Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Think Before You Eat a Migraine Trigger

Someone once said to me, "I get a migraine headache every time I eat onions. What can I do to stop these headaches?"

Even though the answer should be obvious to all, the obvious is often missed. People will tell us they know exactly what triggers their migraines and yet they do little or nothing to avoid the trigger. This, I believe, is one of the main reasons for failure of any type of migraine prevention program. Some thinking is required to end migraines.

When my son was about six years old I started playing checkers with him. Checkers is a relatively simple game to learn and play. During one game when I was slow to move a piece he announced, "It's your move dad," to which I replied, "I'm thinking." His immediate response was, "Hey, no fair thinking."

The stakes are higher with migraines than they are playing checkers. When you lose by not thinking in the migraine game you get punished with pain. Thinking about what you eat, drink, do and even what medications you take is a requirement for the success of a migraine prevention program. You don't have to become a migraine researcher to end migraines; you simply must pay attention and do a little thinking.

Thinking about what may have triggered your last headache can be helpful in preventing the next one. Any time there is a change in your migraine pattern, you should ask yourself "why?" Think about what changed, including what you may have eaten, drank or done within the 36 hours prior to the headache. Reviewing this information may reveal the trigger that you can avoid in the future.

We can help you in this process when you contact us. We generally start by visiting about your migraine pattern including frequency, duration, the time of the day when your headaches most often start, and what are your known triggers. Reports of sudden changes in patterns can be most alarming events that we will help investigate.

Recently Eileen (Migraine Consultant at Tuliv) visited with a lady whose headache pattern got worse after she started taking spirulina. Spirulina is a microscopic blue-green alga which has gained a great deal of popularity in the health food world as one of the new so-called functional foods.  

Eileen researched spirulina and found that it contains one of the highest rates of L-tyrosine (which becomes tyramine) and another amino acid called L-phenylalanine which produces even more tyramine in the body.

Tyramine, as we have stated many times before, is one of the components necessary to produce the chemical in the body that causes a migraine to occur. Migraineurs should avoid anything that contains L-tyrosine or increases tyramine in the body (see triggers list).

Eileen's research demonstrates the dedication we at Tuliv have to help all who suffer from migraines regardless if they use our products or not.

To do this type of research and make this connection to headaches does require thinking, but you can benefit from the migraine research Eileen does by reading our website, blog, facebook and asking for her help (there is no charge for phone and email consultation).

If your migraine pattern has changed, call or email us for help. If your migraine medication or program is not working for you, think about trying Tuliv Migraine Defense for migraine prevention to live a migraine-free life.

What are your migraine triggers? Today we are asking for your help in our research by letting us know what triggers your headaches so we can add them to the migraine trigger list. If you are unsure about what may be your triggers, contact us so that we can help you.  

Send us an email (click here) with your trigger list or call us at 1-866-367-5953.

Let us hear from you today.

Lyle Henry – Migraine Research

Friday, April 1, 2011

Stroke - the Hidden Danger of Migraines

Recently in the news we have read about strokes, brain lesions, and even obesity being attributed to migraines. In February many saw Serene Branson suffer live on TV from what was first thought to be a stroke and then later confirmed as a migraine - most likely a familial hemiplegic migraine.

Each year, nearly 800,000 people in the United States have a stroke, which is the third-leading cause of death in the U.S.   The latest findings published in the American Journal of Medicine, which combined the results of 21 previous studies, confirms a connection between migraines and ischemic stroke -- the most common form of stroke, occurring when a clot disrupts blood flow to the brain. See stroke warning signs from American Heart Association.

Across the studies it was found that migraine sufferers at any age were about twice as likely to suffer an ischemic stroke as people without migraines. Anyone who suffers from migraines should be seeking safe and effective ways to prevent migraines in order to reduce the risk of suffering a stroke.

What is also alarming about the study reported by Dr. Saman Nazarian, the senior researcher and an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, is that the HRT (hormone replacement therapy) 
that is commonly prescribed as a migraine treatment via birth control pills (including ring and patch), as well as progesterone and estrogen supplementation, may actually be adding to the possibility of having a stroke.

The risk of stroke caused by migraines and HRT treatments for migraines are too high to be ignored. The challenge one faces after a stroke are life changing and alter normal activities including driving, employment, parenting young children, and often means a dramatic change in personal relationships.

In selecting the best method of migraine prevention, one should always consider what the consequences of taking certain preventives are and if possible avoid those that may cause other damage to the body or brain. Topamax, for example, can cause serious side effects including kidney stones, birth defects, eye problems, vision loss, suicide attempts, bone disease, and memory loss according to the PRESCRIBING INFORMATION provided by Topamax.

As a migraineur you eventually deal with three major issues: 1. The migraine, associated pain, and related problems, 2. Physical changes and conditions that can result from prolonged migraines, i.e. higher risk for strokes and brain lesions,  3. Dangerous risks and damage caused by pharmaceuticals (including HRT) used in attempts to prevent migraines.

Granted, as any migraineur that suffers the pain of migraines, the first objective and ultimate desire is to stop the headache pain from reoccurring and many are willing to risk the problems from associated pharmaceutical treatments. Or as my wife Eileen used to say prior to the discovery of Migraine Defense, "I need to get vertical and will worry about the consequences later."

Fortunately for Eileen and others like her who now take Migraine Defense for migraine prevention, she is safe from the problems associated with migraine drugs and has lowered her risk for stroke while living a migraine-free life.

One additional point, I would like to remind everyone that no matter what treatment you seek, you should also stay abreast of how migraines form and what can trigger them. Be aware that many prescription drugs, health foods and drinks, and things like probiotics, can also be major factors in contributing to migraines.

A change in your migraine pattern could indicate that you have introduced something new into your system or your body's age is becoming a factor. For this reason, we make ourselves available to you by phone and email to answer your migraine questions. There is currently no cost or obligation for consultation.

Everyone knows someone who suffers from migraines and may be at risk for stroke. Please tell them they can find help at www.Tuliv.com and by calling 1-866-367-5953. Don't wait until something happens, forward this message to a friend today.