Funding Research for Migraine Cures through Laughter! Charity Drive for the Migraine Research Foundation.

On the last week of Migraine Awareness Month, I am running a fundraising event for the Migraine Research Foundation.

Dates of the event: Wednesday, June 27th to Sunday, July 1st, 2012.

The Migraine Research Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding migraine research in the United States. To quote Stephen Semlitz, co-founder and Chairman of the Board - "The Migraine Research Foundation hopes that everyone who suffers from migraine will eventually have an effective treatment that they can count on to allow them to live a healthy, happy and productive life." In other words - a Very Worthy Cause.

During the days of a Charity Drive, I will donate ALL the royalties from the sales of my books from "Take a Break & Have a Laugh" series of books to MRF. Once again - when you buy any "Take a Break & Have a Laugh" book between June 27th and July 1st of 2012 inclusively, all the profit I get from Amazon as a writer goes to Migraine Research Foundation.

"Take a Break & Have a Laugh" are collections of short humorous stories written by yours truly. And when I say short - I mean bite-sized. For example - you can read one story in the volume while waiting in line in a store or while having a cup of coffee. BTW, please go easy on coffee if you have migraines, OK? :)

Why funny stories and why do I write them? That's easy - because I have migraines and the rest of the baggage that comes with it. If you are a migraineur, you know what I am talking about. Written as a "Laughter Therapy", these volumes contain stories that are designed to make the reader feel better, more positive and energetic. Laughter is not exactly a cure but it sure makes life easier, especially for people like us.

Just to make sure MRF receives a donation no matter how MUCH of a great success this Charity Drive will be, I am starting the ball rolling by pledging to Migraine Research Foundation $50 upfront. 

What can YOU do to help this Charity Drive?

1.  Click here to see "Take a Break & Have a Laugh" books on Amazon. All the loyalties from each sale will go directly to Migraine Research Foundation.

2.  If you prefer, you can donate to Migraine Research Foundation separately on their website: migraineresearchfoundation.org

3.  Please help to spread the word - Tweets, Facebook Shares and Blog Posts will be greatly appreciated. MFR - @MigraineRF and facebook.com/migraineresearch, Oleg Medvedkov - @olegmedvedkov and  facebook.com/OlegMedvedkov

If you are on Facebook, please join us at the FB event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/326937120721357/

Through the duration of the event, the updates and Q&A will be posted on olegmedvedkov.wordpress.com

Any thoughts, comments or opinions - please let us know.

We are combining Laughter therapy with research for migraine cures, people! Let's make this Charity Drive a success!

Migraine Supplements That I Take

Right before wrapping up my migraine blog a few years back, I promised my readers that I would post the list of supplements I take, seeing that they work well for me. To my shame, I never wrote that article.
When talking with Pen who runs FMS/CFS/IBS/MIGRAINE Group, she reminded me of that promise.
The bellow is only a list of the supplements I take. I've waxed lyrically back in the day why one or the other supplement works or doesn't and if I were to repeat myself, I'd need to write more than a fast write up. I will, however, post the links to raingem.com's  relevant collections of articles. So, here it goes.
Morning:

• Vitamin C
• B vitamin complex
• Coral Calcium plus Magnesium
• CoQ10
• Vitamin D3
• DL-Phenylalanine

Daytime:

• Magnesium
• L-Tryptophan

Evening/Night:

• Magnesium
• Fish Oil
• Milk Thistle
• Melatonin
• L-Tryptophan
• GABA
• 5-HTP (optional)

In addition to the above, and this is just in the spirit of full disclosure, for I am not 100% sure if this actually does anything for my migraines:

• Piracetam
• Choline
• Inositol

These I take twice a day, morning and late afternoon. Piracetam really helps to cut through the mental fog. However, and this is important, taking it without Choline for a long time might actually lead to headaches. Not migraine headaches but still, no reason to risk it - we have enough of aches as is.
Once every three-four month, I get a month's supply of Zinc pills and eat them diligently. It works wonders for pain in my eyes.
I deliberately skipped writing dosages for the supplements I take. The reason is simple - everyone is different and must find their own. I will mention only Magnesium dosages because most people seem to think that the recommended doze works. It doesn't, at least not as well as at least 800MG of elemental Magnesium per day and up to 1200MG, if you are a on a large size.
I'd recommend, however, start with smaller dosages of Magnesium and work your way up - while you can't overdose on it, it might lead to an upset stomach if you are not used to it.
One more thing to say about supplementation - it does not help immediately. It took me almost a year to build up enough Magnesium in my system for it to have a profound effect.
As I said before, this is just a quick list of supplement. If you have any questions - why this supplement or how much of that one should I take or are you crazy, please ask. I'll linking to this article in FMS/CFS/IBS/MIGRAINE Group. If you are on Facebook, come over and we'll talk there as well.
Reference:
Vitamin supplements
Natural supplements
Calcium-Magnesium Balance

link

Generic Imitrex Pills are not Triangular or Pink - What a Rip-Off

Yours truly has gone generic - at least with Imitrex. We should probably call it Sumatriptan now, it being not-brand-name-like; on the other hand, GImitrex we can still pronounce.

The migraine is coming on as yours truly is typing it. The time for the big guns is here. This is the very first time yours truly will be loading on this generic goodness. Will keep you posted as to how well it works compared to the brand-name Imitrex.

For now, my gentle readers - the first impressions pictorial.

The box, airbrushed - yours truly does like some privacy:


More box, the other side. Generic at it's most generic:


Three pills per sheet, three sheets in a box. Have they heard of conservation?



The mysterious 223 pill. Has Dr. Ready's Labs ran out of food coloring? Or triangular shapes? Even a round pill would have been better. Everyone knows the oval pills don't work as well as the round ones. Also, if memory serves, yours truly has specifically asked to make these strawberry-flavored. And they ain't...



Well, now lets see if these actually work. Down the hatch. Stay tuned, my gentle readers.

Harry Potter had Migraines?

Scientists from New England Center for Headache in Stamford have concluded that Harry Potter might have had migraines.

They tracked the progress of the headaches from the time Potter was 11 years old all the way to 17. The good scientists even published a paper on the subject in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain - "Harry Potter and the Curse of Headache."

These are the symptoms that led to the migraine diagnosis:

• Headaches began around age 11
• Severe stabbing pains in the trigeminal nerve
• Headaches were one-sided

The paper does admit that the attacks lasted only a short time, however. Also, in the books, the only trigger Harry Potter had was Lord Voldemort.


link: Diagnosing Harry Potter's Headaches

Migraines and Birth Control Pills

Could birth control pills be a migraine trigger? According to Dr. Thomas Shieh's recent article in guampdn.com, the pill as a trigger for migraines is controversial topic. Some say yay, some say ney.

However, he does state pretty categorically that estrogen-based birth control pills do have an effect on migraines in certain women. Here's his advice:

"If you are experiencing severe migraines often, I would suggest stopping the pills. Take a rest period and see if your migraines subside.

You should know that women with chronic migraines are at higher risk of strokes compared to those without. Within this population of women with a strong history of migraines, adding estrogen pills adds to their risk of a stroke. Thus, I usually recommend them getting off of these pills, or switching to pills that don't contain estrogen.

I know you do not want to get pregnant, and I would suggest you talk to your doctor about contraceptive pills without estrogen, other methods and if desired, permanent surgical options as well."

guampdn.com

No MSG Added - a Little White Lie? Part Deux

"MSG is one of the more common migraine food triggers. You might not find M, S and G on the label of whatever product you are buying at your local grocery store, but rest assured, it's most likely there. Even if it says - no MSG added." - starts the article No MSG Added - a Little White Lie? yours truly wrote a while ago about hidden dangers of MSG.

Here's some more MSG-in-hiding facts for my gentle reader's consideration from The dirty secret of MSG - it's everywhere, by Charlotte Law :

"A pesticide company called Emerald BioAgriculture uses an MSG type of "growth enhancer" which they have been spraying onto selected vegetables and nuts since 1999; the company is currently looking to get government permission to use the substance on organic produce.

Meats, seafood and poultry can be rinsed or injected with MSG before reaching your plate, and restaurant salad bars can get an MSG spritz, giving lettuce that perky look. This toxic additive can be found in vitamins, soaps, cosmetics, chewing gum and intravenous hospital fluids. It can be found in children's medications, and it might lurk inside your migraine prescription.

In short, MSG acts as cheap filler, a flavor enhancer and a cosmetic surgeon, fooling unsuspecting consumers into thinking aged, withered foods are fresh. It can hide unpleasant tastes. It has an addictive component much like nicotine, and recent studies in Spain have conclusively linked it with obesity. MSG means profits for the food industry and its powerful Washington lobbyists; and it is no surprise that proper labeling legislation remains elusive.

If any additive containing the essential active ingredient of MSG, glutamic acid or free glutamate, is an amount that is less than 78 percent, the government does not require it to be labeled MSG. This is deceptive because MSG itself contains over 78 percent of free glutamates.

There are epidemiological studies, such as those brought to light by Dr. Adrienne Samuels, suggesting that up to 40 percent of the U.S. population suffers from adverse reactions to MSG with drowsiness, numbness, chest pains, nausea, facial pressure, difficulty in breathing or headaches. The FDA claims only 2 percent of the population experience a bad reaction, but even if this is right, it amounts to whopping 6 million Americans - more than the 3 million who are allergic to peanuts."

The dirty secret of MSG - it's everywhere

Migraine Safety Rules for Outdoor Celebrations

Happy Independence Day holiday to all my gentle readers!


Here's some MIGRAINE SAFETY RULES that should prevent the celebration turning into a Migraine nightmare:

• Do stay away from the sun - heatstroke and dehydration are among primary causes for migraine.
• Drink plenty of water if you are outside, for the reasons mentioned above.
• Don't forget your sunglasses - shades should limit flare and harsh light and keep your eyes from getting tired too fast.
• Try not to inhale too much smoke from the fireworks - not only it's toxic, the smell is so strong it will trigger a migraine no time flat in those of us who are smell-sensitive.
• If your party is planning fireworks, take some earplugs along. Unlike the normals, you'll hear the BOOM even with ears stuffed.
• If you drink alcohol, pace yourself. Better eat something before you drink and get plenty of water in between your beers.
• If there's a cookout, eat more meat (or veggies, if you are a vegetarian) and less of those tasty bans. This cheap variety of bread will jump your blood sugar sky-high and then flour it in fifteen minutes flat. That's a more guaranteed way to get a migraine that polishing a six-pack.

Have fun, my gentle readers!