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The diagnosis of migraine still relies on the patient’s description of symptoms. We do not have an objective test to confirm the diagnosis. Several studies using functional MRI (fMRI) attempted to identify people with migraines...

Given enough triggers, almost anyone can develop a migraine. There is a very good chance that even someone who has never had a migraine to become sleep-deprived, dehydrated, drunk, and stressed will develop a...

Athletes have been using creatine supplementation for over 30 years. It seems to improve the energy supply to muscle tissues and increase fat-free mass. Creatine also supplies energy to nerve cells in the brain. Taking...

Neurologists frequently find themselves managing patients resistant to standard treatments due to limited proven therapies for many neurological conditions. Some patients cannot tolerate or have contraindications...

Candesartan ((Atacand) is a blood pressure medication in the class of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). A recently published study involving 86 patients confirmed that candesartan can improve migraines. This was not a...

A new study from Mayo Clinic researchers, published in The Journal of Headache and Pain, has examined the brain changes associated with acute post-traumatic headaches (PTH). These headaches can occur after a head injury...

Functional MRI (fMRI) studies have shown that people with migraines have altered functional connectivity and activation patterns in pain-processing brain regions like the insula, thalamus, somatosensory cortex, as well as...

Several studies have suggested that fish oil helps prevent migraine headaches. A new clinical trial by Taiwanese doctors provides the strongest evidence for this effect to date. The paper, “A 12-week randomized double-blind...

A new study just published in Neurology showed that people taking proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as omeprazole (Prilosec) and esomeprazole (Nexium) have a 70% higher risk of having migraines or severe headaches...

Nolan Williams has been at the forefront of developing breakthrough TMS protocols for the treatment of depression and other psychiatric indications. It was very stimulating and informative to discuss techniques, protocols, indications...

I will be speaking on nutritional supplements for migraines and an update on triptans on April 20, 2024...

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is approved by the FDA for the treatment of depression and anxiety. We have been using it to treat migraine headaches and other neurological conditions that are not...

A recent national survey called the “Harris Poll Migraine Report Card” provides insight into the profound impact migraine has on people’s lives, especially those dealing with frequent attacks and high acute medication use...

A study published in the current issue of JAMA Neurology examined the risk of stroke and myocardial infarction (heart attack) after starting a triptan. Triptans have been in use for over 30 years and include drugs such as sumatriptan...

The famous Framingham Heart Study, spanning over 80 years from 1902 to 1985, looked at brain volumes across multiple generations of participants. The study analyzed MRI brain scans from 3,226 participants aged 45-74...

A new report suggests that CGRP-blocking drugs (CGRP-A) are safe in pregnancy. In the latest study, Swiss doctors examined the World Health Organization’s pharmacovigilance database and looked at reporting differences between...

A new study by Harvard researchers suggests that there is no connection between caffeine consumption and migraine headaches. I am not convinced. This study was small and had only 12 out of 97 participants consume 3-4...

Because of my research and publications on magnesium, I was contacted by Nutrisense. This company helps people without diabetes improve their diet and “metabolic health”. They are interested in educating people about the...

I am once again honored to participate in the annual meeting of the Headache Cooperative of the Northeast to be held March 7-9 at the Stamford Marriott Hotel and Spa in Stamford, CT.

We use a neuronavigation system from Soterix (on the left) for precise targeting of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). And we use the most advanced TMS machine from MagVenture (on the right) to treat chronic pain...

Medication overuse or rebound headaches can occur as the result of excessive intake of caffeine, opioid analgesics, and short-acting barbiturate drug, butalbital (contained in Fioricet, Esgic and similar drugs). These three substances...

Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) are a class of medications commonly used to treat conditions such as acid reflux, ulcers, and heartburn. They include omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid), esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole...

The annual course, “The Shifting Migraine Paradigm 2024” will be held February 15-17, 2024 at the Plaza San Antonio Hotel & Spa. This three-day conference offers an excellent update on the treatment of migraine and other...

Homocysteine, an amino acid crucial for cellular metabolism and protein synthesis, is naturally produced by the body. However, either too low or too high levels in the body can lead to significant health issues. Insufficient...

Lack of sleep is a common migraine trigger. A less common trigger is getting too much sleep. I always recommend that patients try to go to sleep at the same time and get up at the same time. Even on weekends. Instead of...

My recent blog post on supplement combinations mentioned one that contains magnesium, riboflavin, and feverfew. I did not mention its name to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. I am a paid consultant...

The thyroid function test is in the initial battery of blood tests we order on all our headache patients (along with RBC magnesium, vitamins D, B12, folate, and others). Having either an overactive or underactive thyroid...

Neurologists diagnose migraine by the description of symptoms provided by the patient. We have not had an objective test to confirm that a person suffers from migraines. A group of researchers led by Dr. Yiheng Tu in the...

I tell most of my patients that after physical exercise, meditation is the second-best preventive treatment for migraine headaches. It turns out that meditation is not an unalloyed good. In a recent podcast, Tim Ferris...

Every patient visiting our clinic undergoes a routine blood test, which includes an assessment for magnesium and vitamin deficiencies. We know that close to 50% of patients with migraines are deficient in magnesium and...