10 Foods That May Trigger a Migraine

 

Alcohol, cured meats, and aged cheeses all might bring on one heck of a headache. Credit: Getty Images Diet and migraines by Maria Masters As if migraines weren't awful enough, it can be downright overwhelming to sidestep all the things that could set off an attack. Problem is, food triggers not only vary from person to person, but much of our knowledge about them comes less from carefully controlled studies and more from observing patients, explainsLee Peterlin, DO, the director of headache research at Johns Hopkins University. Before you cut out every one of these items from your diet, here's something to keep in mind: Fasting or skipping meals can be an even bigger migraine trigger for women, says Dr. Peterlin. So just keep that advice in mind as you go through this list, then turn to your fridge. (Though you might want to reconsider that charcuterie…) Next: Alcohol   http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20947791,00.html?xid=healthyliving09092015

Migraine treatment: Can antidepressants help?

 

My doctor prescribed an antidepressant for my migraines. Is this an appropriate migraine treatment? I don't have depression. Answers from Jerry W. Swanson, M.D. Certain antidepressants can help reduce the frequency and severity of some types of headaches, including migraines. You don't have to be depressed to benefit from these drugs. Tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, are most effective and likely work by affecting the level of serotonin and other chemicals in your brain. There is little evidence that other classes of antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), are effective for migraine prevention. Side effects of antidepressants vary from one medication to another and from person to person. Side effects may include weight gain, fatigue, constipation and dry mouth. Such side effects can make it difficult to stick with treatment. If the medication doesn't seem to be working or is causing bothersome side effects, talk to your doctor. Don't stop taking a prescribed medication without talking to your doctor first. May 14, 2015 References See more Expert Answers Products and Services Book: Mayo Clinic Guide to Pain Relief http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-headache/expert-answers/migraine-treatment/faq-20058410/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pain-management

Image-guided treatment shown to break the migraine cycle

An innovative interventional radiology treatment has been found to offer chronic migraine sufferers sustained relief of their headaches, according to research being presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology's Annual Scientific Meeting. Clinicians at Albany Medical Center and the State University New York Empire State College in Saratoga Springs used a treatment called image-guided, intranasal sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) blocks to give patients enough ongoing relief that they required less medication to relieve migraine pain. "Migraine headaches are one of the most common, debilitating diseases in the Unites States, and the cost and side effects of medicine to address migraines can be overwhelming," said Kenneth Mandato, M.D., the study's lead researcher and an interventional radiologist at Albany Medical Center. "Intranasal sphenopalatine ganglion blocks are image-guide, targeted, breakthrough treatments. They offer a patient-centered therapy that has the potential to break the migraine cycle and quickly improve patients' quality of life," he added. Mandato and his team conducted a retrospective analysis of 112 patients suffering migraine or cluster headaches. Patients reported the severity of their headaches on a visual analogue scale (VAS), ranging from 1-10, to quantify the degree of debilitation experienced from the migraine. During the treatment, which is minimally invasive and does not involve needles touching the patient, researchers inserted a spaghetti-sized catheter through the nasal passages and administered 4 percent lidocaine to the sphenopalatine ganglion, a nerve bundle just behind the nose associated with migraines. Before treatment, patients reported an average VAS score of 8.25, with scores greater than 4 at least 15 days per month. The day after the SPG block patients' VAS scores were cut in half, to an average of 4.10. Thirty days after the procedure, patients reported an average score of 5.25, a 36 percent decrease from pretreatment. Additionally, 88 percent of patients indicated that they required less or no migraine medication for ongoing relief. "Administration of lidocaine to the sphenopalatine ganglion acts as a 'reset button' for the brain's migraine circuitry," noted Mandato. "When the initial numbing of the lidocaine wears off, the migraine trigger seems to no longer have the maximum effect that it once did. Some patients have reported immediate relief and are making fewer trips to the hospital for emergency headache medicine," he said. Because of the minimally invasive nature of the treatment and the medication's safety profile, Mandato believes patients can have the SPG block repeated, if needed. While patients reported relief from their migraines, Mandato added that SPG blocks are not a cure for migraines; they are a temporary solution as are other current treatment options for chronic headaches. Because of the minimally invasive nature of the treatment and the medication's safety profile, Mandato believes patients can have the SPG block repeated, if needed. To further study SPG blocks, Mandato will track how the 112 patients have responded six months after treatment. He is also considering conducting a double-blind, prospective study to more rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of SPG blocks in treating chronic migraines. Story Source: The above story is based on materials provided by Society of Interventional Radiology. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

First-in-class nasal spray demonstrates promise for migraine pain relief

 

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Researchers are developing a novel prochlorperazine nasal spray formulation as a potential new treatment for migraines. This work is being presented at the 2014 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego, Nov. 2-6.

Migraines are manifested by severe pain and headache that can last anywhere from four to seventy-two hours, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to both light and sound. Of the 100 million people that experience headaches in the United States, 37 million of them suffer from migraines. According to the Migraine Research Foundation, migraine ranks in the top 20 of the world's most disabling medical diseases, with someone in the United States going to the emergency room every 10 seconds for treatment.

Venkata Yellepeddi, Ph.D., along with his colleagues from Roseman University of Health Sciences, developed a preservative-free device-driven prochlorperazine nasal spray that could prove useful for compounding pharmacists specifically in the field of pain medicine. "Prochloperazine is a dopamine receptor antagonist that is widely used as an anti-nausea medication. Comparative clinical studies have shown that prochloperazine provides better pain relief than other anti-migraine drugs such as sumatriptan, metoclopramide, and ketorolac," said Yellepeddi. "Currently, there are no marketed nasal spray formulations of prochlorperazine available for the treatment of migraine. Prochlorperazine is only available in tablet form, which has delayed onset of action." Yellepeddi and his team hypothesize that a nasal spray version of prochlorperazine will not only be effective, but fast acting and have better patient compliance overall. Furthermore, this novel product does not have any preservative-related adverse side effects, such as mucosal irritation which are normally seen with vehicles with preservatives such as benzalkonium chloride and potassium sorbate.

Yellepeddi used high performance liquid chromatography and microbiological assays to assess the stability of prochloperazine nasal spray. These studies demonstrated that the nasal spray was able to remain stable for up to 120 days with minimal degradation, therefore making it an effective treatment option for migraine patients.

The next stage of Yellepeddi's research is to test the safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetic studies of the prochlorperazine nasal spray in rat animal models.

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Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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