telophase | (no subject)

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migraine

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Caffeine withdrawal can cause headaches in non-migraineurs as well, but that is distinct from a caffeine-withdrawal triggered migraine.

THANK YOU DR. STEVEN NOVELLA!

Sorry, a few weeks ago I had someone in a focus study I was involved in tell me in an exceedingly superior manner that my caffeine-withdrawal-induced migraines weren't migraines at all. I bit my tongue and replied politely, because to flame him would have resulted in me being thrown off the study's forum but DEAR GOD YOU DO NOT TELL A MIGRAINEUR THAT HER MIGRAINE IS NOT A MIGRAINE.

The line I quoted above is from Novella's latest post in his skeptic-related blog, NeuroLogica, which concerns a study showing that sham acupuncture works just about as well as real acupuncture when it comes to migraines.

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which concerns a study showing that sham acupuncture works just about as well as real acupuncture when it comes to migraines.

I love how migraine headaches are all lumped together like that, as though there aren't distinct types with distinct triggers and different methods of treatment.

I think the study attempted to divide the migraines into differnt types, and none of them showed any difference except for tension migraines, and the authors recommended trying it. However, as the reviewers happen to teach or perform acupuncture for a living (http://skepticblog.org/2009/01/23/headaches-stick-yourself-with-needles-or-not/), it's possible there may be some conflict of interest going on here.

"DEAR GOD YOU DO NOT TELL A MIGRAINEUR THAT HER MIGRAINE IS NOT A MIGRAINE."

YESYESYES.

You also don't tell her that the drug side effects she's experiencing can't possibly be side effects.

"That's not a bug, that's a feature!"

The acupuncture thing still baffles me. I was really cynical when I started it - only did it as a last-ditch stand before contemplating the serious drugs - and was astonished when it worked. Not only did my migraines lessen, and become less frequent, but after six months they vanished. Even with all the stress in my life the past year, and the lack of sleep (both huge triggers for me) and eating badly - no migraine.

Maybe it's a placebo effect or a co-incidence, but I don't care. It worked and I count myself very lucky that it did!

My opinion is that acupuncture in general is probably, barring better studies or the discovery of an effect we haven't figured out yet, placebo, however I don't discount the power of placebo. I have had a migraine vanish the instant I laid my hands on the bottle of Relpax. :) (Unfortunately, it's not a consistent effect for me, more's the pity.)

And I figure that if it works for someone, then it works for someone, and if they find it's worth their time and effort, then it's the right thing for them to do.

It may also have something to do with relaxation, as tension can lead to and/or aggrevate migraine.

There was a migraine expert on "Fresh Air" the other day who said migraine sufferers basically have to keep on an even keel as much as possible, as anything that throws off the balance can trigger a migraine.

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