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    Conquering Your Migraine: The Essential Guide to Understanding and Treating
    Conquering Your Migraine: The Essential Guide to Understanding and Treating
    Conquering Your Migraine: The Essential Guide to Understanding and Treating
    Ebook205 pages2 hours

    Conquering Your Migraine: The Essential Guide to Understanding and Treating

    By Seymour Diamond and Mary Franklin

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    About this ebook

    The up-to-the-minute guide to understanding and treating migraines for all migraine sufferers and their families

    Across America, twenty-eight million people suffer from migraines, costing the nation millions of dollars in lost work and school days, medication, and countless visits to doctors and hospitals. At the world-renowned Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago, Dr. Seymour Diamond has spent more than thirty years helping thousands of headache sufferers conquer their debilitating pain. At last, the resources of that institution are available in a book. Dr. Diamond's Conquering Your Migraine is a comprehensive guide to the identification and treatment of all types of migraine, including pediatric headache, hormonal migraine, and coexisting migraine and tension-type headache.

    This book includes:


    • The most up-to-date research on the cause of migraine, including if and how it will affect treatment
    • How to identify the danger signs of migraine
    • Identifying and treating migraine when it is linked to depression
    • Why more than 70 percent of migraine sufferers are women and what their particular circumstances mean for treatment
    • How the miracle drugs of the twenty-first century can stop your migraine attack
    • The latest in non-drug and self-help treatments, including relaxation therapy, biofeedback, and preventative therapies


    If you or someone close to you suffers from migraine, Dr. Diamond's Your Migraine is the lifeline you need to help free you from pain.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAtria Books
    Release dateJun 22, 2010
    ISBN9781451611649
    Conquering Your Migraine: The Essential Guide to Understanding and Treating
    Author

    Seymour Diamond

    A pioneer in the headache field, Dr. Seymour Diamond has spent almost 50 years developing better diagnostic tools and treatment options for headache conditions and has played integral roles in transforming the entire field's approach. A recipient of the American Headache Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award, he has accomplished a laundry list of “firsts” in the field of headache medicine, his greatest contribution being his unwavering commitment to creating the first true continuum of care for patients. Dr. Diamond is Executive Chairman and Founder of the National Headache Foundation and Director Emeritus and Founder of the world-famous Diamond Headache Clinic. He previously served as Adjunct Professor of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology at Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois, as well as a Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine. Also, he served as a Lecturer, Department of Family Medicine (Neurology) at Loyola University Chicago/Stritch School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from the Chicago Medical School, and was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1977 and the President's Award in 2002. He has been elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, Neurology Section, has received the National Migraine Foundation Lectureship Award, and was honored by the British Migraine Trust as the initial recipient of the Migraine Trust Lectureship. He has also served as editor or on the editorial board for 31 publications; has published more than 490 articles in professional literature; and has authored or co-authored more than 70 books.

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      Book preview

      Conquering Your Migraine - Seymour Diamond

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      Also by Seymour Diamond, M.D.

      The Practicing Physicians Approach to Headache,

      1st to fifth edition (with Donald J. Dalessio, M.D.)

      The Hormone Headache

      (with Bill Still and Cynthia Still)

      Headache and Diet: Tyramine-Free Recipes

      (with Diane Francis and Amy Diamond Vye)

      Diagnosing and Managing Headaches,

      1st to 3d edition

      Hope for Your Headache Problem: More Than Two Aspirin

      (with Amy Diamond Vye)

      CONQUERING YOUR MIGRAINE

      The Essential Guide to Understanding

      and Treating Migraines for All Sufferers

      and Their Families

      Seymour Diamond, M.D.

      with Mary A. Franklin

      FIRESIDE

      Rockefeller Center

      1230 Avenue of the Americas

      New York, NY 10020

      www.SimonandSchuster.com

      Copyright © 2001 by Seymour Diamond, M.D.

      All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

      FIRESIDE and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

      Designed by William Ruoto

      Manufactured in the United States of America

      3  5  7  9  10  8  6  4

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication

      Data Diamond, Seymour, date.

      Conquering your migraine : the essential guide to understanding and treating migraines for all sufferers and their families / Seymour Diamond, with Mary A. Franklin.

      p.  cm.

      Includes index.

      1. Migraine—Popular works.  I. Franklin, Mary A.  II. Title.

      RC392 .D4958 2001

      616.8′57—dc21

      00-066178

      ISBN 0-684-87310-9

      eISBN 9-781-4516-1164-9

      This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author. It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subjects addressed in the publication. It is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering medical, health, or any other kind of personal professional services in the book. The reader should consult his or her medical, health, or other competent professional before adopting any of the suggestions in this book or drawing inferences from it.

      The author and publisher specifically disclaim all responsibility for any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book.

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      We would like to thank Marah Stets for her invaluable editorial assistance and patience in the production of this book. Also, we would like to express our appreciation to Ivy Stone for realizing the needs of the migraine patient and expediting publication of this book.

      To the misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and mistreated migraine sufferers throughout the world. To Elaine for her encouragement and sagacity.

      S.D.

      To my son Tim and to Aunt Imie, for their support and tolerance.

      M.A.F.

      CONTENTS

      Preface

      PART I: UNDERSTANDING MIGRAINE

      Chapter 1

          What Is Migraine?

      Chapter 2

          Migraine and Women

      Chapter 3

          Migraine in Relation to Other Diseases

      Chapter 4

          The Difficult Migraine Patient (Coexisting Migraine and Tension-Type Headaches)

      Chapter 5

          Migraine and Depression

      Chapter 6

          Danger Signs of Migraine

      PART II: TREATING YOUR MIGRAINE

      Chapter 7

          Self-Help Measures for Your Migraine Headaches

      Chapter 8

          Nondrug Treatment

      Chapter 9

          Miracle Drugs of the Twenty-first Century and How They Stop Your Migraine Attack

      Chapter 10

          Preventive Therapy of Migraine

      Chapter 11

          Alternative Medicine and Migraine

      Chapter 12

          Resources for Help and Education

      Glossary

      Appendix

      Headache History

      Headache Calendar

      Index

      CONQUERING YOUR MIGRAINE

      PREFACE

      For the past thirty-seven years, I have labored in the field of headache. But how did I enter into this specialty? In my family practice in Chicago, I worked with antidepressants—doing clinical research before these drugs were marketed. I observed in many of my patients that the antidepressants improved many physical complaints, as well as depression. These drugs seemed to be particularly effective in relieving chronic pain.

      In 1963, at a medical conference where I was presenting my work on antidepressants in clinical practice, I was asked an innocuous question by another physician—had I observed a relationship between headache and depression? As I had never considered a connection between these two conditions, that question prompted my future interest and dedication to headache research and treatment.

      My interest in headache led me to become an early member, officer, and power behind the growth of the American Association for the Study of Headache (now the American Headache Society). In 1970,1 founded the National Migraine Foundation (now the National Headache Foundation), and remain its executive chairperson. The National Headache Foundation is the premier headache organization for headache sufferers.

      Beyond our shores, I also served as executive officer of the World Federation of Neurology Research Group on Headache and Migraine. I have also taught neurology, leading to a professorship at Chicago Medical School, as well as a professorship in family medicine and in molecular biology and pharmacology.

      In 1972, I limited my practice to headache patients and established the Diamond Headache Clinic, which is the largest and oldest private headache clinic in the United States. In addition to our outpatient facility, located in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago, I direct the forty-one-bed Diamond Inpatient Headache Unit at Columbus Hospital, an affiliate of Catholic Health Partners in Chicago.

      During my career, I have published more than three hundred scientific articles, and have written or coauthored more than twenty books for both the professional and the lay reader. My interest in headache has led me throughout the world lecturing on this topic. I remain in active practice at the Diamond Headache Clinic, and fortunately have time to participate in headache research and promote the education of the public on this malady.

      And why this book, Conquering Your Migraine? Since there are so many books written about headache, I felt that my hands-on approach to counseling headache patients and working with them through their problems would add an element to this book that differs from other available headache texts. In my practice, the most difficult cases are referred to me—from not only within the United States but also throughout the world. I constantly am being asked by practicing physicians as well as resident physicians if I would allow them to spend time at the Diamond Headache Clinic—observing both our outpatient facility and the inpatient unit. I hope that my experiences and practicality in handling headache patients will be helpful in directing the readers to the knowledge they seek.

      Also, during the past ten years, there have been marked advances in headache research and treatment. These advances integrated with my personal success in treating headache patients make this books perspective unique.

      —Seymour Diamond, M.D.

      Chicago, Illinois

      PART I

      UNDERSTANDING MIGRAINE

      Pain has an element of blank;

      It cannot recollect

      When it began, or if there were

      A day when it was not.

      It has no future but itself,

      Its infinite realms contain

      Its past, enlightened to perceive

      New periods of pain.

      —EMILY DICKINSON,

      Pain Has an Element of Blank

      CHAPTER 1

         What Is Migraine?

      Headache is the most common pain known to humans. It has been estimated that as many as 80 million Americans suffer from headaches. For many of us, headache is a minor occurrence that can be relieved by an over-the-counter remedy. However, not all headaches are alike and some may be so frequent and severe that the sufferer cannot perform normal, daily activities.

      Noted headache sufferers include Lewis Carroll, Virginia Woolf, Thomas Jefferson, Saint Paul, Calvin, Julius Caesar, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Darwin, George Bernard Shaw, Karl Marx, and Cervantes. It is refreshing to know that headaches did not prevent the creative spirit of these headache sufferers—in fact, at times the headaches inspired their work. For example, the images found in Through the Looking Glass, such as when Alice changes size, are believed to represent the auras suffered by the author, Lewis Carroll.

      The focus of this book is one form of headache—migraine. Approximately 28 million Americans suffer from this disorder. The economic impact of migraine is enormous, with 150 million lost days from work or school in the United States, and $13 billion lost in productivity. The price of medications—both prescribed and over-the-counter—and the costs of repeated physician and emergency department visits are mind-boggling.

      We believe that one step on the road to recovery for migraine sufferers is education—knowing what their headache is and how to prevent the repeated attacks. We hope to encourage those with migraine to seek help so that they will not have a life defined by their head pain.

      What Is a Migraine?

      Before we can understand migraine headaches and their treatment, we must have a clear picture of the major forms of headache. The simplest classification of headaches that we use is divided into three categories—tension-type, organic, and vascular.

      Tension-type (muscle contraction) headaches are due to the body’s reaction to stress, anxiety, depression, emotional conflicts, fatigue, or repressed hostility. Although a certain increase in muscle spasm occurs with tension-type headaches, we now use the term tension-type because we believe that some of the provoking factors (stress, tension) may affect the brain’s pain centers as well as the localized muscle contractions. The headaches have been described as pressure, tightening, a headband or caplike sensation, or viselike. The pain may present across the forehead, in the temples, or at the back of the head or neck. These headaches are two-sided, and vary from mild to moderate severity. Associated symptoms are uncommon.

      Tension-type headaches are further divided into two types—episodic and chronic. We have all suffered the episodic, occasional tension-type headache, which is usually relieved by over-the-counter pain relievers (aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen sodium).

      The episodic type is easily managed with over-the-counter analgesics, including the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Anti-inflammatory agents reduce swelling and irritation associated with inflammation throughout the body. This category includes the corticosteroids and the NSAIDs. The NSAIDs are the drugs of choice in treating intermittent or episodic tension-type headaches.

      Chronic tension-type headaches are daily or almost-daily continuous headaches, and usually affect both sides of the head. The presence of a sleep disturbance will usually define the underlying cause—difficulty falling asleep due to anxiety, and early or frequent awakening to depression. Chronic tension-type headaches usually are seen in women between ages thirty and fifty.

      If the tension-type headaches occur intermittently (two or three times per month), and are controlled by over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics, the need to see a physician is not important. However, if the headaches occur several times per week, or are prolonged over several days, consultation with a physician is indicated. With these frequent headaches, and continuous use of OTC pain relievers, a phenomenon known as rebound may occur. Rebound is best described as an increasing need for a medication (OTC or prescription), and skipping or missing a dose will result in a headache. The individual will then take a dose of the suspect drug, and may require a higher dose—and continues the cycle. School or work conflicts, or marital and family relationships, are commonly linked to chronic tension-type headaches. You may want to examine your methods of coping with stress with your physician.

      Treatment for chronic tension-type headaches is based on the source of the condition. If the headaches are due to anxiety (patient has difficulty falling asleep), treatment usually consists of a mild anxiolytic (antianxiety) drug. However, if the headaches are due to depression (patient experiences frequent or early awakening), the treatment primarily consists of antidepressants (discussed in chapter 10), biofeedback (discussed in chapter 8), and counseling.

      Organic headaches are those headaches due to a physical disorder, such as a brain tumor or blood clot,

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