A new drug may be able to preemptively treat migraine headaches before they happen.

Patients may now have a solution to their migraines even before the attack happens, as experts found a new class of drugs shows great potential for migraine management. These medicines are the first of its kind that specifically target prevention of migraine. Research findings show that these drugs can greatly help alleviate the symptoms of the patients.

The drug belongs to a new class called Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) monoclonal antibodies. CGRP is a neurotransmitter or chemical that transmits signals within the brain and throughout the body. So far, the compounds are exhibiting favorable effects in the management of chronic migraine and frequent but intermittent migraine.

"We've known for a long time that CGRP was involved in the mechanism of migraines, so during migraine attacks you can measure elevation of CGRP in the blood of the person having the migraine," said Dr. Richard Lipton, director of the Montefiore Headache Center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. "If you treat it, CGRP blood levels fall."

Various pharmaceutical companies have been testing the effects of substances that target the CGRP; these companies include Amgen, Alder Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly and Company.

Teva conducted its studies and submitted it to the American Headache Society meeting. In the phase IIb trials, where patients with migraine were tested, patients experienced a notable drop in the hours of headache experienced one week after the trial was started. Half of the said patients reported that the frequency of headache was reduced by 50 percent or more.

Lilly also presented how efficient their product is. They conducted their phase II trials by testing their product against a placebo, which were both administered every month. Amgen also presented their phase II data that reveal how their product was able to reduce the days of migraine attacks by 50 percent in half of their study participants in a span of 12 weeks. Alder Pharmaceutical also demonstrated their phase II trial results, but specific details were not presented at the meeting.

"The potential of these new compounds is enormous and gives us real hope that effective specific treatments for migraine may be on the near horizon," said Peter J. Goadsby, MD, PhD, Chief of the UCSF Headache Center and chair of the American Headache Society's annual Scientific Meeting. "The development of CGRP antibodies offers the simple, yet elegant and long awaited option for migraine patients to finally be treated with migraine preventives; it's a truly landmark development."

In America, more than 36 million people have migraine, which is far more than the incidence of patients with diabetes and asthma combines. Chronic migraine, which is characterized by 15 migraine days monthly, is experienced by approximately four million Americans.

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How do I get relief from a migraine?

This article talks about the difference between headaches and migraines and how to get relief from them.

Everyone gets a headache now and then, but migraine headaches are characterized by recurring attacks of moderate to severe headache pain. Often called migraines, these headaches are a common neurologic condition that can negatively affect an individual’s quality of life.

If you suffer from migraines, you are not alone. According to the National Headache Foundation and the American Migraine Study, more than 37 million individuals in the United States are affected by migraines, making them the second-most common type of headache. Migraines are most common among individuals ages 25 to 50, and migraines are three times more common in females than in males.

Migraines typically start in childhood and may get better or worse as an affected individual ages. Research from the National Headache Foundation suggests that migraines tend to run in some families and that 70 to 80 percent of migraine sufferers have a family history of migraines.

Signs and Symptoms

Migraines may last four to 72 hours and can disrupt your life. Some individuals who get migraines experience warning symptoms, known as an aura, before the onset of the migraine. An aura involves a group of symptoms including vision changes. The most common symptom associated with migraines is a throbbing pain on one side of the head.

The signs and symptoms vary among individuals and may include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Blurred vision and/or a temporary blind spot
• A zigzagging or flashing light
• Sensitivity to light, smell and sound
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating

Cause and Common Triggers

While the exact cause of migraines is not known, genetics and environmental factors have been identified as possible causes. Several triggers include:

• Stress
• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Caffeine withdrawal
• Changes in weather, altitude and/or air pressure
• Hormonal changes, like those that occur during a menstrual cycle or pregnancy
• Environmental factors, such as noise, bright lights or certain odors
• Consumption of vasoactive substances in certain foods, such as nitrates, tyramine (i.e. in aged cheese) red wine and monosodium glutamate
• Alcohol consumption
• Use of certain pharmacologic agents, such as nitrates, oral contraceptives, nifedipine and postmenopausal hormones
• Changes in sleep or eating patterns
• Smoking

Diagnosis

There is no single test for diagnosing migraines. If you suspect you are having a migraine, your doctor will review your medical history and symptoms as well as conduct complete physical and neurologic exams. Other medical tests, such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, may be ordered to rule out other medical conditions.

Treatment

The medications used for managing migraines are typically classified as preventive or pain-relieving medications. Treatment is determined by the frequency and severity of your migraines, the cause of your migraines, your other medical conditions, and your allergy history. Your pharmacist will explain how to take your medication. Some medications are taken daily, while others are taken at the onset of a migraine. In addition, several OTC products are marketed for the treatment of mild to moderate migraines. These products contain analgesics such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin, as well as caffeine.

It is important to note that self-treatment of migraines is only recommended after a diagnosis has been confirmed. To prevent drug interactions, contraindications or adverse reactions, it is important to discuss the use of these products with your doctor or pharmacist beforehand.

Some patients with migraines may find relief by using alternative remedies such asbiofeedback, acupuncture, relaxation techniques and nutritional supplements.

Management and Prevention

The best way to prevent migraines is to take your medication at the first sign of a migraine or before being exposed to a known trigger. Keeping a headache diary may help you identify possible triggers. Lifestyle modifications may reduce the frequency and severity of migraines; modifications include avoiding known triggers, exercising regularly, taking medication as directed and not skipping meals.

You can ease the pain and discomfort associated with migraines by:

• Getting sufficient sleep

• Keeping a headache diary to determine your headache triggers

• Resting and relaxing when possible, and reducing stress

Conclusion

Migraine pain can be unbearable, so it is important for you to take your medication as directed and to seek immediate medical care if you do not obtain relief or if your migraine worsens. If you are taking any other medications, have other medical conditions, or are pregnant or breast-feeding, you should never take any medication until you have consulted your primary health care provider.

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Antibodies may help block migraines

Two studies looked into certain antibodies and found the antibodies block migraines from forming.

Results of 2 new studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Philadelphia suggest humanized anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antibodies may be safe and effective as treatments to prevent migraines in patients with a high monthly frequency of migraines.

David Dodick, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, AZ, said there is room for cautious optimism about new medications to target the mechanisms behind migraine based on the results of his and another small randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies presented at the conference. The second study, presented by Peter Goadsby, MD, PhD, of the University of California, San Francisco, also reported on trials of antibodies to CGRP.

In Dodick’s study of 218 people, the medication (LY2951742) was given every 2 weeks by subcutaneous injection. The primary end point of the study was change in the number of migraine days per month, assessed in the third month of treatment. The drug met the end point, reducing an average of 4.2 migraine days for those on the active drug versus 3 days for the placebo. (P = 0.0030).

In Goadbsy’s study of 163 patients, ALD403, a humanized peptide antibody to CGRP given intravenously one at the start of the trial, the primary end point was change from baseline in migraine days per month, measured in weeks 5 through 8. The average change from baseline in migraine days per month was a decline of 5.6 for the medication versus 4.6 for placebo.

Most notably, 16% of patients given ALD403 were migraine free the entire 12 weeks of the therapy period, versus none of the placebo patients.

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FDA approves migraine prevention medication for adolescents

The FDA has approved Topamax for migraine prevention in adolescents aged 12 to 17 years old. This is the first approved medication for this purpose in this age group.

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Topamax (topiramate) for prevention (prophylaxis) of migraine headaches in adolescents ages 12 to 17. This is the first FDA approval of a drug for migraine prevention in this age group. The medication is taken on a daily basis to reduce the frequency of migraine headaches.

Topamax was first approved by the FDA in 1996 to prevent seizures. It was approved for migraine prevention in adults in 2004.

“Migraine headaches can impact school performance, social interactions, and family life,” said Eric Bastings, M.D., deputy director of the Division of Neurology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Adding dosing and safety information for the adolescent age group to the drug’s prescribing information will help to inform health care professionals and patients in making treatment choices.”

About 12 percent of the U.S. population experiences migraine headaches. Migraine headaches are characterized by episodes of throbbing and pulsating pain in the head, and may occur several times per month. Other common symptoms include increased sensitivity to light, noise, and odors, as well as nausea and vomiting. Many patients experience their first migraine attack before reaching adulthood, and migraine can be just as disabling in teens as it is in adults.

The safety and effectiveness of Topamax in preventing migraine headaches in adolescents ages 12 to 17 was established in a clinical trial that enrolled 103 participants. Those treated with Topamax experienced a decrease in the frequency of migraine of approximately 72 percent compared to 44 percent in participants that took an inactive drug (placebo). 

The most common adverse reactions with the approved dose of Topamax (100 milligrams) were paresthesia (a burning or prickling sensation felt in the hands, arms, legs, or feet), upper respiratory infection, anorexia (loss of appetite), and abdominal pain.

Topamax must be dispensed with a Medication Guide that describes important safety information about the drug. Topamax and all anti-epileptic drugs may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior, and patients should be advised of the need to be alert for the emergence of, or worsening of, the signs and symptoms of depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior.

Topamax increases the risk of the development of cleft lip and/or cleft palate (oral clefts) in infants born to women who take the drug during pregnancy. The benefits and risks of Topamax should be carefully weighed before using it in women of childbearing age.  If the decision is made to use the medication by a woman of childbearing age, effective birth control should be used.

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New device approved by FDA for migraines

The FDA approved a headband-like device that helps prevent migraine headaches.

ON Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration announced its approval of a device for preventing migraines.

Called Cefaly, it's the first transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) device designed for use prior to the crushing pain of such headaches.

Migraines are defined as throbbing or pulsing pain in one area of the head, and symptoms can include sensitivity to light and sound, and nausea. A migraine lasts four to 72 hours if untreated.

"Cefaly provides an alternative to medication for migraine prevention," Christy Foreman, director of the Office of Device Evaluation at the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in a statement.

"This may help patients who cannot tolerate current migraine medications or treating attacks."

The small, battery-operated, portable device resembles a plastic headband. It's placed on top of the ears and worn across the forehead, delivering electrical impulses to stimulate the trigeminal nerve.

This nerve is believed to contribute to migraine pain. According to the FDA, the device should be worn once daily for about 20 minutes and is intended for those 18 and older.

The FDA approved the device following a small clinical study in Belgium involving 67 people. Participants experienced at least two migraines per month and hadn't taken drugs to prevent the headaches for three months prior to the study.

While Cefaly didn't prevent migraines completely, it did help participants experience fewer "migraine days" per month. Most common issues were tingling sensations and sleepiness during device use, and subsequent headaches. The FDA reported no serious side effects.

A patient satisfaction survey asking 2,313 Cefaly users in France and Belgium to rate the device found about 53% satisfied with Cefaly treatment and willing to purchase the device.

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Drug uses sensors in eye to stop migraines

A new drug uses light sensors in the eye to stop from triggers for migraines.

For many migraine sufferers, bright lights are a surefire way to exacerbate their headaches. And for some night-shift workers, just a stroll through a brightly lit parking lot during the morning commute home can be enough to throw off their body's daily rhythms and make daytime sleep nearly impossible. But a new molecule that selectively blocks specialized light-sensitive receptors in the eyes could help both these groups of people, without affecting normal vision.

"It took almost ten years to find and test a molecule that fit all the properties and acted in vivo as we wanted," says senior study author Satchidananda Panda , an associate professor in Salk's Regulatory Biology Laboratory.

Scientists have known for nearly a century that humans and animals can sense light even when they can't see. Before they've opened their eyes, and even before cells that allow vision have matured, newborn mice still scurry away from bright lights, and set their sleep-wake cycles based on the patterns of light and dark throughout the day. The same is true of many blind people-though they can't see what's in front of them, their bodies still follow daily circadian rhythms, and the pupils of their eyes constrict in response to light.

More than ten years ago, Panda's lab group discovered that melanopsin, a receptor found in neurons connecting the eyes and brain, is responsible for sensing light independently of normal vision. Since then, researchers have determined that the receptor is vital for maintaining sleep cycles and other circadian rhythms in those with healthy vision, constricting the pupil of the eye in bright light, and potentially exacerbating the light-sensitivity associated with migraine headaches. While melanopsin senses light for these non-vision purposes in the body, closely related receptors-rhodopsin and cone opsins-provide vision-forming information to the brain.

Panda figured that if he could find a compound that blocked melanopsin, but not rhodopsin or cone opsins, it could pave the way toward treating migraines or circadian rhythm imbalances. Scientists already know of one class of compounds, retinoids, which interact with opsins, but they're non-specific and so bind to melanopsin, rhodopsin, cone opsins, and a whole handful of other receptors in the body, causing widespread side effects. Panda wanted something more specific. So for ten years, his lab group, in collaboration with scientists at the pharmaceutical company Lundbeck, has attempted to find chemical compounds that specifically shut off melanopsin in animals.

In their latest search, Panda and his collaborators turned to the Lundbeck library of diverse compounds. In hundreds of 384-well plates, a team led by Ken Jones at Lundbeck tested whether each chemical from the library turned off melanopsin by measuring the calcium levels after the plate was exposed to light. When melanopsin is functioning, calcium levels increase after light exposure indicating that light has been sensed and a signal is being generated. Several compounds from the chemical library stopped this calcium increase from happening, suggesting that they were blocking the function of melanopsin.

None of these compounds looked like retinoids, so it was an exciting breakthrough, Panda says. The chemicals, dubbed opsinamides, also showed no interaction with rhodopsin or other opsins. "We wanted to make sure they were specific to melanopsin," says Panda. To find out whether the opsinamides would have a physiological response in addition to binding to melanopsin in bench experiments, Megumi Hatori and Ludovic Mure from Panda's Salk lab group next looked at whether the drug affected the pupillary constriction in mice. Normally, in extremely bright light, the pupil of the eye shrinks to its smallest size. But when the mice were treated with one of the opsinamides, their pupils didn't shrink as usual. Most importantly, the drug had no detectable effect in mice lacking melanopsin, further showing its specificity for melanopsin. Finally, newborn mice treated with the compound no longer avoided bright lights. The results, Panda says, show that the drug is stopping melanopsin from signaling the brain when the eyes are exposed to bright light.

"So far, everything known about melanopsin has been discovered using knock-out mice that completely lack the receptor," says Panda. "So this offers a new way to study the protein." Kenneth Jones, the former project head at Lundbeck, notes that "the two compounds require further optimization in anticipation of clinical testing but are extraordinarily useful for research purposes and as leads in the discovery process." Co-author Jeffrey Sprouse has co-founded a start-up company, Cyanaptic, to do just that.

Once more effective compounds are developed, Panda expects that they could eventually have utility in a variety of clinical settings. "There are many people who would like to work when they have migraine pain exacerbated by light," he says. "If these drugs could stop the light-sensitivity associated with the headaches, it would enable them to be much more productive."

Moreover, Panda says, the drugs could help shift-workers set their sleep schedules without exposure to sunlight interfering with their circadian rhythms. His lab group doesn't yet have results on how the drugs affect circadian rhythms, but based on the known mechanisms of melanopsin, Panda says that it is likely the new opsinamides alter sleep.

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Nerve Stimulation May Prevent Migraine

Research shows that wearing a nerve stimulator on your forehead for a few minutes every day may prevent migraines from occurring.

Wearing a nerve stimulator for 20 minutes a day may be a new option for migraine sufferers, according to new research published in the February 6, 2013, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The stimulator is placed on the forehead, and it delivers electrical stimulation to the supraorbital nerve.

For the study, 67 people who had an average of four migraine attacks per month were followed for one month with no treatment. Then they received either the stimulation 20 minutes a day for three months or sham stimulation, where they wore the device but the stimulation given was at levels too low to have any effect.

Those who received the stimulation had fewer days with migraine in the third month of treatment compared to the first month with no treatment. The number of days with migraine decreased from 6.9 days to 4.8 days per month. The number did not change for those who received the sham treatment.

The study also looked at the number of people who had 50 percent or higher reduction in the number of days with migraine in a month. That number was 38 percent for those who had the stimulation compared to 12 percent of those who received the sham treatment.

There were no side effects from the stimulation.

"These results are exciting, because the results were similar to those of drugs that are used to prevent migraine, but often those drugs have many side effects for people, and frequently the side effects are bad enough that people decide to quit taking the drug," said study author Jean Schoenen, MD, PhD, of Liège University in Belgium and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. The study was supported by the Walloon Region, Department of Economy, Employment and Research in Belgium.

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Why the Holidays can Trigger Migraines

This article discusses why migraines can result from extra stress resulting from the holidays.

People who suffer from migraine headaches face additional triggers during the holiday season.

"During the holidays, people's sleep/wake cycles are often skewed," said Dr. Karen Lauze, a neurologist at Portsmouth Regional Hospital. "They do not get enough sleep. Traveling through different time zones and the stress of travel can trigger a headache."

And there is the convergence of family members.

"If there are family conflicts," Lauze said, "it can make a difference, although both good and bad stress can trigger a migraine. Excitement, as much as bad stress can be a factor. Then you add in a lot of bright lights, flashing camera bulbs and noises and all your triggers are thrown into play."

Food can also be a trigger, Lauze said, along with red wine, spirits, certain cheeses, chocolate and nuts, as well as foods containing MSG.

"Butternut squash contains a great deal of MSG," she said. "Skipping lunch, altering the timing of food is another. Weather, a change in barometric pressure is a big trigger. Even flying, while the cabin is theoretically pressurized, changes your system. If there is only one trigger, the person may be OK. Add two or more and a migraine is likely."

People who are aware of their susceptibility can take steps to try to prevent migraines. Lauze said they can take increased levels of their prescribed medication, under the advice of their doctor. They can also try to assure they get enough sleep and avoid foods they know are triggers.

"If you are traveling to see family and can afford it, it might be better to pay the extra money for a hotel room," Lauze said. That way, you can retreat to the quiet when family wants to stay up all night. Plan ahead. Maybe use biofeedback meditation and relaxation techniques. We do offer that training here at the hospital."

It takes time to relieve painful symptoms of a migraine. Lauze said medications like Aleve or Imitrex can help. Caffeine has been known to help some people although she cautions that too much can increase anxiety, and make the pain worse.

There are medications that can be prescribed to decrease the frequency of attacks. Healthy lifestyle changes can also reduce the number and severity of migraines. Avoiding the activities, foods or situations that have triggered migraines in the past is one of the best prevention tools. Don't smoke. Estrogen-based medications, such as birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy, may need to be reduced or replaced with other methods.

Lauze said she considers biofeedback techniques and other alternative therapies such as acupuncture and chiropractors as long-term solutions. But, she said they can be used to lessen the severity and frequency of migraine headaches.

Craig Shannon, a Portsmouth based chiropractor, said he treats many patients who suffer from migraines.

"We can't cure migraines but we can lower the triggers," Shannon said. "By adjusting the cervical area (neck) we can remove pinched nerve areas to allow for freer blood circulation and that does help a lot. Think of a garden hose. Step on it and it is blocked. Take your foot off and the water flows again. We see fast results in our patients and I think it's neat to see them come here after trying a lot of other things and finding relief."

Dr. Christopher Santini, a chiropractor in York, Maine, agrees. He said he works to improve proper motion and posture. He also looks at his patient's lifestyle.

"We do nutritional counseling because certain foods or the chemicals in them are factors," Santini said. "If we can figure out when they get the headaches and what they were doing at its onset, we can often help them avoid a future migraine once their body is in proper alignment."

Carie Bernard, a licensed acupuncturist who works with Santini, said she approaches the pain itself.

"Where there is pain, there is an imbalance," Bernard said. "There is a loss of energy and things are not flowing as they should. I do a complete intake. I observe the whole person, take their pulse and look at their tongue. It is not a one size fits all medicine. I need to find out where their blockage is and treat it. Ten people may present in ten different ways."

Portsmouth acupuncturist Bridget Lewis Holzer said once you figure out the trigger, fine needles are used on the proper points to treat the condition. Magnets are used effectively on young children. She said location of the points for the needles varies with the triggers that are responsible.

Adam Learner of Family Acupuncture and Wellness of Portsmouth said acupuncture can provide both immediate relief and can be used as a long term therapy for prevention.

"If it's a chronic problem, they might come weekly at first," Learner said.

"Eventually, they might come once a month, for maintenance of their condition. It varies with the individual. Acupuncture is on of the best treatments for migraine headaches. We treat a fair number of patients here and finding the underlying cause is the key to successful treatment."

Learner added wheat and dairy products to the list of food triggers. He said he puts his patients on a "challenge diet" in order to ferret out their triggers.

The bottom line is that, with care, holiday stress does not have to be the source of a migraine headache, Lauze said.

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Five "Natural" Cures for Migraines

A few points about herbals and supplements as a critique. 

"Natural" does not mean inert. Fever few and butterburr can have side effects and the long term effects are not known. One active component of feverfew "parthenolide" can induce cell death in in-vitro cancer models...whoa.....I suggest great caution in using these in children and young people.

Dont forget riboflavin! B2 is water soluble.

Reliability of these preparations can vary almost 40 fold. 

But who can argue with exercise, good posture, trigger elimination and good sleep? JR


This article discusses five natural treatments that may help cure your migraines.

A debilitating headache or migraine will not only put a damper on your day, it will stop you in your tracks and have you running for a dark room and cool head cloth. If you find yourself regularly reaching for pain relievers, you may want to implement these natural headache treatments and migraine remedies for taking the edge off.

Identify your triggers: In my clinical practice I have seen patients eliminate their migraines just by discovering their food allergies. In fact, I had one patient discover that the grapefruit she had enjoyed each morning with her breakfast for over 20 years was the instigator behind her pounding headaches. To determine the true culprit behind your distress I recommend doing a two week elimination diet. This includes the removal of all of the most common food allergies (all grains that contain gluten, dairy, citrus, peanuts, caffeine, sugar and soy). After the 14-day removal period you should slowly reintroduce the foods one at a time. By doing so, any physical or mental symptoms related to the food can be isolated. Don’t just be on the lookout for headaches. Common symptoms of a food allergy include: gas, bloating, constipation, headaches/migraines, fatigue immediately after eating the food, fatigue on waking the next day, or a gradual decline in energy, irritability, anxiety, headaches, water retention (can’t get your rings off) and dark circles under the eyes.

Straighten up your posture: Tight muscles in the neck and traps can be a one way ticket to head pain, especially when it’s linked to weak back and neck muscles, and poor posture. Acupuncture (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/acupuncture-for-pain.htm), chiropractic, massage and osteopathic manual therapy have all been shown to alleviate tight muscles and reduce pain sensors. In one study chronic tension headache sufferers received structured massage therapy treatment directed toward neck and shoulder muscles. Researchers found that the treatment was effective in reducing both the number and duration of headaches. For best results, ask your practitioner for some homework to do in between treatments. This may include corrective exercises, ergonomic adjustments (particularly at work) and even relaxation techniques to relieve tension in the muscles of the neck and upper back.

Bump up your magnesium: I have written about the benefits of magnesium before and luckily, it is also a powerful defense against headaches. Magnesium can affect the regulation of blood flow to the brain, which can be compromised during a migraine attack. In one study, the treatment group, receiving 600mg of magnesium for a 12 week period, experienced a 41.6% reduction in headaches as compared to only 15.8% reduction in migraine headaches in the placebo group. Additional research suggests that magnesium supplements may shorten the duration of a migraine and reduce the amount of medication needed. As an added bonus, magnesium is a natural muscle relaxer, so you may find that supplementation reduces other muscle aches and pains. I recommendtaking magnesium glycinate or citrate, taken to bowel tolerance each night (approximately 200mg – 600mg). If you get loose stools you can reduce the dose.

Check out some herbals: Out of all the herbal medicines, feverfew has the most promise for its ability to decrease the frequency and/or intensity of their migraine attack. In one study, 72 volunteers were randomly allocated to receive either one capsule of dried feverfew leaves a day or matching placebo for four months and then transferred to the other treatment for a further four months. Treatment with feverfew was associated with a reduction in the mean number and severity of attacks in each two-month period. Feverfew seems to work its magic by inhibiting the production of inflammatory substances and re-establishing proper blood vessel tone. Another herbal preparation, butterbur, has been shown to relax the blood vessels of the brain which can prevent headaches. As with all herbal medications, they require consistent usage for optimal benefits. I recommend working with a naturopath or herbalist to determine the dosage that is best for you.

Cool Your headaches with Coq10: Coenzyme Q10 (also known as CoQ10) plays a critical role in the function of your cells. The supplement has also been found to reduce migraine attacks in humans, according to a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Researchers studied 42 subjects who suffered an average of 4.4 migraine attacks per month. Approximately 48 percent of the CoQ10 group experienced a 50% response rate during the three-month study. In addition, the patients treated with CoQ10 experienced fewer migraine attacks per month, 2 after treatment compared to 4.4 before treatment, while the placebo group experienced no reduction in migraine frequency. CoQ10-treated subjects also had more headache-free days than the placebo group and fewer days with nausea. Supplementation with CoQ10 may not only improve your energy but also your heart health, blood sugar balance, nervous system and help to manage high cholesterol and high blood pressure in individuals with diabetes. Take 100mg up to two times daily.

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Vitamins that can help treat or prevent migraines

This article outlines three vitamins that may help prevent migraines.

If you suffer from migraines and are looking for a way to prevent them, adding riboflavin, magnesium, and/or CoEnzyme Q10 (CoQ10) to your diet could make them less frequent.

Riboflavin

Studies show that migraine sufferers who take 400 milligrams (mg) per day of riboflavin (vitamin B2) appear to get significantly less migraine headaches. Taking riboflavin does not seem to reduce the pain level or length of a migraine, however. In one study, people who took riboflavin had more than 50 percent fewer headaches.

Riboflavin is essential for the body’s energy production at the cell level. Some research suggests that migraine sufferers may have a genetic defect that inhibits their cells' ability to maintain energy reserves. Insufficient energy could trigger migraines.

It can be difficult to consume enough riboflavin in your diet to prevent migraines. Foods that contain riboflavin include:

• brewer's yeast
• eggs
• enriched flour
• green vegetables
• meat
• milk
• mushrooms
• nuts
• organ meats
• soybeans
• wheat germ
• whole grains
• wild rice
• yogurt

Magnesium

Migraine sufferers often have lower magnesium levels than people who don't get them. Several studies show that magnesium may reduce the frequency of migraines in individuals who have low magnesium levels. Some studies also suggest that magnesium may help women who get migraines along with their periods.

The body requires magnesium, a mineral, to sustain normal muscle and nerve function, maintain heart rhythm, keep a healthy immune system and develop strong bones. Magnesium is integral in at least 300 biochemical reactions.

Adding 200 to 600 mg of magnesium to your diet daily might help to prevent migraines. Magnesium can cause diarrhea, however. Take a lower amount if this is a problem.

Magnesium relaxes the arterial walls, which allow blood and oxygen to flow more freely. This helps to reduce stress, which is a huge migraine trigger.

Foods high in magnesium include:

• avocados
• bananas
• dark chocolate
• dried herbs
• dark green vegetables
• molasses
• nuts (almonds, peanuts, cashews)
• oats
• raisins
• rice
• seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds)
• wheat
• whole grains

CoEnzyme Q10

Studies suggest that CoQ10 may help to reduce the number of migraine attacks. One study showed that individuals who took CoQ10 got 50 percent less migraines.

CoQ10 helps to create energy inside the body's cells. Low energy production can result in migraines.

Take up to 300 mg of CoQ10 daily to prevent migraines, in two or three doses.

Don't take CoQ10 if you have bleeding disorders or diabetes, or are using blood thinners. CoQ10 can alter how your blood clots and change blood sugar metabolism.

Foods containing CoQ10 include:

• beef
• chicken
• eggs
• nuts
• oils
• pork
• seeds

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