Alternatives can cure migraines
By S. FAHMY
Gannett News Service

After a decade of suffering debilitating migraine headaches and struggling with the side effects of the prescription drugs she was taking, Sara Dennis Barton was ready to try anything.

"I was not getting better," the 55-year-old said. "In fact, I was getting worse. And I was getting very disheartened with my outlook with all this pain and all the medications that I was having to take."

On the advice of a friend, she saw a physician who took a holistic perspective on her health and prescribed dietary changes, supplements, stress reduction and exercise. The results weren't immediate, but they were significant.

She says that over a period of about three years, she went from having weekly -- sometimes twice weekly -- migraines to having migraines every six weeks or so. Holistic medicine practitioners say addressing the triggers of migraines and using supplements and herbs to minimize symptoms can help others with the condition do the same.

About 19 percent of women and nearly 7 percent of men suffer a migraine headache at least once a year. In addition to pain, people with migraines experience nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light. Some have visual disturbances that make them see a flashing or blinking light.

Prescription drugs aim to treat or prevent migraines, but they don't work for everyone and have side effects ranging from liver damage to hair loss to weight gain. Increasingly, people are looking for other options.

Nearly 60 percent of headache sufferers had tried an alternative remedy, according to a survey released in 2005 by the nonprofit National Headache Foundation. Fifty-five percent of respondents turned to alternative medicine because their medications were not effective, while 49 percent were concerned about side effects of prescription medicines.

The prescription drug Depakote -- a powerful drug used to treat seizures and conditions such as bipolar disorder -- helped 12-year-old Cody Hodges of Nashville, Tenn., manage his migraines for about three years. But the drug became less effective as he grew older, despite the fact that his physician doubled his dose to compensate for his growing size.

His doctor's solution was to add another drug to his regimen, which Cody's mother, Tracy, refused. Her son had to have a blood test to check for liver damage every six months to make sure the Depakote wasn't poisoning him, and she wasn't about to put him on another drug with another list of side effects.

"I thought, 'We need to be finding the cause,'" Tracy Hodges said, "not just continually treating these symptoms."

Like Barton, a friend referred her to Dr. Stephen Reisman, director of the Mind-Body Medical Center in Nashville. Reisman prefers treating migraines with dietary changes, stress reduction and supplements rather than powerful prescription drugs.

"Migraine is pretty much what we call a disease of prevention," Reisman said. "The intelligent thing to do is to change the whole picture of what is causing the migraine to happen in the first place."

First, he works with patients to figure out what foods and other factors might be triggering their migraines. Everything from caffeine to avocados to citrus fruits can trigger migraines, depending on the person. Stress can be a migraine trigger as well, so he works with patients on stress management and relaxation techniques.

Next, he tries to get patients off prescription and over-the-counter painkillers. He explains that the over-the-counter drugs such as Sudafed and prescription drugs such as Imitrex might work in the short term, but they cause what are called rebound headaches when overused. Over the long term, he said, the drugs perpetuate the problem.

Reisman also uses vitamins, minerals and herbs to balance the body's natural chemistry. People with migraines tend to have low magnesium levels, for example, so Reisman prescribes high doses of the mineral for them.

Other holistic medicine practitioners use a similar approach and tailor the their treatments to the specific circumstances of each patient. "I've had people that have had very frequent migraine headaches and the results are they haven't gotten a headache in three months," said Linda Lasner, a naturopathic physician.

Dr. Patrick Lavin, director of the Vanderbilt (University) Headache Clinic, said placebo controlled studies demonstrate the effectiveness of remedies including feverfew, riboflavin and coenzyme Q10. Melatonin is helpful too, particularly if insomnia is a problem.

Because no remedy works for all patients, Lavin's advice for patients is to find lifestyle modifications and remedies that work for them. He said medicines are poisons in small doses, and that he likes to avoid them or minimize their use if possible.

Source: http://www.norwichbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060109/LIFESTYLE/601090336/1024

Healthy News  Newsletter - January 10th, 2006

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