Search Results for: ginger

17 May 2013

Ginger and Sumatriptan: More Information

James Discoveries & Stats, Medications, Treatments GelStat Migraine, ginger, ginger powder, inflammation, sumatriptan, supplements 2

I’ve been getting a lot of questions regarding the ginger and sumatriptan study, so we’re going to take the time to talk about a few more details.

Obviously one study is not enough to change treatment practices around the world. However, the researchers were motivated to study ginger because it had already shown great promise as a migraine treatment.

Previous Ginger Studies

First of all, ginger has been regularly used for many related conditions – vertigo, motion sickness, and pain conditions being the most well known. Also, previous studies have shown very little problem with side effects.

Ginger is currently being studied to alleviate dental pain and inflammation. And one study suggested that it works about as well as ibuprofen for menstrual pain.

Products containing ginger, such as Gelstat Migraine, have already helped many people fight migraine symptoms. Gelstat Migraine has been studied in clinical trials, and the results were promising.

An older 1990 report showed that patients taking ginger during and after their attack were able to reduce frequency and severity of migraine.

Ginger Dosage in the Trial

In this trial, patients were given 5 capsules of either 50mg of sumatriptan or 250mg of ginger (these ginger capsules are 350mg). Everyone was to take one capsule when a headache was coming on. They didn’t know which they had (this was a double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial).

This is actually a very low dose of ginger. As you’ll see below, others have recommended a higher dose, even up to a gram or two a day as a preventative. Ginger supplements are commonly 500mg and higher per capsule.

More on the study results

The patients had been generally diagnosed with migraine many years before, and they typically had several attacks per month.

Ginger and sumatriptan results were similar, with sumatriptan generally performing slightly better for actual headache pain.

250mg of ginger was used in this study, as mentioned above. Previously 500mg had also been recommended, repeated every 4 hours up to 1.5 to 2g per day for 3-4 days. Another report found that a woman found relief using similar amounts of ginger powder (1.5-2g) as a daily supplement.

The bottom line

The researchers of this study concluded that ginger should be preferred to sumatriptan because of the lack of significant side effects. The only reported issue with ginger was indigestion (4% had some issues here – interesting considering that many people take ginger for digestion!). But some patients taking sumatriptan experienced dizziness, vertigo, heartburn, and/or sleepiness (20% with one or more issue). In the end, patients were slightly more satisfied with ginger as a migraine abortive.

Researchers are now calling for more study into what dosage is most effective.

This was also a short term study. Longer term studies will help demonstrate if ginger can continue to fight migraine over the long term in individual patients.

For more on the study read the original post here.

15 May 2013

Can you kill Migraine Pain with Ginger instead of Triptans?

James Medications, Treatments abortive medication, ginger, ginger powder, migraine, Phytotherapy Research, sumatriptan, triptan 15

It was only last month that we talked about taking ginger to fight the pain of headache and migraine, as well as other symptoms. Actually, ginger has long been a popular treatment for nausea, which is used regularly by doctors.

But a recent study in the journal Phytotherapy Research set out to investigate ginger specifically as a migraine abortive.

In a study of 100 patients, each patient received either sumatriptan (ie Imitrex) or ginger powder. They did not know which one they were getting.

This was an abortive treatment, taken for 5 migraine attacks. So what were the results?

After 2 hours: with either treatment, there was a significant decrease in “mean headaches severity”. Both treatments helped about the same amount.
Patient satisfaction: About the same for either treatment.
Side effects: Fewer in ginger, more in sumatriptan.

In the end, then, the treatments were very similar. It would be interesting to know more about individual symptoms. For example, did ginger help more with nausea? Inflammation?

But the main benefit of ginger seems to be the lack of side effects, although that doesn’t mean you can just take all the ginger you want without checking with your doctor (especially if you’re diabetic, have a heart condition, or are pregnant).

Ginger powder capsules may be worth a look (such as these standardized ginger capsules), especially for those who haven’t been helped by triptans, or those who are concerned about side effects and long term effects of triptans.

Study abstract: Comparison Between the Efficacy of Ginger and Sumatriptan in the Ablative Treatment of the Common Migraine

22 April 2013

The Benefits of Ginger

James Tips, Treatments dizziness, ginger, inflammation, magnesium, nausea, potassium 4

Ginger can help fight migraine symptoms and may even help prevent migraine.

Source of:

magnesium
potassium
vitamin C
omega-3 and omega-6

Most beneficial for:

Nausea
Dizziness
Pain (inflammation)

Try:

Candied ginger
Ginger Chews
Ginger tea
Home-made ginger-ale
Ginger supplements

Warnings:

Ginger will not cause any issues in most people. However, do talk to your doctor if you’re pregnant, diabetic, or have a heart condition.

Myth-buster:

Ginger is not a root, but a rhizome (underground stem)

More information:

22 December 2011

Easy ways to get Nausea-Fighting Ginger

James Tips, Treatments candied ginger, ginger, Ginger Chews, ginger tea, migraine, nausea 1

We’ve talked before about how excellent ginger is at fighting migraine-related nausea. But what’s the best way to take it? Just grab a ginger root and start gnawing?

No, there are better ways, and most of them aren’t hard at all. Here are some suggestions:

Buy candied ginger: This has been my traditional method. I buy organic candied ginger and keep it on hand for emergencies. This is probably the most expensive method of the ones we’ll talk about today.
Ginger Chews: Somebody recently gave me a box of Ginger Chews (Gin Gins), and I’m a convert. I don’t want to wait for nausea to hit – I just want to eat them all now. For those who want something less hot than candied ginger, this is a great way to go. Ginger People Original Gin Gins are available at Vitacost. Ginger Chews are also available on amazon.
Make your own candied ginger: Making your own is surprisingly easy – like, really easy. According to the author of this recipe, you may find it hotter than the store bought variety, but it’s a lot cheaper. Read How to Make Candied Ginger
Ginger Ale: The store-bought variety may not have a lot of ginger in it, unless you buy a quality brand. However, there are some great ways to make your own super-yummy ginger ale.

There are other options too – ginger tea, for example. But whatever you do, be sure you have something on hand that you can take for your tummy. You’ll probably be surprised at how well this natural treatment works, which is why it’s gotten the attention of researchers and specialists.

6 September 2011

Feverfew and Ginger Combo for Migraine

James Discoveries & Stats, Treatments American Headache Society, feverfew, ginger, LipiGesic-M, migraine, pyrethrum parthenium 1

There is growing interest in a feverfew/ginger combination in the treatment of migraine. A study last month from the American Headache Society further confirmed that feverfew and ginger may help some patients when an attack hits.

The supplement used was LipiGesic-M, a sub-lingual supplement to be taken when a migraine attack begins. It contains feverfew (pyrethrum parthenium) and ginger.

Feverfew is a well researched migraine fighter. It’s often given as a preventative, and has been very helpful to many migraineurs. It acts as an anti-inflammatory, and may have other mechanisms we’re just starting to understand. Read more about feverfew here.

Ginger is also well known in the fight against migraine, particularly helping to fight nausea.

The suggestion has been that this combo is best for those who have a mild headache phase early in the migraine attack. Patients in this study, then, took the LipiGesic-M early on. 32% were pain free at the 2 hour point, and a total of 63% were either pain free or only had a mild headache two hours after taking the supplement.

This may turn out to be a good option for many people who can catch an attack early. There were very few side effects, the most commonly reported being nausea or numbness in the tongue. (If you think it’s odd that this would cause nausea for some and fight it for others, think of all the headache medications that list "headache" as a possible side effect!)

As with anything, check with a doctor who knows your medical history before you try something new. Find out more on the LipiGesic-M site.

For a summary of the study, see A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study of Sublingual Feverfew and Ginger (LipiGesic(TM) M) in the Treatment of Migraine.