magnesium | Headache NewsBlog

Magnesium improves response to Tylenol and Advil in kids with migraines.

By: Dr. Mauskop

10-02-2014

Children with migraine headaches are usually given acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil). A group of Italian doctors compared responses to these two drugs in kids with migraines who took a daily magnesium supplement to those who did not. Results of their study were published in the latest issue of the journal Headache. One hundred sixty children (80 boys and 80 girls) aged 5-16 years were enrolled and assigned to four groups to receive a treatment with acetaminophen or ibuprofen without or with magnesium. The dose of each drug was adjusted according to the child’s weight. Those children who were in the magnesium arm were given 400 mg of magnesium (the article does not mention which salt of magnesium was given – oxide, glycinate, citrate, or another). Migraine pain severity and monthly frequency were similar in the four groups before the start of the study. Both acetaminophen and ibuprofen produced a significant decrease in pain intensity, but not surprisingly, did not change the frequency of attacks. Magnesium intake induced a significant decrease in pain intensity in both acetaminophen- and ibuprofen-treated children and also significantly reduced the time to pain relief with acetaminophen but not ibuprofen. In both acetaminophen and ibuprofen groups, magnesium supplementation significantly reduced the attack frequency after 3 and 18 months of supplementation.

This study was not the most rigorous because it did not include a placebo group as the authors felt that placing children on a placebo would be unethical. However, it was rigorous in other respects and still provides useful information. The first conclusion is that taking magnesium reduces the frequency of migraines in children. The second is that taking magnesium significantly improves the efficacy of acetaminophen and ibuprofen.

The bottom line is that every child (and adult for that matter) should be taking a magnesium supplement. I have written extensively on the importance of magnesium because our research and that of others, including the above study, has consistently shown the benefits of magnesium. Unfortunately, after dozens of publications, hundreds of lectures, and recommendations from medical societies, many doctors still do not recommend magnesium to their migraine patients. Some are not familiar with the research, others dismiss any supplements out of hand, and yet others do not believe the studies because they think that magnesium is too simple and too cheap to be effective. Most doctors are trained to prescribe drugs and they feel that patients expect prescription drugs, so giving them a supplement will disappoint the patient and will reduce doctor’s standing in patients’ eyes. This is clearly not the case since many people prefer more natural approaches and because recommending a supplement does not mean that a prescription drug cannot be also given. In fact, magnesium improves not only the efficacy of acetaminophen and ibuprofen, but also prescription drugs such as sumatriptan (Imitrex).

Rest your brain after a head injury.

By: Dr. Mauskop

07-01-2014

Head trauma

Strenuous mental activity seems to delay recovery after a head injury, according to a new study published in Pediatrics .

Doctors have always recommended rest after a head injury, but it has never been clear how much to limit activities, what kind to limit (physical, mental, or both), and for how long.

Dr. William P. Meehan III, director of the Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention in Waltham, Massachusetts and his colleagues studied 335 patients (62% were males), aged 8 to 23 who came to a sports concussion clinic within three weeks of their injury between 2009 and 2011. Most of the concussions were sustained while playing ice hockey, football, basketball or soccer. The researchers asked them about their symptoms and how often they were reading, doing homework or playing games at each of their appointments.

Those with minimal cognitive activity were not reading or doing homework, and spent less than 20 minutes on the Internet or playing video games each day. They could have watched TV or movies or listened to music. Those with moderate or significant cognitive activity did some reading and some homework, but less than usual. Others had not limited their cognitive activities at all since their last clinic visit.

On average, patients took 43 days to fully recover from their concussions. Those with more minor concussions tended to get over their symptoms faster. So did those who did less with their brains while recovering.

Results showed that only those engaging in the highest levels of cognitive activity had a substantial increase in their symptom duration, while those at all lower activity levels seemed to recover at about the same pace.

According to Dr. Meehan, “This would suggest that while vigorous cognitive exertion is detrimental to recovery, milder levels of cognitive exertion do not seem to prolong recovery substantially”

In general, Meehan said, doctors recommend almost complete brain rest for three to five days after a concussion, followed by a gradual return to normal activities.

Athletes suspected of having a concussion should be seen by the most immediately available medical personnel, like an athletic trainer or team doctor, he said, with a follow-up visit to their primary care doctor.

I would also emphasize the importance of physical rest and complete avoidance of any activities that could result in another head injury before completely recovering from the first one. Complete recovery means no symptoms at all, including headaches, dizziness, mental fog, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and other. Taking a magnesium supplement can also help since animal studies show magnesium depletion following an injury. If rest alone does not lead to a complete recovery, cognitive behavioral therapy, medications (for anxiety, depression, and irritability), and Botox injections (for persistent headaches) are sometimes needed.

Erythromelalgia and migraine

By: Dr. Mauskop

07-12-2012

Science of Migraine, Uncategorized

Erythromelalgia is a rare, often inherited pain syndrome which causes pain and redness of hands and feet. I just saw another woman who had both erythromelalgia and migraines. My observation of several patients who had both diseases does not mean that these conditions are connected since migraines are very common in the general population. However, magnesium is known to help both conditions, so it is possible that there are common underlying causes. In fact, a sodium channel mutation which is responsible for erythromelalgia was also found in a family with familial hemiplegic migraine. Magnesium is involved in the regulation of sodium channels (as well as calcium and potassium channels) in all cells of the body. Most people who are deficient in magnesium and suffer from erythromelalgia and/or migraines respond well to oral magnesium supplementation, but a small percentage requires monthly intravenous infusions. We give intravenous infusions to those patients who do not tolerate oral magnesium (get diarrhea or stomach pains), those who do not absorb it (as evidenced by persistently low RBC magnesium levels) and those who prefer a monthly infusion to taking a daily supplement. Erythromelalgia

Topamax recall

By: Dr. Mauskop

14-04-2011

Headache medications

Migraine and epilepsy drug Topamax is being recalled by its manufacturer, Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, a division of Johnson and Johnson. This recall affects only two lots of 100 mg tablets. This recall does not affect topiramate, generic copies of this brand. Since the generic form is much cheaper, most patients have switched to it from branded Topamax. This adds another problem to this beleaguered drug. It was recently reclassified by the FDA from pregnancy category C to category D, which means that it is much more dangerous for the fetus than originally thought. Topiramate is also associated with a high incidence of kidney stones (20%) and can cause other serious problems. This is why we always emphasize non-drug approaches (exercise, acupuncture, biofeedback magnesium, Botox, etc), which can be more effective and are much safer than drugs.

Book on refractory migraines published.

By: Dr. Mauskop

18-07-2010

Science of Migraine

There are over 4 million chronic migraine sufferers in the US. Chronic migraine is defined as a headache with migrainous features, which occurs on more than 15 days each month. Many of these chronic migraine patients we see at the New York Headache Center have daily headaches. By the time they come to our Center, many have seen several doctors, including neurologists and found no relief from a variety of drugs. A new book just published by Oxford University Press may help doctors who care for headache patients to provide better care. The book is Refractory Migraine, Mechanisms and Management. Dr. Mauskop and Dr. Sun-Edelstein contributed a chapter to this book: Nonpharmacological Treatment for Refractory Migraine: Acupuncture, Vitamins and Minerals and Lifestyle Modifications. An important message contained in the chapter and the one we always stress to our patients is that the best way to approach a refractory headache is not by trying one drug after another, but by combining drugs with nonpharmacological treatments, such as biofeedback, magnesium, other supplements, Botox injections, acupuncture and other therapies.

Treatment of a very severe headache

By: Dr. Mauskop

12-02-2010

New treatments

Some headaches, usually migraines, do not respond to the usual over-the-counter and even prescription headache medications. Once it is clear that there is no serious underlying cause, such as an aneurysm, several injectable medications can be given in an emergency room (during office hours at the New York Headache Center we also give injections in the office). These medicines may include intravenous injections of: magnesium sulfate (which is not a medication, but a mineral), sumatriptan (Imitrex, which can be self-injected by patients at home), ketorolac (or it is also called Toradol, which is a drug in the aspirin family), dexamethasone (Decadron, a steroid drug, which can help pain of almost any type, but cannot be given for long periods of time), prochlorperazine (or Compazine, which is a nausea medication but can help pain as well), valproate sodium (Depacon), and several other drugs.

Headaches in kids

By: Dr. Mauskop

13-01-2010

Alternative Therapies

74% of girls and 52% of boys have headaches at age 17, according to a Finnish study of 6,262 twins. At age 11, 60% of girls and 59% of boys had headaches at least once a month. The prevalence of weekly headaches increase d in girls from 16% to 25% between ages 11 and 14. Headaches in kids is a major problem, but unfortunately it does not receive proper attention. Sometimes parents do not believe that their child has a headache or if they do, they are reluctant to take the child to a doctor because they don’t want to resort to prescription medications. Fortunately, many non-drug approaches are very effective in kids. Regular sleep schedule (very hard to enforce in teenagers), regular meals, frequent aerobic exercise, biofeedback or meditation, and supplements can be very effective. Several studies have shown that kids with headaches are often deficient in magnesium, riboflavin (vitamin B2), and Co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10). If a child still has headaches, a medications may also be appropriate.

Headaches in pregnancy

By: Dr. Mauskop

10-01-2010

Science of Migraine

The fact that two out of three pregnant women stop having headaches during pregnancy is well established, however a study by Norwegian researchers published in Headache provides some additional details. Women with headaches who are pregnant for the first time tend to have fewer headaches than non-pregnant women or women during subsequent pregnancies. This is especially true in the third trimester. Non-pregnant women who had never been pregnant were less likely to have headaches than women who had been. If a woman does have headaches during pregnancy, the initial treatment should consist of non-drug therapies, such as biofeedback or meditation, magnesium and other supplements, acupuncture, and if headaches are frequent, Botox injections.

Migralex is launched

By: Dr. Mauskop

16-12-2009

New treatments, Uncategorized

Migralex is finally available to all headache sufferers. This is the first new brand of headache medicine in 15 years. After years of painstaking research, complicated development work, and manufacturing setup it is very gratifying to see Migralex available at www.Migralex.com and independent pharmacies. If you know someone who suffers from headaches, please tell them about Dr. Mauskop’s Migralex. Migralex works quickly, has few side effects, and works for many different types of headaches. Please go to www.Migralex.com for more information.

Dr. Oz promotes magnesium for headaches

By: Dr. Mauskop

23-10-2009

Alternative Therapies

Dr. Oz : “Like Alexander Mauskop, I believe that magnesium can help—it relaxes arteries and muscles in the body, both of which can help with headaches”. This statement in the latest issue of O, The Oprah Magazine is not very surprising coming from a cardiac surgeon – magnesium is routinely used after open heart surgery. Unfortunately, many neurologist and other physicians treating headaches still do not recommend magnesium for their headache patients. And this is despite all the scientific evidence and despite the recommendation of the American Academy of Neurology. I think this is in part due to their training that emphasizes the use of drugs rather than natural approaches. This bias is reinforced by the strong influence of the pharmaceutical industry.

Magnesium for migraine

By: Dr. Mauskop

19-10-2008

Alternative Therapies

Magnesium is effective in preventing migraine headaches according to a new study published in the last issue of journal Magnesium Research. The researchers found that patients treated with magnesium, compared to those treated with placebo, had fewer migraine attacks and the attacks were milder. In addition, magnesium treated patients had improved blood flow in their brains, while those on placebo did not. This is just another confirmation of previous findings of the efficacy of magnesium in the treatment of migraine headaches. Since magnesium is very inexpensive and extremely safe, every patient with migraine headache should be given a trial of magnesium supplementation.

Migralex – first scientific presentation

By: Dr. Mauskop

15-07-2008

Uncategorized

Migralex is an over-the-counter medication for the treatment of headaches, which will become available in November of 2009. Results of the first study of Migralex were presented at the annual scientific meeting of the American Headache Society in Boston. In an open-label study 50 patients with headaches who were being treated at the NYHC compared Migralex with their usual medication. Half of the patients found Migralex better or much better than their usual treatment and 27 were willing to take it again. In 31 of 50 patients the usual medication was a triptan ( a prescription migraine medication) and in 19 it was a prescription or over-the-counter pain medication. Migralex was well tolerated, with only one patient reporting upset stomach.