Natural approach to migraine headaches

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, August-Sept, 2002 by Dr. Farhang Khosh, Dr. Mehdi Khosh, Dr. Deena Beneda

* Alcohol

* Tyramine: aged cheeses and fermented foods

* Aspartame (artificial sweetener)

* Caffeine

* Phenylethylamine (present in some OTC and chocolate)

* Foods prepared with monosodium glutamate (MSG) for example Chinese food, processed or frozen foods

* Nitrates (preservatives used in sausage, bacon, and lunch meats)

* Citrus foods and products

* Cow's milk

* Eggs

* Corn

* Soy

Other factors hypothesized to cause migraine headaches include 6) hormonal influences such as menstruation, ovulation or ovarian cyclic disorders. (17) 7) Drug-induced migraine headaches caused by the side effects from taking a drug for the headache or other medications. 8) Musculoskeletal problems including TMJ, poor posture or spinal misalignments. 9) Lifestyle factors such as stress, sleeping habits or missing a meal. And last of all, 10) Changes in the environment including exposure to chemicals such as household cleaning products, strong odors such as perfumes, overhead blinking lights, noise and changes in the weather. (18)

What are the treatments for migraine headaches? Are there other alternatives for treatment of migraines besides drugs? Pharmaceutical drugs for migraine headaches are numerous and so are the side effects. The drug treatment ranges from mild pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Nuprin), aspirin (Bayer, Ecotrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, Tempra), to stronger pain relievers such as codeine. If the headaches are not responding to ordinary painkillers other drugs including ergotamine preparation, (19) beta-blocker propranolol (Inderal), butorphanol (Stadol), calcium channel blockers or sumatriptan (Imitrex) may be prescribed.

Sumatriptan (Imitrex) is a serotonin agonist and works by increasing serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is involved in the constriction of blood vessels -- a component of migraine headaches is due to a disturbance in circulation to the brain, increasing serotonin levels can help to restore the balance in the tension of the blood vessels. However, sumatriptan is expensive and can produce side effects such as increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and a feeling of tightness in the chest, jaw or neck. (20)

Herbal medicine has been used in treating ailments for centuries, so it is not surprising that treating migraine headaches with botanicals is not only effective but eliminates the side effects that pharmaceutical drugs have. One of the most popular studied herbs for migraine headache is Tanacetum parthenium (Feverfew). Feverfew has been used anciently for a wide variety of conditions which can be classified into three main groups, 1) treatment for fever, headache and migraine, 2) difficulties in labor, threatened miscarriage, and regulation of menstruation and 3) relief of stomachache, toothache and insect bites. Current use of Feverfew is against headache, relief in arthritis and the treatment of psoriasis. (21)

There have been many studies to prove the effectiveness of Feverfew in treating migraine headaches. A questionnaire was completed by migraine sufferers that had tried Feverfew, and it was concluded that Feverfew was effective in providing significant benefit in the group. (22) In a study, published by the British Medical Journal, the efficacy of Feverfew as a prophylactic treatment in migraine headaches was shown. Seventeen patients who ingested Feverfew fresh leaves daily as prophylaxis against migraine participated in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial of the herb: 8 out of the 17 patients continued to receive capsules containing freeze dried feverfew powder and 9 placebo. Those receiving placebo had a significant increase in the frequency and severity of headache, nausea and vomiting. The group given the capsules of feverfew showed no change in the frequency of severe symptoms of migraine. This provided evidence that if taken prophylactically Feverfew prevents migraine attacks. (23)