Migraine Prevention is Real

The following is an unedited copy of an email I received recently.

Dear Lyle,

Last year I suffered with migraines not even realizing they were such until my husband, an ambulatory critical care hospital pharmacist recognized them.

I thought for so many years before meeting my husband that I was simply having a sinus headache or environmental weather issues with climate pressures. I had no idea my headaches were connected with my hormone changes every month. I only knew they were getting more intense and frequent to the point of ongoing pain three weeks out of the month with a pain level of 9 - 10 on a pain scale of ten.

Once I knew the source of my pain, I tried chiropractors, massage therapy, vegetable juicing, and migraine medication; however the headaches kept presenting themselves. I thought my newly married life was over at 49.

It wasn't until my husband researched the Internet and found your website discussing Eileen's story that things for us began to change. We wanted a safe, natural, preventive for this horrible pain that was robbing us of our new life together, and almost a year later, I can tell you my life has been fully restored. Your [Migraine Defense] formula is an absolute miracle, no less.

Initially, I was having breakthrough pain with the recommended dose of 6 capsules for my body wt of 110 lbs, and so I experimented with some of the supplements after discussing this with you. Still, breakthrough pain came, which is why I hadn't written until now. My husband, understanding that dose is often relevant to the patient's circumstances, suggested I add an additional capsule of the migraine defense to my daily intake. It was the magic number. For months now I am migraine-free without breakthrough.

Your formula is a godsend. Thank You forever for giving me back my life to share with my husband.

Blessings,

Cynthia Albert, BSN, RN

More Bad News for Topamax Users

Small Study Shows Increase Risks in Birth Defects When Topamax Is Used During Pregnancy

July 21, 2008 -- A small study published in the latest issue of the journal Neurology, shows Topamax (topiramate) has been linked to an increase risk of birth defects in babies born to patients who took it during pregnancy.

"More research needs to be done to confirm these results, especially since it was a small study," researcher John Craig, MRCP, of the Royal Group of Hospitals in Belfast, Northern Ireland said in a news release.

He added that although the study included only epilepsy patients, the results may be of particular relevance for migraine patients "since [Topamax] is also used for preventing migraines, which is an even more common condition that also occurs frequently in women of childbearing age."

If the study findings are confirmed, they suggest that Topamax may not be an appropriate migraine treatment for women who are considering pregnancy, neurologist Shlomo Shinnar, MD, PhD, of New York's Montefiore Medical Center told WebMD. Shinnar is a spokesman for the American Academy of Neurology.

Information from the Official Topamax Web Site
In review of the information on the official Topamax site we found a report by Dr. Diamond associate director of the Diamond Headache Clinic of Chicago, from July 19, 2007 regarding Topamax During Pregnancy. She reported that although some prescription and over-the-counter drugs may pose a small degree of risk to the fetus, few pregnant migraine sufferers can go 9 months without treatment for migraine pain, and there are headache pain medications that are proven safer than others.

In this report, the only prescription medications she mentioned that should not be taken during pregnancy because of their known adverse effects, are phenytoin, valproic acid, and lithium carbonate.

Dr. Diamond went on to say pregnant women should be recommended nonpharmacological treatments for migraines during all trimesters, such as rest, biofeedback, ice/heat, massage, exercise, folate, and avoiding migraine triggers.

Dr. Merle Diamond has indicated that she has served as a speaker and/or consultant, or has conducted research for AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Pfizer, and Ortho-McNeil the makers of Topamax.

Information from TOPAMAX full U.S. Prescribing Information

"What Should I Do If I Get Pregnant While Taking TOPAMAX?"

"It is not clear if there is a risk to the fetus/baby if you are exposed to TOPAMAX and you are pregnant. Various abnormalities have been described in the offspring of animals exposed to TOPAMAX during pregnancy. If you use TOPAMAX while you are pregnant, ask your healthcare professional about reporting your experience to the North American Drug Pregnancy Registry at Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, MA). This registry collects information about the babies born to women who are taking drugs to treat various conditions. Information about the North American Drug Pregnancy Registry can be found at http://www.massgeneral.org/aed/.You can also join the registry by calling 1-877-376-3872."

"In a rat embryo/fetal development study with a postnatal component (0.2, 2.5, 30, or 400 mg/kg during organogenesis; pups exhibited delayed physical development at 400 mg/kg (10 times the RHD on a mg/m2 basis) and persistent reductions in body weight gain at 30 mg/kg (1 times the RHD on a mg/m2 basis) and higher.

There are no studies using TOPAMAX® in pregnant women. TOPAMAX® should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit outweighs the potential risk to the fetus. In post-marketing experience, cases of hypospadias have been reported in male infants exposed in utero to topiramate, with or without other anticonvulsants; however, a causal relationship with topiramate has not been established."

Note from Lyle

I readily add that any women who is thinking about or becomes pregnant should meet with her doctor(s) to fully review each and every medication whether it be pharmaceutical, OTC, natural, or herbal to determine what is best for her and her baby.

Lyle

Topamax and Other Like Drugs get New Warnings

The FDA is preparing to put warning labels on epilepsy drugs, including Topiramate (marketed as Topamax), Valproate (marketed as Depakote, Depakote ER, Depakene, Depacon), Pregabalin (marketed as Lyrica), and Zonisamide (marketed as Zonegran) that will notify users about the increased risk for suicidal behavior. Sales of the affected drugs, widely used for nonepilepsy problems such as migraines, topped $8 billion last year.

Russell Katz, director the FDA's neuropharmacological drug division, said, "Everything points in the direction of an increase in what we call suicidality."

In January the FDA announced that a review of 199 studies comparing 11 epilepsy drugs to placebos found that patients taking the drugs had about twice the risk of suicidal behavior compared with patients taking a placebo. With almost 44,000 patients in the studies, four people taking antiepileptic drugs committed suicide while none of the patients receiving a placebo did.

Some epilepsy drug makers like Pfizer and Abbot Laboratories have contested the FDA's decision to place warning labels on the drugs, claiming that the risks for suicidal behavior are minimal and that the labels will negatively impact company revenues.

Isn't it about time we all wake up and realize drugs are for profit? In April of 2006, Forbes Magazine released their study of the pharmaceutical industry and concluded that drug companies have traded in their "cure finding research labs" for "market research labs" to find more profitable markets for their existing drugs.

Two outstanding performers and poster children for remarketing for high-profit have been the anti-convulsive drug Topamax and the Parkinson's drug Requip. Topamax went from being one of 11 epilepsy drugs in a market of 900,000 to being the only one in a market of 30,000,000 by a simple FDA application that allowed it to be sold as a migraine drug. Its approval also prevented it from going generic. Five stars may hang on the door of the financial genius who came up with that idea. Too bad they don't get points deducted for the side effects that can mess up a person.

Whereas Requip originally developed for Parkinson's disease, found much higher profitability in keeping restless legs still and became an over-night winner with first year sales of $500,000,000. Considering that "restless leg syndrome" is a phantom disease most likely caused by a lack of vitamin D and iron, that move should have produced some outstanding bonuses. Today it stands as one of the greatest "switch disease" drugs in terms of how to make money through promotion. Who hasn't seen it on TV and on plaque cards in the doctor's office?

At the end of the day many things can be used for other purposes and a drug invented for one thing may turn out to be better for another, like a heart drug that may grow hair in some cases where the bald spot is located in a circular formation on the upper portion of the back of the head for example. But does that mean that drugs that have many known and rather extreme side effects should be used to treat problems that can be helped by other more effective means? You have to be the judge of that.

Perhaps we need to investigate what our doctor prescribes before we fill the prescription. After all it is your body and your brain that are affected.

More information on the use of Topamax for migraines can be found at http://topamax-migraine-alternative.com.

Botox Does Not Help Combat Migraines

American Academy of Neurology Guidelines for Use of Botulinum Toxin

New guidelines developed by the American Academy of Neurology and published in the May 6 issue of Neurology, botulinum toxin (botox) may do away with the unwanted wrinkles on your brow, but it probably does nothing at all to combat migraines and chronic tension headaches.

The guidelines were developed by researchers who reviewed and analyzed all available scientific studies on botox. The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation also endorsed the guidelines.

According to the guideline author, "Based on currently available data, botulinum toxin injections should not be offered to patients with episodic migraine and chronic tension-type headaches," said Dr. Markus Naumann, head of the Department of Neurology at Augsburg Hospital in Germany. "It is no better than placebo injections for these types of headache."

From my own migraine research, including interviews with over 1,000 migraineurs, I can tell you that I have yet to find anyone who has had any long term success with using botox for migraine prevention. I am not surprised with the findings of the researchers who collected and assembled the data to produce the new guidelines.

If you have been following the migraine news during the past few months or read on this blog about the findings by the Mayo Clinic that anti-depression drugs do not work for migraine prevention, then you can come to your own conclusions about what the pharmaceutical companies may promote as helpful versus what does and does not actually work.

Personally, I believe we will see other “migraine prevention” drugs more closely studied by unbiased researchers and they may find a real difference between what is touted versus what are the actual results.

The real question is: When will doctors stop prescribing these as treatments for migraines? Perhaps the next time your doctor hands you a prescription or recommends botox, you will ask why he or she believes it will help you. Don’t be afraid to ask – after all, it is your body and your pain.

For more information on migraines, see Tuliv.com.

Copyright © 2008 Tuliv Ltd. Co. All rights reserved.

Looking Tan Can Be a Real Headache for Migraine Sufferers

It is getting to be that time of the year when we enjoy more of our leisure time outdoors or at least we want others to think that we do. And what better way is there to let them know we appear to be having time to have fun in the sun, than a nice tan?

Many people today who don't have the time or inclination to actually get a tan in the sun turn to artificial methods to do the same thing in less time. Tanning beds, booths, and spray tan systems have been popular for quite some time. Another "tanning" way to get a tan is to use one of the sunless self-tanning products available for use in the privacy of your home.

Using a self-tanning lotion to get a tanned look is generally not a problem for most people. However, for those suffering from migraines, it can be a totally different experience – within 24 hours of use, these products can produce extreme headaches for migraineurs [name used to describe those who suffer from migraines].

"Because these headaches can start several hours after applying the self-tanning lotion, many migraineurs may not be making the association between the two events", says Lyle Henry, Research Director for the Prevention of Migraines at Tuliv Ltd. formally Christian Body Research Foundation.

"During this time of year, even our own migraine-free clients using our Migraine Defense product will call us complaining of what we call a "break-through headache". One of the first question we ask is whether or not they are using a self-tanning product. If so, we suggest they stop using it immediately and their headaches will stop. They call back in a couple of days to thank us as they are once again migraine-free."

"Our research to discover why some of these products can have this negative effect on migraineurs has shown that they contain specific amino acids that we have identified as problematic for migraines, two of which are L-tyrosine and L-arginine," adds Mr. Henry, in his explanation of the migraine syndrome. You can read more about the migraine syndrome on his blog at Tuliv.blogspot.com.

L-tyrosine is a nonessential (the body can produce it on its own) amino acid that is important to the structure of almost all proteins in the body. It is also the precursor of several neurotransmitters, including dopamine, which, explains Mr. Henry, may be the reason it is also found in many protein drinks. However, when L-tyrosine is applied directly to the skin it is converted by the skin cells into melanin, the dark pigment that protects the body against the harmful effects of ultraviolet light, i.e. tanning of the skin is a natural way to protect us from the sun.

L-tyrosine and L-arginine both cause an increase in the production and levels of nitric oxide in the body which is the essential culprit that causes the pain in the headache during a migraine.

If you are a migraine sufferer, the next time you think about making your body look tanned ask yourself, is tanning the skin worth the pain in the head? It may be better to stay pale, than to have another migraine headache. Besides, the latest Hollywood fashion trend appears to be on the pale side.

Don't give up - your migraines can be prevented. Read More

New Ways Stop (Abort) Migraines – Will they be showing up in garage sales?

Each day I read of a new “device” that claims to be able to stop a migraine headache. Migraineurs may already be familiar with the “migraine skull cap”, “special headache ice packs”, eye covers, pillows, music, and the list goes on. Today Apr 10th, 2008, I read in the Baltimore Sun another report about a new TMS unit being studied for use in aborting migraines.

“In the migraine study, subjects place the 3-pound device at the back of the head when they feel a headache beginning. The press of a button sends two high-frequency waves into the brain. The lead investigator in the trial, Richard Lipton, a neurologist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, says the pulses act as a kind of "reset" switch that stops the electrical storm causing the migraine.” Baltimore Sun

A three pound device on the back of the head – need I say anything about what additional pain that may cause a person who is already having a throbbing headache - not to mention that many migraineurs already suffer from neck and shoulder pain. Perhaps some sort of back pack carrier is in the works.

I am certain Dr. Lipton is a well respected neurologist, but I would differ in his assessment that a migraine is caused by an electrical storm in the head. Our research, and the hypothesis from which we operate in our work to help migraineurs at Tuliv, demonstrates that the reason a person gets migraines is directly linked to his or her genetics (family history of migraines.

More conclusively, DNA that appears to carry the propensity for migraines has been reportedly isolated within the mitochondria of specific hormone producing cells. This genetic condition seems to play an influential role within the cell in the creation of an overabundance of the actual chemical that does ignite the migraine process that causes the pain in the head. All of these events, which are controlled through the endocrine system, come into play during times of hormone fluctuation in the body.

In other words, if your ancestors had migraines, then you have a very good chance of also having migraines during your lifetime.

In my opinion, it is better to seek prevention than to spend time and money trying to find new ways to abort migraines. By the way, according to the article, a round of treatments with the TMS typically runs between $5,000 and $7,000 and the effects may not last more than a few days or weeks.

Don’t ever give up - Migraines Can Be Prevented.

Lyle

Tuliv Migraine Research

Frova for Menstrual Migraine FDA Application Withdrawn

FDA Application Withdrawn for FROVA for Prevention of Menstrual Migraines

Apr 7, 2008 -- Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., today announced that it has notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the withdrawal of the supplemental new drug application for the additional indication of FROVA for the short-term (six days a month) prevention of menstrual migraine. FROVA is already approved and marketed for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults where a clear diagnosis of migraine has been established.

"The decision to withdraw the unapproved supplemental application was complex; however, after a lengthy and detailed evaluation of the points raised in the FDA 'not approvable' letter, we have determined the withdrawal to be the appropriate course of action at this time," said Dave Holveck, Endo President and Chief Executive Officer. "We appreciate the guidance from the FDA during the development program and its comprehensive review of the supplemental application."

This does not come as a great shock to me. FROVA and other triptans are considered to be vasoconstriction drugs. The source cause of migraines is not the same as the reason your head hurts when you have a migraine. Triptans are used to abort a migraine in progress.

Our research has indicated that menstrual migraines, as do the majority of all migraines, occur in a direct relationship to the hormone production that is controlled by secretions through the endocrine system. This is why most migraines for women occur during the three days prior to the start of the actual period, the day after the flow stops, and at ovulation.

Therefore, based on our research, prevention of menstrual migraines is best served by the management of the cause of menstrual migraines long before they can become a pain in the head.

Don’t ever give up - Migraines Can Be Prevented.

Lyle

Tuliv Migraine Research

Antidepressants Do Not Help Migraines

This is a question I took directly from the Mayo Clinic site as a question that was asked today, April 7th, 2008, because it comes up often. I am also quoting the answer given by Mayo Clinic neurologist Jerry Swanson, M.D along with my comments on the subject.

"My doctor prescribed sertraline (Zoloft) for my migraines. Is this an appropriate migraine treatment?
I don't have depression."- Lori / New Mexico

This is the answer of Dr. Jerry Swanson (whom I respect):

"There's no good evidence that sertraline (Zoloft), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), can prevent migraines.

Certain antidepressants can help prevent migraines. Most effective are tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline(Pamelor) and protriptyline (Vivactil). In fact, these medications are considered among first-line treatment agents and may reduce migraines by affecting the level of serotonin and other chemicals in your brain. Also, you don't have to have depression to benefit from these drugs.

However, newer antidepressants — such as Zoloft and other SSRIs — generally aren't effective for migraine prevention.”

Since Dr. Swanson is one of the most renowned neurologists on the subject of migraines, why are doctors not listening to him and taking his advice?

When interviewing migraineurs, I find that the majority have been prescribed one or more of the SSRI drugs for their migraines. However, my research indicates that the majority of migraineurs are actually “up” type of people. Rarely do I visit with someone who tells me he or she has been clinically diagnosed as suffering from depression or bi-poplar syndrome.

That begs the question, why are doctor’s prescribing SSRIs when there is no evidence they work to prevent migraines and why do they think the migraine patient is suffering from depression?

In my opinion there are three separate reasons why this happens.

First, in regard to prescribing SSRIs we must ask the question, “If there is no evidence of success, then who is hyping the idea that these drugs should be prescribed for migraines?”

Doctors are “detailed” by drug company marketing representatives to describe the various things for which the doctor should prescribe the drug. These may not be the same things for which the drug was approved by the FDA. There are no rules that prohibit drug representatives from making suggestions about “other” uses for the drug product, i.e. migraine prevention.

The second reason, and one that I hear from many of my migraine clients, is that “anti-depression” drugs are being prescribed to counter the side-effects of the other drug(s), namely the anti-seizure meds that were prescribed to the patient as “migraine preventives”.

Let’s take a quick look at what every doctor who prescribes TOPAMAX® (for example) should know from the Full Prescribing Information.

“Adverse events most often associated with the use of TOPAMAX® were related to the central nervous system and were observed in both the epilepsy and migraine populations. In adults, the most frequent of these can be classified into three general categories: 1) Cognitive-related dysfunction (e.g., confusion, psychomotor slowing, difficulty with concentration/attention, difficulty with memory, speech or language problems, particularly word-finding difficulties); 2) Psychiatric/behavioral disturbances (e.g. depression or mood problems); and 3) Somnolence or fatigue.”

Rather than recognizing, or admitting, the side effects of the “migraine preventive” drugs do exist and may be causing the depression, many doctors dismiss the reality of the true cause and simply prescribe an SSRI drug for the depression. One drug begets another drug which begets another drug.

Third reason is that I believe doctors often confuse a patient’s frustration with depression. Having spent years accompanying my wife Eileen as we made the rounds between neurologists and headache clinics before discovering migraine prevention, I can attest to the frustration level felt by Eileen and me. When a doctor refuses to listen, makes absurd statements, can’t answer migraine questions, and tries to repeat prescriptions that have already failed, the migraine patient may show signs of disappointment, frustration, resentment, and even say things like “I wish I were dead.”

Making any statement that is negative will likely get labeled as a sign of depression, which in turn causes the prescription pad to come out and the doctor to prescribe the most recent SSRI drug for which he or she was “detailed”.

Having interviewed thousands of migraineurs, I have found less that 5% who thought they were depressed in life. Most have a well adjusted outlook on life, but desire a time when they would live a migraine-free life.

Don’t ever give up - Migraines Can Be Prevented.

Lyle

Tuliv Migraine Research

My Migraines Start In My Neck

“It feels like my migraines start in my neck and move forward. My chiropractor told me I have migraines because my neck is out of alignment. Can you explain this to me?” Jan Anderson.

I have been asked to explain this many times while visiting with migraineurs in person or by phone and have even had migraineurs tell me their headaches are caused by misalignment of their “headache bone” (there is no such thing).

Before I give you an explanation, I must clarify that I am talking about classical hemispheric migraines (compound, complex, chronic, cluster, etc.) and not talking about headaches resulting from a clarion malformation or some other physical reason such as a car accident.

To understand what is happening during this migraine neck pain association, we must look at how the body handles any headache, including those associated with the after affects of drinking too much alcohol.

Our bodies have only one physical remedy to ease the pain in the head and that is to hold the head as still as possible. Even taking a single step can be a thunderous event when your head hurts. The only way to keep the head from moving is for the neck muscles to constrict – to tighten up. Repetitive constrictions can cause painful knots in the muscles.

In my work in migraine research and prevention I don’t hear young migraineurs complaining about neck pain associated with migraines; whereas, Eileen, who suffered for 43 years with migraines (before we discovered migraine prevention), actually had such neck pain associated with her migraines to the point where I could feel the knot at the base of her skull.

Most migraineurs tell me they can sense a migraine forming before it actually reaches the painful state. Even before you become conscious of a migraine forming, your body has already received the message, and in particular, your neck muscles are starting to react.

Your neck muscles have been trained throughout the many years of headache pain to constrict whenever they get the message of a pending migraine. These muscle constrictions can cause a great deal of lingering pain in your neck.

The pain in your neck happens because you get migraines and not the other way around. However, because the neck pain precedes the actual migraine headache pain (separate pains) it feels as though the neck pain has caused the migraine.

Now you know. The neck pain is not the cause of your migraines. The actual cause and reason you get migraines is far removed from any pain or discomforts that you may feel in your neck, jaw, or the stuffiness you may feel in your sinus area. I will explain the latter two in future articles.

Don’t ever give up - Migraines Can Be Prevented.

Lyle
Tuliv Migraine Research