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Migraine Treatment News

Here’s the roundup of migraine treatments. Other news posts I’m working on are about presentations at the International Headache Society’s conference (including cluster headache news), depression and chronic pain.
Migraine Patients Who Take Triptans Report Greater Satisfaction Than Patients Taking Barbituates or Opioids
Survey: Migraine Patients Taking Potentially Addictive Barbiturate or Opioid
Medications Not Approved By FDA as [...]

Migraine News: Migraines May Ease With Age, Parents’ Influence on Kids’ Migraines, More Poor Teens Have Migraine

I’ve neglected news lately and haven’t shared a lot of good stuff with you. I’m catching up over the holiday weekend.
Migraines May Ease With Age: In Swedish Study, Most Patients’ Attacks Decreased or Disappeared Over 12-Year Follow-Up
Good news for most migraine sufferers: With age, you can expect to
get fewer, less- painful migraine attacks that [...]

Does Harry Potter Have Migraine?

The excruciating pain in Harry Potter’s forehead when evil is present is one reason experts have diagnosed him with “probable migraine” in the latest issue of Headache, the journal of the American Headache Society.
“Come on” (said like an exasperated teenager) was my first reaction. But the argument is quite persuasive.
What makes the experts so convinced [...]

Baby Steps to Minimize the Impact of Migraines & Headaches

“I’m not happy” is what my friend’s three-year-old says when another kid has something he wants. Whether he’s eying a root beer or the rocking chair, this simple statement expresses so much. Obviously something has to change to make him happy, or at the very least, not unhappy.
Since hearing him say this, I’ve replaced specific [...]

Can Painkillers Cause More Harm By Masking Pain?

Ben’s story in When Is a Pain Doctor a Drug Pusher?, the NY Times Magazine article I wrote about yesterday, brought up something I’d never thought through: Opioids don’t correct the problem that causes pain; they just mask the pain. Couldn’t this cause more harm than good?
Ben, a farmer for whom “. . . years [...]

Opioids for Chronic Pain & Questioning Pain Doctor vs. Drug Pusher

Pain specialist Ronald McIver is serving a 30 year sentence for drug trafficking. The drugs? Opioids prescribed for pain relief. NY Times Magazine looks into McIver’s case and the mess surrounding opioids for pain management.
The in-depth piece definitely supports the use of opioids for pain management. I’ve created a PDF of the article so I [...]

What Do You Want to Read on The Daily Headache?

Two years into blogging, I’ve learned that sharing isn’t complaining, writing about myself isn’t necessarily self-centered, and that many people read blogs for the personal connection they feel with the blogger. I’ve also found that I certainly have enough to say without whining and moaning. (I’ve also gotten e-mails asking me to write more about [...]

News From the American Headache Society’s Annual Meeting

If I wait to write about news from the American Headache Society’s annual meeting in depth, it may never get posted. So here are the headlines and links to AHS’s press releases.
Insurance, Cost Issues Prevent People From Treating Migraines
Insurance companies often limit the number of migraine pills people are allowed each month, so many sufferers [...]

Doctors’ Perspectives on Medicine

A panel of anonymous physicians respond to questions about the profession in New York Magazine’s Best Doctor issue. It’s seven pages long, so this is just a glimpse.
How should a person choose a doctor?
“I think it’s the same as choosing a car mechanic. You have a person who does your taxes, and you make a [...]

CGRP Receptor Antagonist a Promising New Migraine Abortive Drug

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist MK-0974 holds promise as a migraine abortive, according to Phase II study results that will be presented at the American Headache Society’s annual meeting this week.
The drug works by blocking CGRP, a brain chemical that is
important for transmitting pain signals during a migraine. It does not appear to contrict [...]