I’m sure a lot of you can relate to this excellent post by Peter Waite about getting sick – when you’re sick!

In fact, he was sick when he wrote the post… maybe that’s why it rings true.

It reminds me of a post I wrote back in 2008 – RED ALERT! I have a cold!

What about you?  What happens when you get a cold, or the flu – how do you cope?

Thanks to my Mom for pointing this post out.

From the Headache and Migraine News Blog

“I wish I could just have the flu like I used to.”

Random other posts:

• Migraine without Headache: More common than we think?
• 1% Thursday: Fun with Ginger
• Win a Prize by Supporting Migraine Research!

Although it’s a letter from a cancer patient, and not a chronic headache patient, I have a feeling a lot of people with chronic illness can relate.

David Darlington is an editor with the American Historical Association for their magazine Perspectives on History.  He’s also one of the authors at In the Agora.  Dealing with cancer, he wrote a post entitled Dear Friend – a letter to that kind person who keeps emailing him about "new" cancer "cures" that they discover on the internet.

See?  I told you that other people would be able to relate!

Now I don’t exactly feel the same as he does – I’m a little more interested in the treatments I hear about from people.  Then again, I have an extra reason – I’m constantly evaluating those treatments and writing about them here.  And there’s another difference – as serious as migraine is (sometimes even deadly), cancer is on a whole different level when it comes to killing-power.  So if I were in his shoes, I suspect my response would be a little more like his…

Greetings! I hope this letter finds you well. I’m dropping you a quick note today to express my appreciation for all you’ve done for me during my cancer trial this past year. Your love and support means more than I can express in words, and your actions have lifted me up in my time of need.

But if I may be so bold, there is has been one area where your assistance has been more of a distraction than an aid. I am speaking of your passing along of miracle cures and alternative therapies you’ve heard about or read on the internet. While I appreciate the intent behind you sending me these things…

Read the rest here.  And share your thoughts in the comments – how do you feel when people send you the latest headache "cure"?  Plus, be sure to take our current poll on the topic!

via JollyBlogger

From the Headache and Migraine News Blog

A Letter from a Cancer Patient

These other posts might relate:

• Cancer, Antidepressants and CT Scans
• Cancer, aspirin and ibuprofen

No, this post is not a debate over the benefits or dangers of Coke.  It’s just for fun.

You may or may not know that Coca-Cola was originally marketed as a headache remedy.  Of course, it was somewhat different at first than it is today – probably containing much more caffeine, and some other interesting ingredients.

But I thought you might like to see the first label for Coca-Cola, as written by the inventor, John Pemberton, back in the 1880s:

COCA-COLA SYRUP AND EXTRACT  For soda water and other Carbonated Beverages.  This Intellectual Beverage and Temperance Drink contains the valuable Tonic and Nerve Stimulant properties of the Coca plant and Cola (and Kola) nuts, and makes not only a delicious, exhilerating, refreshing, and invigorating Beverage (dispensed from the soda water fountain or in other carbonated beverages), but a valuable Brain Tonic and a cure for all nervous affections–Sick Head-Ache, Neuralgia, Hysteria, Melancholy, etc.  The peculiar flavor of COCA-COLA delights every palate.

Hmmmmmm… not sure if that makes me want to go for a Coke or not!  Yes, "sick head-ache" was the old name for migraine.  Now we know a lot more about what it is (a nervous affection?!  Um, no.), and we know that Coca-Cola, old formula or new, does not cure it.

My, how things have changed!

Taken from For God, Country, and Coca-Cola by Mark Pendergrast

From the Headache and Migraine News Blog

Coca-Cola and Migraine

These other posts might relate:

• Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS Awareness: Migraine and Chronic Headache Big Issues
• Migraine and Depression with Dr. Robert Shulman (audio)
• Lily’s Mom Review: Follow-up from Dr. Messina

Migraine.  Maybe you have to see it to believe it.

For a long time visitors have been sharing their art and photos with us (what am I saying?  Photos are art!).  They are trying to describe some aspect of their migraine attacks visually, so we can understand just a little bit better.

I put all the entries together in a video over a year and a half ago, but there is so much new art I decided it was time for an update!

So here is a glimpse of the art from so many of our visitors.  You can take a closer look, find out who the creator is and what they have to say about their art, and even leave your own comments and ratings, by visiting our Migraine, headache, and art page.  Scroll to the bottom for links to each picture, or upload your own art!

(Note – some of this art is disturbing.  Which is, of course, appropriate considering the topic!)

From the Headache and Migraine News Blog

Migraine Art Video (take 2)

These other posts might relate:

• Migraine Art (video)
• Migraine art slideshow
• Ask and ye shall receive (migraine art revisited)

First of all, thanks to all of you who ordered the Migraine Barometer.  You used up the company’s supply once again! 

As I mentioned before, we’re hoping to get a larger shipment in soon.  Meanwhile, if you go to the Migraine Barometer page and scroll down, you can ask to be notified when the barometers return.

Now, I wanted to share a few things from around the internet that you might like to check out:

• Genetic research in medication overuse headaches:  Thoughts about the future of treating medication overuse headache from Dr. Alexander Mauskop.
• Tori Spelling & Migraines: Another Famous Migraineur:  Cutting through the gossip and finding migraine.
• Use $1.00 to Help You Measure How Much To Do:  Similar to the Spoon Theory; another way to think about life with chronic pain.
• ER Visits Due to Painkiller Abuse Soaring: Report:  A growing concern, and a reminder to treat drugs responsibly (including drugs you’re not using anymore).
• Strides Arcolab Gets FDA OK For Sumatriptan Succinate Injection:  The title says it all.
• Pediatric Migraine Treatment Practices Vary Widely in ER:  We have a lot to learn about treating migraine in children.

From the Headache and Migraine News Blog

Monday Notes (21 June 2010)

These other posts might relate:

• Child with Migraine? The Migraine Trust Needs You!
• Could we Stop Migraine – At the Start of Life?
• Meet a Migraine Researcher -Dr. Golda Ginsburg

That’s really one of the most common questions I get when it comes to migraine or various headache disorders.  I have a strange symptom, am I the only one?  Or perhaps I have migraine attacks every day, is that rare?

A few months ago, for example, I got this email from Marie in the UK:

… One of the symptoms/effects of my migraine is extreme sleepiness, only waking up to be sick. I just cannot stay awake, which is a godsend sometimes. I have looked at your site but have not seen anything written on this type of migraine. …

She continued with a kind compliment regarding this website, but the question remains, is she alone?

It bears repeating that migraine can be a very individual things.  Like snowflakes, no two migraineurs are alike (no, I’m not calling you flakes – but like snowflakes we are beautiful people, aren’t we?)

Why are migraine attacks such an individual thing?  Even in the same person, attacks and symptoms can very throughout our lifetime.

Here’s a good illustration to explain it.  Imagine someone finding a big, beautiful spider web.  Having no concern for the spider or its handiwork, they take a rock and throw it through the web.

It will be different every time, won’t it?  The rock never goes through the exact same spot.  It never hits the same strands.  And though webs are based on common designs, even the webs of a single spider will always be slightly different – varying with the wind, the materials they are attached to, the needs of the spider that day.

Migraine is a complex disease striking complex people.  There are similar patterns, yes.  But there are a million and one reasons why an attack can vary from person to person, from day to day.  (this issue of HeadWay listed a sample of some of the many symptoms that seem to come from or come along with migraine attacks)

This isn’t to say that there may not be symptoms a majority get, or treatments that are helpful for a majority of people.  Maybe someday we’ll find a single cure for all – or we may find we’re dealing with distinctly different diseases that respond to different cures.

Probably someone else has your symptom.  But no one (except God) understands exactly what you’re going through.

Then again, there’s a lot that others can understand.  You are not alone.  We are in this together, fighting to help not only ourselves, but one another.

If you have symptoms like someone else I write about or who comments, leave your own comment.  But remember, just because no one is like you exactly doesn’t mean that you’re alone.

A spider has to work alone to repair the damage.  We can come together and help one another.  Let’s do it this year with new passion.

PS Looking for information about your variety of symptoms? You’ll get the best search results by searching from here.

From the Headache and Migraine News Blog

Is anyone else like me?

These other posts might relate:

• 1% Thursday: The 20 Second Symptom Speech

What if keeping a headache or migraine diary was easy, fast, and you could do it from anywhere?  What if it was all electronic, so that you could get instant trends and statistics?  What would your perfect diary look like, and what would it include?

I recently got an email from Jacqueline, a Canadian studying in France.  She’s working on developing diaries for people with chronic illness, and became especially interested in migraine patients.

Her idea is to take advantage of the internet, and mobile phones, to better collect and use information.

Knowledge is power, folks.  Not just for the individual patient, but for all of us who share the knowledge with one another.

Jacqueline wants to give you the opportunity to give suggestions.  What would it take for you to use a diary like this?  What would make it useful?  What kinds of information would you want to include?

You can give your input by taking part in the survey now (it’s short):

Hopefully Jacqueline will keep us up to date on how this project develops!

From the Headache and Migraine News Blog

Needing Your Input: Migraine Diary via Mobile Phone

These other posts might relate:

• New Survey: Doctor-patient Communication
• 1% Thursday: Treatment Review
• 1% Thursday: Warning Signs

Here are the results of our (unscientific) poll: Are you satisfied with your doctor/specialist?

So as you can see, 49%, the biggest group, were not satisfied.  But close behind were those who were satisfied, at 43%.

Of course there can be lots of reasons for this.  Naturally we as patients are responsible to take the time to find the specialist that we need.

But why are so many not satisfied?  Is it maybe that we don’t understand what our doctors are trying to do?  Not enough communication?  Does this simply reflect frustration because we haven’t found the "right" treatment yet?  Do we feel the specialist doesn’t have the expertise, or that they don’t have an open mind?

We’re going to try to answer these questions with our next poll, because obviously this is a big issue.  I know there are a lot of great doctors and specialists out there, so let’s see if we can get to the bottom of this.

This next poll is a little different – you can choose up to three answers.  Share your thoughts – the poll is in the right sidebar.

From the Headache and Migraine News Blog

Are you satisfied with your doctor/specialist?

These other posts might relate:

• 1% Thursday: Ask More Questions
• New Survey: Doctor-patient Communication
• Rating Doctors: Smart Technology or Dangerous Practice?

Sometimes people ask me why I built this site, and why I’m out to fight migraine and various types of chronic headache.

Here are two big reasons why:

My kids (and a doll)

From the Headache and Migraine News Blog

Why I’m fighting Migraine

Random other posts:

• Botox for chronic migraine?
• Trigger Points: Identification, Myths, and Preparing to Fight them
• Trigger points: A key to stopping Cluster Headache Pain?

A recent study published in the Value in Health journal set out to get a grip on the burden of migraine in the United States.  A survey was done of various articles written in the past, and the results really go way beyond the USA and beyond economics and insurance.

I thought it would be worth sharing this little quote.  It won’t be anything new to many of you, but it does emphasize the importance of fighting migraine.

Migraine affects millions of individuals worldwide, generally during the most productive years of a person’s life. Studies show that migraineurs are underdiagnosed, undertreated, and experience substantial decreases in functioning and productivity, which in turn translates into diminished quality of life for individuals, and financial burdens to both health-care systems and employers. Economic evaluations of migraine therapies have evolved with new clinical developments beginning with cognitive-behavioral therapy, introduction of triptans, concern over medication overuse, and emergence of migraine prophylaxis. Now recent clinical studies suggest that migraine may be a progressive disease with cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and long-term neurologic effects.

Read the full story at The Burden of Migraine in the United States: Current and Emerging Perspectives on Disease Management and Economic Analysis.

From the Headache and Migraine News Blog

The Impact of Migraine in society

These other posts might relate:

• Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS Awareness: Migraine and Chronic Headache Big Issues
• Migraine and Depression with Dr. Robert Shulman (audio)
• Lily’s Mom Review: Follow-up from Dr. Messina