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.

Migraine and Epilepsy Medication In Pregnant Women May Raise Autism Risk

WebMD reports that a new study published in the journal Neurology shows women who take Valproate for Epilepsy, while pregnant, may increase the risk of having a child with Autism. Rebecca Bromley, a PhD student and one of the researchers at the University of Liverpool told WebMD:

British researchers looked at 632 children, almost half of whom were exposed to epilepsy drugs during gestation. Nine of the 632 have been diagnosed with autism, and one has shown symptoms of the disorder.

Although this study was limited to pregnant women who took this medication for Epilepsy, Valproate is also used to prevent Migraine and an abortive treatment for acute Migraine.

To read the article click HERE.

Migraine Medication for A Headache? No! No! No!

Most Migraineurs know that a Migraine attack is NOT a bad headache. We know that Migraine is a neurological genetic disease similar to Epilepsy. And we know that some of us don't even experience the headache phase during a Migraine attack. Recognizing the difference between head pain associated with a Migraine attack and head pain associated with a headache is difficult for some.

I've been writing a lot lately in the Migraine support group that I co-moderate about distinguishing between the two. I've discussed how to tell the difference between pain that accompanies a Migraine attack and the pain that accompanies a headache. And I've explained why it's important we make this distinction.

One reason why it's important to know these differences is because treatment for Migraine is not the same as headache treatment. For example, using a Migraine-specific medication probably won't do any good for someone who doesn't have Migraines.

The president of the German Pain Aid Association, Ruediger Fabian, now gives another reason why you shouldn't use Migraine-specific medication for the treatment of a headache. Fabian says if you do this, you risk chronic 'pseudo-migraines'. He says:

Even the occasional use of migraine medications by someone without migraines is potentially harmful

and goes on to say

The reactions depend on the person, but they can intensify ordinary headaches

Fabian said the first symptom of an overdose of Migraine-specific medication is "a sour-tasting expulsion of gas from the stomach". Ewwwwww! I'm not sure, but I guess that means a sour-tasting "burp".

He also said those who suffer less than 100 days a year with headaches (He didn't say Migraine) who occasionally didn't get relief from their standard medication could use extra pain medication once in a while.

Source: Migraine medication unsuitable for ordinary headaches

Generic Migraine Medication Approved by FDA

FDA Approves First Generic Divalproex Sodium to Treat Seizures, Migraine Headaches and Bipolar Disorder

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first generic versions of Depakote delayed-release tablets (divalproex sodium). Depakote is approved by the FDA for the treatment of seizures, bipolar disorder and migraine headaches.



"Generic drugs undergo a rigorous scientific review to ensure that they will provide the patient with the same amount of high quality, safe and effective drug as the name brand product," said Gary J. Buehler, director of the FDA's Office of Generic Drugs. "This approval provides an additional treatment option for patients who suffer from epilepsy, bipolar disorder and migraines."



Generic divalproex sodium will have the same safety warnings as Depakote, including a Boxed Warning that cautions about the risk of liver damage (hepatotoxicity), including fatalities, and pancreatitis, or an inflamed pancreas, including fatal cases. The Boxed Warning also highlights the risk of birth defects (teratogenicity), including neural tube defects.



The following firms have received approval to market divalproex sodium delayed-release tablets: Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Mumbai, India; Genpharm Inc., Ontario, Canada; Nu-Pharm Inc., Ontario, Canada; Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Maple Grove, Minn.; Sandoz Inc., Broomfield, Colo.; TEVA Pharmaceuticals USA, North Wales, Penn.; Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Hyderabad, India; and Lupin Limited, Mumbai, India.



For more information, see

Consumer Education: Generic Drugs



Information on specific drug products can be found on the Web site "Drugs@FDA"

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda/



This is the complete article. Unless otherwise noted, the contents of the FDA Website (www.fda.gov)--both text and graphics--are not copyrighted.

Migraine and the Energy Independence & Security Act of 2007

Last year Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. This federal law requires incandescent lighting to be phased out in favor of energy efficient bulbs starting in 2012. The law doesn't say that compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are required but because fluorescent, the tube-like bulbs that are mostly found in public places such as offices, schools, and stores, and CFLs, the ones designed for home use, are the most available and less expensive, it's likely that these types of bulbs will be the most used.

Many Migraineurs find that CFLs trigger Migraine attacks. CFLs also affects others who suffer with health conditions such as Epilepsy, Lupus and Autism. As use of CFLs increase, those of us with health conditions will find it very difficult to have a public life; to go to the store or bank, attend school and go to work in offices and factories alike.

Opposing CFLs does not mean that Migraineurs and other people with health concerns are opposed to "Going Green". Of course we are in favor of saving our environment and our planet as much as anyone who's health is not affected by this lighting but we believe that alternatives such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), halogens and improved energy efficient incandescents , would remedy this issue without hurting or endangering our health.

A group of us who write, blog and advocate for Migraine Disease have created a petition asking for an amendment to the Energy Independence & Security Act that emphasizes energy standards and encourages the development of other energy saving technology instead of focusing on the elimination of existing technology. If you feel the same way we do please head over to ipetitions and sign the Protect migraineurs from compact fluorescent bulbs ipetition HERE.

Discussing Your Condition With Your Kids

Freelance writer, journalist, and former award-winning radio reporter, Lisa A. Phillips, has written an article about talking to your kids about your neurological condition (such as Migraine, Epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Head Injury, Muscular Dystrophy) for the March/April 2008 Edition of Neurology Now. Phillips says that even if your kids are too young to comprehend everything about your disease, you probably can't conceal it from them. This article discusses the areas below in detail to ensure open communication.

• Be Honest
• Pick the Right Moment
• Stay Calm
• Use Their Questions as Your Guide
• Don't Overwhelm Your Child
• Accentuate the Positive
• Trust Your Child Accept You
• Prepare for Emergencies
• Know that Kids Want to Help
• Encourage Peer Support
• Never Blame Your Child for Your Disorder

Phillips stresses that when talking to young children you should keep it simple. Talking to your older child may be more difficult. Children as young as 9 or 10 often ask about hereditary factors and you should be prepared to address this. Most older kids know how to use the internet and may research your disease on their own. The problem (as most of us with any disease knows) is that a lot of times it's difficult to tell the difference between credible information and misinformation. The author suggests that in addition to talking to your older child, you teach them how to recognize sites that provide accurate information, direct them to reliable sites and monitor what sites they've been visiting.

To read the entire article click HERE.