Treating Migraines: New Ways to Treat Acute Migraine Headaches by Jacob Teitelbaum

What if migraine headaches were optional? The good news is that they are! As physicians, we are predominantly trained about the newest and most expensive medications. Unfortunately, most physicians never hear about the research on highly effective and safe treatments if they are low cost. Basically, we learn about the hammer in the toolkit. But not the rest of the tools. I find that when we use the whole toolkit of healing options, almost everybody can get migraine free.

So how do you begin treating acute migraines? Most of you are familiar with using Imitrex and other “tryptan” medications. These can be helpful and, because they are expensive, are what most physicians are taught about. But here is one tip you may not have heard about, which will guide you on how to use these medications.

A fascinating study at Harvard showed that 75 percent of migraine sufferers get painful sensitivity to normal touch around their eyes (e.g., wearing eyeglasses). If you use Imitrex before you get the pain and tenderness around the eyes, it will knock out the migraine 93 percent of the time. If the pain and tenderness around the eyes has already set in, Imitrex only eliminates migraines 13 percent of the time. So, it is better to use the tryptans early in the headache. In large part, this problem occurs because once the sensitivity around the eyes sets in, your stomach goes to sleep and will not absorb the medication. Taking caffeine with it can help wake your stomach wake up. Interestingly, Excedrin Migraine, which contains caffeine, is as effective as the Tryptans. So, this offers another useful tool.

The most effective way to eliminate an acute migraine that doesn’t respond to the medications? Giving 1g of magnesium intravenously will knock out 85 percent of acute migraines in 45 minutes – making it more effective than narcotics. If the emergency room doctor is not familiar with this research and will not give this treatment, develop a relationship with a holistic physician (visit ABIHM.org) who can. I’m happy to supply the studies on this treatment if you have an interested physician.

The herb Petadolex (butterbur) can also help with acute migraines.

The information on 30Seconds.com is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered medical advice. The information provided through this site should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease, and is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult your personal health care provider.

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