A Balancing Act – Opioid Use Throughout HistoryNothing creates controversy in the migraine community quite like the topic of using opioid medications. It doesn’t matter what the position or facts presented, someone will disagree. It is an emotionally-charged...reactions17comments
Tips for Staying Sane on an Elimination DietAvoid prepared foods (this actually simplifies the diet!). Pretty much every prepared food contains something on the list of foods to avoid. There are so many different additives/ingredients and so...reactions1comment
The Ins and Outs of Intractable MigraineWhat It Is: Intractable migraine, also called refractory migraine and/or status migrainosus, is the medical term used to describe a persistent migraine that is either 1) difficult to treat or...reactions28comments
Not knowing how much you can take 'til you've made it throughAs I have mentioned a handful of times on here, I tend to run cold and very often have cold fingers and toes. At six feet tall and very thin...reactions3comments
Why Wasn’t I Chosen for a Clinical Trial?In any clinical trial, participants must meet certain criteria to be eligible to participate. There are two commonly used terms when describing clinical trial eligibility, and those are “inclusion criteria”...reactionscomments
Migraine Elimination Diet: Foods to Eat, Foods to AvoidThe easiest way to follow this diet is to keep meals very simple. You’ll trade a few months of dietary boredom for lots of information about your own migraine triggers...reactions44comments
Post-migraine triageI was about to say that the transition from summer to fall 2014 hadn’t been easy on my migraine brain this year, but it might be more apt to say...reactions7comments
Who Works With Migraine? The Healthcare Providers You Can Turn to for HelpWhen you’re first experiencing migraine, it can be difficult to know where to get help. This is particularly true if you’re not yet sure what you’re experiencing (i.e., don’t yet...reactions4comments
Clinical Trial ParticipationEvery clinical trial is designed to look at a specific population, so each participant is required to have certain traits (eligibility criteria) in order to take part in the study...reactions9comments
Migraineur as patient, migraineur as caregiverToday I am writing not from the perspective of Janet as patient, but from the perspective of Janet as caregiver. You see, my longtime boyfriend, Jim, is like me in...reactions2comments
The satisfaction of an obvious injuryThis past November, I took a huge, embarrassing spill in front of a local restaurant. I’d gone to a local BBQ spot to pick up a yummy meal for Jim...reactions14comments
Migraine in America 2014What is the impact of migraine in America? The Migraine in America 2014 study was conducted in the summer of 2014 to learn more about migraine sufferers’ symptoms and triggers...reactionscomments
Clinical Trial TerminologyThere are several terms that are commonly used when discussing clinical trials. Here are some that come up often:Adverse event: an undesirable experience associated with the use of a medical...reactionscomments
Which Food Chemicals Are Potential Migraine Triggers?The classic doctor’s list of food triggers includes cheese, aged meat, chocolate, caffeine, beer, red wine, and artificial sweetener. Gluten and dairy have been added to some lists. Whatever's on...reactions6comments
A Lower-Key MeA few days back, one of my supervisors at migraine.com emailed me the link to an article I wrote nearly six years ago to the day. In it I describe...reactions3comments
What's an Elimination Diet and How Do I Manage One?The term "elimination diet" sounds like you're eliminating certain foods from your diet. Period. It actually means that you temporarily eliminate certain foods, then test to see which foods are...reactions9comments
Understanding Clinical TrialsA clinical trial is a research study that is conducted to determine whether a specific medical intervention, such as a treatment, device, procedure, or change in behavior is safe and...reactionscomments
Comforting TVLike anyone in this world, I have times when I need to seek comfort. I’m an affectionate person, and nothing beats a hug from my family or Jim or a...reactions29comments
Migraine Food Triggers: An IntroductionWe’ve all heard about foods that are potential migraine triggers and many of us have tried avoiding those foods to some degree. Unfortunately, individual triggers can be elusive. Figuring out...reactions16comments
ClumsinessThough I have been known to have (very) occasional moments of grace, I am not usually described as “graceful.” In fact, if we were to create a scale where 0...reactions69comments
