Abram Hoffer, PhD, MD, FRCP(C) and Dr. Jonathan Prousjy, DPHE, DSC, ND, FRSH
See book keywords and concepts |
 Therapeutic Uses
Migraine Headaches: One of the most recent indications for riboflavin is in the prevention of migraine headaches. Migraines headaches impose a significant burden upon our society and its working force. According to the National Headache Foundation, some 45 million Americans suffer from chronic, recurring headaches and 28 million from this total suffer from migraine headaches annually. |
| Migraine and Tension-type Headaches: A systematic review of previous research and published anecdotal reports has demonstrated that intravenous and oral supplementation of niacin is effective at aborting acute migraine headaches and alleviating tension headaches. It is probably an effective prophylactic agent for the prevention of migraine headaches as well. When taken intravenously or orally, niacin causes cutaneous flushing that might abort the acute symptoms of migraine by vasodilating the intracranial vessels, thus preventing the subsequent vasoconstriction of the extracranial vessels. |
Jack Challem
See book keywords and concepts |
 Just about everyone knows that too much caffeine has side effects, including headaches and an edgy feeling. While doctors don't seem particularly interested in diagnosing coffee addiction or "Starbucks syndrome," some psychiatrists have argued that caffeine withdrawal should be listed as an official psychiatric diagnosis. They have pointed out that various symptoms, such as irritability, depression, muscle pain, migraines and other types of headaches, and even flulike symptoms, can be triggered when people miss their caffeine fix. |
Abram Hoffer, PhD, MD, FRCP(C) and Dr. Jonathan Prousjy, DPHE, DSC, ND, FRSH
See book keywords and concepts |
| According to the National Headache Foundation, some 45 million Americans suffer from chronic, recurring headaches and 28 million from this total suffer from migraine headaches annually. Furthermore, the work force loses approximately 50 billion dollars per year due to absenteeism and medical expenses caused by headache, with more than 157 million workdays lost each year to migraine sufferers. One of the leading theories of migraine headaches is that there is some degree of mitochondrial dysfunction. |
Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 I've treated headaches in postmenopausal women, including migraines, that responded really well to IV magnesium, as have many pain clinics. I also recommend 400 milligrams (mg) of magnesium orally once or twice a day for prevention. (And by the way, for a lot of menopausal women who suffered breakthrough headaches on magnesium alone, adding topical progesterone was the solution.)
But what is so special about this mineral that I refer to it so often as the unsung hero? |
Benjamin H. Natelson, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 If you have mild problems with three of the symptoms on the list and a moderate problem with headaches, for example, do you have CFS? I would not make this diagnosis, because these symptoms are very common in otherwise well people, too. Many people have mild or even moderate problems with headaches or backaches. These symptoms are certainly real, but they may not add up to your getting the diagnosis of CFS. I never could understand why the group defining CFS required that cognitive problems had to produce a substantial problem in order to count while others did not. |
Anne Harrington
See book keywords and concepts |
 After all, some of Freud's followers pointed out, a number of chronic disorders like asthma, headaches, and ulcers have a tendency to wax and wane in intensity in ways that might be psychoanalytically meaningful. Why should this particular patient get an attack of asthma just before his mother-in-law visits? Why should that other patient develop debilitating headaches every time her spouse returns from one of his business trips?
The term that some began to use to describe disorders of this sort— disorders that seemed to be more than hysterical but less than fully organic—was "psychosomatic. |
Ray D. Strand
See book keywords and concepts |
 Soon she became aware of joint pain, knots in her shoulders, headaches, and a sore throat—those symptoms were more apparent in the morning hours; but the sore throat and mild headaches were a constant problem. She realized something very serious was affecting the quality of her health.
When she began waking each morning with stiffness, she knew it was time to seek medical help. At this point she was getting only three to four hours of sleep at night, and those few hours were not restful. Her nerves were frayed, and every little noise and action set her off. |
David Steinman
See book keywords and concepts |
 They were taking them, running the risk of end-stage kidney disease, like vitamins, because of the constant headaches from the chemicals. Her kids said she was very different. "My grandchildren were affected," said Edelmira. "We were all affected with headaches and vomiting."
She felt like she was going to die, that she had a tumor in her head, from the chemicals, she said. It was a heavy-duty experience. It was like a rape.
We drove to the west edge of Earlimart to the Atelo School on Washington Street. New almond orchards are being planted across from the school. |
Lester A. Mitscher and Victoria Toews
See book keywords and concepts |
 When caffeine intake is suspended, the blood vessels dilate and blood rushes to the brain, resulting in the headaches that are the primary symptom of caffeine withdrawal. Resuming caffeine consumption generally alleviates such headaches. |
Mike Adams
See book keywords and concepts |
 Excess processed sodium in foods can also trigger headaches, and there is far too much sodium in foods like canned soups, for example.
It's important to note that the human brain does not normally hurt. If your brain hurts or your head hurts, then there is something wrong with your diet and, perhaps, your level of stress. Some of the crazy, barbaric approaches to treating migraine headaches being practiced today include surgical procedures that physically slice out the muscles in your scalp that tense up during migraine headaches. |
Melody Petersen
See book keywords and concepts |
 Called the Headache Impact Test, it included six brief questions to use to rate the severity of headaches. Even a person who was "rarely" bothered by headaches but "sometimes" felt too tired to work because of the pain was urged to talk to his or her doctor. At the bottom of the questionnaire, in very small letters, the brochure said it had been copyrighted by GlaxoSmithKline.
THREE
Chemical Imbalance
In an office above Sally's Beauty Supply, Patrick Hurley is talking fast, telling me how Ritalin and Prozac changed his life. |
| Moreover, all headache medicines, including the triptans, can cause pain the next day or rebound headaches, the problem the woman seemed to be asking Dr. Reed about. A study by German scientists in 2001 found that people who overused triptan medications like Imitrex could suffer from withdrawal headaches lasting four days.
Later I learned that Dr. Reed, like hundreds of physicians in Iowa and tens of thousands of physicians in the United States, had previously given speeches at events paid for by pharmaceutical companies. For example, in 2004 she gave a talk paid for by GlaxoSmithKline. |
David Brownstein M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 I have found natural hormones to be a great benefit and often a cure for many conditions including chronic fatigue syndrome, PMS, endometriosis, infertility, headaches and migraine headaches, recurrent infections, fibromyalgia, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's, and other autoimmune disorders. It is rare for patients with any of the above conditions not to show significant improvement in their conditions after after balancing the hormonal system with natural, bioidentical hormones. |
Richard Bartlett
See book keywords and concepts |
 Associated with this syndrome is a cluster of other conditions, such as headaches, migraine headaches, irritable bowel syndrome (a syndrome within a syndrome?), TMJ dysfunction, sleep disorders, PMS, chest pain, morning stiffness, memory problems, irritable bladder, dry eyes and mouth, dizziness, impaired coordination, as well as a profoundly decreased ability to detect medical dumping grounds for collections of symptoms which may not measure up to the criteria for actually having a discrete disease entity!
In addition, there are aggravating factors (you mean besides doctors? |
Jeffrey M. Smith
See book keywords and concepts |
 The allergy study identified irritable bowel syndrome, digestion problems, chronic fatigue, headaches, lethargy, and skin complaints including acne and eczema (section 1.15). Symptoms of glyphosate exposure include nausea, headaches, lethargy, skin rashes, and burning or itchy skin14 (section 6.2). It is also possible that glyphosate's breakdown product AMPA, which accumulates in GM soybeans, might contribute to allergies.
8. The GM protein in the soy may have changed due to misfolding, attached molecular chains, or rearrangements of unstable transgenes (section 4). |
Gerald E. Markle and Frances B. McCrea
See book keywords and concepts |
 And not just headaches. Placebos have proved to be effective treatment in maladies that range from depression and congestive heart failure to gastric ulcer and angina pectoris. They "relieve pain better than anything else,"3 although this effect is dependent on the context of the treatment. One study of migraine headaches found that placebo injections worked significantly better than placebo pills.4
Consider placebo surgery. In chapter 3, we reviewed two dramatic examples—ligation of the mammary artery and arthroscopic surgery. |
Brigitte Mars, A.H.G.
See book keywords and concepts |
 They can be used in soothing pillows for eye soreness and headaches. In magical traditions, flaxseed is used to attract prosperity.
The fibers of the plant are used to make paper, linen, and twine. The oil from the seeds was used to make linoleum.
Constituents
Omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids, cyano-genic glycosides (linamarin), mucilage, protein, beta-carotene, vitamin B, vitamin E
Energetic Correspondences
• Flavor: sweet
• Temperature: warm
• Moisture: moist
• Polarity: yang
• Planet: Mercury/SaturnAJranus
• Element: fire
FRANKINCENSE
Botanical Name
Boswellia sacra (syn. |
| It is used medicinally to treat arthritis, boils, cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, fever, gout, headaches, intestinal worms, kidney stones, and rheumatism. Birch bark is being investigated for its anticancer potential, with a focus on its betulinic acid content.
Topically, birch is used as a poultice in treatments for acne, bruises, burns, eczema, and wounds. It can be used as a bath herb to heal skin eruptions, as a liniment to mitigate the effects of rheumatism, and as a shampoo or hair rinse to stimulate hair growth. |
J. Douglas Bremner
See book keywords and concepts |
 Less serious than suicidal depression and birth defects, Accutane can cause severe headaches in about 20% of patients and, more rarely, pseudotumor cerebri (a swelling of the brain that can be fatal). Other serious side effects include ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, severe joint pain, cholesterol elevation, and liver damage. Cholesterol and liver-enzyme levels need to be monitored during treatment, and treatment should be stopped if they are elevated. |
| Common side effects include diarrhea in 5% over placebo and headaches in 3% over placebo. It has also been linked more rarely with ischemic colitis, with 20 cases reported to the FDA between 2002 and 2004.
Cromolyn sodium is a mast-cell stabilizer that has been used in the treatment of IBS. Two controlled studies have shown an improvement in IBS symptoms with cromolyn sodium compared to placebo treatment. |
| Side effects include infections, headaches, anemia, fluid retention, weight gain, and, more rarely, liver failure or cardiac events.
The first of these medications was troglitazone (Rezulin). Troglitazone was found to be effective in the prevention of type 2 diabetes in at-risk patients but was associated with high rates of liver toxicity. In one trial, 7 out of 585 treated patients had liver elevations ten times that of normal levels, high enough to be potentially associated with fatal liver damage. |
| Minor but more common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, and dizziness.
THE BOTTOM LINE
I don't think any of the medications currently available, including vitamins and supplements, are worth giving to anyone affected by Alzheimer's or other types of dementia. It's just not going to make a substantial difference in their condition, and will not stop its progression. Only in severe cases of actual psychosis (which is very rare) would there be a need for antipsychotic treatment. If your family member is uncontrollable at home, you may need to consider a nursing home. |
| Side effects included vivid dreams in as many as 16% of cases and, less commonly, drowsiness, depression, dizziness, headaches, or blurred vision. When the patients were given a single dose of valerian, the lower dose had no effect on subjective or EEG measures of sleep. Because of inconsistent results and no clear mechanism by which valerian could treat insomnia without significant side effects I think that large, properly controlled trials are needed to determine whether valerian is useful for insomnia. |
David W. Grotto, RD, LDN
See book keywords and concepts |
 In the southern United States, horseradish rubbed on the forehead was a popular method of getting rid of headaches.
WASABI: Wasabi's antibacterial properties were first documented in a tenth-century Japanese medical encyclopedia. It was believed to be an antidote to food poisoning, making it a natural accompaniment to raw fish.
Throw Me a Lifesaver!
HEART HEALTH: A rat study found that the isothiocyanates in Wasabi inhibit platelet aggregation and deaggregation. |
Brigitte Mars, A.H.G.
See book keywords and concepts |
| The oil also can be rubbed on the forehead to relieve headaches. Eclipta can be prepared as a compress to reduce inflammation, including from hemorrhoids, or as a salve, liniment, or poultice to remedy dermatitis, eczema, and wounds. The leaves can be prepared as a poultice to treat scorpion sting and snakebite. In Nepal, the juice from the leaf is diluted in sesame oil and used as drops in the ears, nose, and eyes to treat sinusitis, migraines, and eye, ear, and nose inflammation.
Edible Uses
Eclipta can be eaten as a potherb or vegetable. |
Dr Ron Roberts
See book keywords and concepts |
 Acupressure to these points also helps coughs, headaches and a stiff neck. Asthma lung points are shown on the next page.
ACUPRESSURE AMD ASTHMA
Magnetic Therapy
A synthesis of two theories, that of acupressure and the effects of magnetic fields on chi, magnetic therapy involves placing ball bearings or flat magnets on acupressure points to treat ailments. The magnets are held in position by adhesive tape and can be left in place for varying lengths of time, depending on the disorder being treated. |
Brigitte Mars, A.H.G.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Topically, kava kava can be used as an antiseptic, anesthetic, and healing compress or poultice for painful wounds, headaches, and fungal infections. It also can be prepared as a mouthwash to ease gum and tooth pain. It has even been used topically as a salve or poultice to treat leprosy.
Edible Uses
Generally not considered edible, aside from as tea. Other Uses
In the South Pacific, kava kava is used ceremoniously to celebrate marriages, births, deaths, and other types of beginnings and endings. |
Email this page to a friend
