Migraines.

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs
Subject: migraine
From: gbilney.library.unt.edu (Gene Bilney 2194)
Date: Fri, 4 Mar 1994 15:13:55 GMT

I have a blinding migraine right now does anyone know an herbal that aids in the relief of these terrors?

From: bbischof.rsmas.miami.edu (Barbie)

I also suffer from migranes mostly due to stress (or so I've been told...). It starts as somewhat as a sinus headache, then gets pretty bad to the point of not being able to see. I have tried EVERYTHING, except the high-priced doctors. I researched it a bit and found this out:

First of all, men and women can have/have two differnent kinds of migranes. Men usually experience the "ice-cream headache" pain for about 30 minutes + or -. Women get the gradual "one side of the face pain," then you can't see, then the pain is so intense you become nauseous (I fit herein). Migranes are kind of tricky. When I feel one possibly coming on, I try some coffee, apparently it is supposed to help. This rarely works for me, but I have a friend for whom it works quite well. I, on the other hand, drink a VERY strong concoction of peppermint and chammomile tea, 2 cups, lay down and try to rest/relax. This often works...it doesn't make the
pain go away, but it allows you to calm down enough to rest, which is the first stage in "getting better". There isn't even a chemical medicinal "cure" for migranes. Millions of $$ are spent trying to figure that whole spiel out... and there is really no safe herbal "cure" either (as SZ mentioned). I'm sorry I can't be of much more help.

Barbie Bischof

From: moreta.prostar.com (Moreta)

Have you tried using Feverfew for the Migraines, I started taking feverfew and I can't remember when I had my last migraine. (its been a long time..) I know they did a double blind test in England with feverfew for the control of migraines. And if I am remembering the results correctly, there was a relief in 7 out of 10 patients and a significant reduction of migraines amongst the others.. (I don't have the report here, so I can't quote exacts...), it also seems to have a secondary affect of having some anti depressent qualities for it. The Canadian FDA (can't remember the exact name, health and welfare???) recently ok'd the use of feverfew as an effective treatment for migraine headaches, (freeze dried capsules of), so you might try it, the other treatment I use to use, was 1 litre of dr pepper, and 1200 mgs of caffeine, and then I would go to sleep, killed them usually every time.. but only if I caught it within the first ½ hour after it became full blown.

Mo

From: COPIJMJ.MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU (Jamie Jamison)

>Migranes are kind of tricky. When I feel one possibly coming on, I try some coffee, apparently it is supposed to help. This rarely works for me,

It was suggested to me that coffee (anything with caffine, & chocolate actually can cause migranes. I've been cutting back on caffine & avoiding chocolate and it seems to have helped.

-Jamie

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs
Subject: Re: migraine
From: rowan.prostar.com (Rowan)
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 94 01:06:11 PST

> >Migranes are kind of tricky. When I feel one possibly coming on, I try some coffee, apparently it is supposed to help. This rarely works for me,
> It was suggested to me that coffee (anything with caffine, & chocolate actually can cause migranes.

That's one of the fun things about migranes: about 50% are helped by caffine and about 50% are triggered by it. Depends on the etiology of your headache: is it triggered by vasoconstriction [constriction of the blood vessels in the brain, as can be caused by caffine... these folks are sometimes helped by beta-blocking medications, such as Inderal that cause vasodilation or herbs used to lower the blood pressure] or does vasodililation trigger them [non-caffine caused... these folks are sometimes helped by egotomine - a medication derived from rye ergot - which you DON'T want to play around with as it can cause very NASTY hallucinations, convulsions and/or death if you make the dosage up... or herbs that help stabilize blood pressure or blood glucose]

So much for the migrane over-view. I'll step off my teaching podium now.....:}

Rowan.Prostar.com