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http://relieve-migraine-headache.com

Posts by James Cottrill:

Language Disturbances During a Migraine Attack: Poll

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Do you have trouble speaking during a migraine attack? Well, most of the respondants to our recent poll do – at least some of the time.

The question was: Do you have trouble with speech during a migraine attack (trouble remembering words, slurring, etc)?

And here are the results:

Language disturbances during migraine (poll)In the end, 42% said “Always”. In fact, over 90% had experienced some language difficulty during attack.

Although those who had problems are the most likely to take part in the poll, this still shows that there are huge numbers of people who have issues like:

  • Trouble thinking of a word
  • Trouble saying certain sounds
  • Stuttering
  • Slurring

Problems like this are actually quite common in migraine. They also tend to be worse with certain medications, such as Topamax (topiramate).

If you’ve experienced language trouble in migraine, leave a comment and tell us what it was like. You’re probably not alone!

MediSafe

Here is a method that is helping people remember to take their meds!

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How do you remember to take your meds? Sticky notes? A nagging spouse?

MediSafeWell, maybe it’s time for you to move beyond those old tactics to a new and very popular method – MediSafe.

I’ll let the video below explain the details, but in short MediSafe is an app that helps you remember to take your medication.

Sound boring? Actually, MediSafe is a clever little product – and a free one, I might add. And it has been quite a boon to tens of thousands of people who need to take medication on time – but want to live life instead of obsessing about hours and dosages.

And that’s not all – you can add information about refills, connect with your doctor – and there’s more coming. The MediSafe team is working on a way to connect using only a touchtone phone. Which means MediSafe will be accessible for those who don’t even have a smart phone (and don’t want one!). And MediSafe can now even track some biometrics, such as blood pressure (using WiFi enabled blood pressure cuffs), to show you the benefits of remembering.

And there’s even more – but I’ll let you check it out for yourself. 🙂

So throw away those sticky notes (but keep the spouse, if you have one)!  Learn more and get the free app at the MediSafe website.

Share 30 Things About Your Headache Disorder

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You’ve lived with it – migraine, cluster headache, chronic daily headache – whatever it may be. You’ve lived with it – and you would be surprised what you’ve learned, what you’ve observed, what you’ve suffered and never felt you could share.

30 Things about Migraine or HeadacheWell now you have a unique opportunity to talk about it in an easy way (and maybe even win a prize!). Kerrie is hosting a “30 Things” meme over at The Daily Headache. You will have 30 quick questions to answer (you can be anonymous if you prefer), such as:

10. The most frustrating part about having CDH is:
12. During my first cluster attack, I thought:
18. I get angry when people say:
21. Something kind someone can do for me during a migraine attack is:
26. If I could go back to the early days of my diagnosis, I would tell myself:

. . . and so on.

This is a great way to be involved this month – Migraine and Headache Awareness Month.

Simply go to www.thedailyheadache.com/30things, scroll down and choose your headache disorder (migraine, cluster, NDPH, CDH, tension-type or other), and submit your answers. Once approved, they will be posted.

Be sure to read what other people are saying right here.

Oh, what about the prize? This from Kerrie:

By submitting your answers, you’ll be entered to win a 30-minute phone or Skype coaching session with me or your choice of any pair of indoor TheraSpecs.
…
To be entered, simply submit your responses to the 30 Things meme by midnight June 29 (Pacific time). For extra entries, share your URL on Facebook or Twitter as many times as you wish before midnight June 29 (don’t forget to tag The Daily Headache or @tdhblog). On June 30, I will announce a randomly select a winner. To preserve anonymity of those who prefer it, I will only announce the winning entry, not the winner’s name. [continue reading…]

Thanks, Kerrie!

Pulsante System

Could this small device delete your cluster pain?

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What difference would it make in your life if you could delete some or all of the pain in two thirds of your cluster headache attacks? A small device, smaller than an almond, may be able to do just that.

Pulsante device
Pulsante device
Back in 2013 we discussed a neurostimulation device targeting the sphenopalatine ganglion, a cluster of nerves behind the nose that is closely related to both cluster and migraine pain.

The small device was used on 5000 cluster attacks over 3 years. 33 patients completed the study.

Overall, the device (called the Pulsante SPG Microstimulator System) either eliminated or reduced the pain in 68% of attacks. Within 15 minutes, pain was totally eliminated in 34% of the attacks.

Obviously we want to get rid of every attack, but for a new device treating a very difficult condition, these results are excellent. The device seemed to eliminate or reduce most pain in moderate attacks (78%), with a response rate of 59% in mild attacks and 51% in severe attacks.

So far, the device seems to be fairly safe. However, there have been some challenges – making sure the device is properly implanted, and that it stays there, for example.

But as we continue to use devices like this, we can expect to see improvement. Pulsante is already being used in Europe.

You may remember that we were talking about the sphenopalatine ganglion back in March, related to migraine pain. If minimally invasive treatments like this can significantly decrease the pain of cluster, they may have benefits for headache from migraine and other types of headache pain.

To learn more about how the device works and how it’s controlled, visit the Autonomic Technologies website. Check out information on trials, and whether you can be involved, here.

For more information on this latest report, see AAN: Facial nerve stimulator relieves cluster headaches.

Another Option for Adolescents with Migraine

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Children and teens with migraine tend to have fewer options when it comes to approved medications for migraine. But this month in the USA, the FDA approved a new abortive medication – a pediatric version of Treximet.

Treximet
Treximet (adult version)
We’ve talked about Treximet before – it’s a combination abortive drug, containing sumatriptan succinate (Imitrex) and naproxen sodium (Aleve). But the approved medication for 12-17 year olds will have a lower dosage than the adult version – 10mg of sumatriptan and 60mg of naproxen sodium (the adult version is 85mg/500mg).

Although it’s great to have another option, there are concerns that may put Treximet lower on the list of things to try. As a combination medication, it may be more powerful, but there also could be side effects from either medication. And although it is certainly convenient to take a single pill, you might want to check and see if one or the other medication will work just as well – and check the difference in price.

Of course many medications have their special “selling points” that they will promote. For Treximet, it’s “RT technology“, which helps the tablets disintegrate and absorb faster. It’s a possible advantage over a generic sumatriptan.

Everyone is different – talk with your doctor (and insurance company!) and keep track of your symptoms.

For more information:

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The articles on Headache and Migraine News are © 2004-2026 J. Cottrill.
Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of each article, and to point you to further sources of information. However, this site is for informational purposes only and should never replace a visit to your doctor.