Subscribe to New York Headache blog

Beta blockers (Inderal or propranolol and similar drugs) are used for the preventive treatment of migraine headaches. Over the years, a few patients have told me that they take a beta blocker only when they have an attack of migraine with very good...

Parkinson’s disease (PD), parkinsonian symptoms, and restless leg syndrome (RLS) are more common in people who in middle age suffered from migraines with aura. Those suffering from migraine without aura in their midlife had increased risk of having...

Stabbing headaches can be a sign of acute multiple sclerosis, according to a report by German doctors in the journal Headache. Stabbing headache is a rare type of headache, although patients with migraines often report having occasional “ice pick”...

Peripheral nerve blocks can be very effective in stopping a severe migraine attack. We utilize them when a patient does not respond to oral or injected medications or when medications are contraindicated because of a coexisting disease or pregnancy...

Frequent attacks of migraine are best treated with preventive measures. Several categories of medications have been shown to be effective for the prevention of migraine headaches. These include Botox injections (for chronic migraine), epilepsy...

Severe persistent migraines can affect emotional, interpersonal, social, and work-related functioning. It is difficult to learn how to cope with pain and improve your functioning on your own. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been proven to...

Expiration date on medications does not indicate that the medication is no longer effective or safe after that date. Having had extensive experience with the production and testing of Migralex, I can reassure you that medications remain safe and...

A report from the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve describes 22 patients with new daily persistent headaches (NDPH) who were treated with Botox injections. NDPH is a condition in which the headache begins suddenly without an obvious...

A new combination of two old drugs seems to provide relief for some trigeminal neuralgia (TN) sufferers. The first line drugs for TN are epilepsy drugs, carbamazepine (Tegretol) or oxcarbazepine (Trileptal). A presentation at the last annual...

Post-concussion syndrome, which often includes headaches, can persist for many months especially after a minor injury (yes, mild injury is more likely to cause post-concussion syndrome than a severe one). However, little is known about prognosis...

Botox is FDA-approved only for chronic migraine headaches, however, it is being used “off-label” for other types of headaches as well. We find that frequent episodic migraines, cluster headaches, numular, and cervicogenic (neck-related) headaches...

Acetaminophen is what most obstetricians recommend pregnant women take for their headaches. However, it is not very effective for migraine headaches and it is not as safe as we thought (see my recent post). Fioricet is another drug favored by...

Skipping meals, for some people, is a sure way to get a migraine headache. Even those who do not suffer from migraines can get a headache from not eating breakfast and lunch. However, fasting has remained popular for the treatment of various...

Botox is a very effective treatment for chronic migraines and possibly other types of headaches and pain. However, Botox is an expensive and somewhat unpleasant treatment. Even though Botox helps a high percentage of patients (about 70%) it...

Besides many other mental and physical problems, bullying in school causes headaches. This is the conclusion of a group of psychologists at the University of Padua in Italy who published their findings in the last issue of the journal Headache...

The introduction of Levadex has been delayed again, this time for a year. It seems like deja vu all over again – I wrote the same thing on this blog in April of last year. Levadex, which the manufacturer (Allergan) just renamed as Semprana, is an...

Migraine aura precedes the headache in about 20% of patients. The most common type of aura is visual. It consists of flashing lights, sparkles, partial loss of vision, and other visual distortions, which can move across the visual field. Typical...

“Visual snow” is a continuous TV-static-like visual disturbance experienced by some people who suffer from migraines and by some without migraines. A group of British doctors examined 120 patients with persistent “visual snow” and found...

The benign nature of white matter lesions (WML) on MRI scans of patients with migraine was noted in a post last year. While they appear to be benign, they are disconcerting nevertheless. It is possible that we haven’t yet discovered the negative...

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is also called pseudotumor cerebri because just like with a brain tumor, the pressure is increased inside the skull. This condition usually presents with a headache and sometimes with visual symptoms. Increased...

Don’t use Wikipedia for medical information and tell your doctor not to either. It is the most popular reference site not only for the lay public, but also for doctors – anywhere from 47% to 70% of physicians and medical students admit to using it...

Cluster headache patients have been coming to our office in increasing numbers in the past few weeks. We seem to be in a cluster season – many patients with cluster headaches come within the same month or two and then, for several months we see...

Two new migraine drugs are about to be released on the market. They were mentioned in this blog in their earlier stages of development. Another two drugs are more interesting, but are several years away from becoming available (if at all). Zecuity is...

The versatility of botulinum toxin continues to amaze. The use of botulinum toxin (Botox) for the treatment of migraine headaches (pioneered at the New York Headache Center) is becoming widespread in the US. The original FDA-approved indications...

Triptans, such as Imitrex or sumatriptan and similar drugs are “designer” drugs which were developed to specifically treat migraine headaches. They are highly effective and, after more than 20 years on the market, proven safe. Four out of the seven...

Antibodies blocking a specific neurotransmitter involved in migraines appear to relieve migraine headaches. Two studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology reported on the use of antibodies to CGRP (calcitonin...

Epidural steroid injections are popular for persistent neck and back pains. Patients with migraine and other headaches often have neck pain as well and if they happen to visit an anesthesiologist/pain specialist instead of a neurologist, there is...

Stress is considered to be one of the main migraine triggers. However, a study just published in the journal Neurology suggests that it is the period after stress when people are more likely to develop a migraine. A group of doctors at the Montefiore...

An oral tablet is the most convenient way to take medicine. However, many migraine sufferers wake up with a headache that is in full bloom and severe nausea or vomiting makes it difficult to take oral medications. Others find that tablets are...

Sleep deprivation is a very common trigger of migraine and tension-type headaches. Scientists have always wondered about the purpose of sleep. We know that sleep helps strengthen our memories. New research suggests that sleep is also needed for...