Wish Your Doctor Had A Migraine?

Ever wish your doctor could experience a Migraine attack just so he/she knows what you're going through?

Richard E. Waltman, MD, family physician in Tacoma, Washington, and a member of Medical Economics' Editorial Advisory Board, says that he does not wish "terrible disease and suffering for all of my colleagues" but makes the following six suggestions to help doctors do a better job:

• Every physician should have to wait for an hour,
• Every physician should have a foley catheter inserted,
• Every physician should go to an out-of-town emergency department at midnight,
• Every physician should get a good case of the flu,
• Every physician should have a scare, and
• Every Physician should have a Migraine

Y'all have to read this: Why every physician should have a migraine

BRAVO Dr. Waltman!

Cindy McCain's Migraine Secret

You may want to check this out...

Friday's issue of People magazine will contain an interview with Cindy McCain (wife of U.S. Senator and former GOP presidential candidate John McCain) about her struggle with severe Migraines.

McCain said when she first explained what her Migraine pain felt like to her husband, John, she described it with a word he would understand -- "torture".   McCain says,

Being tied to a chair for four days. I can't imagine how unbearable that pain must have been, but yeah, I can, because a migraine may come close.

McCain is trying to raise awareness about Migraine Disease and will be addressing the International Headache Congress on Sept. 10 in Philadelphia.
 
For more information click Cindy McCain's Secret Struggle with Migraines.

CVS Offering Free Flu Shots for the Unemployed

Good news if you are unemployed and need a flu shot...
Starting today, September 1, CVS Caremark is offering free flu shots for the unemployed.

Yesterday, CVS Caremark announced that they will be offering 100,000 free flu shots as part of a nationwide effort.

The program will include on-site flu clinics at One-Stop Career Center locations and distribution of vouchers for free flu shots at CVS/pharmacy or MinuteClinic...

Additionally, beginning September 15, CVS will hold more than 9,000 flu shot clinic events in select CVS/pharmacy stores. If you have health insurance, this vaccination may be covered.

To read about this program cllick here: CVS Caremark to offer free vaccines for unemployed

Free Migraine Medication for the Unemployed

If you've lost your job this year (since January 1), are uninsured and have been using a Pfizer medication for at least 3 months, you may be eligible for Pfizer's FREE medicine program. Starting Thursday, you can call 866-706-2400 toll-free to sign up for this program. Starting July 1, you'll be able to apply online on the Pfizer Helpful Answers website. This site is available now and has a lot of information about this and other Pfizer aid programs.

If you've lost your job, you'll have to sign a statement confirming you are suffering financial hardship and provide a notice from your employer confirming your job loss. Pfizer is accepting applications through December 31 and will provide you with your medication until you get insurance again - up to 12 months.

This program consists of over 70 medications including antiseizure medications, antidepressants and heart medications, used to prevent Migraine. They also manufacture Relpax, the Triptan used to abort an acute Migraine attack as well as various other medications a Migraine sufferer uses.

For more information click HERE.

Dear Migraine Friends...

Dear All My Well-Intentioned Friends,

Yes, I did receive the article you emailed me (all 47 of them) about how losing weight can "cure" my Migraines. I was so thrilled to receive it, that I wrote about it.

I want you to know, I was just as thrilled to receive the article, "The art of the bra", you emailed me about having the correct bra size and how it would help my Migraines.

How smart to think that this may be my Migraine "cure". Although I do have to say, there was no mention of the word "cure" in this article. It does say that wearing the wrong bra can be a health issue. It also says wearing the wrong size bra can cause neck, shoulder and/or back pain. So, this type of pain can trigger a headache that could possibly trigger a Migraine.

As always, I'm adding this information to my special folder (you know, the one with the cute little picture of a trashcan on it) that has all the other Migraine information you've sent. I don't know what I'd do without all the articles about losing weight, drinking Noni Juice, having surgery on my forehead muscle, having a hysterectomy, eliminating stress, getting more exercise, getting pregnant and the hundreds of other Migraine cures you've sent me.
Love,
Me

Migraine and Migraine-Related News from the AAN: American Academy of Neurology Meeting

The AAN: American Academy of Neurology is currently holding their annual meeting. Although the meeting does not until tomorrow, May 2, here's news they have already released.

Preventive Drugs Reduce Severity of Menstrual Migraine
SEATTLE, April 29 -- Preventive eletriptan (Relpax) and sumatriptan (Imitrex) may reduce the severity and duration of menstrual migraine, researchers here said....
To read the entire article click HERE.

Stroke Risk Cut 65% in Patients Who Hit Major Risk Factor Targets
SEATTLE, April 29 -- Patients who meet guideline targets for "good" and "bad" cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure can expect a 65% reduction in stroke risk, according to research presented here....
To read the entire article click HERE.

Glutamate Receptor Inhibitors May Help Migraine
SEATTLE, April 30 -- Inhibition of glutamate receptors may play a role in migraine treatment, researchers here said...
To read the entire article click HERE.

Epilepsy Drug Not Effective for Chronic Headache
SEATTLE, April 30 -- The epilepsy drug levetiracetam (Keppra) does not appear to be effective for prevention of chronic daily headache, researchers said here...
To read the entire article click HERE.

How Much Would You Pay to Avoid Pain?

Yes, this is creepy but interesting.

Researchers wanted to know how much money people were willing to pay to avoid pain and discomfort. So, they gave study participants cash and told them they could keep whatever they had left over.

Then they were electrocuted. Yes, I said ELECTROCUTED. The participants were given one pulse of electric shock and asked how much they would pay to avoid 15 more shocks.

After that, a computer program randomly determined what they would pay. If the computer picked more money than what the person was willing to pay, they got shocked again. If the computer selected a lower amount, the participant paid that amount so they wouldn't get shocked again.

This was repeated on each participant a number of times with different shock intensities.

The results of this study determined that participants were willing to pay more to avoid pain if it was "more intense compared to previous trials". Surprising (or maybe not) participants also based what they were willing to pay on how much money they were given vs. their overall wealth.

To read about this study click HERE.

Migraine Million Campaign This Mother's Day

May 10th is Mother's Day. It's also the launch day of the National Headache Foundation’s Migraine Million campaign. This campaign is to:

...raise awareness about the genetic link associated with migraine and encourage people to talk to their moms during the holiday to uncover potential clues about their own headaches and ultimately get the care they need.

The Migraine Million campaign is asking for a $1 (or more) donation to show the woman/women (mom, sister, friend, etc.) in your life you care about her and her well being and you take her Headaches and Migraines seriously. In return for letting this person know she's "one in a million", you'll receive a card to email or download so that you can let her know you've made a donation in her honor.

Migraine Disease is genetic. The National Headache Foundation says if you have a relative with Migraine you have a 20% chance of having it too. If you have one parent with Migraine you have a 50% chance of having these attacks and if both your parents have Migraine, then you have a 75% of having them.

For more information click HERE.
To make a donation click HERE.

Electronic Headache and Migraine Diaries

James at Headache and Migraine News needs your input about Electronic Headache and Migraine Diaries. Stop by his site and take the quick survey.

Managing Life with Migraine Teleconference

On Sunday, April 26th, at 4 pm Eastern time, Megan Oltman of Free My Brain From Migraine Pain is hosting her second monthly Managing Life with Migraine Teleconference with Michael John Coleman, Co-Founder, President, and Executive Director of MAGNUM, the National Migraine Association. Participation is FREE but registration is required. Details and how to participate can be found HERE.

Chronic Pain Patients Experience Anxiety -- UH...REALLY?!?!

A recent study of 125 patients seeking treatment for chronic pain analyzed the role of anxiety on everyday functioning and found:

...individuals with high levels of anxiety due to chronic pain exhibit more emotional distress and disability.

Do we really need a study to tell us this?!?!
To read about this study click HERE.

Please Help to Get Better Migraine Treatment

The Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy (AHDA) is asking for our support for their second "Headache on the Hill" (HOH), to be held February 23 and 24, 2009.  This HOH will be similar to the first one held in September, 2007 and is

...intended to bring headache clinical and research specialists and patient advocate leaders to Washington, DC to educate members of Congress and their staffs about the problem of NIH under-funding of headache research and to suggest remedies. 

Last spring, emails, prompted by the AHDA, sent by us Migraineurs and our friends and family, to state Senators and House Members had a very positive impact and

...led to the adoption of the House and Senate report language that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is currently responding to.

You can help by signing up for AHDA "Action Alerts" emails.  When the AHDA needs help they will send you an "Action Alert" and ask for your support by doing things such as contacting your state Senators and House Members.  The AHDA provides a letter for you to use that is already written.  If you'd like, you can personalize it.  The email is automatically sent to your state representatives without you having to go to the trouble of looking up their contact information.  Sending an email will take you less than 10 minutes.

I know you understand how important this is so please take a few minutes and sign up for "Action Alerts" now. 

For more information please click HERE to go to this MyMigraineConnection article written by Teri Robert. 

Click HERE to go to the AHDA's site.
To join the AHDA mailing list click HERE.