Headache and Migraine News

27 January 2011

1% Thursday: Is she ever thanked?

Is she, or he, ever thanked?

This may seem like an odd thing to do for 1% Thursday, but believe me it really can make a 1% or more difference in your treatment.

If you’ve never done it before, or even if you have – say thank you to your doctor.

Of course, you may have a few people to cover – doctors, chiropractors, nurses, neurologists – whatever it may be. But make a point of taking a few seconds of their precious time to thank them.

To show you really mean it, why not give them a little gift? Oh, I know, you feel like you’re paying them a fortune. Maybe you don’t even think they’re doing a very good job. It doesn’t matter – if you’re going to them for help, say thank you.

You see, saying thank you can actually improve a relationship that isn’t all that great. It shows you have respect for your doctor. Maybe they don’t seem to have a lot of respect for you – no matter, this may be the start of something better.

And what if they don’t appreciate your thank you? What if they refuse it, or say something nasty (worst case scenario here). No matter – you’ve reached out, tried to do something nice. Don’t let anyone spoil your day because they don’t appreciate it.

And you may find in the months to come that they appreciate it after all.

Fostering a relationship of respect, or mutual care, of appreciation, can go a long way. It makes you feel better about yourself, it gets you noticed, it helps us actually look at each other, and not just at symptoms, numbers, statistics and dollar signs.

This week (or at your next appointments) write a note, give a little gift, just say thank you – whatever is appropriate. Maybe a family member or friend wants to thank your doctor too. Trust me, it will make a difference.

What is 1% Thursday?

Every Thursday at Headache and Migraine News (weather permitting) we’ll talk about one measurable, practical thing we can do to make our lives just 1% better. Usually it will be something very easy, sometimes it will be a challenge. Let us know if you try it, or share an idea of your own – and maybe a year from now we’ll see that things have really changed for the better!

25 January 2011

Highlights from the past 3 Months (January 2011 edition)

James Highlights 0

It’s time to take a look at some of the most popular posts from the last 3 months.

It’s actually very interesting to see what you’re reading as visitors this time. I’m seeing a very good balance here – posts about the "big picture", which we can’t ignore, posts that are practical related to real issues you’re dealing with, and also posts about helping one another. If we can keep on balancing those three things, I think it will go a long way toward fighting headache disorders and migraine.

It’s also fantastic to see people getting more involved here at the blog, on our Facebook page, in Twitter, and so on. We’re talking, we’re looking for answers, we’re sharing resources – keep it up!

I also want to share a few of the pages over at Relieve-Migraine-Headache.com that have been the most popular recently. I probably won’t do this every month, but here’s the current news:

20 January 2011

1% Thursday: Family Medical History

James Tips 2

This week, compile your relevant family medical history. I’m not talking about the history of your immediate family, but medical history of other family members that may impact you.

We’ve talked about doing a family medical history when we organized our medical records. But that was enough to do without the family history aspect, and I want to make sure we don’t miss this, because it’s important.

You’ll want to especially consider parents, siblings, grandparents, uncles and aunts, and great-grandparents. Try making a spreadsheet with this basic information:

Gender
Date of birth
For deceased relatives, age at death, date and cause of death
Ethnicity
Diet and exercise habits
Relation to you

Now, obviously, you’ll be interested in medical information. Here are some things you’ll want to focus on, particularly as a migraine/cluster headache/chronic daily headache/etc sufferer.

Cancer
Heart Disease
Migraine/Cluster etc (any kind of headache – remember, headaches were understood differently even 20 years ago)
Diabetes
Depression/anxiety
Dementia
Asthma
Arthritis
Mental illness
High blood pressure/high cholesterol
Stroke
Kidney disease
Substance abuse (alcoholism, smoking, drugs)
Vision/hearing loss
Infertility or miscarriaged
Epilepsy

In many cases, finding out this information can be challenging. I highly suggest you read the Mayo Clinic’s article Medical history: Compiling your medical family tree to get you thinking before you start talking to family members.

As challenging as it may be, it’s very worth it to have an organized medical family tree. Not just for your benefit, but for your other family members as well!

What is 1% Thursday?

Every Thursday at Headache and Migraine News (weather permitting) we’ll talk about one measurable, practical thing we can do to make our lives just 1% better. Usually it will be something very easy, sometimes it will be a challenge. Let us know if you try it, or share an idea of your own – and maybe a year from now we’ll see that things have really changed for the better!

19 January 2011

Calcium Channel Blockers and Antibiotics – Dangerous Combination

James Discoveries & Stats, Medications, News 1

Researchers at the Sunnybrook Research Institute in Toronto, Canada, warn that taking calcium channel blockers (calcium antagonists) along with certain antibiotics could lower blood pressure, and be dangerous to high risk patients.

It’s always wise to keep up with the latest research on drug combinations, since patients seem to be taking more and more medications together. This recent research could impact migraine and cluster headache patients, who often take calcium channel blockers (CCBs) as preventatives.

CCBs that are commonly taken for migraine or cluster include diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor and Taztia), nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia, Nifediac and Nifedical), nimodipine (Nimotop) and verapamil (Calan, Verelan, Covera-HS and Isoptin).

Now CCBs are actually prescribed in order to lower blood pressure. So we’re already aware that this can happen. The concern, however, is that taking the CCB along with certain antibiotics could actually increase the effect to dangerous levels.

The antibiotics we’re talking about are macrolide antibiotics. These antibiotics include erythromycin, clarithromycin, spiramycin, josamycin and azithromycin, and they’re very widely used, with millions of prescriptions being written each month.

The research involved elderly patients only, the ones who would be at the highest risk. Using public health records, the researchers discovered that patients on CCBs who had received the antibiotic erythromycin were six times as likely to be hospitalized for hypotension.

Would the same hold true for younger patients? Likely there will be a drop in blood pressure, though younger patients would be at a lower risk overall. The important thing to remember is that you need to let your doctor know what medications you’re taking. It’s easy to get a quick antibiotic when you’re feeling terrible, not thinking about other conditions that don’t seem to be related.

Being simply a survey of public health records focused on a certain group, more research needs to be done to understand the impact on migraine and cluster headache patients of various ages. In the mean time, this is another reminder that your doctor needs to know if you’re at high risk for other condition, and she needs to know what medications you’re taking.

17 January 2011

Children’s Headaches – Should I Consider a Preventative Medication?

James Information, Medications 0

It’s a challenge to diagnose headache disorders, especially in younger children. But it’s becoming clear that it’s important, and more and more research is being done to help fight pediatric headaches.

Headaches are surprisingly common in children.

The catch is that sometimes even the children don’t really know how bad they are. The matter is further complicated when it comes to issues like migraine, where the symptoms can be so varied. Many people with migraine simply "don’t feel well", and have very little actual head pain. In children, abdominal migraine is common, where nausea may be the main symptom and the pain may be in the stomach.

It takes time to work with your doctor and child to uncover the symptoms and find a good treatment. But it’s important to do so. Catching headache disorders early can help avoid later complications. And children with frequent headaches can have extra trouble at school that can leave them farther behind than they need to be.

A preventative medication is something that your doctor may recommend if the headaches are frequent. The good news is, many medications have been found to really help children with migraine.

Some of the common medications that have helped children include:

Propranolol: A beta-blocker. Some brand names include Inderal, Avlocardyl, Inderalici, InnoPran XL, and Sumial
Flunarizine: A calcium-channel blocker. Brand names include Adalat, Cardizem, Isoptin, Nimotop, and Sibelium.
Topiramate: An anticonvulsant drug. Brand name Topamax.
Sodium valproate: An anticonvulsant. Brand names include Depakote, Epilim, Orlept, and Epival.
Amitriptyline: A tricyclic antidepressant. Brand names include Vanatrip, Elavil, and Endep.

Here are some things you and your doctor will want to consider when thinking about preventative medications:

How disabling are the symptoms? How often is the child having attacks? How is this impacting their daily life?
Are there other symptoms or co-existing disorders that could potentially be treated with the same medication? (For example, nausea, epilepsy, etc)
What are common risks and side effects associated with this medication? How will your doctor help you watch for these things over time?
Will a preventative medication help the child cut down on abortive medications? If you are giving your child "painkillers" more than twice a week, it’s very important you look for other options.
Is there a trial period? Is there a time when we could try taking the child off the preventative in the future?
What other treatments can be used alongside of (or instead of) the preventative medication? For example, changes in diet, biofeedback, an exercise program, CoQ10 etc.

In certain cases, preventative medications have helped children effectively fight headache and migraine symptoms. But do your homework, and remember that this is something you need to take one step at a time. Don’t expect an instant cure-all. But do expect to find a combination of treatments that works well.