By Mark Hyman, M.D.
What disabling condition affects one in five Americans and is poorly treated with conventional medicine – yet is nearly 100 percent preventable by addressing the underlying causes? Migraines!
But these aren’t just any headaches. These severe, nearly disabling headaches can occur from once a year to three to four times a week. They can last from hours to days, creating suffering for millions of people.
They are often associated with an aura, light sensitivity, nausea, vomiting, and severe throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head. They can even be associated with stroke-like symptoms or paralysis. And the cost to society is enormous.
Migraine headaches add $13 billion to $17 billion to our healthcare costs each year.
These costs include medications, emergency department visits, hospitalization, physician services (primary care and specialty), laboratory and diagnostic services, and managing the side effects of treatment.
Those are the direct costs from treatment. But migraines have indirect costs too.
Headache is the most frequent pain-related complaint among workers. Focusing specifically on migraine, one study found that the annual cost to employers exceeded $14.5 billion, of which $7.9 billion was due to absenteeism and $5.4 billion to diminished productivity.
So this is a HUGE problem – both to those who suffer and to society as a whole.
Worse, migraines are hard to treat and very difficult to prevent with conventional approaches.
There are a host of preventive drugs – calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, anti-seizure medications, antidepressants, and more – which work poorly, if at all, and are accompanied by frequent side effects. Some doctors are now even using Botox to paralyze neck muscles in the hopes of easing migraines.
There is a new class of medication called triptans (like Imitrex, Maxalt, and Zomig) that can stop a migraine once it starts. Though these have made migraine sufferers handle the attacks better, they also have serious potential side effects, including strokes, and are expensive. Still other treatments can lead to addiction or dependence.
Not a pretty picture. And for many, none of these treatments work very well or at all.
The problem with migraines is the same that we see so often in medicine: We treat the symptoms, not the cause.
We only deal with the effects of something and not the underlying 7 keys to UltraWellness. In fact, using Functional medicine and UltraWellness I have been able to get nearly 100 percent of my patients migraine free – within days to weeks.
Many of my patients are doctors themselves and are often at the end of their rope.
One was a physician from the Mayo Clinic, the Mecca of conventional medicine. This woman had severe, disabling migraines and barely functioned at work. She depended on oxycodone (a strong morphine-like narcotic) and Zofran (a powerful anti-nausea drug used for chemotherapy patients). She had seen every specialist at the Mayo Clinic and had traveled far and wide to other top neurology headache centers but never found relief.
Why Couldn’t the Mayo Clinic End Her Severe Migraines?
Everybody focused on her headaches, not her other symptoms – which held all of the clues to her problem. You see, migraine is no different from any other disease. It’s simply the NAME we call a set of symptoms that are common in groups of people.
The NAME tells us NOTHING about the CAUSE of the symptoms, which may be very different depending on the person.
93 Research Studies Prove This is Best For Pain Relief
In fact, there may be more than 20 different causes of migraine headaches!
My job is to be a medical detective and find these causes.
It is not to simply prescribe powerful symptom-suppressive drugs. I remember very well working in the emergency room, treating all the chronic migraine patients with intravenous narcotics and nausea medication. I felt bad for them, but worse that I didn’t have a way to prevent them from coming back. Now I do.
So what happened to this doctor who suffered migraines nearly every day for years with no relief? First, I asked her a lot of questions. She had many symptoms – including palpitations, severe constipation, anxiety, insomnia, muscle cramps, and menstrual cramps – in addition to her migraines. All of these symptoms are connected.
They told me that her whole system was tight and irritable and crampy. That usually means severe magnesium deficiency, which often results from poor diet, caffeine, sugar, alcohol, and stress. So I put her on high doses of magnesium and cleaned up her diet. Within a couple of days, she was migraine free and never had another migraine.
She’s not the only success story. Another patient had disabling migraines for 45 years and could not have a social life or plan anything because she spent most of her time in bed with the lights out. She had an allergy to eggs. No eggs, no migraines – except when she felt so good after 3 months that she decided to have an egg and ended up in the hospital with a 3-day migraine.
Another patient always had migraines before her period, along with severe PMS, bloating, sugar cravings, breast tenderness, and irritability. This is related to hormonal imbalances, with too much estrogen and too little progesterone. Getting her hormones back in balance relieved her of her migraines.
Yet another patient had genetic problems with her mitochondria and energy metabolism and needed high doses of vitamin B2 and coenzyme Q10 to get relief. And one recent patient had persistent abdominal bloating after eating, which told me she had overgrowth of bacteria in her small bowel. When we cleared out these bacteria with a non-absorbed antibiotic, all of her migraines went away.
One patient who lived on Diet Coke didn’t get rid of her migraines until she gave up the artificial sweetener aspartame. Another patient had low blood sugar episodes that triggered migraines, so eating small, frequent meals of whole foods stopped the headaches.
And lastly, one patient always got her headaches after exercise in the heat or with dehydration. As you can see, even though these patients may all have the SAME symptoms, their treatment must be DIFFERENT.
So getting the full story – with the keys of UltraWellness – is so important.
Keep in mind that sometimes a combination of treatments is necessary. Other treatments can be helpful in selected cases, such as herbal therapies (feverfew and butterbur), acupuncture, homeopathy, massage, and osteopathic treatment to fix structural problems.
The bottom line is that this problem – which affects one in five Americans and costs society $17 billion a year – is almost entirely preventable, simply by following the principles of Functional Medicine and UltraWellness. So get to the bottom of your symptoms – and get ready for migraine relief.
Here are the most important causes of migraines and their associated symptoms, and the tests to identify problems.
Food Allergy/Bowel and Gut Imbalances
The symptoms: Fatigue, brain fog, bloating, irritable bowel syndrome, joint or muscle pain, postnasal drip and sinus congestion, and more.
The testing: Check an IgG food allergy panel and also check a celiac panel because wheat and gluten are among the biggest causes of headaches and migraines. Stool testing and urine testing for yeast or bacterial imbalances that come from the gut can also be helpful.
The treatment: An elimination diet – getting rid of gluten, dairy, eggs, and yeast – is a good way to start. Corn can also be a common problem. Getting the gut healthy with enzymes, probiotics, and omega-3 fats is also important.
Chemical Triggers
The causes: A processed food diet including aspartame, MSG (monosodium glutamate), nitrates (in deli meats), sulfites (found in wine, dried fruit, and food from salad bars) is to blame. Tyramine-containing foods like chocolate and cheese are also triggers.
The treatment: Get rid of additives, sweeteners, sulfites and processed food. Eat a diet rich in whole foods and phytonutrients.
Hormonal Imbalances
The causes: Premenstrual syndrome with bloating, fluid retention, cravings, irritability, breast tenderness, menstrual cramps; use of an oral contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy; or even just being pre-menopausal, which leads to too much estrogen and not enough progesterone because of changes in ovulation.
The testing: Blood or saliva hormone testing looks for menopausal changes or too much estrogen.
The treatment: Eat a whole-foods, low-glycemic-load, high-phytonutrient diet with flax, soy, and cruciferous vegetables. Use herbs such as Vitex, along with magnesium and B6. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and refined carbohydrates. Exercise and stress reduction also help.
Magnesium Deficiency
The symptoms: Anything that feels tight or crampy, like headaches, constipation, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, sensitivity to loud noises, muscle cramps or twitching, palpitations, etc.
The testing: Check red blood cell magnesium levels. Even this can be normal in the face of total body deficiency, so treatment with magnesium based on the symptoms is the first choice.
The treatment: Magnesium glycinate, citrate or aspartate in doses that relieve symptoms or until you get loose bowels. If you have kidney disease of any kind, do this only with a doctor’s supervision.
Mitochondrial Imbalances
The symptoms: Fatigue, muscle aching, and brain fog, although sometimes the only symptom can be migraines.
The testing: Checking urinary organic acids can be helpful to assess the function of the mitochondria and energy production.
The treatment: Taking 400 mg of riboflavin (B2) twice a day and 100 to 400 mg a day of coenzyme Q10 can be helpful, as can as other treatments to support the mitochondria.
Keep in mind that sometimes a combination of treatments is necessary. Other treatments can be helpful in selected cases, such as herbal therapies (like feverfew and butterbur), acupuncture, homeopathy, massage, and osteopathic treatment to fix structural problems.
The bottom line is that this problem — which affects one in five Americans and costs society $24 billion a year — is almost entirely preventable, simply by following the principles of Functional Medicine and UltraWellness. So get to the bottom of your symptoms — and get ready for migraine relief. It’s the best way to move toward lifelong vibrant health.
Now I’d like to hear from you…
Do you suffer from migraines?
What treatments have you tried and how are they working?
Have you found a connection between the causes I’ve mentioned and your headaches?
What steps have you taken to address them?
Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
To your good health,
Mark Hyman, M.D.
http://www.ultrawellness.com
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My 44 year old female friend suffers from migraines and has seen many different doctors to no avail. She speaks very little English.
I would like to know if you have your explanation about migraines in Spanish.
I have done considerable research and yours appears to have the strongest and most inclusive and sensible approach to the migraine problem my friend suffers from.
One Dr.’s approach to the problem was addressing the harmonal imbalance which yielded impressive and positive results, but you covered that approach plus considerably more.
Some of my friend’s symptoms are Bloating, constipation, sleeplessness , pain all over, fatigue , lack of appetite , sensitivity , puffy eyes and very strong pain on one side of the face and sometimes all her face.
She may have other symptoms but her migraines are frequent and very debilitating. She spends a lot of time in bed in the dark.
She found some relief with the orange peel patch on or near the highest pain concentration spot, but if she leaves the patch in place too long it will cause a skin burn appearance which will last for days sometimes.
I would appreciate your comments,…preferably in good Medical Spanish or I will try to translate them to her.
I can advice her to take your advice to her doctor and let him perform the tests recommended to determine a guide to the best recommended treatment.
In this case , I can leave your name out of the communication, if you wish.
I speak read and write Spanish very well , but find the translation of medical terminology rather difficult.
Your answer will be greatly appreciated, in English or Spanish. Thank you.
Sincerely , Alberto Hernandez
Garland Texas
I suffered with pre-menopausal migraines for 10 years. They occurred just before my period, and lasted for 4 days. Doctors tried to make the food or chemical connections, even when I told them when they happened. They prescribed the usual drugs, Zomig, Imitrex, Cafergot. All knocked me off my feet, made me totally non-functional. One doc even tried injectable synthetic progestins – big mistake. Caused all kinds of mysterious body pains that took years to get rid of.
I finally saw a doc on TV talking about progesterone cream. Tried it and voila ! Worked like a charm ! I used it religiously for about 4 years. After that time, it seemed to be less effective for other menopausal symptoms, but I’ve never had the migraines return – thank god !
Hi Jesse and everyone,
Please help me …find what I and many others need to quiet the “frying” sound in my ears !! ringing in the ears is constant & is making my life a torment…doesn’t let me sleep or focus at my daytime life, either.
Please if u can help me with this I will do a testimonial and more and be ur no. 1 client. I promise.
Tina
Please consider reading the book GET IT UP written by Dr’s Soma Grismaijer and Sydney Ross Singer about the Migraine Project.
I have had migraines since I was 9. I am now 43. I also have had IBS since age 14 and was recently diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I am sure all these things are related somehow, and am currently trying diet changes to see if I get some improvement. We’ll see where I go from there.
Thank you for an informative post. I have saved this one to my files.
I am 69 years old and have migraines nearly every day. They began in my 20s, but I only had auras with no pain. Then about 12 years ago, I began to have the headaches. I also have a rheumatic heart condition and use blood thinner. The only medication (and my doctor and I tried then all) that has brought me relief is Zomig. But, it is true that it is expensive and I’m lucky that I have an insurance plan from my previous employer (I am now retired) that pays most of the cost. My triggers are: change in barometric pressure and stress. Not much I can do about the bp. I usually know around 8 or so hours before a change is taking place in the weather.
I have suffered migraines for ten years. I feel the connection is muscular. When I use my right arm/ shoulder to scrub or vacuum more than a little it seems to set off a neck, upper rhomboid muscle spasm and bing the next day I have a migraine. working the muscle to make it stronger has not been successful. I have tried keeping a diary to see what else it could be and it always go back to the muscle getting tight first. ??would love to find an answer.
I was started years ago on a very tiny dose of Cozaar once a day by a neurologist and it has been a miracle. Normally it is used to treat high blood pressure, but this was at that time a relatively new use for the drug. I now avoid some migraine triggers like chocolate and wine, and have never since had a headache I couldn’t get rid of in about an hour with a simple dose of Excedrine. I still feel them start usually due to sinus conditions, but if I quickly intervene with the Excedrine, it is gone. Never the severe headaches for days. I highly reccommend this treatment.
I am now 66. From 1958 until 1994, I suffered from cluster headaches, as did my father.
These headaches lasted for 45 to 90 minutes, once or twice per day, for 90 to 120 days. The pain was excruciating and felt like someone was jabbing an ice pick into my left eye.
Starting in 1972, I received treatment from Dr. Seymour Diamond, of the Diamond Headache clinic in Chicago. Dr. Diamond prescribed various preventive medicines (partially effective) and ergot-amine tartrate to be taken at the onset of headache. These sub-lingual ergots worked only if taken within about 3 minutes after the onset of headache.
Dr. Diamond’s books on headache, “More than Two Aspirin” and “Hope for your headache”, describes cluster headaches in a chapter called “Man’s Most Terrible Pain.” His research shows that cluster headaches have no psychological or dietary cause and are not seasonal.
In 1989, I tried eating raw hot peppers — cayenne, piquin, habanero — thinking they would provide a distraction from the pain. I was surprised to find that the headache ceased within 10-11 minutes. I also found that they were effective even 20 or 30 minutes after the onset of headache. I also found that it’s not necessary to swallow the peppers — only to circulate the fluid in the mouth for two minutes.
Capsaicin, the substance that makes peppers hot, causes the body to stop producing “substance P”, a neuro-chemical that transmits the sensation of pain. A neuroscientist explained several remarkable properties of capsaicin.
My last:
Hot peppers have worked for some migraine patients also.
My headaches seemed to be behind my right eye, not left eye.
Interesting info on migraines. Thanks to J Fox for suggestion to eat chili peppers. Do you have any additional advice regarding “cluster migraines”??? Have had these since the age of 17. The onset of a cluster is quite random and mine are on the left eye and lasts around 3 months with “migraines” 2-3 times a day. My dr in NZ has tried numerous drugs to no avail. Usually end up with the imigran but go through them so quickly the pharmacist requires me to sign a waiver acknowledging the danger. A new cycle seems to be starting and I am terrified…life is all too hard when they come.
I am 35 years old and I have been suffering from migraines for as long as I can remember. My mother is also having that problem. I have greatly improved my situation by diet changes, basically avoiding the “chemical triggers” mentionned above and avoiding all refined sugars especially soft drinks and fruit juice, these reck havok with my insuline and cause severe headackes because of hypoglycemia (I should point out that I am not diabetic). That got rid of half of my migranes. Another thing that was usefull was avoiding medication that contain narcotics such as codeine. It might ease the pain at first, but it will make the migraine last much longuer. My migraines used to last for 2-3 days. When I stopped using codeine medication, it reduced to about 10 to 12h. And I have learned many other ways to ease the pain. The use of heat (find a source of dry heat, like magic cushion that you heat up in the microwave) in the neck and cold (cold water cloth) on the forehead. I find it helps greatly, even resolving the headacke completely, probably because it activates the circulation of blood in the head and neck. Other things to try are EFT (emotional freedom technique) and I have found lately a device of electrostimulation called SCENAR which does nothing less than miracles for me. Pretty much all migraines caused by muscular tension in the back and neck can be soothed with the SCENAR. I also have received some ostheopatic treatments to help with back pain and that also helped my migraines (which where completely gone for a while). I have also found that bioenergetic exercices (see Alexander Lowens) are freeing tension and soothing headackes. That’s it for now, I continuing my quest to still find the remaining causes of my migraines. Thanks for the article, I’ll investigate it for myself.
I’m 35 years old and i’v had migraines for almost 10 years.
I’m a coffee drinker. (2 to 4 cups a day).
I noticed that whenever i don’t drink my coffee in the morning the migraine starts to kick in till it gets gradually worse the whole day.
I never get migraines whenever I have my coffee n the morning.
So i came to a conclusion that coffee is the culprit for my migraine.
I tried stopping my coffee intake for six months. And My migraine completely vanished! I just have to take a painkiller like (dolfenal) on the first 2 days to ease the pain from quiting coffee. But after that, it’s total freedom from pain!
i told my friends who suffer the same thing to quit coffee and it worked for them too.
But I really love Coffee. specially “Barako”. So I chose to take coffee every morning again instead. making sure i always have ground coffee with me and a portable brewer whenever i go out of town. Hehehe 🙂
Oh one more thing, try to avoid food loaded with MSG! Very strong trigger for migraine.
Cheers! 🙂
I had suffered with migraines for twenty years – tried everything from herbs to convential medicine, had brain scans, seen 4 neurologists in different countries but found no relief. Till I had a colonoscopy for severe abdominal pains – seemed I was allergic to that little bit of milk that I had in my morning coffee!!! No dairy – no migraines! Plus by now I have worked out other triggers – cocoa in good quality chocolate, bananas, citrus and soyal milk. All these cause a headach which always became a migraine. At one stage I suffered so many migraines that the medication would trigger them as well. I stopped the cycle by having botox injections (30 at a time) mainly around the temple area and neck and weaned myself off the medication (zomig, maxalt and heaps of codeine!). The best thing is too keep a diary so you can see how much medication you are taking (affects your liver and kidneys) and too work out your triggers. There is a life out there for you – each person is different so it is up to you to discover what will work for you. Stress, weather changes, dehydration, lack of suffient sleep, food and drink, lack of certain nutrients – all these play a part.
I’ve suffered from migraines for 19 years and they gotten steadily more frequent to the point where I had to go on medical leave from grad school last year and now I spend most of my time in bed. I’m on pain-killers (which also cause rebound headaches), prescriptions, botox injections and, now, medical marijuana. I’m trapped at home by the pain. I have a chiropractor. I’ve tried allergists, acupuncture, massage, exercise/stretching, eating a raw diet, cutting out sweeteners, removing all metal jewelry, prayer, and even suicide. Nothing has changed. Light and sound bother me terribly and I’m bloated most of the time, but the raw diet didn’t help with that like it should.
My headache isn’t a true migraine. It’s permanent and I’ve had it for 23 years. In that time I have tried everything – you name it, I’ve tried it! I also have a stiff neck and facial pain. No diagnosis.
Well, that’s it. I’m still trying – massage to ease the stiff muscles of my neck and shoulders – but it would take a miracle after so many years.
Thank you for your article. I have had headpain (headaches) that started exactly 6 weeks after my daughter was born in 1973. The doctors admitted me to the hospital for tests then, and many times since, and have never really been able to diagnois the problem, saying that I have all 3 kinds of headaches, when one stops the other takes over so the pain never stops, day or night, only the intensity differs. I am now 60 years old, I do had IBS, fibromyalgia, and have seen so many doctors and tryied every treatment and gimick that came along over the years, when you are in pain you will try anything. Botox, chiroprators, accutpunctorists, phychiatrists, neurologists, physical therapists, nutritionists, of course they have tried so many medicines, I have tried to come off the medicines to see if that would help, to no avail. I did approach Mayo Clinic in Jax. at one time but they said no to me, they didn’t have anything that could help me I was told. I just would like to have some time of me life that is left, with a higher quality of life, the pain takes such a toll on my life, my husband has suffered, as did my daughter, we can never plan things, not knowing if I’ll be having a good or bad day, etc. I worked for 14 years outside the home, living on medication, struggling, thru every day, as a working parent, but the pain finally took it’s toll and I had to quit. I was almost bedbound for 2 years, my adrenaline was depleted and my hormones were comepletely shot, I was tested and the test said I was at .03 out of 40. I watch what I eat, I kn0ow most of my triggers for my really bad headaches, thankfully they are more limited because I am now on Topiramate I still have the pain 24/7 the intensity changes due to barametric pressure, heat, stress, and mostly I don’t know why and wished I did. Thank you for listening, if you can think of anything that might help I would be forever grateful as would my family. Debbie Taylor Jacksonville, FL
I have had headaches since I was a child; I am 60 now. I remember coming home from school and going to bed for hours until I finally vomited, which finaly gave me some relief. No one called them migraines then, but I’m sure they were. When I was in my 40’s, I started keeping track of when I had them, how severe they were, and if I had any idea of what I might have eaten or done that would cause it. I was most affected when I would be in a room with second-hand cigarette smoke, got less than 6 hours sleep, or ate raw onions. I reached a point of having some form of headache most of the time, many that would bring about nausea and vomiting, and those that would put me to bed at least once a week. Often I would wake up with them in the morning and have them until well into the evening, usually about 14 hours; those were the worst. If they would start when I was out, I would sometimes have trouble driving myself home as I couldn’t concentrate or keep my eyes open.
Then, when I was 50, my doctor said, don’t you think it is time to do something about this, which I agreed I should. So I went to 3 different neurologists. The first two doctors went through the normal drugs which did nothing to prevent or treat. The third doctor determined through much questioning that mine were caused by a nerve issue in my brain, that these nerves were so irritated that they were ready to fire off a headache for any reason at any time. He prescribed a drug called Lyrica, which was designed for diabetic neuropathy, to calm the nerves and interrupt the cycle of one headache leading to the next. Thankfully, they started to lessen in frequency, and then after a couple of years, they seemed to be very minor. I could control any headaches I got very quickly with Excedrin. I started to wean myself off the medication until I no longer take it at all. I have been without migraines for 4 years and without the Lyrica for 2. Life is so much better without having it interrupted by a headache.
I have a Medtronic Implantfor my migraines and I use both Amerge and Imitrex Injections on an as needed basis for my migraines, which I have suffered with since childhood; and, I am now a woman sixty-seven years old.
I must determine the use of the amerge vs. the Imitrex, since the amerge must be taken before the migraine begins, and the Imitrex injections after the start of a migraine. However, as you know, if I take the Amerge but don’t catch the headache, I must wait before taking the Injection. I have had a probelm with constipation for as long as I can remember. When I had my menses, I suffered every month with cramps that were so bad that at the beginning of each school year my family doctor would send a a Doctor’s excuse for the year, because I would be in bed with cramps for a minimum of 3 days. I would pass blood clots about the size of $.50 coins the first 3 days. However my period would last 7 days.
I know I cannot eat chinese food (nothing to do with the MSG) because I am in for a migraine. Lastly I have always suffered with constipation.
I feel that the Imitrex is a godsend, because it is the only thing that works and works quickly. The Medtronic no longer blocks the migraie. It only sends “scratchy waves through the leads that if left on to long give me neck discomfort, which leads to a “headache” not the same as the migraine. Outdoor heat, barametric pressure changes and muggy days , also trigger my migraines.
I am surprised that none of the migraine sufferers is taking the herb ‘Feverfew’.As far as I know it is the only thing that diminishes or eliminates migraines.
I DON’T GET MIGRAINE HEADACHES, I GET OPTICAL MIGRAINES; WHERE I SEE FLASHS OF LIGHT AND A HORSESHOE SHAPED RING THAT WAVERS. I FOUND THAT WHEN I WENT FROM CAFFINATED COFFEE TO DE-CAFFINATED COFFEE, I DON’T GET THEM VERY OFTEN.I DID’NT GET A HEADACHE WITH THEM, BUT THEY WERE VERY IRRATATING. I HAD AN ADVISE NURSE TELL ME A FEW YEARS AGO THAT THEY WERE NOT SERIOUS.I HPOE SHE WAS RIGHT.
I have had migraines off and on for about 25 years.Many times I will be awakened from a deep sleep with the onset of a migraine, the pain beginning. When I took birth control pills, I had no migraines. I believe that my migraines are hormonal related. They usually come just after my period, not before.
I also find that msg or red wine will trigger migraines other times of the month, so I am very careful to avoid these things. I have 1 to 2 cups of coffee daily, as my only source of caffeine (no pop). I have had my horomones tested and was told everything appears normal. They seem to be worse than they were years ago, to the point where I really feel desperate for some kind of relief, but am too ill to move to go to wait in a hospital emergency room.
2 T3’s with gravel no longer dull the pain. I have tried cutting out major sources of sugar, that appears to do nothing.
Try eating raw ginger…I get migranes (41 year old female, athletic) before my period and my husband (a raw food lover) started giving me chunks of raw ginger to chew on like gum. It works immediately to relieve the nausea I get with migranes and has helped the past 2 migranes. Also, I have a huge ice pack I put on my shoulder/back of neck when I feel them coming. I go to bed an hr early the first few days of my cycle and noticed a + difference…
I, too, suffer from migraines. I may go months without one, then have several in a short amount of time. It is sometimes difficult to know what the trigger is. However, often bright flashing lights will trigger one. Such as lights from a police car or fire truck. Where does this fall in to your list of causes?
Thanks.
I am not sure what my headaches are called. They are mostly in the left side of my head and the back of my head close to the scalp in both side and back, sometimes on the right side. They are nerve headaches, I think, because I have neuropathy in my feet. They get worse when I am in front of the computer, have a painful interaction with a relative in my house, or any stressful conversation with anyone. Stress increases the pain terribly. Do you have a natural cure or relief for these headaches? I take 400 mg of magnesium every evening. It is liquid in a pill. I take B complex every day. Only 50 mg of B2 are in it. I also take 1000 mg of Flaxseed Oil OR Fish Oil (300 mg) daily, and Curcumin (450 mg), and Vit. D. Should I continue to take all these or not? Where do I obtain Feverfew or Butterburr? Thanks so much.
Hi Carolyn,
Thank you for your post and questions.
We would advise you to consult your physician/healthcare provider about your headaches for an individual discussion and examination.
Thank you