EBHSG - MAY 1997 MEETING NOTES

TOPIC: "TALK IT OVER NIGHT -- WHAT WORKS FOR YOU?"

The May 13th meeting of the East Bay Headache Support Group was held in the Aspen I Room at John Muir Hospital. 16 people were in attendance for our semi-annual "Talk It Over Night" where we discussed the various remedies we have tried to alleviate or prevent our headaches. Dr. Michael Stein was the facilitator for the discussion.

Some mentioned they applied an ice pack, or took a cold shower, while others have found that a heat pack works better. One person mentioned immersing her hands and feet in hot water when her arteries are constricted. Others mentioned drinking something with caffeine, like coffee or a cola, to get one's blood flowing. On the other hand, several people said their headaches were better when they reduced the amount of coffee they drank.

Certain foods were mentioned as migraine triggers: bananas, avocados, yogurt, peanut butter…

Dr. Stein mentioned that some people tend to have headaches on weekends, which can be caused by withdrawal from caffeine, and also by sleeping in. If you drink coffee each weekday but then sleep in on the weekend, it can bring on a headache.

Low blood sugar can also be a cause. We learned in previous meetings that we should never skip a meal as it can trigger a headache.

Acupressure was discussed as a method of relieving headaches. Acupressure provides a painful or disruptive influence--it causes a counter or noxious stimulus. Try pinching a spot on your hand.

Looking at a computer screen or drafting table with the light shining in your eyes can bring on a headache.

What remedies have we tried or what do we do to make life easier for us?

Some replies…

"Try to sleep it off."

"Don't go anywhere without taking your medication with you, just in case. Think twice before you leave the house."

The question was asked, "Is Imitrex addictive?"

"You can become dependent on a drug without actually being addicted to it,"

answered Dr. Stein.

Addiction is defined as:

Taking gradually increasing amounts

Developing a craving.

Severe withdrawal problems.

Dependence is on a scale less than addiction.

Dr. Stein said that one can get a rebound effect from Imitrex, and can develop a dependence on the drug.

People have different personalities, and some people have an addiction-prone personality.

"What is the maximum dosage for Imitrex?"

Two participants mentioned quite different answers they received from their health care providers about how much Imitrex they could take in a given period of time.

Dr. Stein told us that Imitrex is a vaso-constrictor--it causes constriction of arteries. It can cause coronary artery spasm, or a heart attack. The Imitrex tablet takes about 40 minutes before providing relief from the pain. For many people, Imitrex works well, whereas others may not get any relief with it, or the pain may go away for only 6 hours and then come back. Some mentioned that they couldn't tolerate the side effects caused by the Imitrex injection, especially.

One participant told us what she does to help her live with her migraines:

"Relaxation and meditation, leave work and go home, take Imitrex."

Dr. Stein said that it is safe to combine Fiorinal, or Atavan, with Imitrex; but don't try mixing Imitrex with DHE (they are both vaso-constrictors).

Lidocaine and Naproxen Sodium were also mentioned as remedies.

Dr. Stein told us about a new drug Merck is introducing, called Risotriptan, which supposedly won't cause the Sumatriptan side-effects. Also, Glaxo-Wellcome will soon introduce a new drug like Imitrex, but supposedly better.

Cafergot was mentioned. It is an old-style drug, but still being used. Cafergot is a combination of ergot and caffeine. There is also Ergomar, which is a sublingual form of ergot. In Canada you can get a Medihaler, and there are ergot suppositories.

A compounding pharmacist will make up a suppository for you containing ergot and no caffeine, or ergot with an anti-nausea medication.

Another brand new medication which is due out this month: Imitrex nasal spray. It takes 10-30 minutes for an injection to work and up to 2 hours for an Imitrex tablet to work, whereas the nasal spray should be somewhere in between.

You can take medications as preventatives for migraines, but they can start to fail after awhile.

A theory was mentioned: When you get older, the arteries and blood vessels can't constrict as easily, and maybe that's why people tend to outgrow migraines.

Two people talked about using a saltwater nasal spray for their headaches. One person's allergist told her to buy it from the drugstore, and the other one said she made up her own saltwater solution. Dr. Stein said you can also try forced nasal breathing--plug up one nostril (the side opposite the headache) and force yourself to breathe through the other.

Why do odors trigger headaches? Dick Tomchalk said he thinks that MTB in gasoline triggers headaches. He mentioned that he didn't have a headache for the whole ten days he was in Mexico (where they don't add MTB to their gasoline), and as soon as he got home to California he came down with a headache. He took a poll of those in the room who have experienced increased headaches in the past year, and seven people raised their hands.

Peppermint oil, an essential oil, was mentioned as a remedy. Rub it on the center of your forehead and put some on the tip of your nose. The peppermint oil wipes out other odors and doesn't trigger headaches itself.

Donna Johnson said that she used room ionizers in the home and her car.

The notes provided above were taken by an EBHSG volunteer and have not been reviewed by the speaker for accuracy. If you have any questions regarding the notes, please contact the EBHSG.

The intention of the East Bay Headache Support Group is to provide information and resources. It does not provide medical advice, which should be obtained directly from a physician.