Migraines, follow-up.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs
Subject: Migraine update.....
From: qjcumbes.exeter.ac.uk (Q.J.Cumbes)
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 12:52:28 GMT
Thanks to all who helped by writing in, my wife's migraines prompted the post. She was getting them very frequently at mind numbing proportions.
What's happened our end:-
- we sifted through a mass of material posted, a lot being duplicatioms of ideas.
- thought how we could adapt/try things.
bathing in water with a few drops of Lavender oil definitely helps. The relaxation or whatever, reduces tension in her neck, and seems to relieve the "hangover" effect after the flashing lights have gone
The next thing is...not a herbal thing, but interesting. She has to go to the doctor's for regular blood tests, to monitor a very rare blood disorder (thrombocythemia, too many platelets by a factor of 2 or 3 times). She has, in august, given birth to a daughter, and during her pegnancy was migraine free.
We always attributed this to hormonal changes during pregnancy, as one trigger for her migraine seemed "period" linked.
When her migraines resumed, January time ( hence my post here ), she also was continuing her regular trips to the doc's. He realised that he had prescribed low dose asparin to aid her blood problem through the pregnancy, and suggested she try it again.
When we say low dose, it it 75 mgs a day, that is ONE junior asparin per day as opposed to an adult dose (150 mgs??) several times a day. A lot less than the adult!!!.
She has taken this now, and has been migraine free for 8 weeks. She did feel a bit odd yesterday, but it wasn't a full attack. When the attacks used to happen she needed sevaral ibrufen ( Neurofen ) tablets to see her through.
Because of her other blood related disorders, she felt , at least for a while, that she should go along with her doctor, especially as he has been good to us. His guess at low dose asparin has paid off. This is under his prescription.
People who replied to me asked for a follow-up post . This is it!!. I realise it is not fully a herbal answer, but another alternative that works for my wife. If it helps anyone, then we're pleased.
Again, thanks for your time.
Quinton.
From: vlhicks.aol.com (VLHICKS)
I understand that there was a study conducted with Feverfew. You must take it every day, but my understanding is that up to 40 % of the trial had total relief from migraines. I take it and have been symptom free. It may not work for everyone.
From: tkeenan.uoguelph.ca (Timothy J Keenan)
: I understand that there was a study conducted with Feverfew.
Strictly anecdotal, of course, but my mother, who has been a seriously debilitated migraine sufferer for years has had the same experience -- a dramatic decrease in frequency and severity of migraines....
Tim Keenan
From: patrick.vega.oes.amdahl.com (Patrick Horgan)
|> Strictly anecdotal, of course, but my mother, who has been a seriously debilitated migraine sufferer for years has had the same experience -- a dramatic decrease in frequency and severity of migraines....
I had fairly frequent debilitating headaches. I had heard about feverfew, and that if you took it when you felt the pre-headache symptoms that you would get relief. I was at a nursery, saw a plant, bought it and planted it in my back yard herb garden. It thrived on neglect, growing into a large (about 2 ½ feet high,) plant. It lasted about two years, (maybe it's biennial?) then died, but it self seeded and I have another.
I started taking it when I felt the pre-headache symptoms, and it worked. No feelings of relief, no general analgesic effect, the headache just didn't happen. I started taking it whenever I felt the need, about 4 small leafs, since that was what I'd heard. It doesn't seem to have much effect if taken when the headache's already hit. I'm not really sure about that. I'd never heard that you were supposed to take it everyday. One really nice thing is that after years of the silly headaches, they've almost completely gone away. Occasionally the incidence starts to rise, I hit the feverfew again for awhile, and it goes away again. Right now I've been free for months.
The taste is bitter, so you'd suspect an analgesic effect, but the stuff I've read says that it has no analgesic effect, and my experience bears this out. If I've got other things that hurt, they still hurt just as much after taking feverfew. It doesn't do anything for a fever either.
Nevertheless it's my miracle drug.
Patrick
