Friday, February 29, 2008

Great Chicken/Egg Debate: Which Came First? Migraines, Insomnia, or Depression??

Many times I’ve noticed people with migraines also having problems with depression and insomnia. It is the great chicken/egg dilemma: Which came first? The depression and insomnia or the migraines? Once you are at the point where you’re affected by all three of these, most don’t care which came first they just want relief!

I see guilt often come heavily into this stage as well. If only you were handling your migraines better you wouldn’t be depressed. If you didn’t have the depression, you wouldn’t have the insomnia. News for you…you’re not Superman/woman. . . you can’t control everything. The same thing that is causing your migraines is also a culprit in the depression and insomnia.

Serotonin, a brain chemical, is responsible for controlling moods, sleep, and more. Positive moods are associated with serotonin. If you’re feeling happy, upbeat, etc. those feelings can be attributed to serotonin. Researchers have long known migraine patients had low levels of serotonin. Low serotonin levels are biological (sometimes thought to be genetic), but not something you control or “caused.”

Depression can be situational, or caused by specific situations (i.e. loss of a job, loss of a loved one, etc.). Depression can also be chemical or biological. While migraine sufferers may find themselves in a depressed situation (having migraines impact the quality of life is certainly a depressing situation) the majority of migraine sufferers with depression suffer from depression caused at the body’s chemical level. The same low serotonin levels leading to migraines also lead to depression. Insomnia can be caused by the same low serotonin levels. So give yourself a break! You’re not the cause for the things going on with your body.

Finding out what was part of the cause was very empowering for me, because there are things you can do to naturally raise serotonin levels a little. They are the things that make you feel good (I’m not kidding)! Laughter! Laughter provides a wonderful surge of serotonin in the brain. Relaxation activities such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing all provide an increase in serotonin. Gentle exercise: taking a walk (even just 15 minutes a day) helps your serotonin levels. Having an orgasm is a big serotonin booster!

This article http://web.winltd.com/Article.aspx?PageURL=/Pages/English/healthnews/migranes.htm does an excellent job of explaining the migraine/depression/insomnia connection. At the end of the article, they offer some suggestions for vitamins and amino acids to help as well. If you are taking birth control, consult your doctor (or gyn) before taking St. John’s Wort because it can render many birth control pills less effective. Also, consult your doctor (and psychiatrist if applicable) BEFORE taking 5-HTP. If you are taking an anti-depressant, or any other drugs to help increase your serotonin levels adding 5-HTP can cause serotonin levels to become too high. The result could be a potentially lethal condition known as “serotonin storm.”

Feel free to pass this article on to others you know who suffer from migraines, and even take it with you on your next doctor’s visit to see if you can incorporate any of the natural remedies into your existing treatment plan.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Wishing you a peaceful, healthy day!

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Migraine Free with Magnesium?

As you know, I do a lot of research on migraines and everyone seems to have an opinion on different herbs and supplements to help ease or cure migraines. Popular ones include butterbur, feverfew, B2, B12, and magnesium just to name a few. Some of these recommendations are made from doctors, but often articles are written by people (just like me) recommending what has helped them with their migraines.

An article I recently read discusses a study done in which patients with migraines were given magnesium, and a majority of them showed significant improvements in the reduction of their migraines (exciting words for anyone who suffers from migraines!). Here is the article for you to check out: http://www.essense-of-life.com/info/tmigraines.htm

One thing I really liked about this article is that it not only discusses the results of the study, but why magnesium works. So often, a doctor hands me a medication or treatment plan insisting I try it, but doesn't explain why it should work. I knew a lack of serotonin (a chemical in the brain) was a cause of migraines, but this article explains having a surplus of serotonin can also be a cause of migraines! I definitely learned some things from this article, and hope you do too.

P.S. If you don't already take magnesium, check with your doctor to see if it is ok for you to start!

Wishing everyone a peaceful, healthy day!

Monday, February 25, 2008

No MSG = No Migraines?

I receive many emails asking about my diet: what exactly I avoid, what I eat, how long it took before I saw positive results, etc. So let me see if I can answer some of those questions.

When I first started my diet (I use the word “diet,” but please don’t confuse it with a diet you would do to lose weight. This was a lifestyle change I made in the entire way I ate) my migraines were in full blown, crazy mode. I had literally been bedridden with what felt like one, long, never-ending migraine for about a year and a half. So, it took about 6 months for my body to get rid of all the toxins built up in my system, and for me to start to see some positive results from the change in my diet. My “diet” consisted of eliminating all major migraine triggers from the food I consumed. So I eliminated caffeine, alcohol, citrus, MSG, nuts, chocolate, and much more. I eat frequent, small meals throughout the day to help maintain consistent blood sugar levels. Every time I eat, I eat a carb and a protein together (ALWAYS!). My neurologist explained when you eat more carbs than proteins, a spike in blood sugar happens. If you wait too long between meals, then a “crash” follows the spike. Low blood sugar levels cause headaches (or migraines for those of us already prone to migraines). Eating a carb and protein together, and eating more often throughout the day (though much smaller meals) helps prevent headaches/migraines due to low blood sugar levels.

One of my biggest migraine triggers is MSG, and eliminating it from my diet has had amazingly positive results on reducing my migraines. It frustrates me how little information is out there about MSG as a trigger for migraines, because it is an extremely common trigger but very few migraineurs are aware of it. MSG is tricky to eleminate from your diet, because it “hides” under many different names. Here is a list of some of the most common names MSG “hides” under in ingredient lists, and on labels:

enzyme modified, anything fermented, anything protein fortified, anything ultra pasteurized, autolyzed yeast, barley malt, broth, bouillon, calcium caseinate, carrageen, flavoring, natural flavoring, gelatin, hydrolyzed oat flour, hydrolyzed vegetable, olyzed protein, malt extract maltodextrin, natural flavors, pectin, plant protein extract, potassium glutamate, sodium caseinate, soy protein, soy sauce, stock, textured protein, whey protein, yeast extract, yeast food

Here is a great article that explains what MSG does and how it causes migraines: http://ezinearticles.com/?id=888663

Simply eliminating MSG from your diet can drastically reduce the number of migraines many people have. MSG is a hard trigger to track with a headache journal because the average consumer is almost constantly consuming MSG without ever realizing it. And you don’t have to believe me… take the list above, and start reading the labels in your pantry. Notice any of the list above on the labels in your pantry? I was shocked the first time I went to the grocery store with this list in hand…I thought I would never be able to eat anything again! LOL…don’t worry! I’m still alive, and eating well (lol…too well, somedays). I did have to learn to cook a little bit more, and I shop more at health food stores now than I do at regular grocery stores (and I don’t miss the fluorescent lights there either J). I’ve amassed an intense collection of MSG-free recipes, and even have my family eating healthier (without realizing it…ssshhh!). It can be frustrating to go on a restrictive diet in the beginning. I’ve been there. I’ve also come out the light at the end of the tunnel, and would do it again in a nano-second! There are, of course, many things you can try to attempt to reduce or eliminate your migraines. What works for some doesn’t mean a cure for others. I’ve tried a LOT of things to ease my migraines, and this is one that has helped me. If you have any questions or comments, let me know! Other diet questions I’ll be happy to answer in future blogs, as they come up.

Wishing everyone a peaceful, healthy day!

Friday, February 22, 2008

Take Control, and Don't Give Up!!

I ran into a really interesting article on another forum, and wanted to share it here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/09/AR2007110902105.html

I think one of the most important messages for anyone ill or under a doctor's care is to remember you know your body best. This article illustrates that point so well. Nelson (patient in the article) keeps saying he feels like it is an ENT problem, and none of the ENT doctors look more closely because they state they don't have proof of his assertions. Migraines can be just as difficult to get help for, with patients often going to several doctors before finding one who will listen and is able to help. It is important to remember you don't have to bow to everything a doctor says out of the respect for authority you had driven into you when you were a child, or the feelings that because they are a doctor they automatically know more than you. It is your right to question, and make sure you fully understand why a specific treatment is being prescribed the way it is. If you are uncomfortable, or feel there is more going on then is being addressed you also have the right to express that. Word to the wise would be to question and express respectfully, and politely...you're wanting to build a team with your doctor to combat your illness not continually burn angry bridges. And one of the greatest messages from this article...DON'T GIVE UP! This man went through 60 doctors before finding a specialist who listened to him, understood, had the training and specialized in the field he needed, and cared enough to help. Those people are out there, sometimes it just takes a LOT of searching. But don't give up. He lived with constant headache pain for 6 years, and had he given up would have continued to live with that pain. Instead, he woke up one morning completely headache free. If you've lived in constant pain, you know both the desire to give up and the ultimate motivation of a pain free life. You deserve the pain free life. Wishing everyone reading this a peaceful day!

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Good For You VS. Good For Your Migraine

I had an interesting dialogue with a friend the other day about doing things that were good for us, but not necessarily good for our migraines. She wasn’t sure if I would understand what she was talking about, but I could completely relate and maybe you can too.

Anytime you live with a chronic illness or in chronic pain, you are living in a state of diminished quality of life. The body decides for you, instead of you getting to decide what will be done (or what is possible to be done). For me, it created a sort of “fight” between my brain (or thinking/logic) and my physical body. I wouldn’t recommend taking that route, as it causes unnecessary stress (which for many, including me is a migraine trigger…ahhh, the cycle begins!).

But, back to this idea of doing something for you that may not be good for your migraine. When you have frequent migraines, or any illness frequently it is easy to label yourself as “ill” and allow the title to blanket everything you see yourself attempting to do. I didn’t want to make plans with people, because if a migraine came on I would have to break plans and I would look like a flake (as I often ended up breaking plans due to migraines). After being bedridden with migraines for so long I literally lost muscle mass, and literally didn’t have the strength or stamina to do most of the outdoor activities I LOVED. You get the idea, and I’m sure you can think of examples in your own life.

Sometimes I think it is necessary to remind yourself you really are a person. You’re not “ill”. . . you are a person with an illness. Sometimes it is good to go out and do something that feels great to you the person, even if it may not be the best thing to do to care for your migraine. Just to remind yourself a normal life is still there for you. Some of hers were snowboarding and kickboxing. Kickboxing could set off migraines for her, but was a great way for her to get out frustration built up over frequent migraines! One of mine is reading. I’m an avid reader, but I can’t read for as long as I used to be able to or I can get a migraine. Sometimes when I’m in the middle of a fantastic book, I allow myself to stay where I’m at even after I know I should stop because if feels so good to be to to swallowed up in an an amazing plot and characters. I’m also a sucker for live music. Everything from jazz bars to rock concerts. Every once in a while I indulge myself. I especially love live music in smaller venues. I’ve consulted with my neuro…I know it isn’t the biggest helper in my treatment plan (I even take additional preventitive medication before I go to try and stop a migraine), but my neuro allows me to indulge in activities I really enjoy every once in a while.

I do this now that I have my migraines under control. There is no way I could have done anything like the above when migraines had me bedridden. Then exciting normal people activity was eating dinner with my family. I’m not a doctor, just someone with a lot of personal experience. In my opinion, it feels good to go above and beyond to treat yourself every once in a while. Treats nobody has to understand but you (lol…a book excites me, but may sound extremely boring to you…that’s ok, it makes me feel great!).

Wishing everyone a healthy, peaceful day!



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Monday, February 18, 2008

A little bit about me...

I have had migraines since I was a teenager, but wasn't diagnosed with them until I was in college. The first time I ever had a migraine I thought I had the stomach flu. Up until then the stomach flu was the one of the worst pains I had felt, had sudden onset, and was the only thing I threw up from on a continuous basis from. When I had more than one "stomach flu" in one month I went to my family doctor, only to find out the blinding head pain and vomiting were migraines not a flu.

From there until where I am today has been one hell of a journey *grin*. My migraines grew progressively worse until for a year and a half I was bedridden, completely debilitated by what felt like one long, never ending migraine (turns out it was actually thousands of individual migraines constantly overlapping each other). I'll spare you guys the long story, and just say I tried everything from eastern to western medicine, and lots of things in between looking for pain relief and help. Literally tens of thousands of dollars went to practioners who promised they could help, only to realize months later that I was out of their league. It wasn't until I was referred to a neurologist who specializes in migraines I finally found the help I had been seeking. It was so nice to not only have someone really listen to me, but to have someone actually have answers to my questions!

With the help of the neurologist, and research I did on my own I've come almost full circle. I still get migraines occasionally, but nothing compared to the debilitating, constant pain I was once in. Since realizing my own goal of regaining health, it has been my goal to reach out to others living with migraines. Migraines was described by one person as a "medical mystery" disease which I thought very appropriate. There really aren't any outward signs of distress or injury, so many assume migraines can't really be as bad as they're made out to be. Migraine can be a very isolating disease (yep, it is a disease). I honestly thought I was the only person who had migraines as bad as I did...it wasn't until I got control of my health that I found there are so many others out there in similar positions! I never want anyone to feel lonely, isolated, depressed, or the physical pain of migraines. I know I can't eradicate migraines from the world, but my goal is to share with others through personal experience (and from the mass amount of reaseach I've done and continue to do) that no one with migraines is in a hopeless situation. Finding the path to your specific treatment plan that works on your migraines takes time and patience, but know and be empowered knowing there are things even right now you can start doing to begin to take back your life and start to live pain free! Hopefully, this will be a good resource for care givers as well. I always welcome questions and comments! I would love for this to become a safe, secure place for those suffering (or surviving *smile*) a not often openly discussed disease to relax and be able to relate with each other.

Wishing everyone a peaceful, healthy day!