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10 October 2023

A Personal Note

Yes, I’m still around!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted – in fact, even HeadWay has been quiet, and thanks to some technical issues on Facebook, even my daily posts have temporarily disappeared. X is still rolling along!

There’s nothing specific to report personally, except that life catches up with all of us once in a while. This is one of those “once in a whiles” for our family! It’s been a busy few months, with both the expected and unexpected, health-related issues and non-health-related issues. But it’s all made it very difficult to keep posting. I was able to keep up with daily social media posts – except, what’s up Facebook?

Anyway, if anyone is wondering and concerned – yes, I’m fine! Everything is all right, there are just some things that have been keeping me away from the keyboard.

However, all going well I will try to post when I can in the weeks ahead. Keep sending in your questions. Keep checking out past posts (here’s a random one to get you started!). Make sure to check out some recent tweets on X here. And stay tuned for more news and tips in the future!

I hope I can keep helping you fight back against migraine.

14 April 2022

Poll: Stomach/Gut Symptoms with Migraine

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Do you experience stomach/gut symptoms with migraine? You’re not alone. But symptoms can vary.

Here are the results of our recent poll regarding stomach symptoms:

The “winner” is no surprise – nausea does not always accompany migraine, but it does tend to be a tell-tale symptom. Here are a few tips for fighting nausea.

Stomach pain is also common – in fact, in “abdominal migraine“, stomach pain may occur instead of the headache itself.

Heartburn is close behind. It is possible that migraine and heartburn have some similar biological roots, as this study suggested: GERD prevalence in migraine patients and the implication for acute migraine treatment. But there’s another possible culprit – the medications we take.

Whether your heartburn is related to migraine or not, certain medications can make it worse. If you’re taking NSAIDs such as aspirin or ibuprofen, check out NSAIDs – Which One Should I Take For Headache?. But you’ll probably want to talk to your doctor about other options. Also, check out Why Headache Patients Are Running from Esomeprazole (Nexium) and other “Heartburn” Drugs.

Finally, general discomfort and bloating are also common in migraine.

For more, check out this quick graphic: 6 Key Stomach/Gut Terms related to Migraine

30 January 2021

Congratulations to the Winner!

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Congratulations to our HeadWay subscriber – Sally Anne, from the USA – who won a copy of…

The Healthy Brain Book: An All-Ages Guide to a Calmer, Happier, Sharper You: A proven plan for managing anxiety, depression, and ADHD, and preventing and reversing dementia and Alzheimer’s

Don’t you love books with short, catchy titles? 😀 Of course, the book has two authors Drs. William Sears and Vincent M. Fortanasce), so I guess that’s a good reason for an extra long title.

Anyway, this book is packed with tips for a healthier brain.

If you’re not a HeadWay subscriber, you can sign up right here for free. Not only can you be involved in giveaways like this, you will also have a special say about the topics we focus on, through your input in the HeadWay MailRoom.

Enjoy your book, Sally Anne!

22 December 2020

Most Popular Headache and Migraine Articles of 2020!

James Highlights, Website news 0

What are all those people doing, you ask? Well, they’re looking for useful information at Headache and Migraine News, of course!

But the question is – what are their favourite articles?

Well, it’s time to find out which were the all time top articles of 2020. Next week we’ll look at the top articles of all time (not including this year. Because some of you would rather not include this year!).

First, in the unusual and alternative treatments and migraine-fighters category (catchy title, no?) –

Migraine, Heart Disease, and Vitamin K2 – Yes, K2 is all the rage in 2020. So … do you know what it is, and how to get it?
The Humble Tennis Ball, and Headache – Why do I have a tennis ball in a drawer in my bedroom, you ask? Well, because it’s a surprising headache fighter! Here are some tips, links, and other ideas to try.
Grape Seed Extract: We’re still talking about it for migraine… – An older treatment that is still gaining converts as a migraine-fighter.
Eyestrain? Seriously, Try Iris Now. – Yes, eyestrain was the name of the game in 2020. Fed up, many people are trying out Iris to give their eyes a break, and to get better sleep and of course cut down on migraine and headache attacks.
A Green Lamp for Migraine? – Yes, believe it or not, the Allay Lamp was kind of a big deal in 2020. And yes, Allay is now on Amazon too, and getting good reviews. This was the top post in this category in 2020!

Next, sorry to say, the COVID-19 category. We did talk about it from various angles, but these two posts did make it into the greatest hits –

Is it Migraine or COVID-19? The surprising similarities – Yes, there are more similarities than you may realize. Reading this article may ease your mind if you wake up tomorrow morning with some of these symptoms.
COVID-19 Headache – Yes, it’s a thing, so we’d better talk about it here. Here’s what you can expect with COVID-19 in the achy head department.

Ok, now that that’s over with, it will be no surprise that the most popular category at all was in the CGRP related drugs category! They’ve gotten a lot of press, especially over the past two or three years. Here’s what you read the most in 2020 –

CGRP Medication Side Effects – “I hadn’t thought of that…” – It’s very important to be aware of the side effects of new medications you’re taking. But some of us need an excuse to stop and think about what we may be experiencing. This article is your excuse.
CGRP Drugs and Weight Gain – Is this an issue? As you might guess with new meds, the information is still sparse. But reports are coming in.
Vyepti to fight Migraine – How is it different (and what’s with the name?!)? – A preventative approved in the USA in February, designed to be taken only every three months.
Introducing Nurtec for Migraine – Approved in March, maybe this medication should get the “bad timing” award – bad timing because its entrance into the market was crowded out of the health headlines by … well, other things. But – our readers found it! This time, an abortive and fast-acting new med for migraine.
Ubrelvy – Fast Facts about the New Migraine Drug – Just one more in the greatest hits – and one of the absolute top posts of the year. Quick and clear info about the new abortive drug.

Thanks again for reading and sharing! It continues to be a privilege to get useful, clear and accurate information out to you. I hope that something you’ve read has kept the headaches and migraine attacks far away.

Next week we’ll look at some highlights from past years – maybe you’ll find another helpful nugget that will make next year better!

11 November 2020

Fighting Migraine: You have 10 billion dollars. How will you spend it?

James Website news 0

Our recent poll asked this question regarding the future of migraine treatmetn: You have 10 billion dollars. How will you spend it?

Migraine and headache patients want more research!

It’s very interesting to see what our priorities are.

51% of people who responded went right to the root of the problem. They wanted to invest their money into a better understanding of the biology of headache and migraine. This is a great choice, because if we can better understand what migraine is, we can fight it more effectively. Know your enemy.

13% wanted to research a completely unique treatment. Not more medication, not even necessarily a new “tech device”, but some other way to treat headache. These are people who are thinking outside the box.

Tied for third? 11% see hope in new medications, and wanted to research those. And 11% felt that doctors and specialists need more training. Also very true!

The rest wanted to research other types of treatments. For example, how can we better use diet and nutrition to fight migraine? What about exercises and stretching? And – let us not forget – those new “tech devices” that are still in their infancy when it comes to migraine.

Interestingly, there were no votes to develop awareness and support – which perhaps tells us that we’ve come a long way in the past few years! Maybe there is more awareness than there used to be. What we want now is effective treatments. So let’s move forward!

By the way, even if you have $10 instead of $10 billion, I would suggest investing in the future of migraine research through the Migraine Research Foundation! 100% of your donation will go to migraine research. Give yourself and migraine patients around the world the gift of quality research.