Lost Wanderer

I’ve had migraines all my life. (Migraine – Wikipedia, Migraine)  Because of this, I’m interested in new treatments and theories as they come along, and the most interesting idea I’ve run across regarding migraines is that they are an allergic phenomenon.

In one study, Jean Monro, MD, of Hereforshire, England, reports that 100% of a group of 282 patients were found to have food allergies related to migraine headaches.  Over 200 of her subjects turned out to be allergic to wheat or dairy products, or both.  The other most common triggers were tea, oranges, apples, onions, pork, and beef.  Monro, et al., found that the usual suspects, cheeses, alcohol, and chocolate weren’t that important; while perfume, gasoline, cigarette smoke, and other such fume sources could be significant triggers.  Reducing the patient’s total allergic load was usually sufficient to control the migraines, although vaccinations were sometime also used.  (To head off an attack Monro also recommends taking oxygen, alkaline salts (1), and buffered vitamin C.) (Migraine Headaches and Food)

In another study supporting this idea, 2/3 of severe migrainers were found to be allergic to some foods.  (Food allergy in migraine.  Study of dietary exclusion and RAST by Monro, et al.)  And in yet another, 36 of 45 children had some response to dietary modifications. (Oligoantigenic diet treatment of children with epilepsy and migraine by Egger J. et al.) (2)  (Studies Bolster Link of Food and Migraines by Sandra Blakeslee)

(Given the food-migraine connection, I have to put in another plug for the Paleolithic Diet.  Even though some of the foods in it are listed above, wheat and dairy products aren’t, and I suspect it might do a lot of migrainers quite a bit of good to try it.)

If I take a quick look at what might explain at least part of the connection between migraines and allergies, a major candidate that stands out is histamine.  Histamine is a biogenic amine, which is involved in allergic reactions, and increased levels of histamine correlate with migraine headaches in vulnerable patients.  (Histamine – Wikipedia, Migraine Headaches – The role of antihistamine therapy in vascular headaches by Mansfield, A correlation between migraine , histamine and immunoglobulin e. by Gazereni P, et al.)  Further evidence for this connection comes from the fact that migraine headache sufferers are especially prone to motion sickness, and Antivert, an antihistamine, is often prescribed for motion sickness.  And in another study daily doses of three antioxidants reduced migraines. (And antioxidants are useful in both treating the allergic phenomenon of asthma, and in reducing histamine levels.)  (Important Antioxidants for Asthma Relief by Rudy Silva)  Dr. Sirichai Chayasirisobhon gave patients pine bark extract, and vitamin C and E for three months, with a resulting 50.6% improvement in their MIDAS scores.  (Use of a Pine Bark Extract and Antioxidant Vitamin Combination Product as Therapy for Migraine in Patients Refractory to Pharmacologic Medication, Enzogenol)  Also, Butterbur is a natural antihistamine, which is used to treat both migraines and asthma.  (ButterburResearch.org)

Migraines also overlap with a host of immune related disorders, including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivity, restless leg syndrome, irritable bowl syndrome.  (Overlaps with Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowl Increases Risk of Other Conditions, High Risk of Migraine, Depression and Chronic Pain for IBS Sufferers, Large Study Shows.

(As a side note, it seems that there is some evidence that food allergies are not only connected to migraines, but could also be partly responsible for the obesity epidemic.  Study Confirms: Your Hidden Food Allergies are Making you Fat)

The connection between migraines and allergies also provides evidence that disorders that are comorbid with migraines might be partly allergic in origin.  Examples of these would include a number of mood related disorders, including depression, anxiety, panic attack, substance abuse disorders, and phobias.  (Mood Disorders, Migraines Might be Connected)  Migraines are associated with skin sensitivity and pain. (Migraine Increase Risk of Severe Skin Sensitivity and Pain)   Women with endometriosis are twice as likely to get migraines. (Common fertility condition linked to migraines)  Migraines are linked to blood clots in veins.  (Migraines Linked to Blood Clots in Veins)  Migraines might cause brain damage, and pose a stroke risk for women on the pill. (Do Migraines Cause Brain Damage? and Migraines and stroke risk, especially for women on the pill)  They are associated with retinopathy, and heart disease. (History of Migraines Associated with Increased Risk of Retinopathy and Migraines Associated with Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease)  Migraines are linked to sleep disorders in children. (Link Between Migraines and Sleep Disorders in Children)  In addition, migraines might explain the phenomenon of children who experience cyclic vomiting.  The theory is that instead of having the headache pain the children express the underlying disorder by vomiting repeatedly. (Cyclic Vomiting – Gabe Mirkin)

For anyone who has been following this blog, the connection of migraines with allergies obviously and strongly argues for using helminths (hookworms and whipworms) as a treatment.  (autoimmunetherapies.com)  With this in mind, I was treated with 50 hookworms some 18 months ago.  As a result my migraines have been reduced by about 50% in frequency, and 25% in intensity.  I also can now read in a moving car, which before the treatment would have made me nauseous.

Any explanation for migraine headaches is overwhelmingly likely to involve a network of interlinked causal pathways consisting of nonexclusive mitigating and aggravating factors, which will vary somewhat between individuals.  So it isn’t surprising that there are a number of other theories out there about migraine’s origin: 

One theory is that some migraines are triggered when opposite surfaces of nasal cavities rub against one another.  In a study based on this idea, after sinus surgery both the rate and intensity of migraines were significantly reduced.  (Nasal surgery hope for migraine) 

Another theory is that some cases of migraines are the result of a comparatively minor heart defect.  When a child is born the heart has to change its flow of blood circulation to include the lungs.  This change of blood flow requires closing off of a hole, the patent forum ova, between the two upper chambers of the heart.  In some people this doesn’t fully close, and surgery that closes it ends migraines in 80% of patients who have had the operation. (Plugging hole in heart slashes migraines)

For what it’s worth, migraine attacks are also associated with the weather. (Higher Temperatures, Lower Barometric Pressures Associated with…)

Here are three lists of the current standard treatments for migraines from WebMD, CureResearch.com, and Wrong Diagnosis. (Migraine Headache Treatment, Treatments for Migraine, Treatments for Migraine)

In addition to the above, other treatments which might give relief include:  

Researchers are experimenting with a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulator (TMS) used to fire magnetic pulses into a person’s head.  (Magnetic gun has cure for headaches in its sites by Michael Fox and Jonathan Leake)  From Gut Buddies, gumEase is a cryoanesthesia mouthpiece originally developed for dental anesthesia.  It fits over the teeth and cools them to -7 degrees C, which numbs the nerves, allowing dental procedures to be performed.  It turns out that it also stops migraine and tension headaches.  (CryoDevices, Olympic Dental and Medical Devices, Study to Determine Efficiency of gumEase…migraine)  Also from Gut Buddies, meditation has been found to be helpful for a wide variety of conditions, including migraines.  (foodsmatter.com – Meditation by John Scott, Lost_Wanderer – Meditation)  Exercise has been shown to reduce migraines. (Exercise Reduces Migraine Suffering, Study Finds)  A new drug, Levadex seems like a promising treatment. (Novel, Orally Inhaled Migraine Therapy is Effective, Study Shows)  The herbal medication Migrowin has been successfully used for migraines.  (Herbal Medication Relieves Painful Migraine Headaches)  Paradoxically folic acid (folate) has been recommended as a treatment for migraines, even though it can raise histamine levels. (Folic acid may offer relief for migraine sufferers, Rhyme of the Ancient Wanderer – Minerals and Vitamins…a breakdown)  Magnesium supplementation has been shown to reduce migraines. (Magnesium & Migraine by Christina Peterson)  Botox has been used with some success in treating migraines. (Chronic Migraine Patients may find Relief in Botox Therapy)  Having a forehead lift has been shown to be effective with some migraine patients. (New Hope for Migraine Sufferers: Forehead Lifts can Ease Years and Headaches)  

(Although it is not directly related to migraines, out of a concern for being thorough in my discussion of headaches, I feel the need to mention the idea that some people have been advocating the use of magic mushrooms as a treatment for cluster headaches. (Lost_Wanderer – Magic Mushrooms))

Finally, to end on a few positive notes, one study indicated that an actual benefit of migraines might be increased libido.  In it migrainers averaged 20% higher libido, which, in turn, was related to their reduced serotonin levels.  (Of course, this might help explain the migraine-depression connection noted earlier.)  (Yes, tonight darling, I have a headache by Karla Gale)  Migraine might protect your memory. (Does Migraine Protect Your Memory?)  And women who have migraines appear to have a lower risk of breast cancer. (Link Between Migraines and Reduced Breast Cancer Confirmed in Follow-up Study)

(1)  Alka-Seltzer Gold without aspirin, or two tablespoons of milk of magnesia, or 2 tablespoons of baking soda with one tablespoon of potassium bicarbonate in a pint of water.

(2)  An Oligoantigenic diet is a diet with the least possible risk of allergic reactions.