Jumped the Synapse: Thoughts without sponsors!

These are my thoughts that don't fit in my other blogs. They'll eventually cover a large range of topics.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Migraine or Concussive Headaches

The following recommendations were made by a neurologist to reduce headaches in one specific person suffering from migraine and/or concussive headaches. They involve a spectrum of recommendations, from modern pharmaceutical, to relaxation techniques.

None are designed as a single "silver bullet", but are intended to reduce the frequency and severity of the headaches, over time.

The recommendations include:
  1. Yoga for breathing and relaxation techniques;
  2. Proper sleep hygiene (here);
  3. Magnesium tablets (believed to help migraine sufferers), between 500-1000 mgs daily (known side effect can be loose bowel movements; if so, taper dose down);
  4. A three times a day dose of 50 mg of the herb, Butterbur, known to interfere with inflamatory responses in the brain as well as moderating pain (butterburresearch.org);
  5. The pharmaceutical, Topamax, an epilepsy medication. These medications are now being used in patients with concussion symptoms, and or various degrees of TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). This patient is to start at 25 mg once daily (week one); week two is 25 mg twice a day; and at the third week and thereafter is 25 mg x2, twice daily (i.e. 100 mg total). Side effects can include some memory issues, tingling (this means it's working), weight loss, and 1% of patients get kidney stones.

Please seek your own medical opinion from your own health care practitioner for your own particular specific condition.