Posts Tagged ‘chronic pain’
Thursday, January 17th, 2013
People who suffer from chronic migraines often get asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?” by close thoughtful friends, relatives, and colleagues. Next time, hand them a list! An excellent column pointed out 36 things people can do to help out the chronically ill, many of which are particularly helpful for migraine sufferers.
Whether you suffer from fibromyalgia, migraines, arthritis, or chronic back pain, we think you’ll agree that this “wish list” for migraineurs a handy tool for enabling the people closest to you- your spouse, children, church members- to provide support without spending a lot of money.
Here are some great tips that stand out- for the entire list, go to But You Don’t Look Sick.
- Buy a migraine care package, complete with unscented skin lotion, hot/cold packs, eye shades, and ear plugs.
- Go to the book store and pick up a blank journal, to be used as a migraine diary.
- Offer to do house chores that are difficult to do during a migraine attack, such as wash dishes, run a load of laundry, water the plants, or take out the garbage.
- How about a quick back rub or foot massage?
- Offer to babysit the kids, even for just one hour, or until our migraine medications have kicked in.
- Offer to take the dog for a walk; he’s lonely too!
- Bring over some home-cooked meals that can be easily frozen and heated up later. Make sure they’re migraine-friendly, and don’t contain known triggers, like cheese, tomato sauce, or dried meats.
- Send a friendly email; or better yet, drop by just to say hello.
- Keep inviting us to things, even though we’ve canceled out on you in the past.
- Give me a hug! <3
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Your turn!
Is there anything you’d like to add to this list? Please enter your comments below!
Share with your friends!
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Like this? Read more:
5 Simple Ways to Spread Migraine Awareness
5 Migraine Misconceptions you shouldn’t believe
35 Things you should never tell a Chronic Migraine Sufferer
“Contest & Sweepstakes”
As seen on Hypersweep.com!
Contest for Moms
Source:
36 Easy things that you can do to make the life of your chronically ill friend a bit better
Image(s) courtesy of Ambro/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Tags: chronic migraine, chronic pain, migraine awareness, migraine headaches, migraine help, migraine sufferers
Posted in Migraine Awareness | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 15th, 2013
If chronic pain is triggered by emotions, then does that mean that migraines are a mental illness? Do people who suffer from fibromyalgia just need to de-stress? People have many misconceptions about chronic pain, half-truths that stem from the brain-pain connection.
Chronic pain is widespread. Migraines inflict millions of people with frequent, debilitating headaches, nausea, and fatigue. Out of all migraine sufferers, approximately 75% are female. Unlike common acute headaches, migraine attacks begin in the brain as a result of a neurological disorder, and are usually hereditary. Migraines become “chronic” when they occur over 15 times each month, for a period of at least 3 months.
Chronic pain triggers. Much of chronic pain is influenced by specific “triggers” that increase your likeliness to suffer from a migraine or a fibromyalgia flare-up. Chronic pain triggers don’t cause migraines- we’re not able to say with conviction exactly what causes chronic pain symptoms, but we do understand that certain things like emotions and thought have a huge effect on their outcome, and how we respond to medication.
#1: Stress increases pain.
The brain is the root of all chronic pain, as it continuously receives messages from neurotransmitters all over your body that relay information about pain…and emotions. In perceiving pain signals, the brain takes into account both physical and emotional cues at the same time.
Overwhelmingly, pain is exacerbated by stress, anxiety, depression, panic, vulnerability, and guilt.
Migraine Triggers in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
#2: Pain is never just “made up.”
The fact that emotionally-triggered pain cannot be viewed from an MRI or X-ray doesn’t make it any less real. Whether pain is caused by tense muscles, arthritis, a fractured hip, or a migraine set off by a hectic work schedule, chronic pain is in every case irrefutably real for the sufferer, even if it’s not always evident through diagnostic imaging.
#3: Positive reinforcement works.
Accepting that emotions like anxiety and depression can trigger migraines or other types of chronic pain, the next logical conclusion is that the power of thought can also be used to decrease or prevent pain. This is true to a certain extent.
Consider the placebo effect- if you believe that a certain medication will work, you increase your own odds of recovery. This has been proven in countless studies, where sufferers of chronic pain who were optimistic not only responded well to treatment, but they also learned how to cope better with their pain symptoms on a daily basis than people with the same ailments who help a more negative view.
Much of chronic pain recovery relies on your mood, which you can manage effectively by repeating positive affirmations.
Instead of, “I hope I don’t get a migraine attack,” switch to, “If a migraine happens, I will deal with it.”
Your turn!
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+.
Like this? Read more:
Can Anxiety Attacks cause Migraines?
Migraines, Women, and Depression: 9 Myths and Truths
Sources:
Chronic Pain: It Is All in Your Head, and It’s Real
Diagnosing Chronic Migraine
Image(s) courtesy of Victor Habbick/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Tags: chronic headaches, chronic pain, Chronic pain triggers, emotional pain, fibromyalgia, migraine attacks, migraine headaches, Migraines, neurological disorder
Posted in Chronic Pain | No Comments »
Monday, May 14th, 2012
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!
If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.
Images:
Mantas Ruzveltas, Victor Habbick
Tags: chronic pain, Drug seekers, migraine headaches, migraine pain pills, prescription painkillers
Posted in Chronic Pain | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 28th, 2012
Coming soon to a pharmacy near you- migraine medications that can be purchased without a prescription. Over-the-counter (OTC) migraine drugs are on a list of other prescription medications included in the FDA’s newest proposal regarding nonprescription drugs.
What’s on the table?
According to research presented by the FDA, approximately 20% of all patients (migraine headache and other chronic headache patients, for example) never get their prescriptions filled. Either they don’t have the money to get their meds, or they don’t have insurance coverage. Time required to visit a doctor is another factor that prevents many people from getting migraine treatments.
The FDA is proposing a plan to make it easier for chronic pain patients to get the medicine they so badly need. By switching the status of certain migraine drugs from prescription-only to OTC, the FDA hopes to make it easier and cheaper for people to manage their migraines.
Which medicines are included?
Drugs that may become available over the counter include medications for migraines, hypertension, asthma, and high cholesterol. Also under consideration are birth control pills.
While some migraine drugs will make a direct transition to OTC, other medications may require an initial doctor’s prescription, with the option of refilling at any pharmacy thereafter.
“What we are asking is, should there be more flexibility in the concept of nonprescription drugs? Can we broaden the assistance a consumers gets and increase the types of medicines that might be available over-the-counter.” – Janet Woodcock, M.D., director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
Aren’t pharmacists overworked already?
This new proposal will take patient-care responsibilities away from your headache specialist’s office and directly into the lap of your nearest pharmacist.
Here are some important points to consider:
- Currently, only medicines for conditions that can be self-diagnosed easily are available without prescription. Cold medicines, headache pain relievers, and antacids are among items that are available over the counter.
- The FDA wants to expand its list of OTC medicines to include migraine drugs that require monitoring. The only difference is that pharmacists will be placed in the position of assisting you, the migraine patient, with your drug purchases.
- Certain migraine medications may be available only after speaking to your pharmacist. Does that mean that a pharmacist will have the power to refuse certain painkillers?
- The FDA is suggesting implementing modern-day technologies like pharmacy kiosks and online questionnaires in helping migraine drug users select the right item for their symptoms. Who will be responsible for helping you make those choices, and ensuring that you understand all drug warnings and restrictions? Your pharmacist.
- For millions of chronic migraine, asthma, cholesterol, and hypertension patients, this new FDA proposal will result in less time under the care of a qualified physician, and more time being waited on by a drugstore pharmacist.
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+.
Read more about migraine medications
Natural Migraine Remedies Surge with Prescription Drug Deaths
Migraine Headache Painkiller Mistakes we sometimes make
Coenzyme Q10 Benefits and Dosage Information
Sources:
FDA Considers Expanding Definition of Nonprescription Drugs
Images: Ephemeral Scraps
Tags: chronic pain, migraine attacks, migraine headache and chronic headache, migraine medications, migraine treatments, Over-the-Counter Migraine Drugs
Posted in Migraine Medication | 2 Comments »
Monday, March 26th, 2012
Anger is a destructive, negative emotion that triggers migraines, in addition to harming your physical and mental health. Hypertension, heart disease, and depression are all side effects of unresolved anger. In managing your migraine triggers and reducing your number of migraine headaches, it is important to be able to recognize your anger style and nip it in the bud.
1- Chronic Anger
If you’re addicted to anger, you never miss an opportunity to provoke a fight. You love the “high” you get from a good emotional roller coaster, and anger is your drug of choice. You are offended easily and might explode into a tantrum at the drop of a hat. For the most part, you may be triggering your own migraines, so it’s essential that you ask yourself before you get all riled up, ”Is this worth the migraine it’ll cost me?”
Help! Migraines are ruining my Relationships
2- Behavioral anger
Do you act out your anger? People who let anger rule their behavior are often aggressive, and subject to fits of rage- sometimes resulting in physical abuse. If migraines ever make you angry enough to lash out with friends or family, then it’s important to identify this style and anger and seek professional help.
3- Verbal anger
How do you express your anger…do you make sharp, cutting remarks, or yell obscenities? Even if you would never raise your fist in anger, remember that verbal punches can hurt, too. Next time you’re in the throes of a throbbing migraine headache that’s lasted for days, and somebody says or does something that really gets your goat, try to hold back your temper and your words, lest you ruin a valued relationship.
4- Shame-Based Anger
Over time, constant migraine headaches trigger depression, despair, and anguish in its sufferers. Because chronic migraines interfere with your ability to work productively, socialize, or carry out basic tasks, you sometimes feel “broken” or worthless. Feelings of guilt or inadequacy over cancelled appointments and missed birthdays because of migraine attacks may cause intense anger. If you suspect that poor self-image is at the root of your anger issues, then own up to it. Find out how other migraine patients cope with their chronic pain, and try to establish a healthier attitude towards yourself.
5- Unpredictable anger
Do you alternate from hot to cold, or have days when you are down in the dumps and others when you feel like you’re on top of the world? Sometimes, anger erupts without following any pattern, fluctuating between mild annoyances to outright rage, depending on your mood. Unpredictable anger and mood changes are sometimes comorbid conditions with migraine headaches. Living with somebody who is a thunderstorm-waiting-to-happen can be stressful, even traumatic, so it’s important that you seek counseling. By visiting a family or marital counselor and learning how to control your anger, you may save your relationships and your peace of mind while also preventing migraine attacks.
Please tell us…
Do you recognize any of the anger styles listed? All in all, there are close to a dozen different anger styles that may trigger migraines. Do you suffer from anger, and if so, how do you cope?
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 triggers:
Avoiding Migraine Triggers- Here, There and Everywhere
Night Terrors, Migraines, and Insomnia- 7 Nightmare Headaches
34 Migraine-Inducing, Stomach-Turning Toxic Chemicals in Perfume
Sources:
What’s your anger management style?
Types of Anger: 12 Most Common Types of Anger
Tags: chronic pain, migraine attacks, migraine headaches, migraine triggers, Migraines
Posted in Migraine Triggers | 2 Comments »
Friday, February 24th, 2012
“I’m worried this might be the early stages of a migraine. I get this light disruption thing.” Those were the words of Russell Brand a few weeks ago, echoing the concerns of millions of other migraine headache sufferers around the world. Only instead of retreating to a quiet shade-drawn bedroom to stave off the coming migraine attack, he continued his 90-minute comedy act under a bright Hollywood spotlight, migraine, nausea, and all.
Migraines are equal-opportunity destroyers
Disclaimer: Russel Brand was not contacted regarding this blog post. This is a review of news headlines, as referenced below.
 When “Get him to the Greek” star Russell Brand had an on-stage migraine attack recently, his audience got a taste of what it’s like to be struck suddenly with crippling migraines.
First came the light sensitivity; he apologized to his audience for the delay as he halted his routine for a moment, explaining that the bright lights of the stage were probably triggering his migraines.
Next, he revealed that he had terrible pain, and needed painkillers. “I feel nauseous now,” he said. “I feel sick. Sorry about this.”
A stagehand brought him some migraine painkillers, and Russell continued his show, still apologetic.
“I think I’m such a professional showman this is beyond ridiculous stopping to take medication.”
For most migraineurs, getting on-the-spot medical attention for a migraines is like squeezing sugar from a lemon; it’s a long, nasty process with fruitless results.
Why the apologies?
We’ve all been there, yet it’s still hard to watch. When people suffer from chronic pain, they shouldn’t have to apologize for it. Yet that’s exactly what Russell Brand did for his audience when he felt the first symptoms of a migraine attack striking while he was performing onstage, fresh after signing divorce papers for his estranged ex-wife, Katy Perry.
Such is the dilemma for all people who get frequent migraines, celebrities included; once you feel the telltale signs of an approaching migraine, your only thought is to escape by whatever means possible. Locate your nearest exit, retreat, and apologize profusely along the way. (Except when you can’t.)
By the way…
 Coincidentally, rapper Diddy was recently hospitalized for a migraine attack that occurred after a post-Grammy party at the Playboy Mansion.
Imagine anybody else calling 911 and explaining that he was hung over from a giant Hollywood bash, and was suffering from a killer migraine, and could somebody please take him to the hospital; or strolling into ER, wanting attention for a migraine headache that was triggered by too much partying.
For most migraineurs, getting on-the-spot medical attention for a migraine is like squeezing sugar from a lemon; it’s a long, nasty process with fruitless results.
Migraines are disabling
Fortunately, Russell Brand only had to endure 90 minutes of work time before being allowed to go home and wait out the migraine storm. And most likely, his job prospects are still good. Not to begrudge him his well-deserved fame, but for millions of blue-collar migraine patients, that is not the reality.
Most migraine patients have only three options regarding migraines and work:
- suffer the migraine attack in silence until 5:00,
- miss work, or
- miss work while trying for months or years to qualify for disability insurance, which is always a gamble.
Please share your thoughts…
- Do you think media attention on migraines will bring us closer to getting a cure?
- Have you been denied disability, even though your migraines keep you from working?
- What migraine treatments do you currently use, and how satisfied are you with their results?
- As always, we welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions!
Spread the love…
Please share this article with your friends, family, or anybody you care about!
Read more about migraines at work:
Migraine Headaches Are Not an ADA Disability, Says US Court
Migraines at Work- Can my Employers Fire me from my Job?
Social Security Disability for Migraine- 5 Tips for Filing
Sources:
Russell Brand Forced To Stop Show After Migraine Attack
Russell Brand Suffers Migraine Attack Onstage
Diddy Hospitalized For Extreme Migraine Headache: REPORT
Tags: chronic pain, Migraine and nausea, migraine attack, migraine headaches, migraine light sensitivity, Migraine painkiller, migraine trigger, Migraines, migraines at work, Russell Brand migraine, symptoms of migraine
Posted in Migraine News | No Comments »
Monday, February 13th, 2012
Do you have migraines, or do migraines have you? Coping with Migraines is difficult, as migraine attacks can significantly reduce your quality of life, leaving you feeling crippled (only without the wheelchair to prove it). As a result, migraine sufferers feel depressed because of their inability to lead the kind of lifestyle they once had, or wish they had. It’s hard to come to terms with chronic pain, but the following tips on coping with migraines should make it a bit easier.
6 Inspirational Truths is Part I of Coping with Migraines. Part II, 6 Things NOT to do, discusses unhealthy habits that should be avoided in trying to cope with migraines.
#1) You can maintain a Positive Mental Attitude
 What’s the first thing you notice in the image above? Is it the black dot? What about all the whiteness surrounding the black dot- did you notice that?
Recognizing that there is a vast amount of light (or positive energy) that surrounds darkness (migraines) is a crucial step in achieving a positive mental attitude. It’s easier said than done, and it might take years of practice. But it’s worth it- studies prove that people with chronic pain illnesses who think positive, pray, and refuse to give up hope are statistically more likely to cope, reduce stress, and reduce their pain symptoms.
#2) You can talk about it…
Sometimes, sorting out your feelings about migraine illness feels a bit like trying to rake leaves during a storm. If you feel like it, you can talk about how migraine headaches affect your life with friends, family, migraine support groups, or even anybody who will listen.
Overcoming Social Isolation in Migraine Disorder
#3) There’s strength in numbers
Surround yourself with people who make you feel good about yourself, and try to avoid toxic relationships at all costs. Join a support group for migraine patients online, in person, or on Facebook, and seek out new friendships as determinedly as you would seek out a spouse.
#4) Inspiration is everywhere
Seeing is believing- Gain strength from others who have successfully managed their migraines. Like looking at a before and after picture for weight loss, you’ll see that controlling your migraines is no dream, but a possibility. (This is especially easy to do if you have joined a support group for migraineurs.)
5 Simple Ways to Build a Migraine Support System of Friends
#5) Winding down is key
Practice relaxation and stress reduction techniques. If you have a hard time meditating quietly, then put on some soothing music. If tinnitus with migraines makes it hard to concentrate, then try playing environmental white noise.
#6) Alternative medicine is beneficial
Managing migraines should be a multi-pronged strategy that doesn’t rely on prescription migraine treatments alone. Rather, it should incorporate healthy lifestyle choices like exercise, relaxation, diet, and natural ingredients for migraines. That doesn’t mean that you have to give up prescribed painkillers in order to benefit. Many migraine patients are able to improve their body’s natural response to inflammation while using natural ingredients for migraines. In studies, the most valuable dietary nutrients for promoting health with migraines are magnesium, butterbur (PA-free), riboflavin, and coenzyme Q10.
Please tell us…
If you could offer one piece of advice on coping with migraines, what would it be? Please share by providing your comments!
Read more about migraine prevention:
Top 20 Simple Lifestyle Modifications to Prevent Migraines
Sources:
The Emotional Pain of Migraines: Coping with Frustration and Guilt
Coping With Migraines and Headaches
Tags: Alternative migraine therapy, Butterbur for migraines, chronic migraines, chronic pain, Coping with migraines, Magnesium for migraines, migraine and coenzyme q10, migraine attacks, migraine drugs, migraine headache, migraine stigma, Migraine supplements, Migraine support group, Migraines, Natural remedies for migraines, Riboflavin for migraines, stress and migraines
Posted in Stress and Migraines | No Comments »
Friday, 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 and diabetes.
Please tell us: Do you consider yourself competitive? How do you keep daily confrontations from getting ugly?
We welcome your comments!
Read more about stress and migraines:
Can Anxiety Attacks cause Migraines?
Your Headaches With Yoga: Try These Moves!
New Study Warns against Taking these Painkillers with Antidepressants
Sources:
Negative and competitive social interactions are related to heightened proinflammatory cytokine activity
Stressful Arguments Linked With Increased Inflammation
Chronic Inflammation: Reduce It to Protect Your Health
Images:
Sebastian Fritzon
Tags: Chronic Inflammation, chronic pain, confrontations and inflammation, headache, heightened inflammation, Stress and health, stress and migraines
Posted in Stress and Migraines | No Comments »
Wednesday, 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.
Are Doctors Overprescribing Painkillers for Migraines? Fox News Report
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.
Read more about chronic pain and migraines:
Fibromyalgia- Migraine Illness’s Evil Twin
Epic Fail! Top 10 Migraine Analgesic Errors Doctors Make
Rude Headaches, Ruder Pharmacists- 6 Ways to Avoid Conflict
Migraine Medications That are Dangerous During Pregnancy
Sources:
Sex Differences in Reported Pain Across 11,000 Patients Captured in Electronic Medical Records
Do Women Feel Pain More Intensely Than Men?
Women found to report much more pain than men
Stanford study shows women report more intense pain than men
Tags: chronic pain, migraine drugs, migraine headache, migraine pain, migraines and chronic pain, pain intensity, pain symptoms, Pain treatments
Posted in Chronic Pain | No Comments »
Friday, 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%).
Read more about migraines and depression:
Can Anxiety Attacks cause Migraines?
Feeling Bipolar? The iTunes Store has 20 iPhone Apps for that- Part 1
Feeling Bipolar? The iTunes Store has 20 iPhone Apps for that- Part 2
Sources:
Anticonvulsant Medications and the Risk of Suicide, Attempted Suicide, or Violent Death- JAMA
Psychiatric comorbidity and suicide risk in patients with chronic migraine
Migraine, psychiatric disorders, and suicide attempts: an epidemiologic study of young adults- PubMed, NCBI
Migraine: costs and consequences
Images, from top:
Julien Haler, mislav-m, e-MagineArt.com
Tags: Bipolar disorder migraine, chronic pain, Depression and migraines, migraine attack, migraine disorder, migraine drugs, migraine headaches, migraine symptoms, migraine triggers, migraine with aura, Suicide rate migraine
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