new findings in the brain of a migraine sufferer

[Steely]

This is fascinating for those of us with migraines or difficult children with migraines. My son, has alway had a mood liability that lingers for about 24 hours after the migraine is over, and I have always wondered why. Not sure if this explains it, but it gives some amazing insight into how the brain is actually, physically, affected by migraines.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071119/sc_nm/migraine_brain_dc

 

[meowbunny]

That a migraine is neurological is no surprise to me. I do believe that migraines are enhanced by constriction of blood vessels but never quit believed they caused them. It would be nice if they finally found the underlying cause but one step at a time, I suppose.

This study did raise some questions -- if the cortex is thinner for those with Alzheimers, autism and thicker for those suffering migraines, what happens to the patient who has at least two of these neurological issues. The next round of studies and results should be interesting. Hopefully, it will be with those who do not suffer them as frequently or have just started having migraines so that there is a better clue which comes first -- the thick cortex or the migraine.

Thank you for finding and bringing this up, though. Being a long-time migraine sufferer, even partial answers help.

 

[Steely]

I agree meow, I was thinking the same thing. Does this mean that autistic kids don't have migraines, obviously not, but it interesting that the cortex is thinner in autistic kids. Do they have less? And I agree, the study needs to be maybe be done on really young children followed over a lifetime, to see when the cortex thickens.

 

[Star*]

I suffer from about 15 migraines a month - the other 15 days I have a low grade headache, I haven't had a head hurt free day in quite a while.

My doctor had no idea what to do and put me on a ton of medicine I could not afford. I looked into holistic herbs like Butterfew, but it's not a lot less expensive than medications.

I get crippling migraines about 3 times a year and have to go to the ER. I can't talk, I can't walk, my blood pressure shoots up so high I'm in stroke range. I was on epilepsy medicine for seizures and a bunch of it. It did cause me to loose weight but it gave me the "dumb".

I have charted mine for the past 5 years and know some of the causes - weather changes will put my head in a vise; unavoidable, but true. Strong perfume or cologne? Instant. And the time of the month thing - I'd prefer to go crawl in a hole. I have PMDD, PCOS AND migraines.

What I have been doing that seems to help is start an aspirin regiment. I take 4 Bayer coated aspirin a day. I don't know if it thins out my blood or helps with the blood vessel constriction -and it does NOT get rid of migraines, it just helps with the daily headaches.

I also stopped drinking coffee and severely limit my caffeine intake. That almost killed me - going off caffeine for me was harder than giving up smoking. And it hurt worse too - but I'm better with it all now.

I try to watch the things I eat and see if they cause a headache - I do know that processed cheese will give me an instant headache - weird huh?

Sorry for anyone that has these - truly awful
Hugs
Star

 

[TerryJ2]

Wow, that's really weird. I can't believe they totally discounted the way the blood vessels dilate instead of contract. I think it's both that and the thickening of the cortex. I'm going to do some more research.
It's very interesting, though.
Thanks, WW.


Wow, Star, I've never had to go the the ER. That's scary!
Cheese and caffeine are very common triggers. So is chocolate and alcohol. Boo hoo! I gave up caffeine yrs ago, cheese I can live with-o, maybe I can do pizza once a mo, but the chocolate is really hard! I absolutely cannot do red wine, but I'm hoping white wine is okay.

 

[totoro]

Dr. Diamond is my Neurologist... he is SO awesome!!! That man is a rockstar... And he is older than dirt...

thanks WW

 

[meowbunny]

Nuts are a big trigger, too. For me, it is milk even more than cheese. I can handle milk chocolate but not dark. It kills me, but no red wine.

Oddly, since having a full hysterectomy my migraines have gone from about 10 monthly to about one every 3 months unless I break the "rules" and eat a trigger food. However, I now get cluster headaches. I find them to be more painful and debilitating than migraines. Worse yet, at least a shot of demerol would almost knock out the migraine. NOTHING works on the cluster.

 

[Star*]

Terry ?

NO WHITE WHINE? OMG AM I IN TROUBLE - lol

 

[TerryJ2]

Grrrrrrrroooooooooaaaaaannn....




:hammer: :smile: (This smiley is going to get a migraine)

 

[I'm going crazy!!!]

my husband constantly has a headache and he's on a regimen of vicadin every 4 hours and morphine at night not sure what else since i try real hard not to snoop and he still can't get rid of his headaches of course he also has severe back pain but i've never seen him back out of anything and that helps me to keep going you all know how tiring raising a difficult child is and sometimes i just want to stay home and not do anything but when husband is willing i feel so guilty i go too