Posted on 04/23/2014 10:58:16 AM PDT by Red Badger
For those who suffer from migraines, you know that they can often be debilitating. A day with a migraine is one spent hoarded up in a room, shades drawn, eyes shut tight, wishing for sleep to provide relief from the pain. Two new drug studies are changing the way that a medicine looks at treating migraines. Rather than working to stop the migraine once it has started, these drugs are aimed at preventing the migraine from occurring in the first place. Although both drugs need more studies conducted before their effectiveness can be confirmed, so far the results look promising.
The two drug studies were released Tuesday at the American Academy of Neurology’s 66th Annual Meeting, taking place in Philadelphia from April 26 to May 3. According to the press release, both drugs involve the use of a calcitonin gene-related peptide, or CGRP. This was previously thought to be useful in treating migraines but was never before used in medication.
One study, for a drug named ALD403, involved 163 participants who experienced five to 14 days with a migraine in an average month. They received either a placebo or the test medication and were followed for 24 weeks. Results showed that those who received the ALD403 had 5.6 fewer migraine days per month. This was a decrease of 66 percent. In comparison, those who had the placebo had 4.6 fewer migraine days per month, experiencing a decrease of only 52 percent. In a 12-week period, 16 percent of participants experienced no migraines. These results did not occur for any of those who received the placebo. There was no difference in side effects between those taking the drug and those taking the placebo.
The second study was for a drug called LY2951742. The 217 participants described having migraines for an average of four to 14 days per month. Their results were similar, with a larger decrease in migraines in the group taking the drug as opposed to the placebo. However, in this study, participants taking the drug were more likely to have pain at the injection site, upper respiratory tract infections, and abdominal pain. Still the drug was considered to be safe and well-tolerated.
“These results may potentially represent a new era in preventive therapy for migraine,” Peter Goadsby, a member of the American Academy of Neurology and an author in both studies, explained in a recent press release. Although migraines are fairly common, there is a lack of medication that both works and is well tolerated. There is a need for migraine medication. It is the third most common and seventh most disabling medical disorder in the world. “We’re cautiously optimistic that a new era of mechanism-based migraine prevention is beginning,” David Dodick of Mayo Clinic in Arizona, and also an author on both studies, concluded in the press release.
Isn’t pain an indication that something is wrong? So wouldn’t preventing (as opposed to relieving) pain mask symptoms and endanger the patient?
I suffered from brutal migraine headaches for 10 years, from the age of 30 to 40 - I’m almost 62 and have not had one since then. Go figure.
Yes, it can be an indication of something serious, but Migraines have no singular known cause. After everything else has been eliminated, you have a headache for no apparent reason, so then you must treat the patient’s pain..........
You stopped drinking and running around til all hours of the morning chasing wild women?...................
.........or you STARTED................
Suffered most of my life from headaches. Found little to no relief.
I’m glad to hear your migraines went away!
I’m 35, have 3 kids (9, 7, and 2), and run two businesses including my law practice.
I grew up with migraines, but I would get maybe one or two a month.
During my third year of law school (2004-2005) I started getting them probably three days a week.
Lately I’ve been getting them nearly every day. My wife and and kids are as tired of them as I am. I’ve been to so many doctors, but the solutions are often just as bad as the problem in one way or another.
My primary doctor told me the good news is that most men outgrow their migraines around age forty.
I guess that makes each birthday a little easier until then.
Sorry to bother you about my problems, but your post kind of encouraged me. God bless you.
Anyone ever have a type of migraine with only visual anomolies (no pain)?
I DO. They are called Ocular or Visual Migraines..............
Same here. Occular migraines. I get nausea from taking any migraine Rx but need to take it or I can’t see, drive, do anything. My migraine frequency has been reduced by OVER half since I started taking melatonin at night before bed as a sleep aid. My doctor told me last year that this was a recent discovery and is still being examined. Thank God he told me. Since last June I’ve had less than half the migarines I normally would have had. Take a minimum of 3mg melatonin and see. Over the shelf, no Rx needed, no side effects.
Interesting graphic. Is there a link to the originating web page?
Great information on melatonin. Will have to get some for my daughter.
Thanks Red.
Can I ask you how long it lasts when you get them?
30 minutes to an hour.
I get a ‘ring of light’ that starts in the center of my field of vision as a bright spot, and slowly gets larger and larger until it expands beyond my sight.
The first time it happened it scared me half to death........
How often do you have the visual migraine?
I have had only 3 or 4 ever, but each time is as you describe, 30 minutes.
First time I thought I might be having a stroke!
Scared me a lot.
Only once or twice a year, or so it seems. It begins as a fuzzy area in my vision, only one eye affected, like my glasses need cleaning, but when I take my glasses off I still see it, so I know it starting again.
From everything I've read, it's mostly harmless as long as you're not driving or doing anything dangerous like disarming explosive devices.
Doctors are unsure just what causes them, and several different medical problems can cause similar symptoms.
But still you should tell your doctor so he/she can diagnose and eliminate the possibility of other causes.................
I always carry my Sumatriptan with me and take one as soon as I start seeing/feeling the starburst patterns. It takes anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes to work. It works faster if I can go in a dark room and close my eyes for the 15-20 mins. The Sumatriptan recommends you take a second pill in one hour but I never do as it upsets my stomach. I should mention that I have a sensitive stomach and it may not have that affect on others.
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