Tips to improve the quality of your life!
In: Health & Fitness
23 Nov 2009If like myself you suffer from migraines then you will know that it is a crippling condition, not just another headache as some people think, and when a migraine strikes, “life stops”, as you deal with the throbbing pain, sensitivity to light, smell, sound and debilitating nausea or worse. What makes things worse is that many of the recommended prescription remedies for migraine headaches, just don’t work. So lets take a look at what’s available as a treatment for migraines:
Physicians often prescribe a range of drugs for migraine from prescriptions like Imitrex to over the counter drugs like Advil but as I mentioned before these don’t work for everyone, may have side effects and can interact with other medications, which is the reason so many, myself included, search for a natural remedy to overcome our migraines.
Now before I get started on natural remedies that are out there I have an area of concern that I would like to mention first. There are many fellow sufferers who have been recommended the drug Topamax as a preventative treatment for migraine, but the reason I personally have chosen not to use it. Now to be fair, it has helped some people decrease their migraine frequency but my main concern is the sheer number of side-effects associated with it. For instance according to FDA warnings being sent out to physicians, it increases the risk of glaucoma and acute myopia. There are also a bunch of other side-effects associated with it that can make it as much of a problem my migraines ever were. What’s even worse is that you often see cheap generic Topomax sold on the internet. You have to be aware that when you buy from these websites you are buying medications from another country and they can be substandard, so you have to be very careful.
Being skeptical of natural cures for migraines is perfectly reasonable, then there is no major cause for concern since many medications originate from plants and their extracts. For example, Native Americans used willow bark to treat pain long before the drug companies purified it and turned it into aspirin, and the drug dihydroergotamine AKA DHE, which is used to treat acute migraine headaches originated from a fungus that grows on damp rye grain.
Today herbal migraine prevention is commonplace and vitamins; minerals and herbal supplements are used to treat various health conditions including migrane. However it is necessary to remember that not all herbs and vitamins and minerals treat migraine consistently, and you will find rows upon rows of herbal remedies together with vitamins and minerals in most pharmacies, nutrition or grocery stores. Yet there are only a few of these that are an effective migraine headache remedy.
One easy way to prevent your migraines is to include eating bran cereal. Bran is very is high in magnesium. Magnesium is an essential mineral that is found naturally in nuts and whole grains. The connection between magnesium and migraines is that magnesium levels are often low in the blood migraine sufferers. According to a research study taking up to 600mg magnesium each morning can reduce the incidence of migraine attacks by up to forty two percent while reducing their severity by up to thirty four percent.
Riboflavin migraine supplementation is often combined with fewerfew in proprietary herbal remedies
Research has indicated that taking a 50mg supplement of the root extract of Butterbur twice a day for three months lessens the incidence of migraines by up to forty two percent.
A few other natural migraine remedies that work include Peppermint Oil, Feverfew, Co-Enzyme Q10, 5HTP and Melatonin. Please remember that although herbs are natural and usually quite safe some may have side effects, so make sure to discuss using them with your doctor before you start and do as much research as you can.
Health and Personal Care Disclaimer: The content in this article is for reference purposes and is not intended to substitute for advice given by a physician, pharmacist or other health care professional. You should not use this information for self diagnosis or for treating a health problem or disease. Information and statements concerning dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent and disease or health condition.
Migraines are a particularly terrible problem that many people have to face. Finding a migraine headache cure more specifically a migraine cure that works is a must for any migraine sufferer.
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