New York Headache blog

Many, but not all epilepsy drugs are also effective in preventing migraine headaches. For example, divalproex sodium (Depakote), topiramate (Topamax), and to a lesser degree gabapentin (Neurontin), pregabalin (Lyrica), and levetiracetam (Keppra)...

Aspirin and similar anti-inflammatory drugs have been proven to be effective for many migraine sufferers. In a recent report 1,000 mg of aspirin was found to be as effective as 100 mg of sumatriptan (Imitrex) with fewer side effects. Cambia is a...

Medication overuse headaches are usually treated by withdrawing the offending drug (usually Excedrin, Fioricet or narcotics, such as codeine, Vicodin and Percocet) or dietary caffeine. About half of the people who stop taking these drugs improve...

Severe migraines are often accompanied by nausea and vomiting, making oral medications ineffective. Sumatriptan (Imitrex) and Zomig (zolmitriptan) are available in a nasal spray and Imitrex also as an injection (a needleless injection, Sumavel was...

Migraine sufferers are 2 – 3 times more likely to become depressed or anxious than those without migraines. The reverse is also true – depressed and anxious people are 2 -3 times more likely to develop migraines. According to a new study published...

Occipital nerve blocks can stop a migraine attack when other treatments fail. This is a relatively simple procedure (although not many physicians are trained in it), and it consists of an injection of lidocaine or a similar local anesthetic drug...

Review of 16 published scientific articles on the efficacy of naproxen sodium as a treatment of acute migraine indicates that it is effective in the treatment of moderate to severe migraines. Naproxen sodium, 500 mg (2 tablets of Aleve) provided...

Anxiety and depression occur in migraine patients 2 to 3 times more often than in those without headaches. The opposite is also true, those with anxiety and depression are more likely to develop migraines. Certain antidepressants, such as...

We always try to use one preventive drug or Botox for the treatment of frequent or very severe migraine headaches. However, it is not unusual to go through several drugs and not find one which works well and does not cause side effects. Under...

Vertigo is a common complaint of migraine patients. Ear-nose-throat specialists at the University of Pisa examined 22 patients with migraine headaches who complained of vertigo and 22 who did not, as well as 22 control subjects without migraines...

Many migraine sufferers complain of dizziness, fatigue, exercise intolerance, blurred or tunnel vision, diminished concentration, tremulousness, nausea and recurrent syncope (fainting). These symptoms are often attributed to anxiety or panic...

Occipital nerve stimulation has been under investigation for the treatment of difficult to treat migraine headaches for the past several years with promising results. A recent study at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ suggests that this treatment...

It is very exciting to finally have two published studies (PREEMPT 1 and PREEMPT 2) which provide definitive proof that Botox is effective for chronic migraine headaches. More than 15 years ago a plastic surgeon in California, Bill Binder reported...

A recent study by Dr. Bigal and his colleagues just published in Neurology compared more than 6,000 migraine sufferers with over 5,000 matched control subjects without migraines. They discovered that people with migraine with aura and to a lesser...

Some headaches, usually migraines, do not respond to the usual over-the-counter and even prescription headache medications. Once it is clear that there is no serious underlying cause, such as an aneurysm, several injectable medications can be given...

During pregnancy, two thirds of women stop having migraine headaches. However, one third continues to have them, and sometimes even worsen during pregnancy. As a general rule, only acetaminophen (Tylenol) is considered safe, but for most migraine...

There are several effective preventive medications for migraine headaches, however they are prescribed to only a small number of people who could benefit from them. A study by Dr. Richard Lipton in the journal Cephalagia and his colleagues...

Large clinical trials are required to prove that a new drug or treatment is effective. Without such proof doctors will not (and should not) believe that any particular medicine or device is effective. The FDA also approves drugs by evaluating...

Migraine and migraine medications do not appear to cause cognitive decline, according to a Dutch study just published in Headache. After 6 years of follow-up there was no difference between those who suffered from migraines and healthy...

One of the oldest preventive headache medications for migraines is propranolol (Inderal), which belongs to the family of blood pressure medications called beta-blockers. There are newer and better beta-blockers, such as nebivolol (Bystolic), which...

74% of girls and 52% of boys have headaches at age 17, according to a Finnish study of 6,262 twins. At age 11, 60% of girls and 59% of boys had headaches at least once a month. The prevalence of weekly headaches increase d in girls from 16%...

Vitamin D deficiency is often found in patients with headaches and neuralgia, which I’ve already mentioned in previous posts. Chronic pain patients with low vitamin D levels were also found to have poor exercise tolerance, making their rehabilitation...

Migraines in blind people are made worse by light, according to Dr. Burstein and his associates at Harvard. Rami Burstein is one of the leading headache researchers who often asks questions no one else thought to ask. More importantly, he often...

The fact that two out of three pregnant women stop having headaches during pregnancy is well established, however a study by Norwegian researchers published in Headache provides some additional details. Women with headaches who are pregnant for the...

Childhood abuse or neglect was reported by 58% of 1,348 migraine sufferers according to a study published in the current issue of Headache. Emotional abuse and neglect was particularly common. Patients with other chronic pain conditions also have...

Acupuncture increases connections between different areas of the brain, according to Dhond and other Korean researchers who published their findings in the journal Pain. They compared the effect of true and sham acupuncture in healthy volunteers...

I’ve written in a previous post that people exposed to pleasant music feel less pain than people listening to unpleasant music or to no music at all. Some studies have suggested that happy music (typically music with faster tempo and major mode) is...

Alcohol can trigger a headache immediately or soon after it is consumed or the next morning. Some people develop a headache only from a particular type of alcohol, such as red wine, rum, or beer, while others cannot drink any form of alcohol without...

Migralex is finally available to all headache sufferers. This is the first new brand of headache medicine in 15 years. After years of painstaking research, complicated development work, and manufacturing setup it is very gratifying to see Migralex...

Holiday headaches are quite avoidable, but to avoid them you have to have willpower. I know myself that it is hard to resist all the chocolate that surrounds you during the holidays. If you have a choice, pick milk chocolate over dark. There is no...