| The pain of a migraine headache is one of the | | | | often than not it is a combination of factors that |
| most excruciating pains that can be felt. A | | | | can precipitate any illness, and migraine is no |
| migraine headache is different from a tension | | | | exception. This makes prevention somewhat |
| headache both in its cause and severity - often | | | | tricky. It means that you have to consider all of |
| intensely throbbing and one-sided. Migraines affect | | | | the above elements in prevention. As a start I |
| approximately 8% of the Canadian population, | | | | would recommend the following. |
| females three times more frequently than males, | | | | The Bottom Line in Migraine Prevention |
| and can cause huge losses in time spent away | | | | |
| from work and pleasure. Migraine sufferers | | | | 1. Diet - eliminate all processed foods and pay |
| (migraineurs), also have to contend with nausea, | | | | special attention to the foods listed above that |
| vomiting, and increased sensitivities to light and | | | | contain tyramine, sulphites, and MSG. If nothing |
| sound in addition to the throbbing pain. The | | | | from this elimination helps, then next eliminate milk |
| headaches can last anywhere from hours to | | | | and dairy first, and then wheat, rye, oats, and |
| days; and many people end up in the emergency | | | | barley (all gluten contain foods) from your diet. If |
| rooms looking for relief. Migraine headaches are | | | | you do this around the time of your expected |
| vascular - small blood vessels in the brain expand | | | | migraine attacks, you should only have to |
| and press on nerves causing the pain; whereas | | | | eliminate these for 1-2 weeks before you know if |
| tension headaches are due to muscular | | | | they are having a negative impact. Do NOT |
| contraction. | | | | eliminate these staple foods for any longer period |
| Although the treatment of migraine has advanced | | | | without assistance from a health care practitioner. |
| somewhat in recent years with the advent of | | | | 2. Decrease stress through a regular relaxation |
| abortive medications, there is still a huge amount | | | | meditation program (as usual I recommend my |
| of suffering. As usual, not enough time is spent on | | | | "Learn to Unwind & Enjoy Your Life" CD |
| creating programs of prevention or alternative | | | | available from Accessing Resources for |
| methods of treatment other than medication. | | | | Empwerment). Above all, migraineurs should pace |
| From a preventive aspect migraine headaches can | | | | their lives as much as possible, prevent stress and |
| be divided into 3 categories: | | | | manage it well, rather than actually getting |
| | | | stressed and then having a migraine, if that is |
| 1. Allergies and intolerances | | | | your pattern. |
| 2. Stress | | | | 3. No migraineur should be on the birth control pill. |
| 3. Hormonal | | | | If your migraines are related to your menses (i.e. |
| 4. Some or all of the above | | | | they come on within a week of getting your |
| | | | period on a regular basis), and if they were ever |
| 1. Migraines can be triggered by many different | | | | absent during a pregnancy, you have a very good |
| substances in the diet. Most commonly these are | | | | chance of preventing any further attacks by |
| substances such as sulphites contained either | | | | having a program developed by my father, Dr. |
| naturally or as a preservative both in wine and | | | | Nevil Leyton of Harley St. London, UK, using a |
| some juices, particularly concentrated lemon and | | | | natural hormone called HCG (human chorionic |
| lime juice, as well as dried fruits. Here is a partial | | | | gonadotropin). This treatment is 80% effective in |
| list of foods that might contain sulphites - check | | | | preventing migraine in hormonally induced |
| the labels - canned vegetables, pickled foods, dried | | | | situations. More details can be found at Dr. |
| fruit, potato chips, vegetable juices, grape juice, | | | | Leyton's website in the 'free articles' section, |
| apple cider, fresh or frozen shrimp, guacamole, | | | | scrolling down to the article "Migraine - a natural |
| maraschino cherries, and dehydrated pre-cut or | | | | preventive treatment for the sufferer of |
| peeled potatoes. Sulphite-containing ingredients to | | | | hormonally related migraines". This treatment |
| look for on food labels include: Sulfur dioxide, | | | | must be given by a physician. |
| Potassium bisulphite or potassium metabisulphite, | | | | 4. Consider all of the above as possibilities as well |
| sodium bisulphite, sodium metabisulphite or sodium | | | | as the following: The use of some herbs has been |
| sulphite.Monosodium Glutamate or MSG, a | | | | found helpful - as a preventive feverfew is one |
| flavouring used in many prepared foods and often | | | | found in many health food and drug stores. |
| in Chinese food can also precipitate migraines as | | | | Recently one vitamin and two notable antioxidants |
| well as other symptoms. Migraines can also | | | | have been found to be useful in prevention. These |
| commonly be triggered by a substance known as | | | | are important new studies. Two studies have |
| tyramine. Tyramine is an amino acid that is often | | | | shown that taking a supplement called Coenzyme |
| present in larger quantities in aged cheese, fava | | | | Q10 in doses of 180 mg/day can reduce attack |
| or broad beans, sauerkraut, pickles, olives dark | | | | frequency by 50%. Another study using riboflavin |
| chocolate and red wine. Any fermented soy | | | | (Vitamin B2)at a dose of 400 mg daily can reduce |
| products may contain tyramine - for example | | | | attack frequency and severity by 50%. Both of |
| miso, soy sauce, and teriyaki sauce. Marmite® | | | | these take from 1-3 months to take effect. |
| and Vegemite®, processed fish and meats | | | | Nobody has studied these two together, but they |
| containing nitrites (such as hot dogs), citrus fruits, | | | | both act in the same area of the cell, so they |
| and caffeine can also be suspect. Almost any | | | | may be synergistic. The other study shows that |
| food can precipitate a migraine - I have seen both | | | | the antioxidant lipoic acid may have some |
| wheat and diary very specifically bring on a | | | | potential benefit at 600 mg/day, but this is by no |
| migraine headache. | | | | means conclusive. Side effects are non-existent in |
| 2. Stress can precipitate migraines as well. | | | | these new treatments. |
| Sometimes however, migraineurs do not get their | | | | For those interested in following this research the |
| headache until after the stress is over. This | | | | references to these are below. |
| paradoxical stress response is common. People | | | | Lancet(1942);1:488 Leyton, Nevil. Med. Press and |
| with migraines often push themselves to do more | | | | Circ.(1944);11:302 Leyton, Nevil. A New Approach |
| than they can comfortably manage, and they do | | | | to the Treatment of Migraine. |
| well during the stress itself, and the migraine | | | | Med. Press and Circ.(1951) 226:46 Leyton, Nevil |
| comes on only after the stressful period is over. | | | | Migraine and Periodic Headache- A Modern |
| 3. The hormonal aspect of migraines is probably | | | | Approach to Successful Treatment by Nevil |
| the most overlooked aspect. We know that the | | | | Leyton MA, MRCS, LRCP. William Heinemann |
| birth control pill can make migraines worse and | | | | Medical Books Ltd.(1954 - 2nd edition) |
| that it can also precipitate migraines in those who | | | | Headache 2007 Jan;47(1):52-7 Lipoic Acid A |
| have not suffered prior to taking it. There is a | | | | randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of |
| danger in taking the pill if you have migraine, | | | | thioctic acid in migraine prophylaxis |
| especially if you have an 'aura' before the migraine | | | | Neurology 2005 Feb 22;64(4):713-5.Efficacy of |
| comes on, as there is an increased likelihood of | | | | coenzyme Q10 in migraine prophylaxis: a |
| stroke in migraineurs with auras and those who | | | | randomized controlled trial. |
| take the birth control pill. Migraines can occur | | | | Cephalalgia 2002 Mar;22(2):137-41.Open label trial |
| exclusively premenstrually, coming on 7-10 days | | | | of coenzyme Q10 as a migraine preventive. |
| prior to the beginning of the cycle, and then | | | | Rozen TD, Oshinsky ML, Gebeline CA, Bradley KC |
| magically disappearing a few days after the cycle | | | | Young WB Shechter |
| begins. | | | | Canadian Family Physician 2003 October;49:1291-3 |
| 4. We all tend to look for a single cause for | | | | High-dose riboflavin for prophylaxis of migraine |
| migraines or any illness for that matter, and more | | | | Corinne Breen, MD Adrian Crowe, MD Heather J. |