enough to make you want to ditch the drugs and go au naturel.

Brain Drain from Migraines…What’s Causing it?

Go natural!

Introducing natural migraine ingredients is no pipe dream, but it does take a lot of courage and determination.

Here are some proven benefits:

By successfully incorporating natural migraine ingredients, you save yourself from the side effects attributed to prescription migraine treatments:

Many migraine sufferers who introduce ingredients like magnesium, coenzyme Q10, riboflavin, and butterbur into their diet increase their chances of attaining neurological health conducive to life without migraines.

Migraine patients who use a combination of natural ingredients and prescription migraine medications notice  dramatic results.

Please tell us…

Have you weaned off prescription or OTC medications for migraines and noticed an improvement in pain symptoms?

What natural supplements do you currently use?

Please share your success story!

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

Read more about natural remedies for migraines

Introducing Natural Ingredients for Migraines- Tips for Success

New: Alternative Medicine for Migraines Endorsed by the American Academy of Neurology

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) for Chronic Pain

References:

A Hidden Cause of Headache Pain

Images:

Emuishere Peliculas

Migraines and depression often go hand in hand, creating a vicious circle of pain, exhaustion, and despair.  How can you tell the difference between depression caused by chronic migraines, female-related depression, and clinical depression? Here are 9 points on depression in women with migraines.

Myth #1: Women are more susceptible to migraines and depression.

True. For every male migraineur, there are three women suffering from migraine headaches on a regular basis.

To add insult to injury, women are also more likely to suffer from severe depression than their male peers are.  While only one out of eight men ever becomes clinically depressed, 25% of all women will experience deep depression at least once in their lives, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Women get the Lion’s Share of Migraines and Chronic Pain

Myth #2: Stress causes migraines and depression in women.

True. Many health experts believe that stress and depression occur in the same part of the brain.  Particularly in women, who are less likely than are men to release pent-up anger, long-term stress and trauma often result in constant depression.

And while stress doesn’t actually “cause migraines,” it does make them more likely to occur; stress, along with other migraine triggers, creates an environment in the brain that is conducive for chronic migraines.  That’s why migraine prevention requires being able to determine what factors trigger migraines, and finding ways to eliminate or reduce them.

Can Anxiety Attacks cause Migraines?

Myth #3: You can cure depression- and migraines- by learning how to reduce stress and think positively.

False. Clinical depression and migraines are both illnesses that are caused by brain chemistry.  While thinking positively and learning how to relax are excellent ways to lift your mood and improve your response to migraine or depression medications, stress reduction alone cannot cure you of a neurological or mental illness.

Myth #4: It’s normal to be depressed for weeks, sometimes months.

False. It’s normal to be sad for long periods after suffering a trauma or a loss, but sadness that lingers longer than several weeks requires psychiatric help.

Myth #5: To treat depression, you must take antidepressants.

False. Not all periods of depression are “clinical depression,” so not all symptoms indicate an imbalance in brain chemistry requiring antidepressants.

Some underlying factors may cause depression, including:

• PMS
• Multiple sclerosis
• Vitamin deficiency
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Hypothyroidism
• Medications like birth control or hypertension treatments
• Insomnia
• Drug or alcohol abuse

Myth #6: “Baby blues” only occur after giving birth.

False. We’ve all heard of postpartum depression, but very little mention is made of its cousin, antenatal depression, which occurs during a pregnancy. Fluctuating hormones cause depression in 10% of all pregnancies.

Ironically, migraine attacks often slow down or cease for many pregnant migraine patients.

Myth #7: Some antidepressants and migraine medications are safe to take during pregnancy.

True. If you suffer from migraines or depression, don’t let that stop you from family planning.  Ask your doctor about many conventional treatments for migraines and depression, including:

• Zoloft
• Prozac
• Celexa

Popular natural ingredients that promote a positive mind and mood:

• Magnesium
• Riboflavin
• Coenzyme Q10
• PA-free butterbur

Myth #8: Symptoms of migraines and depression may vary.

True. Between male and female sufferers of both depression and migraines, symptoms may differ from patient to patient.

Depression symptoms include:

• Deep sadness
• Fatigue
• Feelings of despair, shame, or guilt
• Irritability
• Indifference
• Mood swings
• Obsession with suicidal thoughts

Suicide Rate in Migraine Patients- Some Surprising Statistics

Migraines may occur with or without aura, or even without headache.  Symptoms of migraines include:

• Pounding pervasive headache
• Headaches that last for days
• Sharp pain behind the eyes
• Sensitivity to bright lights, loud noise, scents, and bold black/white patterns
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Bizarre visual disturbances (lights, colorful zigzags)
• Temporary partial blindness
• Temporary partial paralysis
• Sudden speech difficulties
• Loss of spatial awareness

Myth #9: Natural ingredients for migraines and depression are ineffective and unsafe.

True and false. Don’t believe that all herbs and homeopathic treatments are safe just because they’re natural.  Homeopathic, herbal, and nutritional supplements can provide powerful health benefits, but it’s important to use them with care.

• Always consult in your physician before starting any new natural herbal ingredient for migraines.
• Seek quality products that are free of chemicals like pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) or pesticides.
• Leading neurologists advocate the health benefits of natural ingredients; they include butterbur, riboflavin, coenzyme Q10, and magnesium.

Please tell us…

What tactics, including natural and conventional, do you currently use for migraines and/or depression?

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

Read more about migraines and depression

Chronic Migraines- Weathering the Emotional Storm

Migraines Make Women Depressed- It’s Confirmed

Images:

IAN HOOTON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY, LEON HARRIS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY, ZERO CREATIVES/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

How did vitamin B2 (riboflavin) become one of the key natural migraine nutrients? Decades of research prove the efficacy and practicality of using vitamins, minerals, and herbs when migraines occur.  Here’s the scoop on vitamin B2 as a natural nutrient for migraines.

What is vitamin B2?

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is one of several essential water-soluble B vitamins.  It occurs naturally in protein-based foods like meat, fish, and eggs, in addition to many nuts and green vegetables.

Doctors often recommend riboflavin for a wide range of health benefits:

• Neurological health
• Eyesight
• Helps support cartilage and joint function
• Maintains immune system functioning
• Dermatological health
• Mitochondrial health

Vitamin B2 deficiency

Symptoms of riboflavin deficiency are:

• Chronic fatigue
• Headaches
• Hypersensitivity to bright lights (photophobia)
• Stomach cramps, indigestion, and diarrhea
• Mouth sores
• Purplish swollen tongue
• Eye fatigue
• Sore throat

Riboflavin benefits

Riboflavin is essential for mitochondrial health- it aids your body in boosting stamina and protecting cellular and tissue health.

Many scientists speculate that migraine headaches occur because of a mitochondrial disorder causing poor oxygen absorption in the brain cells.  Based on that theory, riboflavin is a beneficial nutrient for migraine sufferers, as it boosts metabolism within the mitochondria of your most complex cell structures.

Riboflavin benefits your body in many other ways:

• Vitamin B2 provides antioxidants protection for healthy DNA.
• Riboflavin aids your body in absorbing other crucial vitamins, such as B6 and folate.
• Riboflavin is beneficial for healthy red blood cells production.

Suggested dose

The USRDA of riboflavin is a mere few milligrams per day- not enough to benefit migraine sufferers.

Doctors suggest 400 mg. of vitamin B2 (riboflavin) per day for optimum health. This recommendation stems from several studies focusing on riboflavin and migraine patients.

• In a placebo-based study, 55 migraine sufferers agreed to take either a placebo or a 400mg-dose of riboflavin per day.
• The results may be viewed at the Neurology.org site, high-dose riboflavin in migraine prophylaxis.

Please tell us…

Do you currently use natural ingredients such as riboflavin, magnesium, coenzyme Q10, or butterbur? Please share your success story with us!

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

Read more about natural migraine prevention

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) for Chronic Pain

References:

Effectiveness of high‐dose riboflavin in migraine prophylaxis A randomized controlled trial

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Images:

graur razvan ionut, Getideaka, anankkml

According to recent reports, the US accounts for 80% of the world’s
usage of prescription painkillers.  Why, then, is it so hard for migraine sufferers in the States to get pain relief when they need it?

Here are some key notes from the White House report, Epidemic: Responding to America’s Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis

Painkillers are gaining appeal among teenagers

“While there has been a marked decrease in the use of some illegal drugs like cocaine, data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) show that nearly one-third of people aged 12 and over who used drugs for the first time in 2009 began by using a prescription drug non-medically.”

The 80s had cocaine…today’s teen gateway drugs are narcotic pain relievers, which are more readily available and, what’s more, legal.

Most drug abusers get their pills from friends

“The same survey found that over 70 percent of people who abused prescription pain relievers got them from friends or relatives, while approximately 5 percent got them from a drug dealer or from the Internet.”

Instead of experimenting with street drugs like marijuana, more young adults are getting their first high from a friend’s unsuspecting mom or grandpa’s medicine cabinet.  Very few, only 5%, get prescription painkillers from illegal drug trafficking.

Drug consumption skyrockets

“From 1997 to 2007, the milligram per person use of prescription opioids in the U.S. increased from 74 milligrams to 369 milligrams, an increase of 402 percent.”

Ask yourself: Do fibromyalgia patients and migraine sufferers require 402% more painkillers, gram for gram, than they did 10 years ago?

A recent report by the World Health Organization indicates that nearly half of chronic headache sufferers don’t seek medical attention for pain symptoms, and rely on over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers instead.  How, then, can one explain for a sudden 400% rise in prescription pain medicine?

Who are doctor shoppers?

“…enhancement and increased utilization of prescription drug monitoring programs will help to identify “doctor shoppers” and detect therapeutic duplication and drug-drug interactions.”

Who are doctor shoppers? ER docs and nurses refer to them as “drug seekers,” people who use prescription painkillers for non-medical purposes, and usually obtain them through trickery and theft.

Doctor shoppers are addicts who feign illness so that they can obtain narcotics, often hopping from one ER clinic to another, using false identifications and made-up medical histories.

Drug seekers use up valuable, limited medical resources meant for people suffering from chronic pain- debilitating migraines and degenerative diseases.

A case of mistaken identity

One problem facing many migraine patients and other chronic pain sufferers today is that hospital staff and pharmacists often mistake them for drug seekers.

In an emergency room, a harried doctor has seconds to ascertain if somebody is really in the midst of a severe migraine attack, or if she is just faking it to get drugs.  More likely than not, he makes the decision to hold back pain relief from the very patients for whom he was meant to provide treatment.

Will PDMPs help?

The White House proposes “prescription drug monitoring programs” to help prevent prescription painkillers from falling into the hands of drug seekers, while preventing prescription drug deaths.  Theoretically, these should take some of the burden of proof away from the doctors and pharmacists. Hopefully, these programs won’t have the reverse effect, making it even harder for people with invisible illnesses to get the pain relief they need.

Whether this will be an effective way of reducing un-medical usage of pain pills, only time will tell.  Not all states have adopted these programs, and they are still in an early, experimental phase.

What are your thoughts?

Have you ever resolved to go to ER for a severe migraine, and been accused of drug seeking?

Do you believe prescription drug monitoring programs will help?

Have you tried using natural ingredients for migraines?

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

Images:

Mantas Ruzveltas, Victor Habbick

 


 
According to a recent study, people with celiac disease are more likely to suffer from migraines than those without digestive disorders.  What’s the connection between migraines and celiac, anyways?

Celiac disease

Celiac is an autoimmune disorder that affects the digestive system and involves intolerance for gluten.  Most people can eat starchy foods containing gluten- pastries, breads, pastas- without any ill results.  For a celiac patient, however, eating a morsel of wheat, rye, or barley can be the kiss of death.

So much so that even trace amounts of the gluten protein can cause severe stomach reactions and chronic pain symptoms like headaches and muscle pain.

10 Golden Food Rules for Chronic Pain Sufferers

Symptoms of celiac disease include:

• Diarrhea
• Stomach cramps
• Stomach bloating
• Osteoporosis
• Depression
• Chronic fatigue
• Headaches
• Vertigo
• Mouth sores
• Sore muscles
• Stiff joints
• Pain and tingling in the legs
• Skin rash
• Frequent bruising
• Unusual weight loss
• Failure to thrive
• Gastrointestinal hemorrhage

Migraines are also a stomach disorder

Scientists have always observed a strong link between the migraine brain and the stomach, but have not been able to explain exactly why the two correlate with each other.

Migraine Headaches and Dizziness- Stop the Ride, I want to get off!

For example, why do migraine attacks cause severe nausea, stomach pain, and vomiting, in addition to pounding headaches?

And why does vomiting during a migraine attack often produce intense relief?

American researchers from New York believe they can provide a useful clue.

The migraine-celiac connection

It’s actually not the first time somebody attempted to link neurological disorder with celiac disease- In the 60’s, scientists observed symptoms like poor motor control and peripheral neuropathy in patients of celiac, explains this study’s authors.

For the Columbia University Medical Center study, scientists focused on celiac disease, in addition to Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, both forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).  Subjects were also asked if they ever experienced any sensitivity to wheat or gluten.

• In addition to questioning participants on their digestive health, scientists also inquired about their history regarding headaches and lifestyle choices like smoking, alcohol, and coffee usage.
• Out of 501 people, 188 had celiac disease, 111 had IBD, 25 suffered from gluten intolerance, and the remaining “control group” had no digestive system disorders.
• More than half of the gluten sensitive participants suffered from chronic headaches.
• About 30% of celiac disease patients also had chronic headaches.
• Twenty-three percent of IBD sufferers also experienced chronic headaches.
• The lowest occurrence of chronic headaches was in the control group, at 14%.
• Migraine-specific headaches were reported among 21% of celiac patients and 14% of IBD patients, compared with only 6% from the healthy control group.

“We found significantly higher prevalence of headaches in patients with celiac disease compared to those without it,” states Dr. Alexandra Dimitrova, who co-authored the Neurological Institute study.

Unfortunately, scientists are still unable to determine why symptoms of IBD and celiac disease often affect the brain.  Theories range from celiac disease antibodies that attack the nervous system to widespread inflammation throughout the body.

These preliminary finding were recently presented at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in New Orleans.

What we learn from this:

There is no one cure for migraines, but determining your migraine triggers is the first step towards successful chronic pain management.

Have you tried eliminating gluten from your diet, for at least a few months?  Gluten-free dieting is not necessary unless your body has a bad reaction to gluten products.  But for many migraine sufferers, eliminating certain foods from their diet, including gluten, has led to a significant reduction in migraine headaches.

Migraine Dieting with Gluten-Free Foods: Is it Necessary?

• If you’re unsure of your migraine triggers, start logging into a migraine diary.
• If your migraine drugs aren’t performing to your full satisfaction, experiment with restrictive dieting.  Perhaps you’ll discover a migraine triggers of which you were unaware.
• Vitamin deficiency is another possible factor.  Make sure you get enough B vitamins and minerals like magnesium.
• Other dietary ingredients that are healthful include butterbur and Co-Q10.

Read more about migraines and diet

To Prevent Migraines, eat 11 Pounds of Beef

The Do-it-Yourself Migraine Detox Diet: What to Expect

Eat like a Migraineur- 7 Migraine Diet Tips

Please tell us…

Have you found relief from migraines by changing your diet?  Please share your experience!

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

References:

Migraines More Likely for People With Celiac Disease, Study Says

Images:

Ohmega1982, stockimages,

The Huffington Post released an updated list of celebrity migraine sufferers, some of whom are active in raising migraine awareness.  Still, the silence is deafening.  What are some ways that famous migraineurs can help to raise much-needed funds for migraine research?

Marcia Cross

The star of “Desperate Housewives” has been one of Hollywood’s most outspoken migraine awareness promoters.  In a People magazine article, she talked about having migraine headaches since the age of 14, and described them as stroke-like in nature.

Since then, she’s learned how to prevent migraines by avoiding food triggers like wine and chocolate.  Also, she’s careful not to skip meals or sleep.

Her favorite exercises for reducing stress?  Yoga and hiking, as she revealed to Help for Headaches.

“…I’ve found that if you don’t eat that chocolate bar or have that red wine, you can really reduce them,” she explained to Health magazine.

On coping with chronic migraines, she admits, “If I stress about migraines, it makes it more likely that I get one… I do what I need to do to take care of myself.”

Lisa Kudrow

The former “Friends” star is no stranger to migraines- not only has she dealt with excruciating migraines since childhood, but her father, Dr. Lee Kudrow, a cluster headache sufferer, is a renowned chronic headache specialist.

Cindy McCain

Migraine sufferers have a real podium with Cindy McCain, wife of ex-presidential candidate John McCain.

Cindy McCain struggles with migraine attack symptoms like debilitating headaches, vomiting, nausea, and photophobia. For years, she felt like an outcast, a hypochondriac.  It wasn’t until she turned 40 that she finally received a diagnosis for migraines, a neurological disorder, she explained to Neurology.

Today, Ms. McCain is trying to raise funds for more research in migraine disorder, confirming to the word that migraines aren’t just a headache- they’re a legitimate disability.

Social Security Disability for Migraine- 5 Tips for Filing

In addition to identifying migraine headache triggers, Cindy McCain also uses alternative migraine treatments, such as acupuncture, biofeedback, and relaxation techniques.

Michele Bachmann

Michele Bachmann may not be winning everyone’s presidential vote, but she’s a great role model for the millions of female migraine sufferers around the world, disproving many misconceptions that migraine patients are crazy, weak, or lazy.

Migraine Sufferer to World: It’s not just a Headache, People!

In a statement released last year, she affirms, “Let me be abundantly clear – my ability to function effectively has never been impeded by migraines and will not affect my ability to serve as commander in chief,”

Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson suffers from vestibular migraines, a type of migraine with aura. Symptoms include vertigo, visual disturbances, and piercing migraine headaches.

In 2008, Janet Jackson required 3 weeks recuperation from a migraine attack that occurred while touring.

So far, there have been no supportive statements urging migraine research or awareness from the Janet Jackson camp.

Kristin Chenoweth

Kristin Chenoweth works hard to achieve that sunny demeanor.  The Broadway star of “Wicked” and television star of “Glee,” “The West Wing,” and “GCB” has had her share of migraine attacks, one in particular that occurred on 2009’s Emmy night, in which she received an award.

Her preferred migraine treatment of choice, according to a Prevention magazine article, is Botox.  She says that her migraines have reduced from weekly to sporadically, although she admits her initial fear that freezing her facial muscles would jeopardize her acting career.

Read more about celebrity migraineurs

Top 30 Most Famous Migraine Sufferers

Working with Migraines is no Laughing Matter, Comedian Russell Brand Agrees

Celebrities Also Suffer from Migraines

Dwyane Wade of Miami Heat Battles 76ers and Migraines: Who Will Win?

Please tell us…

Which celebrity do you feel has been the best role model for migraine sufferers?

Do you know of any other famous migraineurs not included?

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

References

Celebrities With Migraines: 13 Famous Faces With The Misunderstood Condition

Living with Migraines

Dealing With a Migraine Like Janet Jackson’s

Kristin Chenoweth Hits the High Notes

Images:

-MaDMAn-, Gage Skidmore, TheBuiBrothers.com, public domain, LGEPR, mobu26

Managing chronic migraines can wear you down, both emotionally and spiritually.  Like any other lifetime illness, migraine disorder can distress your social life, family relationships, and business associations, not to mention your own sense of self-esteem.  But harboring negative feelings can impede recovery and trigger more migraines.  Here are some helpful tips that will brighten your mood.

Acceptance

Migraine disorder is a neurological condition that will not go away on its own.  Unfortunately, a mistake some migraine patients make is treating their symptoms like the metaphorical “elephant in the living room.” It’s one thing to put on a brave face for random well-wishers, but you should always be able to admit to close friends, family, and physicians when things are not so fine, and be able to ask for help.

Overcoming Social Isolation in Migraine Disorder

Remember that there’s nothing shameful in acknowledging when you’re having difficulty managing your migraines; it doesn’t make you weak or helpless, but rather improves your chances of eventually finding a life-long migraine management strategy that works.

Get migraines of your head

Anger, depression, despair, and anxiety are often comorbid conditions of migraine disorder. Learning how to release pent-up feelings in a healthy, controlled fashion is crucial for preventing migraine headaches, reducing stress, and avoiding life-threatening situations like heart attack, stroke, and drug addiction.

Suicide Rate in Migraine Patients- Some Surprising Statistics

If seeking psychological help is not an option, then get used to writing things down in a diary.  If you’re already logging into a migraine journal, then use the opportunity to jot down feelings, concerns, and questions about migraines, or just anything that’s on your mind.

Accentuate the positive…

It’s hard to keep a positive outlook when your daily routine starts and ends with throbbing headaches, sore eyes, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and stiff neck pain. While nobody expects you to transform into Ms. Happy-go lucky overnight, that doesn’t mean that you can’t reap some of the benefits that positive thinking affords.

Can Anxiety Attacks cause Migraines?

In an oft-cited study on chronic pain, researchers noted a direct correlation between negativity among certain patients and an increase in pain symptoms.  People who expressed an attitude of hopelessness and “catastrophized” their condition experienced the most stress, physical pain, and infirmity.

In contrast, test subjects who experienced similar pain levels but remained hopeful and optimistic were more likely to find effective pain management.

Read more about migraines and depression

Migraines Make Women Depressed- It’s Confirmed

Please tell us…

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

References:

Study finds that positive outlook on life eases chronic pain

Images:

kenfotos, Janaka Dharmasena, Ambro

Four cheers for alternative medicine: Recently, migraine specialists from all over the US met with the American Academy of Neurology to discuss the most effective tactics for migraine management, and included in their recommendations were four natural migraine ingredients magnesium, butterbur, riboflavin, and coenzyme Q10.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) for Chronic Pain

As always, consult in your physician before starting any new natural ingredients for migraines.

Butterbur (Petasites hybridus)

The herb butterbur scored an A, as in Level A class of “medications with established efficacy” for migraine patients.

Two Class I studies indicated that 50–75mg of butterbur extract can significantly improve neurological functioning after four to twelve weeks of supplementation, compared to a placebo.

Found in marshy areas around the world, butterbur is a health-giving plant species that ancient peoples once used in the occurrence of headaches, muscular pain, allergies, spasms, and nervousness.

Note:  While butterbur is a safe, gentle nutrient for migraine sufferers, it’s important to seek butterbur extracts that are free of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs).

Coenzyme Q10 (Co-Q10)

Co-Q10 is a powerful antioxidant with many beneficial properties, healthful for patients with migraine headaches, heart disease, autoimmune disorders, and viral and bacterial infections.

In a Class II study on migraines, Co-Q10 provided more dramatic results than a placebo after only four months of treatment.

Coenzyme Q10 Benefits and Dosage Information

Magnesium

Magnesium is a beneficial nutrient used by doctors to aid sufferers of migraines, in addition to anxiety, irregular heartbeat, preeclampsia, and tense muscles.

In several studies on migraines, magnesium used in combination with riboflavin and feverfew were particularly effective.

Researchers believe that magnesium deficiency may be the cause for a significant amount of migraine attacks. Because it’s difficult to acquire an accurate screening of magnesium levels, health experts recommend experimenting with magnesium supplements to find the optimum dose.

Magnesium- for Migraines and Beyond

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include:

• Headaches
• Muscular pain
• Anxiety attacks
• Psychosis
• Photophobia
• Hypertension
• Chronic fatigue
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)

Riboflavin is a B-complex vitamin that occurs naturally in meat, nuts, whole grains, dairy products, spinach, and broccoli. Riboflavin is beneficial for people suffering from migraines, eye fatigue, and muscle pain.

In several studies on riboflavin and migraines, 400mg riboflavin supplements proved more promising results than a placebo.

Please tell us…

Have you experimented with alternative medicine for migraines?

How likely are you to consider using butterbur, riboflavin, magnesium, or coenzyme Q10 after reading this article?

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

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Sources:

Evidence-based guideline update: NSAIDs and other complementary treatments for episodic migraine prevention in adults

Images:

Carlos Porto, Doug Lee, Steve A Johnson