Dealing With Headaches

At least, that’s the conclusion drawn in the latest issue of Nuerology that comes out today. It was hoped that oxcarbazepine (which is officially classified as an anti-epileptic drug and sold under the brand Trileptol) could prevent migraines. The bad news is that oxycarbazepine is no good for migraine prevention. The good news is that it still works well for epiliptics. Unfortunately, this not a blog about epliepsy.

How’d They Come To This Conclusion?

“They” in this case is the fine researchers at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. (Can you tell that I come from the Greater Philly area?) The study took about five months with human volunteers from clinics all over the country. All told, 170 human guinea pigs took part, of which I am grateful, because no real guinea pigs were harmed in this particular study.

All of the human guinea pigs had at least three to nine migraine attacks a month. Half took a placebo while half took the oxcarbazepine. The results? There was no difference whatsoever between those that took the placebo and those that took the oxcarbazepine.

Why Did They Think It Could Work In The First Place?

Drugs for epilepsy have been able to help prevent migraines in a lot of people in the past. Unfortunatley, this one doesn’t join the ranks. There was a particular hope for oxcarbazepine to be a migraine preventative as it has very mild side effects.

The epliepsy drugs that do help prevent migraines (and have side effects harder on the body) are:

• Topiramate (the ever popular Topamax)
• Divalproex
• Gabapentin (brand name Nuerontin)

Ironically, this study was funded by the very makers of oxcarbazepine, Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Hmmm, I guess they didn’t pay the researchers enough (Cheap joke — sorrry!)

Here’s a quick reminder of the FDA’s recent warning about all anti-convulsants or medicines for elipetics (including Topamax and Nuerontin).

Hope this helps.

(Not to be confused with the computer game series of the same name, but different spelling. Sorry — as I far as I know, they don’t do fully funded clinical trials for video games, although they probably should). If you were interested in joining the clinical trail for MIST II, forget it. NMT medical announced over the weekend that they were scrapping the clinical trial for heart holes being the cause of migraines in some people because they could no longer afford it. Instead, they will concentrate on just one major clinical trail, this one for strokes.

What Was MIST II?

MIST II wasn’t a clinical trial for a new medicine, but to prove that some people get migraines with auras because of PFO (patent pramen ovale, a genetic whoopsie of the heart often nicknamed “heart holes”. It’s not an incredibly serious genetic condition, but not something you wish upon a star to get.)

MIST II was to have backed up other studies done in the UK and America about closing the heart hole to give relief to those who get migraines with auras. One of the reasons that this clinical trial was scrapped is that far more people get strokes than have PFO and migraines with auras. NMT claims that out of over 1400 applicants since August 2006 for the MIST II trial, only a handfull passed the screening qualifications. So, they have decided that the trial had “little likelihood of being completed in a reasonable timeframe.”

NMT will also save at least $14 million (US).

In NMT’s favor, the odds of you getting a stroke rather than a PFO and migraines with auras is really high. It’s estimated that 750,000 people have a stroke just in America alone. NMT claims stroke is the leading cause of disbility in older Americans, and the American Heart Foundation (which has a sister group, the American Stroke Association) claims that stroke is the third leading cause of death in America.

In case you have migraines with auras, you should go to the doctor anyway, whether you also suspect you have PFO or not. PFO is a treatable condition with surgery.

Hope this helps.

Calm down — it will take some years before the drug can be available to the general public, if further tests go well. The results of the first human guinea pig short-term study done by POZEN, Inc (in cooperation with Giant Pharma Giant GlaxoSmithKline (nee: SmithKline Beecham)) were sent to the FDA. The exact results have not been made availble to the general public.

This time, the drug in question has been given the tentative brand name of Treximet (nee: Trexima), which is a combination of sumatriptan (85 mg) and naxoproxim sodium (500 mg). The plan is to give this medicine in tablet form.

So?

Apparantly, this short-term test on humans was done at the request of the FDA over the findings of ANOTHER test done last year. (The plot gets more convoluted than a soap opera’s, doesn’t it?)

That test showed the result of in vitro studies done on Chinese Hamster ovaries (commonly called CHO). (I’m not making this up — I sware! This is acutally a common process to test on animal cells in test tubes or other cases to see what happens. This is hoped to eliminate the need for any entire hamster or other animal to be used in medical research. Don’t get me started on animals in medical research.) The FDA had concerns about “genotoxic potential” of Treximet. In other words, that means the FDA was concerned about damage to a patient’s DNA by taking the drug. Pretty serious stuff.

In the current test, people’s blood lymphocytes were examined after a week of use. Apparantly, no change happened to them. So now, perhaps, the ball will keep rolling for this new acture migraine drug to be released hopefully before 2009.

Why 2009? Well, as Migraine Blog reports, the patent for Imitrex (another migraine drug) expires and so generic Imitrex is projected to “flood the market”, making no one really eager to try a new costlier prescription acute migraine drug. Real compassionate folks in Giant Pharma, eh?

In other words…same old, same old. I’m looking forward to another Topamax study after all of that.

What the heck is guided imagery and is it covered by most major health insurance companies? I’ll answer the second question first : No. However, there isn’t any cost to reduce headaches with guided imagery, anyway.

Guided imagery is a fancy term for your imagination. Another term is “creative visualization”.

Don’t roll your eyes. Your imagination is a powerful tool and a great ally in helping you help yourself. Remember how Albert Einstein came up with his equations and theories, especially Brownian motion theory? (Well, pretend you once knew, anyway.) He figured them all out by use of his imagination (and a really really good grasp of mathematics).

Does It Work?

The results of a study using guided imagry to reduce headaches, stress and other chronic pains was recently published in January’s Mayo Clinic Health Letter. What? You let your subscription laspe? Click here for the summary. The practical upshot is that you certianly can reduce headaches with guided imagery. If you know that you get tension headaches, or that your headaches can worsen due to stress and worry, then guided imaegry can help you eliminate the stress that might trigger or worsen your head pains.

How It Works

With imagination, you let yur mind go all over the place. This has positive and negative results, depending on what your imagination fastens on. If you keep imagining that you are going to get fired because you keep getting headaches, this will NOT help your headaches one bit. However, if you imagine that Jedi Knights go into your head after little Stormtroopers that are setting off bombs to make you have a headache, then that can help ease your headaches and possibly your stress (depending on how much you like Star Wars.)

You can get professional guided imagry tapes, CDs or downloads. There are also clinics or classes that teach you the basics. This can help relax people who might be worried that they are “doing it wrong”. But basically, you imagine yourself getting better or relaxing in any way that appeals to you. You might want to:

• Imagine some Good Guys in your body getting rid of the Bad Guys.
• Imagine yourself in a cozy hot bath or on your own private island without a care in the world.
• Imagine yourself surrounded by healing white light (or whatever color you want).

Like anything else, it takes practice to reduce headaches with guided imagery. At least there are no known side effects to worry about.

Hope this helps.

If you were thinking of applying for Alexa Pharmaceuticals Phase 2a cinical trial for their promising new acute migraine drug, AZ-104, forget it. Yesterday, Alexa announced that they have reached the target enrollment of 160 migarineurs for their latest clinical trial. This clinical trial is billed as being:

in-clinic, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, single-administration, placebo-controlled study in approximately 160 migraine patients with or without aura.

The 160 volunteers will be given the drug (or a placebo — they won’t know) when they are having a miagraine attack and then checked on two hours later to see if there is any improvement. They hope to get the results of this clinical trial sorted out by spring of 2008.

What Is AZ-104?

Sounds like the name of an android or a bad vanity licence plate, doesn’t it? It’s the pronounceable name of staccato loxapine. For those of you who recognise this drug by that name alone, I’m either really impressed or really leery of you. AZ-104 is a lower dose of AZ-004, which is an anti-psychotic drug, used for bipolar patients, those suffering from schitzophrenia and dementia. AZ-004 is specifically to treat the extreme agitation and panic attacks these states can bring on.

Somewhere along the line, it was discovered that a lower dose of AZ-004 could help ease acute migraines. Personally, I wish they would change the name of “acute migraines.” There’s absolutely nothing cute about them. “Apocolyptic migraines” might be a more accurate name. The usualy difference between acute migraines and just about any other type of migraine is that they happen more frequently, usually about once a week, or at least once a month.

The National Headache Foundation estimates that there are about 13 million Americans with acute migraines out of the 29.5 million migraine sufferers in America.

It is hoped that AZ-104 would be especially beneficial to those people who can’t take triptans or who take triptans and find them ineffective.

Only time and the eventual migraines of the 160 brave volunteers will tell.

For those of you into the intracies of business, stocks and fact checking, Alexa has teamed with Symphony Captial LLC in 2006 in order to develop both AZs, as well as a sibling, AZ-002. This hybrid of the two, Symphony Allegro, Inc, is funding the clinical trial. If you can follow that, than chances are you don’t currently have a migraine. I think I can follow this, despite my lack of head pain at the moment, but personally, I’d rather be in Philadelphia.

You just can’t get away from Topamax (generic name topiramate when you are writing a blog about dealing with headaches and migraines. You also can’t away from Topamax in Google Ads, but that’s a different blog post. Topomax has now been the subject of studies and press releases about a trillion times in the past six months. Why should today be any different?

The Topamax News For This Hour

Neurology’s big daddy of publications,The Lancet, has now come out with a mondo big article about just how great Topamax is on reducing migraine pain when taken for a year. The most recent study had clinics from 21 countries in Europe and the Middle East participating. The study was called PROMPT (PROlonged Migraine Prevention with Topiramate). The study was funded by — take a guess now —

— Go on. You know you want to! —

Yes. The study was funded by the makers of Topamax. If you guessed correctly, go have a cookie. If you guessed incorrectly because you thought it was a trick question, have a relaxing cup of chamomile tea. If you guessed incorrectly because you still have faith in the pharmeceutical industry and now it has just been shattered, go look at the picture of cute guinea pigs here.

Things That Make You Go Hmmmm

Usually, at this point, I make a tidy and understandable summary of the mumbo-jumbo that are summaries on clinical trials for medicines, spiced with the occassional pun and link to another fine 451 Press blog, but quite frankly, I don’t feel like it. Not because I want to be lazy, but because this time I’m a little suspiscious about this clinical study of Topamax.

“Topamax does good stuff”, concludes the study funded by the makers of Topamax. Are we really surprised hearing any other conclusion? There is also another study being done to see whether Topamax helps you loose weight (I kid you not). Wonder what that conclusion is going to say?

Now, I understand that clinical trials for any drug or therapy take a lot of money. The government won’t fund these clinical trials because, quite frankly, that would make too much sense. Charities devoted to various illnesses are already strapped for cash, but still try to make donations to clinical trials when they can. So, if Big Pharma doesn’t fund it, who will?

Quite frankly, I don’t care about reading and writing about yet another clinical study about how great Topamax is. If Topamax works for you in preventing migraines, GREAT! I’d rather read your story than these clinical trials.

Okay. Rant mode off. Back to the usual next time.

This is apparantly the findings of a study from Germany’s University Essen that reports teh cumlative findings 16 clinical trials done in Germany, Spain and Italy. The benefits are hoped that effervescent medicine can be work faster than standard pills or capsules AND be tolerated better by the body than “harder” migraine drugs like sumatriptan (known in America better as Imitrex, which you need a perscription for) or even over the counter ibuprofen.

What Did They Do?

First off, this isn’t straight aspirin that’s going “fizz fizz.” This dissolvable aspirin was used IN COMBINATION with metoclopramide (better known as Reglan). Reglan is used most commonly to treat intense digestive disorders such as gastric reflux, heartburn or slow movement of the stomach. Aspirin is notorious for giving your digestive system a beating if taken long term, which is why Reglan was chosen to help offset that possibility.

The 312 migraine-prone patients were given either the combination above, a placebo, ibuprofen or Imitrex. Then, they’d switch medicines, so the patients (and quite possibly the doctors) never knew who was getting what. The pateints would take one of the four mystery medications when a migraine hit.

The Results

The test set the limit of deciding whether a medicine worked or not on a migraine attack at two hours after medication was taken. Here were the results for reducing migraine severity:

• 56% had Imitrx work for them
• 53% had the dissolvable aspirin/Reglan combo work for them
• 60% had ibuprofen work for them
• 27% had the placebo work for them

How well did the Fab Four work after two hours? Here are the results:

• 37% for Imitrex
• 33% for ibuprofen
• 27% for the aspirin/Reglan combo
• 12.6% for the placebo

What Does Any Of This Mean?

If nothing else, this study shows that ibuprofen seems amazingly effective, which reassure anyone taking it. And, for those of you who have to get and pay for perscription Imitrex, you also should have some assurance about the effectiveness of your medicine. And, once again, the power of the placebo effect proved to be just as powerful a force as ever.

However, if your body can’t tolerate those two medicines, then there does appear to be some hope for an other choice which apparantly has less side effects, espescially on the digestive system.

And, as always, more clinical trials are needed to prove or disprove this clinical trial, although the report did not mention when or if those clinical trials were going to happen.

The bottom line? Taking dissolveable aspiring and Reglan is certainly better for your migraine than a kick in the head.

“Who goes there?” calls the guard to the Castle of Your Head out to the newcomer riding up to the gates.

“Caffeine!”

“Friend or foe?”

“Um…” and really, it all depends on the circumstances, doesn’t it? But I’ll let you in on a little news about my head (and the heads of many others) — the main trigger or my migraines is caffeine withdrawal.

Which means I’m dependent on caffeine. My Lord, technically, I’m a drug addict!

The World’s Most Popular Drug

When I was a kid in the ’70’s, no one considered caffeine an addictive substance (except maybe the Mormons). We popped Hershey’s Kisses, washed them down with Coke and wondered why we couldn’t get any sleep. Our parents weren’t morally deficient — they just didn’t know.

However, caffeine seduces the brain — but in a nice way. Like everything, you need moderation. There are people who cannot tolerate ANY caffeine, and then those who can have a cups of coffeee a day, stop coffee cold turkey and nothing happens to them. Caffeine seems to extablish a different relationship with each person.

And, caffeine is an ingredient in migraine medicines like Excedrin. So, when you get a migraine and only Excedrin can cure it — it could be a big neon sign that you are caffeine dependant.

Johns Hopkins Clinical Study

I managed to curb my caffeine use when I finally figured out that the worst of my migraines were from caffeine withdrawal. Ten years ago, I consumed the equivelent of three liters of Coke per day. Now, I have four cups of tea per day. Hey, it’s an improvement.

Fortunately for my health, I don’t need to completely eliminate caffeine. But some people need to. There’s a clinical study going on trying to help people quit caffeine once and for all put on by Johns Hopkins University’s Bayview Center in Baltimore, MD. It might be worth a try.

In the meantime, check out how many milligrams of caffeine are in your favorite drinks and try to cut down.

Hope this helps. More on caffeine and migraines tomorrow.

It takes ages for any new drug to be released to the public, partially because there must be a few clinical trials to run and analyise. Things are looking good for Tezampanel, the hoped for drug for acute migraines, though, as it has passed it’s second clinical trial. 78.2% of those given the new drug reported a significant reduction in pain within two hours of being given a dose. (Compared to 58% of those who took the placebo — hmm, just what’s in that placebo?) This trial was to see what the best dosage ammount was, and to see how quick the drug reacts. There were 306 volunteer human guinea pigs. Incidently, no reponse was given from the leaders of the actual guinea pig community as to thanking the human guinea pigs, beyond, “It’s about bloody time!”

A third clinical trial is to be held in 2008.

A Bit About Tezampenel

Tezampenel, sure to be the star of a whole slew of really annoying commercials in a few years time, is made by TorreyPines Therapeutics, Inc, as a treatment originally for chronic pain. Later on, Tezampenel seemed to work best on acute migraines (those lovely kinds with sensory amplification, vomiting and functional disability), so that’s what Tezampenel is being focused on.

Before you get too excited, so far the only way of administering Tezampenel is by a needle (subcutaneously). The ideal dosage seems to be 40mg per 24 hours. The goals for Tezampenel is to make it just as powerful (if not more so) than current migraine or painkilling medications, have less side effects and not get the patients addicted to it.

So far, the side effects seem to be pain at where the needle went in, dry mouth, dizziness and somnolence. TorreyPines announced that those were also, curiously enough, the side effects of those participating in the trial that were given a placebo.

Until then, I guess those with acute migraines are advised to ask for that placebo. (That was a joke! If you have migraines, PLEASE go to your doctor for a proper diagnosis). For more about staying healthy, check out Brick O’Neil’s Encouraging Health blog.

Keep on hoping.

Literal and metaphorical holes in heart are not fun, and can certainly contribute to migraines. Most people get the metaphorical kinds of heart holes after surviving a really bad relationship or having to bury a loved one. You usually (but not always) get over those hole hearts and any migraines caused with time and a liberal application of chemicals. But the literal heart holes are more dangerous and need medical attention.

However, a new study at Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center finds a link between closing a patent foramen ovale (PFO) and migraine relief. A PFO is a genetic (but usually not too serious) heart defect which is, techinically, a tiny hole in your heart. The migraines relieved were usually migraines with auras.

The medical team at Rush are now looking for people with migraines to check them over for PFOs. They are actively looking for people to take part in a clinical trial. Rush happens to have one of (if not the) world’s most advanced doo-hickeys in heart surgery. For a more technical explanation, read below:

Rush is one of the first centers in the world to employ the bioabsorbable septal repair technology which provides biological repair of structural heart defects using the patient’s natural healing response as a part of this study

You don’t absolutely have to travel to Chicago to participate in this clinical trial, which has been named MIST II. There are over 40 medical centers involved in this trial.

Previous Research

The MIST II clinical trial was actually prompted by a UK study, where 42% of patients who had their PFO closed experienced their migraines decrease by an average of 50%. The frequency of getting a migraine went down 37%.

The study, however, does not determine if heart surgery will help for those with migraines coming off a bad love affair and suffering from the metaphorical heart holes. Until they shift the focus of the study, those of us who screwed up all of all love affairs are still on our own.

From the “I’m Really Trying Not To Say ‘I Told You So’” Department: Head and neck cancers will give you headaches (surprize!) If you already get one kind of headache, you’ll be more prone to getting another. One of the fears of those dealing with headaches is that the chronic pain is the sign of something worse — like head cancer. Well, if you don’t drink alchohol or have been on the wagon for at least 20 years, you have one less headache to worry about.

The Latest Study

It shouldn’t come a big shock to know that drinking too much is bad for you. But usually the warnings are given so you can avoid cirrhosis, hangovers and waking up with strange tattoos. Now, you can also had a much incresed risk of head and neck cancers because of too much booze.

A study done by Canada’s Centre For Addiction And Mental Health showed that even with cutting out the booze for two years, your risks for getting mouth, esophagus and larynx cancers plummets.

What gets the cancerous growths in the head and neck are usually soft tissues. Smoking, of course, also greatly increases your chance of getting soft tissue cancers. This is not the same as growing brain tumors. But even if your cancer is in the throat or the mouth, it will give you nasty headaches.

If you want to avoid this, just quit drinking, or at least cut down to one drink a day and drink with food. If you are thinking about having a big boozy bash on your 21st, think again, when you still have a pain free head left to think clearly with.

What This Means

Doctors are aware that their clients expect and deserve privacy. If you confess to your doctor that you are dependent on booze to get through the day, they will not be shocked. They can give you discreet help, tips and contacts to organizations for further help.

Also, if you have constant headaches and really don’t know why, don’t just think they will go away on their own. Get them checked out by a doctor. Not only can this give early enough treatment to head and neck cancers to prevent them from becoming lethal, but you can get effective pain relief.

And, if you are a teetotaler like myself, you have one less worry to deal with.

Hope this helps.

Yes, we all know you apply directly to the forehead, but does HeadOn: Migraine deserve a head-up? HeadOn comes in a few varieties, but all I could afford to buy was one kind, so I chose HeadOn Migraine, which I bought last December. So this a very unscientific clinical trial undertaken by just one human guinea pig — me. (Things I do for my readers…)

What Is It?

HeadOn products are based on homeopathic medicine. It’s basically blends of botanical tincures in water and a sort of vasiline ingredient to help you absorb the ingredients into your skin. You’ll see designations next to the ingredients like 12x. That means there’s only 12 parts per million of the active ingredient. A little goes a long way in homeopathic remedies.

The active ingredients for HeadOn Migraine are:

• Iris versicolor (blue flag) 12X H.P.U.S. 0.1%
• Kali Bichromicum (Potassium bichromate) 6X H.P.U.S. 0.3%
• Byronia alba (White byrony — no relation to Lord Byron) 12X H.P.U.S. 0.04%

And, like the ads continually repeat in their monotone mantra, “Apply directly to the forehead”. It’s sort of like a Chapstick for the head. You use as often as needed and try to “color in” your entire forehead. Try not to get any in your eyes. Trust me on this one. It’s worse than an eyelash on your eyeball.

Does It Work?

It’s definately better than nothing. In less than one minute, the sensation on your forehead is VERY similar to that of an ice pack. This is very relaxing. It doesn’t completely take the pain away, but does bring the pain down to a much more manageable level. When you get a migraine, you usually can’t get to an ice pack, so this is a great alternative.

To me, it actually seems to work better when I sit up then when I roll it on and lie down. This is especially true for my sinus headaches. It seems to help drain my sinuses (and I mean that as a compliment).

It also has a positive benefit for my barometric pressure headaches, but I still need the cloud system to pass the immediate area in order to have the best results.

As to my migraines, which are (for the most part) triggered by caffeine withdrawal — the ice pack sensation similarily helps, and the smell does not upset an already queasy stomach, but the pain is still there. I have to take Excedrin in order to turn the volume down on the pain to a dull roar.

Although HeadOn claims it’s safe to use in combination with other medications (perscription or over the counter), I haven’t really tried that yet. From what I’ve read of homeopathic treatments, combination with other remedies is not encouraged. But, since the product has been on the market for two years and there hasn’t been any reported lawsuits yet, it probably is safe to take in conjunction with other medications.

For less than $7 (US), you have a nice way to ease pain and help you relax just a tad. Now, if only HeadOn could come up with a product that helps me remember where I last put my HeadOn Migraine stick…

Migraines have often been linked with one kind brain deficiency or another, often erroneously. Seeing or hearing the hallucinations auras can bring, followed by sudden and all-encompassing pain can make even the most skeptical think they have been attacked by demons. Those with migraines in the past were thought to have mental illnesses, not physical illnesses.

Although there does seem to be a high percentage of depression linked with migrqaines, especially in women, could migraines actually help preserve your memory? Perhpas with all of the discussions about symptoms you have to with doctors, employers and friends, that gives your brain some memory training.

But Seriously…

Researchers at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University have been following the life and health histories nearly 1500 women from studies in 1993 and in 2005. The findings were released in the April 24, 2007 issue of Neurology. 204 of the women suffered from migraines. All of the women were given memory tests, such as word recall. The findings were inconclusive, but intregeing. Those women without migraines did 17% worse than the migraine group.

One theory is that the medication (NSAIDs such as ibuprofen) taken for migrianes may help preserve memory as a side effect. I still prefer my theory that those with migraines need to constantly remember doctor appointments, when to take a pill and relating the latest chapter in The Migraine Chronicles to anyone who will listen.

The Good News

Although more studies will need to be done to determine whether women with migraines do retain their memory better than the migraine-free, there is good immediate news — Migraines were shown not to play any significant role in causing brain damage. So, if you’re acting a bit mental, don’t blame your migraines — it’s just you.

Hope this helps.

The Sept 4, 2007 issue of Neurology features a study about women with migraines. It concludes that women get migraines more when they have been abused in childhood. And considering that women suffer from migraines at a 3 to 1 ratio than men, does this mean that most women have been abused as children?

Probably Not

This study was performed by the University of Toledo Health Science Campus by surveying 949 women with migraines. 40% of the women had chronic headache (more than 15 a month). 72% felt pain from migraines and headaches they described as “debilitating”. The researchers asked them about theit childhoods, specifically about aduse. They found that 38% had been abused as children.

In this study, “abuse” is defined as physical abuse, living under fear for their lives and/or living in a home with one or more adults who were addicts of some sort. If this abuse continued after the girl reached 12, she was five more times likely to develop depression as well as migraines.

So, What Does This Mean?

As for treating migraines in women, not a heck of a lot. The study was not really concerned with headache treatment. The study was more interested in depression treatment. The study hopes that by a doctor knowing that their patient had been abused as a child, she is more prone to have depression.

One of the theories about why women get migraines so much more than men is that they may suffer from depression more. Depression is rather mysterious disease and the cause is not entirely clear. It often manifests in painful physical sysmptoms as well as morbid emotions. But if a woman is having migraines, perhaps being treated with anti-depressants can help the migraines because it helps the depression.

Can You Have Depression Without Having Been Abused?

You certianly can! Just look at me. I was never abused as a child and yet developed migraines, barometric pressure headaches, sinus headaches and endogenous recurring depression. Both my parents have major depression and a history of head pains.

One of the reasons this study is getting some frowns is that it implies that 40% of girls are being routinely abused. Also, it implies that if a doctor asks a women patient if they had been abused as a child, that they will tell the truth. Adult victims of child abuse are actually very reluctant to remember or mention their abuse.

If questioning an adult woman about childhood abuse is meant to help diagnose depression, could it be possible that the questions might trigger a dangerous depressive episode in the patient?

It probably depends on the patient, and how comfortable they feel talking to their doctor. If a patient really wants helps with their physical symptoms, then they must be willing to lay all their cards on the table. On the one hand, this study does recognise the holistic nature of illness (that not only is illness caused from physical reasons, but mental and emotional, too). It also points out that what happens in childhood can affect someone throughout their adulthood.

But on the other hand, the other 62% of women with migraines are left wondering what the heck they can do. Perhaps soon a study will be made for them.

When you have to get up, you have to get up, whether for work, school, emptying your bladder or taking the dog out to empty his or her bladder. You might not consider yourself a morning person. One of these reasons may be because you tend to gt headaches in the morning. They’re not as bad as migraines, cluster headaches or getting hit in the head with a sledgehammer headache, but they are pretty painful and can definately get the work week off to a bad start.

Well, you are not alone. This kind of headache has a name — chronic morning headache. And if it has a name, then many people must suffer from it. Correct. According to a 2004 European study, 1 in 13 people have chronic morning headache. The two groups most affected were women and anybody in the age group 45-64.

What’s Up With That?

At first, it was thought that chronic morning headache was from such sleep disorders as grinding your teeth, night terrors (where you act out your bad dreams) or sleep apnea. But in this 2004 study of over 19,000 European volunteers, most of those afflicted with chronic morning headache also had some form of depression.

Depression’s worst symptoms can often hit especially bad in the morning. Not all of those diagnosed with depression will get chronic morning headaches (some feel worse in the evening and adore the mornings) but if have chronic morning headaches, be really honest with yourself that you might have depression. The disease depression (also called major depression or clinical depression) can often manifest in strange physical symptoms. At the very least, get your blood pressure checked.

If you are daignosed with depression or high blood pressure, there are many medications and diet changes you can do to help ease not only your overall condition, but your severity and number of headaches in the monring.

What If You’re Not Depressed

There are other reasons that you may be getting chronic morning headache other than depression, high blood pressure or sleep disorders. Headaches — even to the point of migraines — are a main withdrawal symptom from caffeine. The easiest way to diagnose if you have a caffeine dependency is to, on your day off, not touch anything with caffeine in it for 24 hours. That means no coffe, no soda, no tea (except herbal) and no chocolate. If you get a migraine then BINGO you have discovered you are caffeine dependent and need to start reducing your caffeine intake.

The National Headache Foundation also has this information about some of the physical changes that may be goin on when you wake up:

Between about 4 AM and 8 AM, the body tends to produce less of its natural painkillers, the endorphins and enkephalins, than at other times of the day. Adrenalin is released in larger quantities during the early morning hours. Since adrenalin affects blood pressure and the regulation of dilation or contraction of the blood vessels, it may play a role in migraine attacks.

Rarely, serious diseases may cause early morning awakening headaches. These diseases may include brain tumors, sleep apnea, and severe high blood pressure.

Treatment

If you have morning headaches for over 15 days in a row, congradulations, you have chronic morning headache. Since we have seen that there are so many possible sources for chronic morning headaches, you need to get a proper diagnosis in order to be able to treat them. The good news is that they are treatable, since they do seem to be a part of an overall health problem rather than just a mysterious pain in the brain. Many people — especially if they are caffeine dependant — find that first cup of coffee gets rid of the headache for that morning. Some people also get relief from over the counter medications targeted for tension headaches.

Hope this helps. And happy Labor Day.