New Dosage Imitrex® STATdose Now Available
December 28, 1992, marked a new era for Migraine and cluster headaches sufferers when the FDA approved the first of a class of medications that many would come to call "miracle drugs." That drug was the injectable form of sumatriptan (Imitrex®, Imigran®), the first of the triptans. Now, the FDA has approved a new Imitrex® STATdose in a 4mg dosage. This is the same STATdose injection system patients have been using; only the dosage has changed. The 4mg STATdose provides a new option to patients for whom the 6mg was "too strong" or may have produced uncomfortable side effects. Feature article.
When addressing headaches and Migraine disease, it's critical to also address other issues that can affect headaches and Migraine disease as well as those that impact our overall health. Especially given the fact that 18% of women have Migraine disease (6 - 7% of men), women's health initiatives are of great interest. Heart disease and stroke, which is also an area of focus for the American Heart Association, can both significantly impact Migraine treatment. For example, Migraine abortive medications are quite often not recommended for use by patients with a history of or high risk factors for heart disease and / or stroke. Thus, it becomes even more important to learn about our hearts and how to take the best possible care of ourselves... 
Living Well with Migraine Disease and Headaches: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You... That You Need To Know rose to the top rankings of books on headaches and Migraine when it was released on November 1 and has remained there since.
One of the biggest topics of discussion amongst Migraineurs today is that of PFO, "the hole in the heart" that may contribute to Migraines. Migraineurs are asking their doctors to test them to see if they have this condition. Many of those who do want to have the hole repaired -- immediately. However, questions remain and the closure procedure is not yet being performed on the basis of Migraine disease because it has not yet been proven effective. Trials are underway to determine the efficacy of PFO closure for Migraine disease. 
We've all heard a lot about Botox, botulinum toxin type A (BoNTA). It seems as if it's being used for something different every day. There are both cosmetic and medical applications for it. In the right hands, Botox is very helpful; in the wrong hands, it can be disastrous. If you're considering Botox treatments, don't hesitate to ask how much experience your doctor has with Botox administration.
Too many Migraineurs share this problem — finding treatment for intractable or refractory Migraines. Those are the Migraines that don't seem to respond to treatment no matter what they try, be it preventives, abortives, or pain management. This situation often leads to feelings of desperation on the part of the patient and extreme frustration on the part of their physicians. John Claude Krusz, PhD, MD; (Ask the Clinician) and his colleagues; Virginia Scott-Krusz; Jeanne Ballanger, RN; and Jane Cagle, LVN; have been using outpatient IV treatment for refractory Migraines in Dr. Krusz's Dallas clinic since 1994 and collecting research data... 
The MedicAlert E-HealthKEY is a USB flash drive that allows you to carry your medical records with you. It's an excellent supplement to emergency medical identification. You can not only record emergency information such as conditions, medications, and contact information, but you can also store medical images and your complete medical history. With your computer, the E-HealthKEY will also remind you of prescriptions and appointments and much more. You may remember my 
Another medication can now be added to the growing list of medications shown to be effective for prevention of headaches and Migraine attacks. Namenda (memantine HCL, Forest Pharmaceuticals) was approved for use in the United States in October, 2003, more than a decade after its use began in Europe under the brand names Ebixa and Axura. It's classified as an orally active NMDA receptor antagonist. Namenda (memantine hydrochloride) is approved for the treatment of "moderate to severe dementia of the Alzheimer's type."
Today was a bit strange. I was reviewing the statistics for my Web sites and noticed a significant amount of traffic from a large and fairly well known online community/forum that I hadn't visited for a couple of years. Traffic to my sites from that forum means that people there must be posting links to my content. Thus, I have readers there, and I always feel that I owe my readers my support. So, off I went to see if I could offer information or support to anyone there. I registered and created a forum "signature." In that signature, I included my name, profession, email address, and Web site URLs. Since I don't charge anyone for information, support, or advocacy, in every other forum, that would be acceptable. But not on that forum. At least not to a couple of very verbal ladies (well, women) who immediately took affront to my signature. One of them felt the need to reply to every post I made and scold me for "advertising." If I were new to forums, I wouldn't be surprised. If these women had approached me nicely, I wouldn't be so sad. I don't know if I'll continue posting there or not. A couple of other members have sent me very nice private messages, but who needs that kind of stress. Sigh. You may wonder why I'm posting this. I really do have a point. If you're a member of a forum somewhere, I hope make new members feel welcome. There's always room for new people in our support groups.
In the last few years, New Daily Persistent Headache (NDPH) has been recognized as a distinct primary headache syndrome. It is characterized by continuous daily head pain, varying in intensity, and sometimes accompanied by Migrainous symptoms. It's important that NDPH be diagnosed carefully and correctly after ruling out other conditions that can present the same symptoms. 
Yesterday, 
There have been nearly as many questions as answers about MOH for quite some time now, especially regarding which types or classes of medications can cause MOH. Those questions haven't been easy to answer because, for some time, there wasn't a clear enough consensus about which medications could induce MOH. Studies with empirical evidence were lacking, and conflicting opinions among experts easily left us to think one way one day and another way the next. While it's highly unlikely that everyone in any field will ever agree, today there's at least a fair consensus regarding the issues related to MOH. To help us avoid medication overuse headache and deal with it if it occurs, there are issues we need to explore... 
