Migravent

5 Free Ways to Support your fellow Migraine Headache Sufferer

February 2nd, 2012

Migraines are a debilitating neurological illness that inflicts millions of sufferers with migraine headaches, nausea, vomiting, hypersensitivity to sounds, scents, and lights, and stroke-like symptoms. Migraines are linked with epilepsy and increased risk for stroke and heart disease. Why then are so few governmental funds set aside for migraine research, spreading migraine disorder awareness, and providing support for migraine patients? Here are some ways you can influence migraine funding without spending a dime…

1- Sign the petition!

Go to the AHDA (Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy) website to urge Congressional hearings on the impact of migraine and headache disorders. There are millions of migraine sufferers in the world, but at the time of this blog, a mere 8,231 have signed the petition asking politicians to recognize migraines and other chronic headaches as a debilitating illness that requires more government-funded research.

Migraine attacks plague our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, in addition to the countless US citizens just trying to earn a living and get through a day without debilitating head pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Migraines are a recognized source of disability, yet very few grants are allocated towards finding a cure for chronic headaches.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that migraine headaches account in more “lost years of healthy life” in the USA each year than epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, ovarian cancer, and tuberculosis.
To date, the US Congress has never hosted a public hearing on chronic headache disorders like migraines and cluster headaches.

Migraine Atlas Sheds Light on Chronic Headaches around the World

2- Become a Facebook addict!

Explore Facebook (Do a search on migraines) and you’ll find endless Facebook migraine pages devoted to helping out people like you who want to connect with other migraineurs. Migraines are comorbid with severe depression, so this is a good way to discuss migraine symptoms without feeling as if you’re “complaining.”

Here are some excellent Facebook pages for migraine sufferers:

PS: Don’t forget to follow Migravent on Facebook too, if you don’t already!

12 Ways to spread Migraine Awareness without saying a Word

3- Keep up with migraine forums and blogs

The Facebook groups mentioned also have a strong presence on the web for migraine advocacy, migraine forums, and personal blogs about managing migraines. They are excellent resources for finding local headache specialists, solving social dilemmas like migraine stigma, and finding out the latest news related to migraines.

Want a Cure for Migraines? 10 Ways you can help

4- Be a 24-hour migraine awareness advocate

You’re going to run into many people throughout your day who have never heard of migraines with aura, think that migraines are caused by stress, and don’t realize that headaches are just one of many horrible symptoms of migraine illness. They’re bound to make some pretty insensitive comments. It only takes a few seconds and a well-rehearsed line to (politely) put them in their place.

Here are some good comebacks that won’t offend:

“I wish I could just take a few Excedrin for migraines, but unfortunately, my body doesn’t respond to them.”
“Your mother-in-law is very lucky to have found a cure for her migraines. If only one cure worked for everybody…”
“I pray constantly for relief from migraines.”
“Sadly, migraines aren’t just in my head- they’re also in my nervous system.”
“I would work overtime every day for the rest of my life if it meant I never had to suffer another migraine again.”
“I wish it were only a headache- that would be heavenly!”
“I’m not antisocial. It’s just that everything outside my bedroom triggers migraines.”
“I’m on disability because without it, I would starve.”
“You’re in my prayers, too.”

35 Things you should never tell a Chronic Migraine Sufferer

5- Share this article

If you found this information helpful, please share this with friends, family, coworkers, doctors- anybody who you think would benefit from knowing more about migraine disorder.

Please tell us about any other migraine advocacy groups you appreciate that are not mentioned here.

Migraine Comorbidity is not a Death Sentence

February 1st, 2012

The term sounds scarier than it’s meant to be- migraine comorbidity. Comorbid illnesses are any conditions that occur at the same time. Depression and migraines are comorbid disorders, just like migraines and fibromyalgia. Sometimes, the reasons for migraine comorbidities are clear; other times, they require some scientific inquiry.

The definition of migraine comorbidity

Literally, comorbidity means any diseased condition that comes along with another. Medically speaking, comorbidity is the presence of one (or more) diseases or conditions in addition to a primary disease or condition. Migraine comorbidities are any conditions outside of migraine symptoms that occur frequently with migraine sufferers.

Migraine comorbidity may happen for many reasons:

Shared genetic risk factors may cause you to have neurological illnesses together, such as migraines and epilepsy.
An underlying disorder may be the root cause of two secondary conditions, such as migraines headaches and depression caused by serotonin activity.
Shared environmental risk factors influence migraine comorbidity, such as seizure and headache resulting from head trauma.
One condition may cause the other. Migraine attacks cause nausea and diarrhea, resulting in gastrointestinal disorders.
Lastly, conditions comorbid with migraine disorder may be coincidence.

Are Migraines linked with Epileptic Seizures? It’s Genetics

Why are migraine comorbidities important?

Understanding migraine comorbidities help us to understand migraines- why they happen, and how to treat them. For example, by connecting two seemingly unrelated conditions together, like migraines and epilepsy, scientists discovered that certain drugs for epilepsy (Topamax) could be used to prevent migraines.

On the flip side, comorbid conditions like depression may hinder our understanding of migraines by producing a cyclic relationship. (Does depression cause chronic pain, or does migraine disorder make you depressed?)

Overcoming Social Isolation in Migraine Disorder

Acknowledging migraine comorbidities helps your doctor decide which migraine treatments to prescribe, and which migraine drugs to avoid. Knowing that a migraine patient also suffers from cardiovascular disease is a valuable tool in diagnosing migraine causes.

What are common migraine comorbidities?

The list of ailments that occur with migraines is long- here are some of the most frequent conditions that are comorbid with migraines:

Mental health: depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and bipolar disorder
Neurological: epilepsy, essential tremor, Meniere’s disease
Cardiovascular: stroke, heart attack, congenital heart defects, hypertension, Raynaud’s disease, mitral valve prolapse, and patent foramen ovale
Autoimmune: asthma, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and allergies
Gastrointestinal: IBS, gluten intolerance, celiac disease, chronic vomiting, diarrhea, nausea
Nocturnal: bruxism, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and insomnia

Please tell us…

Do you have a migraine comorbidity that is not on this list? Are there any conditions mentioned here that you didn’t know correlated with migraines?

We welcome sharing! If you liked this article, let us know by commenting and sharing with your friends!

Migraines and Meniere’s disease: a Match made in Hades

January 31st, 2012

With migraines, your head often feels like a battle zone. If you suffer migraines and Meniere’s disease, it can feel like WWIII. Blinding headaches, throbbing ears, constant ear ringing, sharp pain in the eyes, dizziness, and vomiting are enough to make you want to raise the white flag. What’s the connection between tinnitus from Meniere’s disease and migraines?

What is Meniere’s disease?

Meniere’s disease is an inner ear disorder that causes dizziness and tinnitus (ear ringing). Most people who get Meniere’s disease are between the ages of 40 and 60, although it can happen in any age group. Meniere’s disease is caused by excess fluid in the ears that gets in the way of sound messages between the inner ear’s cochlea and the brain. Scientists do not agree as to why people get Meniere’s disease. Theories range from viruses, autoimmune disorder, allergies, or hereditary predisposition.

What are the symptoms of Meniere’s disease?

Three main symptoms indicate Meniere’s disease:

Sporadic vertigo: Sensation of spinning or rocking that includes nausea and vomiting; vertigo is not constant, and doesn’t usually last longer than one day.
Sensorineural hearing loss: Hearing loss that is caused by abnormal brain processing and communication between the brain and the cochlea is a symptom used to diagnose Meniere’s disease.
Tinnitus: Constant ear ringing; with Meniere’s disease, tinnitus symptoms are usually low pitch.

How are migraines and Meniere’s disease related?

Like Meniere’s disease, migraines are a disorder that occurs in the brain. One popular theory is that your nervous system, responding to migraine triggers, causes a spasm at the base of your brain that causes blood vessels to constrict, setting into motion a series of chemical reactions that lead to debilitating migraine headaches.

Some scientists believe that migraines are caused by intercepted messages between the brain and the blood vessels in the head. This bears striking resemblance to the cause of Meniere’s disease, which involves intercepted sound messages between the brain and the inner ear’s cochlea.

More facts correlating Meniere’s, tinnitus and migraines

Overwhelmingly, migraine disorder occurs more often in people with Meniere’s disease than in the general population.
The classic symptoms of Meniere’s disease- nausea, vertigo, ringing in the ears- are also common symptoms of a migraine attack.
Some scientists believe that like migraines, Meniere’s disease is also caused by constricted blood vessels.
Current research suggests that tinnitus in migraine sufferers is a symptom of allodynia, a neuropathic pain disorder that also occurs in fibromyalgia patients. Central sensitization caused by a hypersensitive nervous system causes symptoms like headaches, skin pain, and tinnitus.

Please tell us…

Do you suffer from tinnitus and migraines? If so, do you experience migraines with aura, or migraines without aura?

If you liked this article, then please share it with your friends!

Natural Migraine Remedies: 9 Must-Take Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs

January 30th, 2012

Some of the best natural migraine remedies are available in the vitamin aisle of your supermarket. Magnesium tops the list as one of the most effective nutrients for treating migraine headache symptoms, followed by butterbur root and vitamin B. Below are nine complementary and alternative medicine migraine remedies that have been scientifically proven to reduce severity and frequency of migraine attacks.

Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral that affects more than 300 biological functions, including protein synthesis and energy production. Numerous double-blind studies conclude that magnesium is one the best natural therapies for reducing migraine frequency and severity. By affecting serotonin receptors, magnesium interacts with your brain chemistry in a way that decreases your chances of having migraine attacks or cluster headaches by at least 40%, compared to only 15.8% with a placebo. Warning: Please consult in your doctor before taking magnesium supplements, especially if heart disease or kidney disease is a factor.

Magnesium- for Migraines and Beyond

Butterbur root (Petasites hybridus)

Butterbur is a natural herb that has been used for centuries to treat chronic pain, migraine headaches, anxiety, stomach ulcers, and respiratory disorders. In a randomized trial published in Neurology, extracts of Petasites hybridus (also known as butterbur root) and a placebo were given to migraine headache sufferers. Patients who received the butterbur migraine treatment for 4 months saw a 68% reduction in migraine attack frequency. Warning: Only use butterbur extracts that are labeled PA-free (free of pyrrolizidine alkaloids). PA’s are toxins that many cause severe liver damage.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

Coenzyme Q10 is an essential nutrient that your body produces. In a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial on migraine headaches, supplementation of Coenzyme Q10 was noticeably effective in reducing migraine symptoms by 47.6%, compared to 14.4% in the placebo group. Patients who received CoQ10 for migraines suffered fewer migraine attacks, and of shorter duration, than previously. Also, migraine headaches required less recuperation time, were less severe than usual, and resulted in less nausea.

Coenzyme Q10 Benefits and Dosage Information

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) is an essential B vitamin that occurs naturally in meat, eggs, nuts, and green vegetables. Studies prove that taking at least 400 mg of riboflavin each day significantly reduces migraine attack frequency. Riboflavin is also used to treat eye fatigue, muscular cramps, cervical cancer, and certain blood disorders.

Cobalamin (Vitamin B12)

Cobalamin (vitamin B12) is another important B vitamin for migraine patients- a water-soluble nutrient that is obtained naturally in meat, dairy, fish, and egg sources. It is responsible for many important functions in your body, including red blood cell production, protection of your nervous system, maintaining cognitive skills, and energy production. By controlling levels of homocysteine, vitamin B12 also reduces your risk of suffering from migraines, stroke, or heart attack.

Folic acid

Folic acid is a synthetic version of folate, an essential B vitamin. Folate is essential for controlling homocysteine levels and aiding in DNA synthesis. In a clinical trial that supplied folic acid and other B-complex vitamins to more than 50 chronic migraine sufferers, migraine headache symptoms were drastically decreased in frequency and pain severity. Also, patients reported that migraine attacks while taking the natural migraine therapy were less likely to affect their general day-to-day tasks.

6 Safe Migraine Treatments for Pregnant Moms

Calcium and Vitamin D

Calcium is a mineral that your body needs to build strong, healthy bones, and to prevent loss of bone mass. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium efficiently, and is beneficial for your nerves, muscles, and your immune system. Scientific studies show that vitamin D, taken together with calcium, is effective at significantly reducing the frequency and duration of migraine attacks.

Natural Migraine Remedies Surge with Prescription Drug Deaths

Feverfew

Feverfew is a sunflower that has been used historically to reduce fevers, hence the name. Feverfew leaves are still used to treat migraines and rheumatoid arthritis. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of feverfew in migraine prophylaxis, 59 out of 72 migraine patients reported a 24% reduction in migraine attack frequency, in addition to noticeably less nausea, compared to the placebo group.

Please tell us: Do you use any vitamin supplements, minerals, or herbs for treating migraines? Have you been able to wean off or reduce your prescription migraine drug dosage because of alternative medicine for migraine prophylaxis?

If you found this article helpful, please share with others!

Confrontations Cause Chronic Inflammation

January 27th, 2012

If you’re the type who constantly butts heads with others, you could wind up with more than a painful headache; frequent confrontations lead to chronic inflammation, according to a recent study on negative social interactions and chronic pain from heightened inflammation.

Negative social interactions are bad for your health

We know that stress affects our health. Scientists wanted to know if how we interact with other people bears any impact on our physical well-being or chronic pain. They conducted a study, Negative and competitive social interactions are related to heightened proinflammatory cytokine activity, published by PNAS, in an effort to determine if people who regularly engage in social conflict suffer from more ailments like chronic inflammation than people who choose to avoid confrontations.

For this study, scientists measured inflammation by the amount of cytokines in each test subject.
One-hundred twenty-two healthy individuals were instructed to log into diaries for eight days. They were told to list any positive, negative, or competitive social interactions that they experienced during the study.
Participants subjected themselves to laboratory-controlled stress tests.
Negative social interactions and competitive social interactions resulted in the most elevated levels of cytokines, an indicator of inflammation.
A similar 2006 study confirmed that people who suffer from depression are also more prone to increased inflammation.

Overcoming Social Isolation in Migraine Disorder

How much is too much?

If you’re in a field that requires you to engage in arguments on a regular basis, then it’s important to try to keep it to a healthy level. Whether you’re a lawyer, football coach, or star member of a debate team, you need to establish a balance between productive confrontations and all-out hostilities.

Is inflammation always a bad thing?

Regular inflammation like pain is a part of your body’s natural defense mechanism, an autoimmune response that protects you from danger. However, chronic inflammation can cause chronic pain, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes.

Please tell us: Do you consider yourself competitive? How do you keep daily confrontations from getting ugly?

We welcome your comments!

When Children get Migraines- Pediatric Migraine Headaches

January 26th, 2012

At what age did you get your first migraine headache? People don’t usually associate migraines with children, but they can get nerve-rattling migraine attacks, too. If fact, 20% of chronic headache patients say they started having severe headaches before their 10^th birthdays. So, how common are pediatric migraines?

A headache is a headache is a headache…

Not true. Tension headaches are caused by stiff contracted muscles in the neck, shoulders, jaw, and upper back. Tension headaches can happen with stress and poor posture. About 15% of children 15 and under suffer from tension headaches resulting from stress over exams, family discord, peer pressure, or life changes.

Other causes of tension headaches in children are lack of sleep, eyestrain, and muscle pain from sitting in an unnatural position for lengthy periods while texting or playing video games.

Sinus headaches are also common in childhood. Symptoms of a sinus headache are head pain in the cheeks, forehead, temples, and nose. Other accompanying symptoms of sinusitis may be ear infection, sore throat, mucus discharge, runny nose, cough, and fever.

About 5% of all adolescents experience pediatric migraine headaches, and 90% of them inherited migraine disorder from a parent. Like adults, children who suffer migraines are affected by migraine triggers like bright lights, strong odors, food ingredients, weather changes, and irregular sleeping and eating habits.

Migraines and other Types of Headaches- How many are there? Part 1

Why go to a headache specialist?

Even if your child’s migraines are relieved by OTC painkillers, you should still consider taking him to a neurologist or other doctor who specializes in migraine disorder for a diagnosis.

It’s unlikely that your child has a brain tumor, but it’s important to rule this out with chronic headaches.
Your child will have the sense of satisfaction from knowing that his needs are being addressed.
You will be privy to the most recent information about migraine treatments, like side effects that occur with NSAID’s, which natural remedies for migraines work best and other helpful coping mechanisms for migraine patients.
By tracking your child’s progress in a migraine diary and sharing it with his doctor, you improve his chances of reducing the frequency and severity of migraine attacks.
With a migraine diagnosis, you will be in a better position to be your child’s migraine advocate at school. It’s important that his teacher and principal understand that his migraines are not typical, common headaches that can be treated with a few aspirin, but a symptom of a neurological disorder that may cause excruciating head pain, eye pain, severe nausea, vomiting, and weakness.

What kind of Doctor should I see for Migraines? Headache Specialists

What migraine treatments are available for children?

Your doctor may prescribe one of many migraine drugs that are available to treat migraine disorder, based on the frequency of her migraine attacks, whether or not she gets migraines with aura, and the level that migraines interfere with her life at school and at home. Migraine treatments for children may include painkilling, abortive, and preventive medications.

Drugs that Prevent or Stop Migraine Attacks, plus Side Effects: Part I, Pain Relief

Additionally, alternative medicines for migraines are a popular option:

Biofeedback: Biofeedback involves using small devices to gauge your breathing, pulse, heart rate, temperature, muscle tension, and brain activity to teach you how to control involuntary pain triggers.
Acupuncture: Many chronic pain patients have found relief with Chinese acupuncture, which uses strategically placed needles to trigger pain-killing endorphins.
Nutritional supplements: More parents are opting for natural supplements like herbs, vitamins, and minerals in treating their child’s migraine symptoms. Popular natural ingredients for preventing migraines include magnesium, butterbur, riboflavin, and coenzyme Q10. Supplementing with the right blend of natural treatments for migraines reduces migraine frequency and duration by at least 40%, and without causing harmful side effects.

Please tell us:

If your child suffers from migraines, what treatment option has proved the most successful?
Would you consider weaning her off of OTC medications in favor of natural supplements?
Do migraines affect your child’s school grades?

If you know of anybody who suffers from migraines, do them a favor- share this article!

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

January 25th, 2012

Women are most likely to suffer migraines…and chronic pain. New research shows that when it comes to pain symptoms of chronic back pain, neck pain, arthritis, and hernias, women consistently report higher pain scores than men with the same exact condition.

Study focuses on chronic pain

In a recent Stanford study on sex differences in pain, medical records of over 72,000 patients were reviewed, which included over 160,000 pain scores of men and women who suffered from a painful disease. These findings, published by the Journal of Pain, make up the largest survey to date that investigates sex-specific variations in disease-associated pain intensity.

Scientists noted a significant difference in the way females suffering from musculoskeletal, circulatory, respiratory, or gastrointestinal disorders reported their pain intensity.

Other conditions covered were infectious diseases, physical injuries, and poisoning.

On a 10-point pain scale, women averaged 1 point higher in pain intensity than male pain patients, with 0 signifying no pain at all, and 10 being the worst pain imaginable.

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What do these findings mean for chronic pain patients?

It means that when a woman who has given birth at least once in her lifetime rates migraine headache pain as the “worst pain imaginable,” you should probably take her word for it…migraine pain is debilitating, emotionally draining, and overwhelming, and aside from labor pains, it’s hard to imagine anything more excruciating…

…On the other hand, do these findings mean that women are more likely to complain about pain, whereas men are taught from birth to hide their pain? Are women, perhaps, not as pain-tolerant as they believe…?

Perhaps, medical staff- ER doctors, nurses, therapists- should consider one’s sex as an important factor when prescribing pain treatments. One pain point might not seem like a lot, but it’s enough to tell a doctor if a certain pain medication is working…

Hopefully, one day, doctors will be able to use this data to decide which painkillers, migraine drugs, or headache remedies to prescribe for women with chronic pain…and which ones not to bother with at all.

What do you think? Please weigh in on this controversial issue.

How to Make a Migraine Headache Diary

January 24th, 2012

If you want to lose weight, then you need to write in a food diary. Likewise, if you want to lose migraine headaches, then you need to keep a migraine headache diary. It’s no joke- Writing in a migraine journal is an effective way of tracking your migraine symptoms, determining your migraine triggers, and finding everlasting migraine relief.

What good is a migraine diary?

A migraine diary is a valuable patient-doctor tool. If you see a headache specialist or neurologist regularly, then you need to keep him updated on your progress with migraine treatments. Instead of committing it all to memory, take a few minutes each day to write down important details like dosage information, headache severity, and foods you ate that day. Include as much information as possible- what might seem like a trivial detail to you could be an important clue to your doctor in determining your migraine triggers and finding you the right migraine remedy.

Migraine journals help you trace your triggers. There are hundreds of migraine triggers in this world, from food ingredients, to hormonal fluctuations, to the weather. Trying to solve the migraine trigger mystery can be overwhelming and time consuming. The best way to make sense of your migraine symptoms is to take a scientific approach, by logging into your migraine diary every day. In a few months, you will have a day-to-day chronicle of your migraines- how often they strike, how long they last, and how many migraine-free days you had. In time, you and your doctor will be able to piece together this information and gain a better understanding of your migraine brain.

Does stress cause migraine headaches?

Don’t confuse the trigger with the gun. It’s important to note that migraine triggers like stress don’t directly cause headaches; rather, they set the stage for a migraine attack to occur. Stress doesn’t cause migraines any more than it causes heart palpitations or alcoholism. The more migraine triggers you have, the more likely you are to have a migraine attack. And the more stress you have in your life, the more likely you are to suffer from hypertension, depression, and anxiety. In order to keep migraine frequency to a minimum, you must identify all your migraine triggers and eliminate them, whenever possible.

What details should I include in my migraine diary?

A complete migraine diary contains a brief history of your migraines and a daily/monthly checklist.

The National Headache Foundation advises noting the following in your migraine history:

Earliest age when you first started having migraines
Frequency of your migraines, including times of day, days per week, and duration
Location of pain
Words you would use to describe your head pain
Correlation with menstrual cycle
Any known triggers, like foods, lights, scents, weather changes, temperature, activities, eating habits, sleep schedule, etc.
Symptoms that precede your migraine headaches
Family history of migraines
Any strange symptoms like migraine aura- visual disturbances, partial blindness, olfactory hallucinations
Variations in headache types

A monthly migraine checklist contains specific information, including:

Actual time your migraine started and ended
Pain intensity
Complete symptoms, like nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, etc.
All medications taken that day, in what amounts
Effectiveness of medication
Mood before headache
Level of disability because of migraine
How much sleep you had the night before
Foods you ate before the migraine
Stressful events that occurred that day
Menstrual period
Any extra comments that might be useful later

Where can I download a migraine diary template?

The internet is loaded with excellent resources for migraineurs. If you have an iPod, iPhone, or iPad, then you have your choice of dozens of migraine diary apps on iTunes. Read this- Manage your Migraines from your iPad or iPhone- Five Useful Tips

If you’re more old school, then download this excellent Migraine and Headache Diary Workbook from Help for Headaches.com.

Please tell us…

Have you been successful in tracking down migraine triggers by using a migraine diary? Were you able to find a better treatment for your migraines because of it? If you know anybody else who suffers from migraines, please share this post!

Magnesium- for Migraines and Beyond

January 23rd, 2012

Magnesium is a popular natural remedy for migraines, but it’s also vital for hundreds of bodily tasks. Magnesium prevents migraine headaches and chronic pain symptoms, and is good for your heart, muscles, nerves, immune system, and for producing energy.

How much magnesium do you need?

A healthy adult requires anywhere between 310 and 420 milligrams of magnesium per day, according to the RDA. However, certain people require more magnesium in their diet than the general population. Certain health conditions and medicines may interfere with magnesium absorption or cause magnesium depletion. These include:

People who suffer gastrointestinal problems, as in Crohn’s disease, Celiac disease, or fibromyalgia
Anybody who suffers chronic diarrhea or vomiting, as in migraine disorder
Diuretics
Antibiotics
Anti-neoplastic medication
Hyperglycemia
People with calcium or potassium deficiencies
Alcoholism
Senior citizens, due to magnesium loss and drug interactions

Migraine Nausea and Vomiting- 10 Natural Home Remedies

What are the symptoms of magnesium deficiency?

The most common symptoms of low magnesium levels are:

Loss of appetite
Headache
Nausea
Vomiting
Fatigue
Muscular weakness
Leg cramps
Muscular contractions
Painful numbness and tingling sensations
Seizures
Coronary spasms
Abnormal heartbeat
Emotional disorders

Left untreated, severe magnesium deficiency can lead to low calcium levels and potassium levels in the blood.

What are the health benefits of magnesium?

Migraine prophylaxis

“…the (migraine) attack frequency was reduced by 41.6% in the magnesium group and by 15.8% in the placebo group compared to the baseline.” In a placebo-controlled double-blind randomized study, 81 migraine patients were given either 600mg of oral magnesium supplements or a placebo, every day for 12 weeks. After at least 9 weeks, migraine patients who received the magnesium supplements had fewer migraine attacks than those who received the placebo. Also, their migraine headaches were of shorter duration and required less analgesic medications.

Prevents heart disease and stroke

“Some observational surveys have associated higher blood levels of magnesium with lower risk of coronary heart disease.” Conversely, low levels of magnesium may cause abnormal heartbeats that may lead to heart attack. In numerous studies, magnesium supplementation also improved cardiovascular endurance while performing various exercises. Magnesium is also linked with lower stroke risk.

Reduces hypertension

“Epidemiologic evidence suggests that magnesium may play an important role in regulating blood pressure.” The DASH study (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) suggests eating foods like fruits, vegetables, and dairy products that are high in magnesium and low in sodium, and fat.

Treats type 2 diabetes

“Low blood levels of magnesium (hypomagnesemia) are frequently seen in individuals with type 2 diabetes.” Magnesium influences insulin levels and improves the insulin response in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Prevents osteoporosis

“…magnesium deficiency may be an additional risk factor for postmenopausal osteoporosis.” Magnesium encourages calcium absorption and increases bone mineral density, according to many studies.

Up your magnesium intake for pain management

If you suffer from chronic pain symptoms like migraine headaches or fibromyalgia, then health experts recommend you increase your magnesium intake, either through food sources or magnesium supplements.

If you found this article helpful, please share with your friends! Your comments are also welcome.

Suicide Rate in Migraine Patients- Some Surprising Statistics

January 20th, 2012

How far would you go to get rid of a migraine attack- not just a headache, but rather a weeklong gut-turning, head-pounding assault of migraine headaches? In prehistoric times, migraine patients resorted to drastic means like trepanation to relieve migraine symptoms. Today, a startling percentage of migraine patients have either contemplated suicide… or successfully taken their own lives to end the despair caused by chronic pain.

Migraines attack the whole body- not just the head

People who have never experienced a migraine attack mistakenly believe that it’s just like a headache, only stronger. Nothing could be further from the truth! First, daily headaches like tension headaches are caused by stressed, tense muscles. Migraine headaches occur in the brain when your nervous system misinterprets certain migraine triggers as pain messages. Migraine disorder is classified as a neurological disease.

Some of the symptoms of migraines include:

Sharp, severe head pain on one side of that head that lasts for several hours or days
Intense nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea
Migraine aura, consisting of strange visual hallucinations, olfactory hallucinations, temporary partial blindness, temporary partial paralysis, speech irregularities, altered sense of spatial awareness and time, loss of consciousness, and inability to communicate with or comprehend other people.
Hypersensitivity to things like bright lights, loud noises, and strong scents

Overcoming Social Isolation in Migraine Disorder

Suicide risk with migraine disorder

Researchers point to a high correlation of emotional problems in migraine headache sufferers to explain for a higher-than-average suicide rate.

The suicide rate in migraine patients is higher than that in the general population. Out of all migraine sufferers, females who experience migraines with aura (MA) have the highest suicide rate.
People who have the most severe and frequent migraine attacks are more likely to contemplate suicide.
People who get migraines without aura (MwoA) are just as likely to contemplate suicide as those who suffer migraines with aura (MA), but they are less likely to act upon suicide ideation.
There is no significant suicide risk in people who suffer from chronic daily headaches (CDH).

Killer Migraines Might be Fatal after All- Mortality Rates among Migraine Sufferers

Depression is comorbid with migraines

Most chronic migraine sufferers battle with more than the migraine symptoms alone- they also have to contend with major depression and other emotional disorders.

In one study, about 26% of people who suffered from bipolar disorder also experienced frequent migraine attacks.
Migraine with aura patients are more likely to suffer multiple anxiety disorders, recurrent depression, and hypomania, compared with migraineurs who don’t experience aura.
Scientists speculate that various dysfunctions in the brain (like bipolar disorder) produce other brain dysfunctions like depression, seizures, and migraines with aura.

Migraine medications may raise suicide risk

There is some evidence that anticonvulsants meant to treat epilepsy, but also prescribed as a migraine treatment, may contribute to the high suicide rate among migraineurs.

Compared with topiramate (Topamax), the following migraine drugs are associated with high suicidal tendencies:

Gabapentin (Neurontin)- 40% higher than Topamax
Lamotrigine (Lamictal)
Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal)
Tiagabine (Gabitril)

In a study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), nearly 300,000 people who suffer from migraines, chronic pain, bipolar disorder, and epilepsy began taking one of 13 anticonvulsants. None of the participants had any history of suicidal behavior.

After approximately 180 days, 26 patients committed suicide, and 801 attempted suicide.

Gabapentin, which is associated with the highest risk of suicide, is also one of the most frequently prescribed anticonvulsants for migraines (48%), followed by Topiramate (19.4%), Lamotrigine (7.5%), and Valproate (6.2%).

1- Sign the petition!

2- Become a Facebook addict!

3- Keep up with migraine forums and blogs

4- Be a 24-hour migraine awareness advocate

5- Share this article

Read more about migraine support:

The definition of migraine comorbidity

Why are migraine comorbidities important?

What are common migraine comorbidities?

Please tell us…

Read more about migraine comorbidities:

What is Meniere’s disease?

What are the symptoms of Meniere’s disease?

How are migraines and Meniere’s disease related?

More facts correlating Meniere’s, tinnitus and migraines

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Read more about migraine symptoms and causes:

Magnesium

Butterbur root (Petasites hybridus)

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)

Cobalamin (Vitamin B12)

Folic acid

Calcium and Vitamin D

Feverfew

Read more about natural migraine remedies:

Negative social interactions are bad for your health

How much is too much?

Is inflammation always a bad thing?

Read more about stress and migraines:

A headache is a headache is a headache…

Why go to a headache specialist?

What migraine treatments are available for children?

Please tell us:

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Study focuses on chronic pain

What do these findings mean for chronic pain patients?

Read more about chronic pain and migraines:

What good is a migraine diary?

Does stress cause migraine headaches?

What details should I include in my migraine diary?

Where can I download a migraine diary template?

Please tell us…

Read more about migraine triggers

How much magnesium do you need?

What are the symptoms of magnesium deficiency?

What are the health benefits of magnesium?

Up your magnesium intake for pain management

Read more about natural migraine treatments:

Migraines attack the whole body- not just the head

Suicide risk with migraine disorder

Depression is comorbid with migraines

Migraine medications may raise suicide risk

Read more about migraines and depression:

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