Dealing With Headaches

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…