VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7

JULY 1998

July 14th Meeting: Talk It Over Night

Twice a year the East Bay Headache Support Group meets informally for what we call a Talk It Over Night, to give people a chance to meet one another and share their stories, successes, failures, etc. Join us in the Ball Auditorium, downstairs at John Muir Medical Center, on Tuesday, July 14th, from 7:30 to 9:00 pm. Call (925) 938-5252 for more information.

Reminder—although migraine headaches seem to be mentioned the most, this group is for people who suffer from all types of headaches: migraine, cluster, muscle/tension-type, sinus, etc.

Future Meetings:

August 11th: Michael Varon, M.D.— Headaches from a Family Physician’s Perspective.

September 8th: John P. Toth, M.D.— Environmental Medicine.

October 13th: Stephen Peroutka, M.D.— Genetics and Migraine.

TODAY

Today I have a headache

Not because I am a bad or evil person.

Not because I am being punished.

Not because I hate my family, nor because I am angry.

Tomorrow—I will think again of prevention—of managing the stress in my life—of watching my diet—of exercise—of learning to relax. I will try to remember what prevents my pain. I will also make note of what works to reduce the pain when I have it. I will identify whatever it is that helps me get through to another brighter day.

I acknowledge that I detest the pain; that sometimes I feel sorry for myself. And, I feel guilty for abandoning my responsibilities. I also hate missing times of fun and creativity with my family and friends. But I realize I cannot fully control whether or not I have a headache. It’s not fair that I have it. I do not deserve it. I am not to blame for it.

Today

I will take care of myself.

I will do whatever I need to do in order to feel better.

I will rest; I will drink plenty of fluids; I will isolate myself from light and noise.

I will use an ice bag, or a heating pad, or take a hot shower, or get a massage, or take some pills, or meditate, or relax, or do whatever else it takes to alleviate the pain.

Today, it is my responsibility to take care of myself.

More People Suffer Drug Rebound Headaches

Many people who suffer from chronic daily headaches would find relief simply by not taking daily headache medicine, according to a report in the Western Journal of Medicine. Such people suffer from "drug rebound headaches," caused by the daily use of medications to treat headache symptoms. Failure to stop taking daily pain medication, the report warns, can lead to drug resistant headaches.

Morris Maizels, M.D., a family practitioner with the Southern California Permanente Medical Group, found that up to 78 percent of patients studied, who also suffered from chronic daily headaches, experienced a reduction of symptoms just be cutting out daily use of pain pills. "The Clinician’s Approach to the Management of Headache" says that patients with chronic daily headaches account for 40 percent of all patients seen in headache clinics.

While any medicine may cause a drug rebound headache, it’s even more likely with ergotamines or narcotics, or with pain pills containing caffeine. But daily doses of as little as three aspirin a day can cause drug rebound headaches, which can be severe and resemble migraines.

Symptoms are usually relieved after patients go through a "wash-out period" of eight weeks without taking daily medication, although symptoms often improve much sooner. Once patients stop taking daily pain medication, they may feel worse for about two weeks before improvement begins.

Excerpted from Health Notes, a column in the May/June 1998 issue of Women’s Health Access, a publication of Women’s Health America, Inc.

Judging Web Site Reliability

Tips for judging whether an Internet Web site has reliable medical information:

Money: Beware if source is selling something or is sponsored by someone who is. That fact should be openly disclosed.

Attribution: Look for a list of background information on sources, or links to other reliable Web pages.

Timeliness: Check the information’s date and how often it is updated.

Consensus: Check whether other reliable sources agree with the site.

Authors: Look for solid credentials. Universities, major medical centers, the government and medical specialty groups tend to be most reliable. Be cautious of sites by individual doctors, support groups and alternative sources.

Doctor Approval: Discuss your findings with your physician.

Sources: Pediatrics, Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Roger Spott.

Web Site Suggestions

Carol Bartlett of our support group reports that www.mediconsult.com has a section on headaches which is very informative.

The Dana Alliance Web site, www.dana.org, offers some mind-stretching views and news about recent treatment advances, according to the American Council for Headache Education, whose Web site is www.achenet.org.

And, of course, you should check out our very own Web site, www.headachesupport.org, where you can obtain notes from previous meetings and link up to other sites.

Headache News

Vitamin B₂ (riboflavin) may help prevent migraine, according to a new study published in the March issue of Neurology. This study reports that headache frequency was down 56% for 28 patients who took a daily B₂ supplement for 2 to 3 months, compared to 11% improvement for 27 patients receiving a placebo (dummy) supplement. A 1994 study had also reported good results with riboflavin, but this earlier study had lacked a control group treated with placebo.

This sounds like great news for migraine sufferers, since B₂ supplements are inexpensive and readily available. However, the study should be repeated before it is accepted without question. The dose of B₂ given was quite high—400 mg a day. Side effects and complications can occur with vitamin megadoses. Migraine sufferers should consult their doctor before trying B₂ megadoses for their headaches.

PERSONAL PROFILE: I Did It and You Can Too! by Jeni Fritzberg

I began having headaches as a young girl. My first migraine was shortly after I had my first child ten years ago—I thought I was going to die. The pain was so intense. I had pain behind my right eye and my right side of my body. My fingers would just ache. Sometimes my toes would hurt. My face would puff up and drop on my right side. Sometimes my side would go numb. The first year I was put on disability and tried twenty-one different medications. Every day I was taking Advil,

Vicodin, Percodan, and there were routine visits to the emergency room for Demerol. I was hospitalized for three days to try DHE through IV, but that was unsuccessful.

I had every test possible just to make sure nothing was overlooked. They got better over the years, but I was still taking Advil every day for headaches/migraines. At times I would have migraines every day or every other month for a couple of weeks.

I could never plan anything in advance because I never knew what my pain might be the next day.

My family life was completely on hold; in fact, my migraines affected the whole family for years. My husband was such a wonderful help to me. He was so understanding of my pain, but then I felt guilty because he was doing so much.

Five doctors later I was given some wonderful advice by Dr. Michael Stein. He told me to stop taking pain pills. The thought totally scared me—I had been taking Advil every day, and sometimes Vicodin and Imitrex if needed. When Dr. Stein urged me to stop the pain pills I was having bad migraines every day and was feeling helpless and depressed. I was always so nervous about the onset of a headache that I would take something for fear of the pain.

I really didn’t think it would help me, but I quit the over-the counter pain pills and then was only taking Depakote and Inderal daily. The first three days I had headaches, but to my surprise they lasted only about twenty minutes and then went away.

I am happy to say it worked. I haven’t had a migraine since February 1998. On May 1, 1998 I took my Depakote and Inderal for the last time. I was taking seven pills a day. For the first time in ten years I’m not on any medication for migraines. No more memory loss and weight gain, and best of all, NO MORE MIGRAINES!

I thank God every night for my husband’s support and Dr. Stein’s help. Please try this yourself. I never thought in a million years I would be headache and migraine-free. And bring your spouse or loved one to the support group so they will have a better understanding of what you’re going through. Good luck to all !!!

Editor’s Note: Jeni and her husband Ken have attended many meetings of the East Bay Headache Support Group almost since its inception in January 1996. We are happy to hear of her success. If you have a story to tell of your struggle with headaches, no matter where you are on the road to success, we would like to publish it here. Fax or mail your personal profile to us.

Also, we welcome new members to the Organizing Committee, which meets the third Tuesday of each month in Walnut Creek at 7:30 pm. Call (925) 938-5252 for details.