Guest guest Posted March 2, 2001 Report Share Posted March 2, 2001 wrote of 39 yr old women.. Just to back up the idea of the functionality of the migraine..i.e taking the sufferer completely out of life and allowing breakdown and build up...I get migraines when things are far too busy (I have been known to spend whole council meetings like death on the floor)..one of the most useful herbs I have found is Lavendula..I use the PG in quite high doses..upto 40ml per week..I once managed to drive to A and E.. only because of the Lavender shifting me far enough through a migraine...after I have had a migraine I feel fantastic!! Other common herbs I use for patients are a diffusa//Vib op (FE)/..with livery things..I must say my migraines are reducing in severity and occurrence...this is because I am resting more generally and not being forced into crisis convalescence. For interest also I frequently rec. manipulation of some kind..many woemn have a pelvis misalignment/tilt or SI problems which has a knock on effect on the neck..I find this is more the case when a strong symptom is nausea.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 2, 2001 Report Share Posted March 2, 2001 <Can anyone help me re a patient with chronic migraine 39, had migraines almost monthly or every 2 weeks since age10 with nausea, vomiting, dizziness, oversensitivity to noise, colour, smell>and fatigue. She has to go to bed all day. Now, migraines tend to come>around her period, but not always.> Dear It sounds as though she has migraine without aura - ie no prodromal symptoms, scotoma etc. Diet is undoubtedly one trigger factor but so is dieting, fasting, caffeine and nicotine withdrawal,drugs including painkillers and anti-migraine medicine, anaemia and low blood sugar. Structural problems are another possibility. Misalignment of jaw, neck, spine. TMJ problems can start in childhood with orthodontic treatment. Chronic teeth-clenching and grinding especially at night upset the balance of the jaws, set up chronic muscle spasm. In the latter case a dentist can help with a tooth guard and specific exercises. There are trigger points you can use as a first-aid measure. Hormonal surges are another trigger, and I suspect that the premenstrual low blood sugar may have an effect. Using the contraceptive pill may be a factor. Vitex can help with hormonal migraine. Miscellanous triggers include fluorescent lights, VDUs etc; weather changes; Exercise, Sex, Stress and relase of stress. Some research has shown that 400 mg of B2 daily helps prevent migraine. B2 energises mitochondria which tend to underperform in between migraine attacks. (NB must take a Bcomplex daily to prevent B2 induced imbalance of other Bs). Melatonin has been used to treat migraine - it seems that low levels lead to more frequent attacks and it's interesting that Tanacetum parthenum contains melatonin. A management strategy could evaluate the possible structural problems (osteopath, dentist); try elimination diet taking out common food triggers like chocolate, oranges, hard cheese, red wine, pilchards, food additives etc. If low blood sugar is a likely trigger then eating little and often could help. Anaemia can be tested for. As a quick indicator, I ask patients which they would employ to relieve migraine: a warm pack or a cold pack on the forehead or neck. Depending on the answer plus other clues from the case history, they are given " cold " or " hot " herbs. For example, a first aid prescription to be taken at the first sign of trouble in one or two 5m doses: For a cold migraine, relieved by heat, would include circulatory stimulants like Zingiber; Vibirnum, Anenome pulsatilla, Betonica. A forehead rub of Rosmarinus essential oil can help. For a hot migraine, relieved by cold, Tanacetum, Viburnum and Valeriana. A forehead rub of essential oil of peppermint with a touch of Eucalyptus can help too. Tanacetum can be effective as a preventative especially for the " hot " type. I had great success with a young woman with severe migraines at period time with 10 gtt Tanacetum once daily. The dose frequency was gradually reduced over one year to three times a week, twice a week and once a week to nothing and she has been fine. Longer term herbal treatment of underlying contributory problems will depend on what the situation is. I think that Migraine is multifactorial in origin. Something sets up a capacity for hypersensitity to stimuli (stress, menstrual cycle), after which anything that on it's own wouldn't be a problem, suddenly becomes a trigger. Dr Oliver Sacks wrote a book on the history of Migraine and one case which intrigued me was of a person with asthma who suffered from periodic severe migraines. When the migraine was on, he was completely clear of asthma symptoms and as soon as he was clear of the migraine, the asthma symptoms returned. I am sure we all have exammples of this kind of periodic " flip-flop " switch from one condition to another, probably best explained by energetics. All the best Morag Chacksfield BSc, MNIMH moragchacksfield@... _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 2, 2001 Report Share Posted March 2, 2001 Migraine .. She's 39, had migraines almost monthly or every 2 weeks since age > 10 with nausea, vomiting, dizziness, oversensitivity to noise, colour, smell > and fatigue. She has to go to bed all day. > > > She's constantly tired at the moment -has family and studies full time, so > lots of stress. > > > > They may simply be a fatigue problem - I have seen a few people with migraines in a similar situation - the migraine is telling them to stop, and then to look after themselves better.It sounds like you're approaching it in all the right directions, but it may just need more input from her on a lifestyle basis - much harder to persuade someone to do than take a herbal mixture! Good luck and best wishes Maggie MacMillan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 7, 2001 Report Share Posted March 7, 2001 From Hedley, Sounds as if the migraines are there waiting and only come up before her period since that is when any lurking symptom will appear. You don't say if you have tried Feverfew +/- Skullcap +/- ginger for nausea at very first signs. In intractable cases add some Alecost - tr available from Granary. > Can anyone help me re a patient with chronic migraine? I'm having no > success after 4 months of Tx and have no previous experience of treating > migraine. She's 39, had migraines almost monthly or every 2 weeks since age > 10 with nausea, vomiting, dizziness, oversensitivity to noise, colour, smell > and fatigue. She has to go to bed all day. Now, migraines tend to come > around her period, but not always. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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