Blogs - WEGO Health

Migraine leaders - let's talk about Primary Stabbing Headache and connecting patients

Not all Migraine related discussions are found within the Migraine group. Sometimes a patient posts something that relates to Migraineurs in another area of WEGO Health called the General Forum. Lately there has been an ongoing discussion re: a question posted by a Health Activist in the Dystonia community who was looking for answers to a frightening p… Continue

Added by Ellen S on October 24, 2009 at 10:30pm — No Comments

Vervain, Alzheimer's and sleep

Verbena officinalis (aka common Verbena, Vervain, Enchanter’s Plant, Herb of the Cross, Pigeon Grass, Simpler’s Joy, Juno’s Tears, etc and used interchangeably here) is a perennial plant/flower which was introduced to North America and now grows wild. When traditionally dried and steeped as a tea, or modernly used in extract form, is known for not only enhancing non REM delta waves during sleep, but also for its neuroprotective effects of the central nervous system and anti-inflammatory p… Continue

Added by Ellen S on October 16, 2009 at 1:42pm — No Comments

Is there a connection between allergies and migraines?

I know that changes in seasons trigger my migraines. I know that changes in weather trigger my migraines. But can seasonal allergies have an affect on my migraines? I've made it a point to walk/jog at least 3 days a week after the dropping the children off at school. I was not in the mood today and I wasn't feeling 100% but I decided to push myself to do it anyway. I decided that I would jog most if not all of 3 miles today. After a rough start, I seemed to settle into a nice pace. But I did no… Continue

Added by Janeen on September 22, 2009 at 11:30am — 3 Comments

Invisible Illness Week meme - my answers to 30 tough questions

Next week is Invisible Illness Week, and I decided to go ahead and join in on the meme this year. You can help spread the word about IIW too! 30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know 1. The illness I live with is: Migraine/headache, Dystonia, Autoimmunity 2. I was diagnosed with it in the year:...depends on the condition - first Dx was in high school 3. But I had symptoms since:early childhood 4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is:making peac… Continue

Added by Ellen S on September 10, 2009 at 12:47pm — 2 Comments

2009 research grants announced by Migraine Research Foundation

It's always exciting to hear about new research, and I was delighted to see today that the Migraine Research Foundation has announced their 6 grant winners for the year. Equally exciting is seeing that the proposed research is studying several areas that have sparked interest re: understanding Migraine and the potential for new and unique treatments. The list includes: ***The effects of… Continue

Added by Ellen S on September 7, 2009 at 7:30am — No Comments

Tonabersat - new drug may prevent Migraine aura with and without headache

A Danish study was just released in the journal The Lancet Neurology that showed the drug Tonabersat was effective in preventing the aura portion of a Migraine attack. This was part of the phase II clinical (patient) trials on its use in Migraine. The drug is the first in a brand new selective class of drugs called… Continue

Added by Ellen S on September 3, 2009 at 1:05pm — No Comments

Brain pathways, brain trauma - a new Migraine study

St. Louis University has announced it is beginning to recruit patients to investigate the connection between Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) and the physical connections within the brain. As I understand the proposed study, the idea seems to be that an injury may create very minor changes in the anatomy/geography of our brains. Symptoms are widely varied but may include everything from Migraine to nausea, dizziness, newly occurring Epilepsy or even Dystoni… Continue

Added by Ellen S on August 9, 2009 at 8:30pm — 1 Comment

Abnormal brain circuits may prevent symptoms in Dystonia, Migraine

We know there is a genetic component to Dystonia. We know there is a genetic component to Migraine. Why then, do some people have the genetic errors encoded in their DNA for these neurological disorders, yet never show symptoms? A common presumption is the description of Variable Penetrance, but until now, we had no actual idea how... "..many diseases can be triggered by a single gene, but the e… Continue

Added by Ellen S on August 9, 2009 at 8:00pm — 2 Comments

Topiramate and birth defects

The controversial anti-seizure drug Topamax (Topiramate) is widely used off-label as a Migraine preventative, often with great success. However, there are large numbers of hopeful patients who begin preventative therapy using topiramate without all the facts. Additionally, largely as a result of usually reliable sites with a fairly large amount of old (ergo misinformation) available, proactive patients may be going online and assuming they are getting the latest and greatest information availabl… Continue

Added by Ellen S on August 6, 2009 at 1:00pm — 1 Comment

Aphasia awareness

Do you know that feeling you get when you can't remember the name of an old teacher, or put a name to the face of a person walking toward you? Some people struggle with that feeling with every word they attempt to speak. For a rare few, Migraine aura can result in the debilitating inability to communicate. Fortunately for Migraineurs, it is usually not permanent unless damage occurs. For others that have suffered stroke or other brain injuries or damage, Aphasia is a new way of life for them an… Continue

Added by Ellen S on June 30, 2009 at 2:00pm — 2 Comments

New Migraine preventative Telcagepant hits road block

Telcagepant (formerly MP-974) is one of the drugs many Migraineurs and neurologists have been watching for some time, and I've written about here and here before. The GCRP blocker was in trial for use as a preventative as well as intermittent use as an acute (during a headache) treatment. Unfortunately, the trial using Telcagepant… Continue

Added by Ellen S on April 22, 2009 at 1:00pm — 2 Comments

Migraine and Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome

Shannon in the Yahoo Migraine group posted this morning that she was concerned that having a tubal ligation might make her Migraines worse. After having done animal repro for so long, I was interested to look into this, as I hadn't heard anything about it in the past, but am never a person to assume anything. What I found was interesting. There seems to be a growing movem… Continue

Added by Ellen S on April 19, 2009 at 9:00am — No Comments

Migraine, hot drinks and cancer

When a Migraine strikes, the pain often drives me to seek extreme temperatures for relief. Scalding hot water diverts my attention from my pain for as long as I can stand in the shower. In the case of my right sided Migraines, this is in the form of a scalding hot drink. Even scalding hot water (bleh) gives me as much as 30 seconds of relief per swallow. When in the midst of severe Migraine pain, burning myself accidentally if I overdo seems like a preferable trade-off. New research shows this… Continue

Added by Ellen S on March 30, 2009 at 1:30pm — 4 Comments

Migraine meds and excess hair

While some medicines used to help migraines can cause hair loss, sometimes some of our medicines can cause unwanted hair growth. Some medications used for migraines that might cause excess hair growth are: Birth control pills Carbamazepine Glucocorticoids Phenytoin (Dilantin) Tegretol Called Hirsutism or Hypertrichosis, excess hair growth is seen as masculine in a man, but in a woman the cheer for the present day seems to be the cry of "No hair, No hair!". Even in places w… Continue

Added by Ellen S on March 28, 2009 at 7:00pm — No Comments

FREE Migraine phone chat with Megan Oltman - this Sunday!

Taking Charge of Our Migraine Care - What Do We Need to Know and Do to Advocate for Ourselves and Be Informed Medical Consumers? Intriguing topic, don't you think? While perusing email today, one caught my eye by Health Activist/Advocate Teri Robert of Health Central's MyMigraineConnection.com. The funny, fabulous Migraine coach Megan Oltman will be hosting a free phone chat with Teri, this Sunda… Continue

Added by Ellen S on March 27, 2009 at 6:21pm — No Comments

Migraine recipes in Jasmine's Cove

Jasmine of Jasmine's cove - a fabulous blogger and WEGO Health activist I hadn't had a chance to read in a while, had a great find in her March 14th blog post. She links to the Rodale Recipe Finder where you can find specific recipes based on health concerns - including Migraine! Check out her post for the terrific link... One word of caution - Each Migrain… Continue

Added by Ellen S on March 25, 2009 at 9:54am — 1 Comment

National Pain Care Policy Act - introduced in Senate

As promised, more updates on important legislation: The National Pain Care Policy Act 2009, S.660, has been introduced in the Senate! My inbox contained an American Pain Foundation press release I knew many would be interested in... URGENT ACTION REQUESTED: CONTACT YOUR SENATORS TO REQUEST THEIR CO-SPONSORSHIP OF THE NATIONAL PAIN CARE POLICY ACT of 2009, S.660 The National Pain Care Policy Act of 2009, H.R. 756 has been in the House of Representatives since January of this year. It… Continue

Added by Ellen S on March 24, 2009 at 5:09pm — No Comments

The Migraine Skank- what's your opinion?

The Migraine Skank has apparently taken the UK by storm, and may be coming to a spot near you... What is The Migraine Skank? View this video and see what you think...

A skank is a dance, the Migraine Skank is a version of the dance obviously created by someone who has never actually had a Migraine, as the dance and song itself is probably enough to cause one in most Migraineurs. Okay, my family will tell you I'm an overly fun-loving person. When I feel good I'm always lookin… Continue

Added by Ellen S on March 3, 2009 at 10:18am — 13 Comments

Creating your masterpiece: art, writing and chronic pain contests

Isolation. Misunderstanding. Trapped. Silence. Patient. Hopeful. These are 6 words that describe the way you might feel when you are hurting from a chronic condition such as Migraine, Dystonia, Fibromyalgia, RSD, Lupus or any one of a number of illnesses that cause pain. What are the 6 words you think best describe your feelings about your chronic condition? Everyone has a story. Every single person has something to say that will inspire someone else, teach them, or give them hope... I've mus… Continue

Added by Ellen S on February 27, 2009 at 2:00pm — 6 Comments

Errors at Quest Diagnostics - was your lab report a mistake?

The nation's largest lab has admitted errors in its Vitamin D testing over the last two years. This is important to Migraineurs and chronic pain patients because those with either condition tend to be lower in vitamin D than 'normal'. Doctors think lowered vitamin D status could be making us more prone to pain issues. Unfortunately, the specific vitamin D test to which the company admits wrongdoing was not mentioned in the article. There are multiple tests for vitamin D including 1,25(OH)D and… Continue

Added by Ellen S on February 18, 2009 at 3:53pm — 4 Comments

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All Blog Posts Tagged 'headache' (140)