News

More

• May 3, 2008

  Frequent headache linked with smoking risk in teens
  Adolescents who have frequent headaches appear to be at increased risk of becoming daily smokers, Dr. Karen E. Waldie of the University of Auckland, New Zealand, told Reuters Health.

• April 24, 2008

  Skin Pain, Sensitivity Rises With Migraine
  Almost two-thirds of people with these headaches suffer from skin discomfort, study finds

• April 22, 2008

  Headaches linked to painful skin sensations
  Many patients with chronic headaches are often overly sensitive to touch and ordinary activities like rubbing the head or combing the hair cause pain, according to findings from the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention Study.

• April 18, 2008

  Deep Brain Stimulation Aids Those With Rare Headache Condition
  Though it didn't stop attacks, therapy eased frequency of episodes for SUNCT sufferers
• Children With Migraines at Higher Risk for Sleep Disorders
  They're twice as likely to have apnea, repeated arousals from slumber, study finds
• Migraines' Frequency Influences Heart Attack, Stroke Risk
  But the absolute risk to patients remains very low, expert says
• Overuse of Opioids, Barbiturates Boosts Chronic Migraine Risk
  Self-treating headaches with these drugs doubles chance of having chronic episodes
• Health Tip: Coping With Migraines During Pregnancy
  Suggestions to help ease the pain

• April 17, 2008

  U.S. FDA approves new migraine drug
  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a combination migraine drug from GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Pozen Inc, the companies said on Tuesday.

• April 15, 2008

  High Blood Pressure May Be Buffer Against Headaches
  But experts stress that hypertension should still be treated

• April 12, 2008

  Traditional acupuncture may ease migraines
  Acupuncture, as practiced in traditional Chinese medicine, may offer some relief from migraine pain, a new study suggests.

• March 19, 2008

  Health Tip: Tame Tension Headaches
  How to help prevent and control them

• February 27, 2008

  Headache common in people with GI trouble
  The prevalence of headache is higher in people with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as nausea, acid reflux, diarrhea, and constipation, than in people who don't have these bothersome symptoms, new research indicates.
• Patients educate patients to control migraine
  When migraine patients trained other migraine patients how to prevent migraine headaches, attacks declined and both trainers and trainees gained a greater sense of control over their attacks, researchers report.
• Health Tip: What's Behind My Migraine?
  Some common triggers

• February 25, 2008

  Language problems seen with anti-migraine drug
  Migraine patients taking topiramate, a drug used to stave off the debilitating headaches, may experience disturbances in language, according to a recent report.

• February 11, 2008

  Epilepsy Drug Doesn't Prevent Migraines
  Unlike other epilepsy meds, Trileptal was no better than placebo, study finds
• Drug doesn't help prevent migraine after all: study
  Contrary to some reports, the anti-epilepsy drug oxcarbazepine does not appear to prevent migraine headaches, new research suggests.

• February 11, 2008

  Trileptal Fails Test for Migraine Prevention
  A new study has now shown that Lamictal apparently does not work well as a Migraine preventive.

• February 1, 2008

  Risk of Suicidal Thoughts Linked to Anticonvulsant Medications
  The FDA estimates that the use of antiepileptic medications doubles the incidence of suicidal behavior and ideation.

• December 14, 2007

  Neck jab reduces migraine symptoms
  Injection of a local anesthetic into active trigger points in the lower part of the neck -- the cervical spine -- ameliorates migraine symptoms, Italian investigators report.

• December 4, 2007

  Genetic testing may help in severe type of migraine
  - a rare, often severe subtype of migraine in which attacks are associated with a weakness affecting one side of the body -- may want to consider genetic testing, researchers suggest.

• December 3, 2007

  Hemiplegic Migraine - Genetic Testing May Be Helpful
  Findings of a study suggest that genetic testing could be helpful in properly diagnosing and appropriately treating hemiplegic Migraine.

• November 29, 2007

  Depression common in headache sufferers
  Major depression occurs very frequently among patients with chronic headaches, researchers report.

• November 20, 2007

  Brain differences detected in migraine sufferers
  People who get migraines have structural differences in their brains, notably in the cortex area that processes pain and other sensory information from the body, scientists said on Monday.

• November 19, 2007

  Cortex Area of Brain Thicker in People with Migraine
  Research indicates that people with Migraines have differences in part of the cortex, an area of the brain that helps process sensory information, including pain.

• November 8, 2007

  Migraine linked with sleep problems and fatigue
  Recent findings confirm that excessive daytime sleepiness is more frequent in people who get migraines than in those who don't. However the findings tend to discount the theory that the underlying cause involves the hypothalamus, an area of the brain that produces hormones that control thirst, hunger, body temperature and sleep. Rather, the investigators suggest that problems may arise "from the complex burden" of the migraine.

• November 7, 2007

  Prognosis good for sex-related headaches
  The exact frequency of headache associated with sexual activity in the general population is unknown, but findings from a small study suggest three quarters of such headaches are episodic and most cases do not require medical treatment. Even the for chronic form of these headaches, about 80 percent will go into remission within 3 years.

• November 3, 2007

  Restless legs may be associated with migraine
  Restless legs syndrome occurs more often in people who suffer migraines than in those free of these debilitating headaches, according to results of a study. Depression may also be associated with RLS and migraine.

• September 26, 2007

  Injury to the neck vertebrae can cause headaches
  In rare cases, injury to the vertebral disc in the lower neck will not only lead to neck pain and pain radiating into the arm, but also to headaches, the results of a new study indicate.
• Caffeine Plus Acetaminophen Toxic for Some
  Rat study suggests liver danger, but doses must be very high.

• September 12, 2007

  Health Tip: Tension Headaches
  Can be triggered by stress

• September 6, 2007

  Early abuse may lead to migraine, depression
  Stressful early life events such as child abuse may make women more susceptible to migraine and depression as adults, survey findings suggest.

• September 4, 2007

  Doctors’ Scores on Communication Predict Complaints to Authorities
  Patients who feel that their relationship with their doctors is lacking two-way communication will be especially interested in a JAMA article released today.

• August 30, 2007

  Depression in Women with Migraine Linked to Childhood Abuse
  According to a new study published in Neurology, childhood abuse is more common in women with Migraine who suffer depression than in women with Migraine alone.
• New Treatment Explored for Cluster Headaches
  Migraine nasal spray showed promising results in small study.

• August 27, 2007

  Zomig Nasal Spray Found Effective for Cluster Headaches
  A recent study indicates that Zomig Nasal Spray, especially the 10 mg dosage, is a viable option for the acute treatment of cluster headaches.
• Frovatriptan may prevent puncture-related headache
  Frovatriptan, used to prevent and treat migraine headaches, may also be of use in preventing post-dural puncture headache, according to Italian researchers.

• August 24, 2007

  NSAIDs may protect against bladder cancer
  Regular use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), especially aspirin, may decrease the risk of bladder cancer, particularly more advanced, high-grade tumors containing alterations in the tumor suppressor protein TP53, results of a study suggest.
• Topiramate reduces frequency of chronic migraine
  In patients with chronic migraine, a daily dose of topiramate (Topamax) is reasonably well tolerated and reduces the number of headaches per month, even in patients who are overusing pain medications, a new study shows.

• August 21, 2007

  Preventive migraine therapy raises quality of life
  The results of a study published in the medical journal Cephalalgia indicate that preventive migraine therapy with nadolol or topiramate significantly improves the quality of life of patients with migraine, although their quality of life still remains below the average level.
• Back To School With Migraines or Headaches
  When your child has a chronic illness, whether it's headaches, Migraines, or a different illness entirely, you can't afford to put off getting your child ready for school.

• August 17, 2007

  Triptan nasal spray effective for adolescent migraine
  A nasal spray containing the drug zolmitriptan, which is known by the brand name Zomig, effectively relieves migraine headache in adolescents and is well tolerated, according to a study.

• August 16, 2007

  Obesity may not bring on migraine
  Obese middle-age and older women appear no more likely to report migraine than their non-obese counterparts, a new study suggests.

• August 14, 2007

  High Dose Verapamil Problematic in Cluster Headache Treatment
  New research concludes that "the benefit of taking verapamil to alleviate the devastating pain of cluster headaches has to be balanced against the risk of causing a heart abnormality."
• More Research Links Migraine With Aura and Stroke in Women
  Although much information has been found linking Migraine disease with an elevated risk for stroke, the Stroke Prevention in Young Women Study offers new evidence.

• August 13, 2007

  Verapamil for headaches may cause heart problems
  When high doses of the drug verapamil are used to prevent cluster headaches, a severely painful type of headache, about one in five patients will develop some form of cardiac irregularity, according to a report by UK researchers.
• Cluster Headache Treatment Poses Cardiac Dangers
  Off-label use of verapamil linked to heart rhythm abnormalities, study finds.
• Stroke a risk in women with migraine and aura
  Among young women, stroke is more likely to occur in those suffering from migraines accompanied by visual aura than in those with other types of headache or no headaches at all, according to new findings.

• August 9, 2007

  Botox and placebo similar for preventing migraines
  Multiple treatments with Botox injections into muscles of the head and neck are not significantly better than inactive "placebo" injections for preventing migraine episodes, according to European and US researchers.
• Women With Migraines at Higher Risk of Stroke
  And smoking and oral contraceptives heighten that risk, study finds.
• Pain patient's behavior tips off opioid abuse
  Among chronic pain patients who have been prescribed opioid drugs such as OxyContin or Percocet by primary care physicians, nearly 4 percent abuse these drugs, according to the results of a large study conducted in Wisconsin.

• August 3, 2007

  Neuro symptoms in pregnancy rarely stroke-related
  Neurological symptoms that occur during pregnancy are rarely caused by a mini-stroke, or "transient ischemic attack" (TIA), but instead are usually associated with migraine with "aura," according to a report in BMC Medicine.

• July 19, 2007

  IV Lidocaine - Effective Treatment for Refractory Migraines in the Clinic
  Researchers found Lidocaine administered through IV drip was effective at easing Migraines when other treatments had failed.
• 'Triptan' may safely prevent menstrual migraine
  A drug used to treat acute migraine can be safely taken long term to prevent some of the migraines women may experience around the time of their period, research shows.

• July 5, 2007

  Zapper device may ward off migraines
  Migraine headaches may one day be zapped away with a hand-held magnetic stimulation device applied to the cranium, researchers say.

• July 3, 2007

  Increased Patient Share of Prescription Costs Negatively Impacts Drug Treatment and Adherence
  New research shows that increasing the proportion of prescription drug costs that patients pay, by increasing co-payments or using multi-tiered formularies, is resulting in poorer drug treatment.

• July 3, 2007

  Bullied teens often take pain-killers to cope
  Adolescents who are victims of bullying are likely to take more medications than their peers, a Danish study shows.
• Poorer Kids at Higher Migraine Risk
  Stress, dietary factors might play a role, researchers say.

• July 2, 2007

  Migraine with skin sensitivity eased by older drug
  Dihydroergotamine or DHE, an established drug for migraine, works well even when the attack is accompanied by super-sensitivity to touch or heat and cold, according to researchers.

• July 2, 2007

  Does Harry Potter Have Migraines?
  Are the headaches that originate in Harry Potter's scar really Migraines?  Teri Robert interviews Dr. Fred Sheftell, one of the authors of an article in Headache, “Harry Potter and the Curse of Headache.”

• June 29, 2007

  Harry Potter and the Miserable Migraines
  Many young fans of the boy wizard share his headache pain, researchers say.

• June 28, 2007

  Migraines, Dietary Supplements, and a Final FDA Rule
  On June 22, 2007, the FDA announced a final rule establishing current good manufacturing practice requirements (CGMPs) for dietary supplements.

• June 27, 2007

  Acetaminophen safe in abstinent alcoholics
  Alcoholics undergoing rehabilitation can safely use the maximum recommended daily dose of acetaminophen (Tylenol) without damaging their livers, study results suggest.

• June 22, 2007

  Self-hypnosis helps kids with frequent headaches
  Self-hypnosis training is an effective treatment for chronic recurrent headaches in children and adolescents, new research suggests.
• Mid-Life Stroke More Common in Women than Men
  A new study shows that more women than men are at risk for stroke in middle age, providing more incentive for female Migraineurs to actively manage their Migraines.

• June 20, 2007

  Women Have Double the Risk of Mid-Life Stroke
  Study counters the notion that men are most vulnerable.

• June 19, 2007

  Headaches, fatigue tied to kids' unexplained pain
  Children who often suffer headaches or daytime drowsiness may be at heightened risk of developing unexplained body aches and pains, a study has found.

• June 8, 2007

  New Migraine Abortive Shows Promise without Vasoconstriction
  Teri Robert talks to Dr. Tony Ho, senior director of Clinical Neurosciences at Merck Research Labratories, about a new class of Migraine abortives that have performed well in clinical trials.
• Merck migraine drug shows promise in clinical trial
  An experimental migraine drug being developed by Merck & Co. significantly relieved pain two hours after dosing compared to a placebo in a mid-stage clinical trial, the company said on Thursday.

• June 7, 2007

  Parent's pain may affect child's migraine severity
  The degree of disability and pain suffered by adolescents with migraines may have a lot to do with how their parents experience pain, a new study shows.

• June 7, 2007

  Experimental Drug May Fight Migraine
  MK-0974 could aid patients not helped by other medicines.
• Hollywood Headaches Are Flights of Fancy
  The portrayals are often misleading and could confuse viewers, study suggests.
• Insurance Limits, Costs Keep Migraine Patients From Meds
  Many delay or stop taking drugs because of out-of-pocket expenses, study says

• June 6, 2007

  Measuring the Impact of Migraine When Not Experiencing an Attack
  The symptoms of a Migraine attack aren't the only disruption that Migraineurs deal with; the newly developed Migraine Interictal Burden Scale measures the burden those with Migraine face between attacks.

• June 2, 2007

  Seven Healthy Habits of Headache and Migraine Sufferers
  In observance of the 14th annual National Headache Awareness Week, the National Headache Foundation is focusing attention on Seven Healthy Habits of Headache Sufferers.

• May 31, 2007

  Half of Iraq Veterans with Migraines Also Have Depression
  Soldiers with Migraine disease are more than twice as likely to have symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder as soldiers without Migraines.

• May 25, 2007

  Added Treatment Won't Speed Whiplash Recovery
  Aggressive approach may even slow healing, study suggests

• May 24, 2007

  Cell phone headaches all in the mind
  Exposure to the radiofrequency fields generated by mobile phones does not cause head pain or increase blood pressure, according to a Norwegian study. Instead, people who experience such symptoms do so because they expect that they will occur, the findings suggest.

• May 16, 2007

  Gentle yoga may aid migraine sufferers
  A combination of yoga poses, breathing exercises and relaxation may help reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines, a new study suggests.

• May 15, 2007

  Migraines May Heighten Risk of Vision Problems
  Study finds link among middle-aged people with history of the headaches.

• May 14, 2007

  Mid-life headaches may be sign of retinal disease
  Migraine and other headaches are associated with abnormalities in the small blood vessels around the retina (retinopathy) in middle-age men and women, according to data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

• May 3, 2007

  Teens With Migraines at Greater Risk of Suicide
  Almost half have at least one psychiatric disorder, study finds
• Migraines Can Signal Psychiatric Woes in Returning Iraq Vets
  Headache sufferers twice as prone to PTSD or depression, study finds.

• May 1, 2007

  Migraine during pregnancy ups risk of stroke
  Women who suffer migraine headaches while pregnant are at increased risk for suffering a heart attack, stroke or other "vascular" event, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology underway in Boston.
• Migraines During Pregnancy Linked to Heart Disease, Stroke
  Study advises women to control risk factors such as diabetes and obesity.

• April 30, 2007

  Chronic migraine linked to teen suicide risk
  Teenagers who suffer from near-daily migraines may have a higher-than-average risk of depression, anxiety and suicide, research hints.

• April 24, 2007

  Migraine linked to heart attacks in men
  Men with migraine headaches are more likely than non-migraineurs to experience a heart attack, according to data from the Physicians' Health Study.

• April 23, 2007

  Migraine may protect against cognitive decline
  Women with a lifetime history of migraine have less cognitive decline over time than women without migraine. It's possible, researchers suggest, that antimigraine medications, as well as diet and behavior changes, play a role in the apparent protective effect of migraine on cognition.
• Can Migraine Protect Memory?
  Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore have released surprising study results. Women with a lifetime history of Migraine showed less of a performance decline over time on cognitive tests than women who didn’t have Migraines.
• Migraines May Boost Memory
  Unexpected finding shows sufferers' recall less prone to decline

• April 13, 2007

  Antidepressant promising for tension headaches
  For some patients seeking relief from frequent tension-type headaches, the antidepressant Effexor XR may reduce the number of days with headache, according to results of a small study conducted in Greece.

• April 12, 2007

  Migraines may take a break on weekends
  While some people suffer from so-called "weekend migraines," other migraine sufferers find they have fewer attacks on days when they're not working, new research suggests.

• April 8, 2007

  Watch Out for Eye Trouble During Pregnancy
  Hormone changes and migraines can arise, affecting vision, experts say

• April 5, 2007

  Drug reduces work productivity lost to migraines
  Preventive treatment with topiramate (Topamax) is associated with a reduction in lost productivity due to migraines, researchers report.

• April 4, 2007

  Combo therapy beats monotherapy for migraine
  An experimental drug, Trexima, which combines sumatriptan and naproxen, two commonly used migraine treatments, controlled symptoms of the headache better than either one alone, a new U.S. study released on Tuesday suggests.
• Fertility watchdog seeks to reduce twin births
  British fertility clinics may be forced to limit the number of multiple births to 1 in 10 women because of the dangers posed to mothers and babies, the nation's fertility watchdog said on Wednesday.

• April 3, 2007

  Two Medications Treat Migraine Better Than One
  Sumatriptan-naproxen combo works faster and longer, study finds.

• March 16, 2007

  Daily Migraine Pill Boosts Worker Productivity
  Preventing the headaches can save companies money, study finds

• March 8, 2007

  Brain stimulation may ease headaches, studies find
  Stimulating the brain with implanted electrodes appears to help ease the pain of cluster headaches, two separate teams of researchers reported on Wednesday.
• Stimulating Occipital Nerve Eases Cluster Headaches
  But the pain returns once the experimental therapy is stopped, studies find.

• January 31, 2007

  Migraine Pain Relief

• January 29, 2007

  Neurological Disorders Strike Millions
  New government report gives latest estimates, which show increases in Alzheimer's, MS cases

• January 8, 2007

  Chronic Headaches Leave Women Prone to Depression
  Researcher says mental state can influence course of pain management

• November 10, 2006

  Migraine Drug Boosts Kidney Stone Risk
  Long-term topiramate use triggers acid buildup in blood, study finds

• October 24, 2006

  Minorities Less Likely to Receive Care at High-Volume Hospitals
  This trend may indicate lower quality of surgical care, studies suggest.

• October 23, 2006

  Many Kids Will Outgrow Migraines
  More than half no longer suffered these headaches as adults, study found

• August 11, 2006

  Migraine Myths Debunked?
  Dr. Daniel Kantor comments on a recent New York Times article and discusses advances in migraine research.

• July 21, 2006

  Antidepressants and Migraine Drugs Don't Mix: FDA
  Combining SSRIs and triptans can cause serious health problems, FDA warns.