New Year Resolution: Do All I Can To Prevent Migraines

Many people make New Year resolutions this time of the year. Anyone who suffers from migraines would like to say, "This year I resolve to do all I can to have fewer migraines." With most resolutions affirmative action is needed to make it a reality.

The question is what action to take to have fewer migraines?

There are basically three ways to reduce the number of migraines:  1. avoid the things that trigger migraines, 2. take something to help prevent migraines, 3. grow older.

Although we all resolve to grow older, it may not be practical to believe that your migraines will stop this year unless you have completed menopause, and then there is still no guarantee.

When it comes to the first and second option, the first should be understood well.

Migraine triggers can be classified as external and internal. External triggers are those things that are normally outside of your body, while internal are the natural changes in your body that cause a migraine.

Knowing what is triggering your migraine can be tricky, but triggers can generally be traced back to the formula for a migraine - namely, tyramine and nitric oxide. Some triggers work very quickly, MSG for example, whereas others change during digestion to cause the problem, for instance, eating yogurt or cheese which turns into nitric oxide. To learn more about triggers visit www.Tuliv.com.

Option number two, taking something to help prevent migraines, is the only option for many people when it comes to managing migraines. The choice of what to take becomes a matter of what you feel works best for you and what the consequences are of taking it.

Today many doctors are prescribing Topamax without much concern for the safety of the patient as to both short and long term side effects of this drug. Only a few years ago this option was considered one of "last resort" and tried only after all else failed. The long term effects of kidney stones, possible vision damage and other consequences may not be fully disclosed by the doctor when prescribing this drug, but certainly should be considered by anyone willing to try this drug prior to exhausting other alternatives.

How do you know a migraine preventive will work for you? Although there is never a complete way of knowing without trying it, there are some rules we use before recommending our Tuliv Migraine Defense product for the prevention of migraines.

Knowing that there is a hereditary connection, now proven by "migraine genes", found in the DNA of those prone to migraines, we first want to determine if there is a family history of migraines.

Second, at Tuliv, we are well versed through ten years of extensive migraine research studies as to how hormones cause migraines throughout one's life (see migraine patterns). Knowing this, we ask questions that help determine the extent to which hormones are involved for each person.

These questions include, did the migraines start at puberty, are headaches worse during certain times of the menstrual cycle, and have the migraines gotten worse as the person approaches 45, as well as other questions that determine a hormonal pattern. Answers to these questions help to define the best course of action for this person to take to achieve a migraine-free life.

Measuring success is the most important thing a person can do when trying a drug or any product. Evidence is what you need. In the case of Migraine Defense, we supply a diary to track your progress and measure the results. When you see evidence of a positive change, then you can be assured that you should achieve very good results as you continue. Click here to print copy of diary.

Stay With It. Keep in mind that most resolutions fail because the person does not continue until the goal is reached. There is no quick cure for migraines. In order to have a migraine-free life with the Migraine Defense product, you must be consistent in taking it to prevent your migraines.

The migraine experts at Tuliv want to help you become migraine-free in 2011. Call us for free consultation and we resolve to help you with your migraine problem in a manner that is best for you. Call 1-866-367-5953 and feel free to speak directly with Lyle or Eileen Henry.

Lyle

Lyle Henry, Director of Migraine Research

Holiday Headaches

For many the notion of a "holiday headache" is associated with the hustle and bustle of shopping and preparing for the holidays. To a migraineur (person who gets migraines) it means that at any minute a migraine can occur - often times because of something that was eaten or drank. It also means that the stress associated with aforementioned prep for the holidays can actually induce a hormonal reaction in the body to cause a migraine that may last for days.

Many of the migraines that occur during the month of December are triggered events, some of which can be avoided by following a few simple rules- the most difficult of which may be saying "NO."

What many people don't realize is that triggers can work in combination and compound the effect, especially when other factors are also in play. For example, you may be able to get away with drinking a single small glass of wine at home once in awhile, but couple it with other foods, excitement, and overactive hormonal rhythms and you could be playing with fire and paying the high price of a migraine.

Red wine is a well know major trigger, but are you prepared to refuse when your host offers you a glass of wine to join in on the celebration? How do you respond to that pushy offer to try your hostess's favorite dish? Being ready to refuse with a prepared answer may save you hours and even days fighting a horrible migraine. You shouldn't expect others to know what might bother you; rather you should be ready with a good explanation as to why you must decline the offer.

Since there is simply no way of knowing what is in the things served this time of the year at parties or potlucks, the best advice may be - when in doubt don't eat or drink it and politely decline. There is no shame in saying that you suffer from migraines that can be triggered by some foods, drinks and ingredients and that you can't afford to take a chance at getting one from eating cheese cake or whatever else is offered to you.

Although it is easier to avoid the things you know will cause you problems than it is to say no to Aunt Harriet's offer of her favorite holiday dish that may be loaded with hidden migraine triggers, why take the chance? And watch out for "secret recipe" dishes that may have been bought at a store and "replated" as they may be loaded with MSG, nitrates, tyramine, and other "do not touch" ingredients lying in wait to set off a migraine in you.

Holiday Triggers. The following is my list of key foods and drinks to avoid during this season for you to print and keep with you.

·         Almonds and nuts: Lots of these around, but don't eat them.

·         Wines, especially red wine - instead you may want to try a drink made of cranberry juice, club soda and a clear alcohol.

·         Cheeses - especially the cheese balls.

·         Sausage, little wieners, and other such things floating around in a crock pot full of the special BBQ sauce that may be loaded with MSG.

·         Spiced ciders and other drinks may look good, but make sure they don't contain something that bothers you like ginger.

·         Snack mixes - these are party and office favorites that may contain MSG to heighten the flavor of the ingredients found in these tasty treats.

·         Chocolate -I hate to mention this hard to resist holiday confection, but for many people it can be a real problem.

Know your triggers and try hard not to cheat just because it is a party. Triggers compound rapidly and the last thing you want it is to be missing out on the fun because of a migraine.

If you have any questions or are in doubt about something, ask us for advice. Add our phone number and email address to your cell phone contacts right now to make it easy to contact us with your questions or concerns. Phone: 1-866-867-5953 email: Questions@Tuliv.com.

I want to wish you a safe, wonderful, and most of all a migraine-free holiday season.

Lyle

To learn more about migraine triggers, please visit www.tuliv.com or click here to print our list.

Botox – How effective is it for migraines?

There has been a lot of talk lately about Botox for migraines. In spite of the recent FDA approval, the question still remains as to how well Botox works for migraines and is it safe.

Approval

Drug manufactures pay the FDA to approve their drugs and approval is not an indication that it works. The FDA's approval for use of Botox to fight migraines was based on the results of two studies involving 1,384 adults in North America and Europe. Since, half of those received the placebo; the approval was based on about 750 people in a population of 28 million migraineurs.

The studies used by the FDA showed that, "Onabotulinum toxin A [Botox]was proven in these trials to be moderately superior to placebo, and probably to natural outcome, in a population of chronic migraine patients of whom the majority was overusing acute medication and a substantial proportion had never received preventive drugs."

The report noted that the trials were not concerned about measuring the number of headaches, "Headache episodes, is clearly not an adequate outcome measure, nor clinically relevant in patients who have almost daily headaches and use symptomatic pain-relieving therapies."

It went on to say, "It is not known whether BOTOX [is] safe or effective to prevent headaches in patients with migraine who have 14 or fewer headache days each month (episodic migraine)."

What does this mean? It appears to mean that there is more hype than reality to the claims. If the number of "headache episodes" is not a good measure of the outcome of something used to prevent migraines, than what is? Can you image getting a treatment for something where your expectations are not considered to be part of the measure of success?

Unfortunately, if one only listens to media, what doctors repeat from the drug reps, and drug advertisements, a person may never hear the complete story.

 (See FDA Report on Botox for Migraines)

How Botox Is Used to Treat Migraines

Botox to treat chronic migraines is given at intervals of about 12 weeks as multiple injections around the head and neck to try to dull future headache symptoms, the FDA says in a statement. The company [Allergan] says that when treating chronic migraine, qualified medical specialists administer 31 Botox injections into seven specific head and neck sites.

Guidelines

The American Academy of Neurology Guidelines for Use of Botulinum Toxin states "botulinum toxin injections should not be offered to patients with episodic migraine and chronic tension-type headaches." Dr. Markus Naumann, head of the Department of Neurology at Augsburg Hospital in Germany also wrote in the report, "It is no better than placebo injections for these types of headaches."

Controversy and New Warnings

One of the alarming controversies in the use of Botox is whether or not it can enter the brain. Leading scientists including Matteo Caleo of Italy's Institute of Neuroscience found that botulinum toxin can travel down nerve fibers and into the brain within days. While the effects of this are unknown, it raises questions about the safety of the drug, especially the long term effects.

FDA Safety Warnings

The new FDA required black box warnings for Botox state the effects of the botulinum toxin may spread from the area of injection to other areas of the body, causing symptoms similar to those of botulism. It should also be noted that so far there has not been a confirmed serious case of spread of toxin effect when Botox has been used at the recommended dose to treat chronic migraine which was only approved for last month (October 2010).

Side Effects

It is interesting that the FDA report shows the most common adverse reactions reported by patients being treated for chronic migraine were headache and neck pain. The FDA report recommends patients thoroughly discuss Botox with their doctor before any treatment especially noting the use of prescription drugs such as muscle relaxants, cold medicines, and sleep aids, and also any problems with breathing or swallowing.  See list of side effects.

Become Informed Before Treatment

Although it is common for patients to accept new treatments from their doctor without question, when it comes to using new methods such as Botox you should become informed before making any decision to try it. There are several good reports and sources for information listed on the Botox page on Tuliv Migraine Prevention site.

Looking for Results

From my own migraine research, including interviews with over 1,000 migraineurs, I can report that I have yet to find anyone who has had any long term success with using botox for migraine prevention.

If you have already tried Botox for migraines or plan to try it, I would like to know the results for a future follow-up report on this subject. Please email me at Botox@Tuliv.com.  

Do What is Best for You

At this point you may be asking, "Now that I know more about Botox, what is the best thing for me to do now?"

If safety and performance are important to you, consider the safe all-natural migraine prevention formula Tuliv Migraine Defense. Migraine Defense works naturally on the cause of migraines.

Questions: Call 1-866-367-5953 for real answers to your migraine questions. There is no cost or obligation.

Migraine Gene Discoveries

Research Article by Lyle Henry  

 More good news came this past week for migraineurs when the International Headache Genetics Consortium published its research paper on "Finding the Gene for Common Migraines" explaining that the underlining cause of common migraines can be traced to a gene.

Not only is this news important in the advancement of migraine research in general, but closer to home, it reaffirms the premise of our research at Tuliv that we had released five years ago.

Tuliv (then known as Christian Body Migraine Research Foundation) started researching migraines in late 2001 and by 2005 had concluded that a gene to be found within the DNA of the mitochondria of specialized cells is the genetic cause of migraines.

We went on to state that these cells play a role in the production of a chemical that invokes the migraine attack. The findings of our combined research became the basis for the development of the Tuliv Migraine Defense product for the prevention of migraines.

Genes, of course, point to inherited properties of the body. One may inherit blue eyes, for example, or hemophilia that impairs the body's ability to control blood clotting. We have found that genetic migraines are most often seen in a mother-child relationship. In fact, the first genes identified for the migraine condition were found for a type of migraines called "familial migraines."  

You may be wondering how this discovery will help you. When it comes to inherited conditions, those related to the make-up of the DNA, there are no solutions available today that would alter the DNA or modify the gene to eliminate the condition. However, by better understanding what is happening in the body or as we like to say, the true cause of migraines, science and medical care can take  new approaches in developing prevention solutions that more closely focus on the source of the problem rather than continuing to only seek ways to address the symptoms.

Our challenge to educate those involved with migraines as to the real cause of migraine continues in order to help develop more natural migraine prevention treatments. In some ways, this flies in the face of the notion that migraines are caused by a malfunction of the brain which has propelled such anti-seizer drugs as Topamax into the forefront of migraine therapy.

The bottom line is that this research is good for you. It may help provide the direction and guidance for future studies that someday may provide an actual cure or dominant solution to bring about a complete end to migraine suffering.

Let me know your thoughts and questions. 1-866-367-5953 or Lyle@Tuliv.com

 Lyle

More Proof Found that Tuliv’s Theorem on Migraines is Correct

August 29, 2010

In 2005, Tuliv Ltd (then known as Christian Body Migraine Research Foundation) released its finding on the cause of migraines which included the notion that a "migraine gene" located within the mitochondria of specific cells was the genetic connection to migraines and the actual cause of the pain was induced by inflammatory chemicals released within the trigeminal-vascular system.

Tuliv's very successful migraine prevention product, Tuliv Migraine Defense is based on that migraine theorem. See www.Tuliv.com for more information.

This past week, Aarno Palotie, head of the International Headache Genetics Consortium at Britain's Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute presented his finding that coincide with and add credibility to the research of Lyle Henry of Tuliv.

Genetic Link to Common Migraines Found

PARIS — Gene detectives on Sunday announced they had found the first inherited link to common types of migraine, a finding that boosts hopes for new drugs to curb this painful and costly disorder. Scientists from 40 medical centres pored over the genetic profiles of more than 50,000 people, comparing those who suffered badly from migraines with others who were otherwise healthy. What came up in the net was a tiny but telltale variant of DNA that boosts the risk of getting migraines by around fifth.

"This is the first time we have been able to peer into the genomes of many thousands of people and find genetic clues to understand common migraine," said Aarno Palotie, head of the International Headache Genetics Consortium at Britain's Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, which led the study. Previous research has found links for some extreme, but mercifully rare, forms of migraine, but this is the first to pinpoint an association for common types of the disease.

The tiny genetic variant, or allele, is called rs1835740. Lying on Chromosome 8 between two genes, PGCP and MTDH/AEG-1, it allows a messenger chemical called glutamate to accumulate in junctions between brain cells, and this unleashes the migraine, the scientists believe. If so, drug engineers have a tempting target in preventing glutamate buildup, they hope.

The paper, published online in the journal Nature Genetics, cited figures that migraine affects 17 percent of European women and eight percent of men. The UN's World Health Organisation (WHO) ranks migraine in the top 20 diseases in terms of "years lived with disability," a benchmark of handicap. A US estimate put migraine's economic cost on a par with diabetes.

The study first compared the genome of more than 3,000 migraine sufferers in Finland, Germany and the Netherlands against that of some 10,000 non-sufferers. These results were then compared in a second phase with the genomes of a second batch, comprising 3,000 migraine patients and more than 40,000 otherwise healthy people. The study found rs1835740 to be one of several connecting genetic cogs in regulating glutamate levels. The allele alters the MTDH/AEG-1 gene, which in turn affects a gene called EAA2. The EAAT2 gene controls a protein that is responsible for clearing glutamate from the brain synapses. This protein has previously been linked with epilepsy, schizophrenia and various mood and anxiety disorders. The authors say further work is needed to confirm the findings and see whether other genetic culprits abound.

Patients in the study were recruited mainly from specialist headache clinics, which means they are likely to represent only the more extreme end of those who suffer from common migraines, said Gisela Terwindt of Leiden University Medical Centre, the Netherlands. "In the future, we should look at associations across the general population, including also people who are less severely affected," she said.

Migraine is believed to occur when inflammatory chemicals are released around the nerves and blood vessels in the head, inducing pain that can be excruciating. It is sometimes accompanied by nausea and hyper-sensitivity to light and sound. Common migraines fall into two categories -- those with an "aura," or shimmering circle seen by the sufferer, and those without. Sufferers tend to be aged 35-45, although the frequency and duration of the attacks can very widely.

“Gut” Migraines

Liz Asks the Question:

I have heard that people with migraines often have "gut" problems.  Constipation with occasional diarrhea, hypochlorydia - difficulty digesting fats - -  Have you found this to be true?

-Liz 

Liz,

There can be any number of symptomatic events associated with migraines. These can be directly or indirectly associated with the actual occurrence of the migraine.

For example, a person may be constipated after a migraine attack, but it was the result of taking pain medications that cause constipation, rather than due to the migraine itself.

Pain by itself causes the body to react in various ways and quite often compromises the digestive system. Being in too much pain to eat is an obvious association.

There are other complicating factors to consider when looking at the idea of “gut” migraines, one of which is that of multiple symptoms from a single trigger. For example MSG, a well known trigger for migraines, also causes diarrhea for some people. A person who gets migraines may be subject to both conditions.

The nervous system can react quite differently to any given stimulus or situation, and during stress the body can produce up to forty times more cortisol (a stress hormone) than when the body is not under stress. Prolonged production of cortisol can disrupt the digestive system, irritating the large intestine and causing diarrhea, constipation, cramping, and bloating. Excessive production of digestive acids in the stomach may cause a painful burning.

Therefore, one of the triggers for migraines (excess cortisol) may also be the cause of the irritation of the digestive system.

I hope this helps answer your question.

Lyle

To learn more about migraine prevention, visit www.tuliv.com

You can send you migraine questions to Lyle@tuliv.com

Migraine Patterns: Changes Throughout Life

Research Article by Lyle Henry

 For many people, the onset of migraines begins around the time of puberty, and the frequency of occurrence adheres to a rather predictable pattern throughout a person's life. Others may not be affected by migraines until they are in their twenties; still others may not start having migraines until past the age of 40.

Women have additional conditions that can initiate the onset and progression of migraines, including menstrual cycles, taking birth control pills, post-pregnancy, and post-hysterectomy. Migraine patterns in both men and women can also be affected by adding hormones (HRT) to their bodies as the added hormones tend to change the natural balance and rhythms of life.

 The age of a person is one of the major factors affecting migraines. As mentioned earlier most migraines start at the age of puberty, become rather predictable between the ages of 20 to 35, and then sometime around the age of 40 (give or take a few years) worsen in intensity, duration, and frequency regardless of sex or earlier life patterns. As this progression continues, the pattern may transform into one of chronic daily migraines. Migraines generally subside once a person has reached full menopause or what many refer to as "having gone through menopause."

 Tuliv Migraine Research may have been one of the first to identify the relationship between the secretions from the pituitary gland and the occurrences of migraines in both episodic migraines and major pattern shifts. The pituitary gland controls the onset of puberty, monthly menstrual cycles, pregnancy, sexual functions, and eventually peri-menopause and menopause stages of life. The secretions from this gland control the production of certain types of hormones that cause a reaction that ultimately produces a chemical called CGRP that has been linked to the initiation a migraine attack.

 It was this discovery of the relationship between the pituitary gland and the production of CGRP that was the one of the premises for the migraine hypothesis that led to the development of the first migraine prevention formula that addresses the natural cause of migraines - Tuliv Migraine Defense.

 It is important to note here that there is no evidence of anything being wrong with the pituitary gland that would cause a migraine; rather, we are simply saying that there is a relationship between the secretions from the pituitary gland and the occurrence of migraines. By studying the role of the glands of the endocrine system in relationship to the occurrence of migraines, it appears that many of the mysteries of migraines can be solved.

 For more information, please see the Natural Cause of Migraines at www.Tuliv.com.

We welcome your questions and comments. You can contact Lyle Henry directly by email at Lyle@Tuliv.com. There is no cost or obligation for his services.