Migraine Doctor(s): Tips on What to Avoid

What if you could inquire immoderate of the nation’s apical migraine doctors for proposal connected however to get power of your headaches? We did!

First, Stop the Self-Blame

“Patients travel to maine and say, ‘Oh, I shouldn’t person had that solid of vino erstwhile I went retired to dinner,’ oregon ‘I shouldn’t person stayed up truthful late.’ A lot of my migraine patients are benignant A personalities who are precise palmy and overachievers. I archer them it’s OK to gaffe up each erstwhile successful a while. You can’t forestall your migraines 100%. Berating yourself lone raises your accent levels, and we cognize accent is simply a apical trigger of migraine.”

Mary Ann Mays, MD

Drop the Extra Pounds

“We’ve known for a portion that radical who are obese are much apt to get migraines. They’re besides much apt to person chronic migraine, which means they get astatine slightest 8 a month. One mentation is that your other abdominous cells nutrient inflammatory proteins that trigger these headaches. The bully quality is if you suffer weight, probe shows your migraines volition improve.”

Alan Rapoport, MD

Ditch the 'Headache Diet'

“About 30% of migraine patients person astatine slightest 1 nutrient trigger. But the database of foods that tin perchance origin problems is overwhelming. Also, astir of the accusation astir nutrient triggers is anecdotal, not based connected studies. That’s wherefore I don’t urge that my patients spell connected a circumstantial 'headache' diet oregon debar definite foods. Why unit them to debar things they enjoy, erstwhile they whitethorn not adjacent beryllium a trigger successful the archetypal place? Instead, connected the days they get a headache, I person them deliberation backmost to what they’ve eaten implicit the past 24 hours. If immoderate of the foods are connected the trigger list, they tin debar them for a mates of weeks to spot if that makes a difference.”

Merle Diamond, MD

Get Treatment

“It sounds obvious, but it truly isn’t. More than fractional of each radical who get migraines are ne'er diagnosed. They’re astatine home, treating their headaches with over-the-counter medications. But this is bad. First, they are surviving with debilitating symptom erstwhile they don’t request to. Secondly, they extremity up taking over-the-counter symptom relievers similar ibuprofen oregon acetaminophen respective times a week, which tin pb to what’s known arsenic medicine overuse headache. This successful itself becomes a immense headache to woody with. Your superior attraction doc is simply a bully start, but if you can’t find relief, spot a headache specialist.”

Mary Ann Mays, MD

Consider Complementary Medicine

“There are a fewer supplements I urge to my patients. None are a panacea, but they tin sometimes assistance on with accepted medicine medications. They include:

• Butterbur. The accustomed dose is 50-75 milligrams doubly a day. I personally person not recovered it to beryllium excessively effectual successful my practice, though 1 of my astir challenging patients swears that she’s been cured by it
• Magnesium, 400 milligrams a day
• Melatonin, taken an hr oregon truthful earlier bedtime to regularize sleep
• Co-enzyme Q10. Usually, 300 milligrams a day
• Vitamin B2. 400 milligrams a day

Usually, I commencement with 1 for my patients, and if they don’t respond, I adhd a second. And if they inactive don’t respond but don’t person immoderate broadside effects, past I adhd a third.”

Alan Rapoport, MD

Have a Headache Plan

“The amended it is, the little apt you’ll beryllium to extremity up successful the ER. A batch of my patients request a three-prong strategy. The archetypal prong is an acute medicine similar a medicine triptan oregon ergot, to instrumentality erstwhile you consciousness your headache coming on. Then there’s a rescue medication, similar a prescription-strength NSAID, which you’ll instrumentality if that archetypal medicine didn’t work. Finally, if you get much than 8 headaches a month, you’ll astir apt request to beryllium connected a preventative medicine similar a beta-blocker oregon CGRP antagonist. If, aft each this, you’re inactive landing successful the ER, oregon you’re missing enactment due to the fact that of your headaches, you request to spot your headache specializer again to travel up with a amended plan. “

Merle Diamond, MD