A tribute to Neil Raskin and ice-cream headache
Dr Neil Raskin is a pioneer of headache medicine who is still practicing at 83 years old in San Francisco. He described the famous «DHE Raskin Protocol» that helped so many patients. But do you know those four special headaches that were described by Dr…
Prodrome or symptoms: what happens during the early phase of a migraine attack?
Before the pain starts, you may actually know that a migraine is ongoing. Do you feel irritable, tired, slightly nauseated? Do you feel neck pain, does light or smells bother you? It seems like a migraine attack starts even before the pain appears. Patients have…
Migraine around the world: a major threat for human well-being
Many people don’t believe that migraines are a real problem. The Lift The Burden team is working tirelessly to document the prevalence and impact of migraine and headaches around the world. The goal is of course to influence politicians and get more resources to study…
Identifying and treating Chronic Migraine
Is it possible to have a migraine more than 50% of the time? Unfortunately, it is. And it’s called «chronic migraine». An even MORE unfortunately, many doctors do not know how to diagnose chronic migraine. See what an expert, Dr Gordon Robinson, has to say…
What will happen to my migraines during pregnancy?
Author: Dr Vanessa Doyle and Dr Suzanne Christie Hormonal changes during pregnancy can have an impact on your migraines with fluctuations in the levels of hormones, causing your migraines to improve, worsen or even stabilize. The levels of estrogen and progesterone, the two main types…
Can I use an oral contraceptive? Will it make migraine worse?
Author: Dr Vanessa Doyle and Dr Suzanne Christie Headache is a common side effect of oral contraceptive pills, which can be affected by the dose and the type of hormone(s) in the pill. It is important to understand there are 2 main types of oral…
I have severe attacks, and sometimes throw up my medication…what can I do?
Most migraine patients will have nausea with at least some of their attacks, and some will vomit. Vomiting, especially if it occurs early in the migraine attack, can be a problem because if the patient throws up their medication before it is absorbed into the…
My Treatment for migraine works, but the pain comes back in a few hours. What should I do?
Many patients with migraine find that the medication they take for their migraine attack will relieve the pain completely or at least take it down to a mild level within 2 hours. It this is not happening with your acute migraine medication, you need to…
I take medications quite often to treat my headaches. Is this a problem?
Overusing headache medication is a frequent issue and can become a problem in many patients. It may overtime make headaches worse and the medication which you are taking may be less effective in controlling your pain. The term for this condition is called ‘medication overuse…
What is a prophylactic treatment?
Prophylactic or preventive medications are not the same as acute migraine medications. The acute medications are used to treat individual migraine attacks, and are only taken when the migraine attacks occur. Preventive medications are taken every day to prevent some of the migraine attacks from…
How can I determine if I need a prophylactic treatment?
Preventive medication is not necessary for every migraine sufferer. There are certain situations where your doctor would consider recommending a preventive medication, such situations are: You are having headaches that have a significant impact on your life at home or at work despite appropriate use…
How can I choose a good prophylactic for my situation?
Deciding on what type of preventive medication to start depends on many factors. The choice of preventive medication needs to be tailored to meet each person’s individual needs. Before deciding on a preventive medication, it is important to discuss your other medical problems with your…
