Migraine, strokes, heart attacks, hypertension, poor circulation, diabetes, and high cholesterol are linked
A recent study by Dr. Bigal and his colleagues just published in Neurology compared more than 6,000 migraine sufferers with over 5,000 matched control subjects without migraines. They discovered that people with migraine with aura and to a lesser extent those with migraine without aura are significantly more likely to have strokes, heart attacks, hypertension, poor circulation, diabetes, and high cholesterol. This clearly does not mean that migraine causes all these diseases, but only that if you have one you are more likely to have the other. It is important to recognize this association in migraine sufferers in order to regularly screen them for these conditions. We know that controlling diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol can prevent strokes, heart attacks and poor circulation in extremities. We also recommend that women who have migraine with aura should not take estrogen-based oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy since estrogen in these women also increases the risk of strokes. All migraine suffererss (and everyone else) should not smoke and exercise regularly, which also reduces the risk of the conditions mentioned above.
I have been suffering migraines all my life but they are out of control now I no longer have a life and feel very depressed. My day usually starts with a headache. I’ve started having extreme sweating in palms and feet, vomit, nausea, dizziness. Everything I eat makes me sick, it doesn’t matter what I eat. sometimes my migraines got for days, at the time of my period is like living in hell these are the worst and every time I’m put on any pill for my PCOS is torture I can not use birth control the torture will last as long as I’m on the pill but with a kick. my speech is blurred, my memory I feel like a retard at times I cant even think straight the pain is so bad. The sun and anything hot makes me faint and any new air breeze or change in the weather gives me a migraine. Perfumes are murder to me. I’ve had MRI’s CAT scans everything and nothing ever comes up its so frustrating. I have fainted in more than one occasion with a migraine if the temperature is to hot. I have been put on so many pills over the years some work for a day or 2 but its never enough, supplements too. I cant drink, almost everything triggers it… I dont know what to do anymore, how long can someone live like this.
Hopefully people realize high blood pressure is a serious threat and start to treat it more efficiently. Thanks for the good read!
Yes, many people do not absorb magnesium and we often give an intravenous injection to see if it helps (even RBC magnesium is not completely accurate). If it does, we try increasing the dose of oral magnesium and try different forms of magnesium. More than 90% of people get enough magnesium by taking a supplement, but some need monthly injections.
Thank you very much for your answer.
I read your book and started taking magnesium supplement. I haven’t noticed any significant changes in my migraines. Perhaps I wasn’t taking enough? Recently my migraines have become worse and I am trying to come up with other solutions to the problem so I will definitely take your advice and check the RBC magnesium level.
Anna
You may want to ask your doctor to check your RBC magnesium level (not a serum magnesium level which is totally inaccurate) because cold extremities is a sign of magnesium deficiency, which can also cause headaches, as well as leg cramps, PMS and other problems. I recommend magnesium supplementation to most of my patients and for abortive therapy I recommend to them Migralex (see Migralex.com)
Hello,
I have had chronic migraines since i was a child (I will turn 30 this year). My blood pressure is usually very low while I’m having an attack (normal otherwise) but I recently started wondering if I suffer from poor circulation. I am ALWAYS cold. In winter, my feet and hands especially are always cold.
Anna