Discoveries & Stats

15 December 2011

Triptans and Heart Disease – A Dangerous Mix!

James Discoveries & Stats, Medications 4

Triptan medications such as Imitrex, Frova, and Relpax are still an important part of migraine treatment. But for people with a risk of heart disease, they can be dangerous.

At the annual meeting of the American Neurological Association in September, a surprising and disturbing study got a lot of notice. It was all about the prescription of triptan medications.

The study included 120,000 migraine patients. Now, triptans are not recommended for those with certain types of heart disease. Did doctors follow this recommendation?

The surprising result was that 1 in 5 patients with heart disease was prescribed a triptan medication!

That’s right, 1 in 5. Why? Did the doctor not know about the patient’s medical history? Was the doctor not aware of the dangers triptans pose to these patients?

Triptans can narrow blood vessels by 10-20%, and those of you with experience with heart disease know just how dangerous that can be.

Not only should your doctor know your medical history, she should also know your risk of heart disease. If you know you have multiple risk factors, even if you’ve never had problems with heart disease, you should think twice about taking triptan medications.

Dr. Arthur Elkind, president of the National Headache Foundation board of directors, particularly notes that you should be aware of elevated lipid levels, hypertension, a history of smoking, history of angina pectoris, and heart attack.

Though triptans are considered generally safe for most migraineurs, there is a lack of care being taken for patients who are at risk.

10 December 2011

Your Tips – Music and Headache

James Discoveries & Stats, Tips 9

Do you use music to prevent or treat a headache or migraine attack?

Sure, we all know that music can make us happy or sad or whatever. But Dr. Luciano Bernardi from Italy’s Pavia University believes that music may also have a direct impact on your cardiovascular system. In other words, it’s not just that emotions affect your heart – it’s also that your heart may affect your emotions – and music affects both directly.

In a study using classical music published in 2009, Bernardi’s team found that music had an impact on respiration rates, blood pressure, circulation rhythms, and the narrowing of blood vessels.

Diseases such as migraine do involve a complex relationship between what happens in the brain and neurological system, and the heart and blood vessels. Could this subtle influence that music has on physical responses become a part of migraine treatment?

Scientifically speaking, the answer would appear to be – yes, but it’s not that simple. Music has a very complex, ever-changing influence on the body. It may not be easy to discover and then prove in a lab just how it can be used in treatment.

In complex cases like this, you often have a head start, because you know your own body and are aware of its subtleties – even if you’re not always conscious of them.

So back to you – have you found music to be helpful? How? Is it a preventative? A coping strategy? Has it ever been a help during a migraine attack? What about various types of headache disorders?

Share your comments below!

2 December 2011

Too Much Tylenol – Over Time?

James Discoveries & Stats, Medications 1

Hopefully most people are aware of the dangers of taking too much paracetamol / acetaminophen. Sometimes people are taking different products that both contain acetaminophen – and inadvertently take too much. It can be very dangerous.

But what about a "staggered overdose"? That is, people who are taking a little too much over a period of time – could they be just as bad off, or even worse off?

Yes, say researchers – a little-by-little overdose could be even more serious than a one time large overdose – and it could be just as life-threatening.

Researchers at Edinburgh University studied the cases of 161 patients who had come to the hospital there over a 16 year period. They also looked at cases of 663 patients with paracetamol/acetaminophen overdose. Those with the gradual overdose were more likely to develop liver and brain problems, need kidney dialysis, or help breathing. The overdoses were also more likely to be fatal.

To make matters worse, the blood test that would identify a one-time overdose will not identify the staggered overdose. Meaning that it will be easy for your doctor to miss.

The message is clear – follow the instructions on the label, check the ingredients of medications you’re taking, and if you need more pain relief, see a doctor. Just taking "a little more" of something to see if it relieves the pain is not the answer.

1 December 2011

Steroid Injections cut Cluster Headache Attacks

James Discoveries & Stats, Treatments 3

This past October, The Lancet Neurology published a study from France using steroid injections for cluster headache patients. Though certainly not the silver bullet for cluster, the treatment did show promise.

The study featured patients who were having at least 2 cluster headache attacks per day. Patients were randomly chosen to take an injection of corticosteroids or a placebo (saline solution). The injections were suboccipital (in the back of the head/neck – the greater occipital nerve), on the same side as the cluster symptoms. All patients were taking verapamil.

Compared to the group on the placebo, patients had on average half of the cluster headache attacks over the next 15 days. Other than some neck pain where the injections were done, there were no side effects recorded.

Both chronic and episodic cluster headache sufferers were a part of the study.

For a condition that has so little available treatment, steroid injections may be a good option to help control cluster attacks.

Hear a doctor’s comments on the study here: Steroid Injections for Cluster Headache?

Are Your Supplements and Vitamins Shortening Your Life?

James Discoveries & Stats, Treatments 1

A study of 38,000 women suggests that taking certain vitamins may shorten your life. Supposed culprits included migraine-fighting magnesium. So the question is – could that migraine-fighter be killing you?

The truth is, you probably have very little to worry about if you’re taking vitamins responsibly. Here’s why.

First, the study wasn’t controlled for every health factor. How could it be? For example, what if a disease shortens your life, and you’re taking vitamins for that? Although some such variables were checked, there are just too many unknowns.

Second, the study relied on the memory of each person. How accurately do you think each participant could remember exactly how what vitamins they took over a lifetime?

And think about this – are people who take more vitamins generally just as healthy as everyone else? Many are taking a supplement because they already don’t feel as healthy as the average person. In addition, a recent study at Psychological Science suggested that many who take vitamins feel they can "cheat" in other ways – skipping good exercise or diet choices.

In the end, this study isn’t giving a lot of solid answers. However, it is true that often vitamin-taking isn’t as helpful as people think. So should you stop taking your vitamins?

You should probably stick to the vitamins – if you have a good reason for taking them. That doesn’t mean a vague idea that more vitamins is better. Instead, it means doing your research and finding out what’s worthwhile to take. For example, the research clearly shows the benefits of magnesium for migraineurs. If it helps you, the benefits of cutting down on migraine symptoms could very well lengthen your life, not shorten it.

Do know why you’re taking your vitamins – then make healthy choices in the rest of your life. Proper rest, good exercise, and a healthy diet are generally going to be far more important that which vitamins you do or do not take.

Finally, be sure to take good quality vitamins. We often talk about which supplements and vitamins to take – which brands, etc. Do your research. A cheap alternative may be useless when a more expensive brand you can’t find at the local pharmacy may be just what you need.

Is this study proof you should stop taking your vitamins? No way. But take them wisely.

via: Vitamins linked with higher death risk in older women