Category: Books & Products

Books & Products, Meds & Supplements, Treatment

Recommended Product: MgBright Magnesium for Migraine

Kerrie Smyres

I’ve recently switched from Bluebonnet chelated magnesium to a kind called MgBright, which the company describes as “pure, safe, non-laxative and high-absorbing.” The company sent me a sample bottle, which I tested for a few months, even increasing my overall dose during that time. As the bottle neared empty, I decided MgBRIGHT was OK, but no better than what I’d been taking before. When I switched back to Bluebonnet, however, I developed stomach cramping. While Bluebonnet was great at 700 mg, now that I’m taking nearly 1,200 mg*, it didn’t work so smoothly.

MgBright is offering a discount for The Daily Headache readers. The first 25 people who use the code TDHBLOG during checkout will receive 20% off the regular price of $49.91. You may buy it here. (I get no compensation if you buy the product. I tried it and liked it and wanted you to know about it.)

*This is a very high dose and should only be taken under the supervision of a health care professional! Actually, you should clear any dose with your doctor as many people with migraine need more than the recommended daily allowance.

Mar. 5, 2015: MgBright’s pricing has increased dramatically. It’s main ingredient is monomagnesium malate. Many companies now sell monomagnesium malate for considerably less than MgBright costs.

Books & Products, Coping, Treatment, Triggers

Migraine Light Sensitivity and Fluorescent Light Headaches

Kerrie Smyres

National Migraine Awareness Month Blog Challenge, Day 8: “Let there be light.” Most migraineurs have issues with light sensitivity. What do you do to cope with it?

Well, this one is easy for me: TheraSpecs migraine glasses! TheraSpecs was born after my headache specialist warned me that wearing sunglasses all the time was actually making my eyes more sensitive to light and that a special precision tint was available for glasses that would help with photophobia without increasing my over all light sensitivity. Researching that information, we found that this tint is also excellent for managing sensitivity to fluorescent light.

Many people report headaches from fluorescent lights, either in the long tubes like you see at stores or CFLs for home use. It appears the problem is that fluorescent lights flicker faster than the eye can consciously see, but the brain still picks up on that flicker, which can cause many people to feel sick. TheraSpecs protect the eyes and brain by filtering out the wavelengths of light where the flicker is concentrated, relieving the symptoms fluorescent lights can cause.

Learn more about TheraSpecs and get your own pair (and relief) today! US shipping is free and international shipping is half off through Friday, June 15 in honor of National Migraine Awareness Month light sensitivity day.

National Migraine Awareness Month is initiated by the National Headache Foundation. The Blogger’s Challenge is initiated by Fighting Headache Disorders.

Books & Products, Coping

Tips for Summer Fun Despite Migraine: Migraine Awareness Month Blogging Challenge

Kerrie Smyres

National Migraine Awareness Month Blog Challenge, Day 4: What’s the best tip you can offer others for having some summer fun despite migraine?

I wrote about staying hydrated, my very best tip for coping with migraines in the summer, for Migraine.com today. Then I went out in the Phoenix heat and remembered my second-best coping mechanism: ice packs and cool neck wraps.

If I have to drive somewhere in the heat of the day, I take along hard ice packs that normally go in the ice chest as well as a couple softer ice packs, like my beloved Medi-Temp Head-Neck Hot/Cold Therapy Pad*. I wrap the Medi-Temp pad around my neck twice and place the other ice packs wherever feels good, usually a couple behind my back, one in my cleavage (*blush*), and one under the seat belt against my belly. I look like a complete dork, but feel so much cooler. The hard packs usually stay cold even if I leave them in the car when I go into stores. On particularly hot days, I’ll put them in a soft-sided cooler before I get out of the car.

Cooling neck wraps are useful when I’m need to stay cool (temperature-wise) in public. More attractive than an ice pack, they still aren’t terribly stylish — but they are better than a migraine attack! Just soak one in water for about 10 minutes to activate it and it will keep you a little cooler for several hours. If you’re somewhere humid, it is best best if you can stick the wrap in an ice chest occasionally to reinvigorate it.

What do you do to keep migraine attacks at bay in the summer?

National Migraine Awareness Month is initiated by the National Headache Foundation. The Blogger’s Challenge is initiated by Fighting Headache Disorders.

*The Medi-Temp head wrap is a new discovery and I love, love, love it for migraine attacks. It has good coverage, stays cold for nearly an hour (I put a dish towel under it so it isn’t too cold against my skin), and stays in place when I move around. It is a quick, easy and inexpensive way to relieve the immediate pain of a migraine. I only wish I had two.

Books & Products, Coping, Friends & Family, Treatment, Triggers

TheraSpecs, a Labor of Love

Kerrie Smyres

When Hart first posted about TheraSpecs on Facebook, his sister referred to the company as her brother’s labor of love. I get a little teary when I think about how apt this description is. (Warning: This is the gushiest post I’ve ever written!)

TheraSpecs got rolling because Hart wanted me to have better precision-tinted glasses to ease my photophobia and enable me to be under fluorescent lighting without it triggering a migraine attack. When the glasses worked so well for me, he had some more made for other migraineurs we know. When those folks gave great feedback, he knew he had to make a go of making them available to everyone with migraine and photophobia. These glasses — this business — came from my sweet husband’s desire to see me suffer less.

This labor of love for me also demonstrates his great compassion and desire to relieve the suffering of others. “But most of all, we very much hope that your own search for relief is a success—with or without TheraSpecs” is the last sentence on the TheraSpecs homepage. I love that Hart wrote this. I love that he truly wants everyone who is looking at the site to find migraine relief for themselves or their loved ones, whether they purchase our product or not.

Remembering the love that’s behind the product helps ease the stress of starting a new company, of knowing our livelihood depends on its success. There is excitement and exhilaration in starting something new, but it is primarily terrifying.

I alternate between saying that TheraSpecs is “our company” and that it is “Hart’s company.” I was obviously the inspiration for it and I’m the one with contacts in the headache and migraine world; I also work on it as much as I am able. But Hart’s the one who has poured himself into the research and production of the products as well as undertaking all the work necessary to get a business going. Though I give plenty of input, he’s ultimately the one making the Big Decisions.

The excellent reviews from other headache bloggers (Inner Dorothy, Somebody Heal Me, Migraine and Other Headache Disorders, Headache and Migraine News) all mention that my husband and I have started TheraSpecs. This is absolutely true, though I don’t want to take more credit than I deserve. My kind, loving, supportive husband is truly the force behind the company and I want everyone to know how awesome he is. (Finished gushing now.)

P.S. Keep up with TheraSpecs on Facebook and Twitter!

Books & Products, Community, Coping, Favorites, News & Research, Treatment

TheraSpecs FL-41 Glasses Now Available

Kerrie Smyres

TheraSpecs Logo

TheraSpecs, the company Hart and I have started, is now open for business selling precision-tinted therapeutic glasses! Clinical research shows they can reduce the frequency of migraine attacks, relieve sensitivity to light during a migraine, protect you from light-triggered migraines (especially from fluorescent lights and CFLs), and reduce headaches and eyestrain. They are available in both an indoor tint and a darker polarized tint for outdoor use.

Learn more or order your own pair at TheraSpecs.com.