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Anyone used "Feverfew" or "Meadowsweet" or "Willowbark"


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My husband has suffered with migraines and headaches for 25 years and has been taking ibuprofine daily. I am looking for natural remedies because i think his body is addicted to it and hate to think the side effect long term using excedrine migraine. He wants to quit the medicine but gets rebounds.

I came across these natural plants either in capsules or leaf/bark. Would like find out the pros and cons from someone that has used it.

Edited by dands
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I used to have migraines rather frequently. As opposed to the capsules, I grew feverfew as a plant, and ate a few leaves a day. It seemed to help, but so could the being out in nature and digging in the dirt -- good therapy there. In any case, there is supposed to be a risk of upset stomach with feverfew, but I didn't have any problem with it. The big problem was with the end of the growing season...:001_huh:

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I used feverfew years ago when I was in a stressful situation and started having migraines for the first time in my life. Full on want to throw up awful migraines. The feverfew worked for me. I grew it as a plant and read somewhere not to eat more than three leaves at a time. It tastes horrible, so I'd chew it up fast and take it with water. Do some research, talk to a doctor or natural path. It worked great for me.

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Sorry to hear that he's been suffering with migraines and headaches. Since he's addicted to the Excedrin, I would wean myself off it very gradually. For example, if he's taking 2 daily or whatever, start taking 1 for several weeks. Or, if he's taking a certain dose, do a lower dose. Go off it very, very gradually.

 

Here are some tips that may be of help. As with all natural approaches, you need to be patient - and give it at least 6-12 weeks. If I were to pick just one supplement, I would pick magnesium. If your budget allows however, I would pick more.

 

LONG-TERM RELIEF AND PREVENTION

Magnesium

A magnesium deficiency is implicated in an unusually high amount of health problems including migraines.

A number of scientific studies found low levels of magnesium in people with migraines. Many with migraines have low blood levels of magnesium.

Since magnesium is a safe nutrient to take in large amounts, you may want to simply increase your magnesium intake. Take as much as you can without getting uncomfortably loose stools. Start by taking 400 mg twice a day. Take with meals to ensure optimal absorption.

And remember that the more calcium you take, the more magnesium you need. Try cutting back on calcium while you increase your magnesium and see how this change affects your migraines.

For most people on a healthy diet, 500 mg of each supplement should be enough. But for someone with migraines and headaches, I would recommend more than 400 mg, more like 800 mg or 1200 mg, but no more.

If you have symptoms of magnesium deficiency (and most of us do) – if you’re feeling edgy, have muscle cramps, suffer insomnia, crave chocolate, or notice increased urination, adjust your calcium-magnesium ratio, so that you’re taking at least as much magnesium or—ideally—twice as much magnesium as calcium.

400-1200 mg daily of Magnesium is helpful but use according to bowel tolerance. Your body knows how much magnesium you can tolerate from bowel tolerance – take as much magnesium as your bowels can tolerate

If you can, add 100 mg of magnesium to your nutritional supplements, and increase it by 100 mg every few days until your stools are soft, but not uncomfortably loose.

Take in divided doses and with meals to ensure optimal absorption – preferably more at night

Some say to not take magnesium with calcium - I think that that is preferable.

Calcium, magnesium, and many other minerals are best absorbed when they are bound to an acidic carrier such as citrate, aspartate, picolinate, or amino acid chelate. Minerals need an acidic base to break down and get used.

The most absorbable forms are magnesium citrate, glycinate taurate, or aspartate, although magnesium bound to Kreb cycle chelates (malate, succinate, fumarate) are also good.

Avoid magnesium carbonate, oxide, sulfate, and gluconate. They are poorly absorbed (and the cheapest and most common forms found in supplements).

Side effects from too much magnesium include diarrhea, which can be avoided if you switch to magnesium glycinate.

People with kidney disease or severe heart disease should take magnesium only under a doctor's supervision.

 

Feverfew – this herb treats migraine pain by interrupting its main cause: inflammatory reactions in your head that aggravate nerve endings and cause the blood vessels to expand. When taken daily, feverfew can prevent migraines as well as reduce their severity, duration, and frequency. Be patient. The results can take up to 6 weeks. If you stop taking it, your migraines might return.

500-600 mg of standardized feverfew daily – use a standardized extract or capsules with 0.2% parthenolide –some commercial products have been found to have little or no parthenolide

Take 2 equal portions on an empty stomach in the morning and evening.

Higher amounts – 1-2 grams – may be needed if you are having an attack

 

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) – 400 mg daily may cut the frequency and duration of migraines. But you’ll need a Rx for that dosage.

Riboflavin has been used to treat migraines for more than 50 years. The amount of riboflavin that’s needed to reduce headaches is much more than you’ll find in any multivitamin, and riboflavin doesn’t work overnight. Be sure you take enough of it and give it at least a 3-month trial. When it’s combined with magnesium and feverfew, it should work more quickly.

 

Omega-3s

During a migraine, the tissue surrounding the brain becomes inflamed. Omega-3s reduce inflammation.

A good fish oil – such as Carlson’s - Take 4000-6000 mg of fish oil daily with meals for best absorption. After 8-12 weeks, if the migraines have stabilized, you can adjust the dose to 1000 mg per day.

Walnuts

Chia Seeds

Edited by Negin in Grenada
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Melatonin

Melatonin - taken at night helps some. Low melatonin in our bodies has been linked to migraines.

Melatonin is a natural hormone that promotes sound sleep. It acts as an antioxidant. Early in life, the body produces an abundant supply, but as we age, production steadily declines.

Melatonin is helpful for more difficult insomnia.

It also acts as a powerful antioxidant; while it shuts the body down, it cleans the toxins and free radicals from cells. But we often do things that keep melatonin from being produced, and that can be deadly. When we stay up late at night or work night shifts, we keep our body from producing melatonin.

Melatonin, the antioxidant hormone that helps protect cells from DNA damage, is able to cross the blood-brain barrier, actually breaching the membrane designed to prevent toxins from entering your brain. Because it has been shown especially effective at preventing free radical damage to cell membranes (one of the prime targets of EMFs from cell phones etc.), I recommend taking 3 to 15 mg of melatonin (preferably in a time-release form) daily.

If melatonin is taken in the evenings, tumor growth may be slowed.

If you’re in the habit of having a late-night snack, a banana would be a good one as it can boost melatonin production.

• Start with 1 mg just before bedtime. Take 2 hours or less before bedtime. If this is not effective, gradually increase dosage. Melatonin dosages vary from individual to individual ~ and most do not need the highest dose. Ease into melatonin in increments.

• Use melatonin only occasionally. Do not take melatonin every single night

• Do not take melatonin during the day.

• When you awaken after melatonin-assisted sleep, you should feel refreshed – not tired or groggy. If you do experience grogginess, reduce the dosage.

• Do not give to children.

 

Butterbur – Butterbur root is one of the best herbs to prevent migraines. Take 150 mg two to three times per day.

A good brand is Petadolex.

Make sure the label specifies that pyrrolizidine alkaloids have been removed.

Get ones with capsules free of Pas, compounds found in crude butterbur that are toxic to the liver.

 

Xiao yao wan – Migraines are often due to liver qi stagnation – when the liver doesn’t properly clean toxins from the body. This is a blend of plant roots, rhizomes, and mushrooms, believed to help cleanse the liver.

 

Co-Q10 – Two-thirds of volunteers who consumed 200 mg daily cut their migraine attacks in half.

 

B6 helps prevent migraines

You don’t need to necessarily take B6 every single night. One way that I know if I have enough B6 or not – if I remember my dreams quite clearly, I don’t take B6 for the next few nights. If I don’t remember my dreams – I take B6.

Some people may need up to 250 mg or even special "active" B6 (pyridoxyl-5-phosphate) to achieve the greatest effect.

Doses higher than 500 mg may cause nerve injury and are not recommended.

Possible symptoms of an oversupply of B6 are night restlessness, numb feet, and twitching.

Vitamin B6 is called pyridoxine and it is metabolized through the liver. Pyridoxyl-5-phosphate, or P-5-P, is a co-enzyme form of B6. That is, it turns B6 in your body, and does so without going through your liver. So it’s easy to absorb and is well tolerated. Co-enzyme B vitamins are best absorbed. Look for Pyridoxyl-5-phosphate, or P-5-P on the label as an indicator of the form of the B vitamins it contains.

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Eat cherries as often as possible. Consuming 20 a day (about 2000 mg of cherry fruit extract) has been proven to provide more pain relief than aspirin and other painkillers.

 

REGULAR YOGA is a powerful headache cure.

 

EXERCISE – Begin with a daily 10-minute walk, take up a gentle yoga class, or try the slow movement of Tai Chi. Water aerobics and swimming help also.

 

Acupuncture helps with all sorts of pain. Love it, love it, love it! :D

 

CHIROPRACTIC/MASSAGE – both help immensely with pain

Be aware that you should wait for any inflammation to subside before starting either.

 

BOOK

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Migraines by Dr. Alexander Mauskop

 

MORE IMMEDIATE CURES

SHOWER AND WASH HAIR

 

EPSOM SALTS

Soak your feet in warm water with Epsom Salts. Since migraines are triggered by a mineral deficiency, this may help.

 

PEPPERMINT OIL

Dilute a few drops of peppermint oil with olive oil and rub the mixture onto your temples.

OR

A mix of peppermint and lavender oil. 2-3 drops of each rubbed into the temples, back of the neck and on your feet feels wonderful and really helps.

 

TOPICAL CAPSAICIN CREAM

0.025% or 0.075% cream 1-4 times daily

 

COLD COMPRESS on head, face, or throat will lessen the pain

 

SLEEP - Get enough sleep. Your body needs a full night of quality sleep to fight pain. Sniffing lavender oil before sleep can help you.

 

FINAL WORD OF CAUTION

If you regularly suffer from migraine pain (especially if you develop auras), be careful of heart attack or stroke.

If you have fewer than one migraine a month, you’re 50% more likely to have a heart attack than non-sufferers.

If migraines strike at least weekly, you have 3 times the risk of stroke, compared with those who don’t.

• Aim to keep your cardiovascular system as healthy as possible.

Control high cholesterol and obesity, via diet and exercise

• Quit smoking

• Limit alcohol intake

• Control blood pressure

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Finding and Curing the Causes of Your Migraines

Food Allergy/Bowel and Gut Imbalances

Fatigue

Brain fog

Bloating

Irritable bowel syndrome

Joint or muscle pain

Postnasal drip and sinus congestion

and more

 

The testing: Check an IgG food allergy panel and also check a celiac panel because wheat and gluten are among the biggest causes of headaches and migraines. Stool testing and urine testing for yeast or bacterial imbalances that come from the gut can also be helpful.

The treatment: An elimination diet -- getting rid of gluten, dairy, eggs, and yeast -- is a good way to start. Corn can also be a common problem. Getting the gut healthy with enzymes, probiotics, and omega-3 fats is also important.

 

Chemical Triggers

The causes: A processed-food diet including aspartame, MSG (monosodium glutamate), nitrates (in deli meats), sulfites (found in wine, dried fruit, and food from salad bars) is to blame. Tyramine-containing foods like chocolate and cheese are also triggers.

The treatment: Get rid of additives, sweeteners, sulfites, and processed food. Eat a diet rich in whole foods and phytonutrients.

 

Magnesium Deficiency

Anything that feels tight or crampy like headaches

Constipation

Anxiety

Insomnia

Irritability

Sensitivity to loud noises

Muscle cramps or twitching

Palpitations

 

The testing: Check red blood cell magnesium levels. Even this can be normal in the face of total body deficiency, so treatment with magnesium based on the symptoms is the first choice.

The treatment: Magnesium glycinate, citrate, or aspartate in doses that relieve symptoms or until you get loose bowels. If you have kidney disease of any kind, do this only with a doctor's supervision.

 

Mitochondrial Imbalances

Fatigue

Muscle aching

Brain fog

Although sometimes the only symptom can be migraines

 

The testing: Checking urinary organic acids can be helpful to assess the function of the mitochondria and energy production.

The treatment: Taking 400 mg of riboflavin (B2) twice a day and 100 to 400 mg a day of coenzyme Q10 can be helpful, as can as other treatments to support the mitochondria.

 

Keep in mind that sometimes a combination of treatments is necessary. Other treatments can be helpful in selected cases, such as herbal therapies (like feverfew and butterbur), acupuncture, homeopathy, massage, and osteopathic treatment to fix structural problems.

 

KEEP A MIGRAINE DIARY for several months to help identify triggers. Track your diet, exercise, stress levels, and symptoms.

Some common culprits include chocolate, food additives, hormonal fluctuations, weather, and stress.

93% of people with migraines improve when they stop eating their trigger foods. Any food can cause a migraine, but some foods are more closely associated with them. Foods high in chemicals called amines – found in chocolate, aged cheeses, red wine, beer, dairy, nuts, citrus, and beans – commonly trigger migraines. It’s worth trying an elimination diet.

A migraine-provoking food could be something you eat in a large quantity, such as a glass of milk or some yogurt, or in small amounts like the dairy in ranch-style salad dressing. Food reactions are difficult to identify because an allergic reaction like a migraine doesn’t always occur right after you eat. It can take as long as 72 hours.

If you suspect a food, eliminate that food in all forms for at least 3 months. Then test it by eating it alone. If you have no reaction, you can try eating it again in small amounts. Don’t eat it more than once or twice a week, however. You don’t want that sensitivity to come back. In addition to the foods listed above, the foods found to be most likely to cause headaches are beef, yeast, and sugar (corn and cane).

 

LOW BLOOD SUGAR

Keep your blood sugar stable by eating every 4-5 hours and get some protein at each meal.

 

COPPER IMBALANCE

Copper can trigger a migraine, especially if you have an abnormal copper metabolism or consume high quantities of this mineral.

Some alcoholic beverages, such as red wine, beer, and whiskey are distilled in cooper stills.

Some water supplies travel through copper pipes.

Foods naturally high in copper include: shellfish, wheat germ, chocolate, soy, and nuts.

Citrus increases your body’s absorption of this mineral.

Talk with your health care practitioner about getting a hair analysis or other assay of your copper levels.

Avoid eating too many of the above foods and beverages and make sure your multivitamin is free of copper.

When copper levels are too high, zinc levels tend to be too low. The result of this imbalance can be anything from fatigue to migraines. When you increase your zinc, copper levels come down.

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3 or 4 years ago, I was in the same boat your husband is now in and it was awful! I had daily headaches and migraines weekly. It was almost debilitating. I am unable to take triptans, which are meds specifically for migraines, because they make me very ill, so my dr. treated me by controlling my pain. This usually entailed several ibuprophen followed be a hydrocodone-this left me in a funk/fog/hangover for one to two days AFTER the migraine. I was prone to depression because I often just felt HORRIBLE!! I had to change drs for insurance purposes, and my new dr told me I had just been putting on a big band-aid and not treating the problem itself. She was sending me to a neurologist but wanted to try two things first. She wanted me to try an anti-depressant used to treat chronic pain called nortriptyline, and then a beta-blocker if the other did not work. Well, it worked like a charm. I rarely had migraines, and although I still got headaches, it was not near as ofter nor were they as severe. After a year or two of this, I decided to get off of the meds. I began taking an herb called FEVERFEW and weened myself off of the anti-depressant. I am now 90% migraine free, and never get the horrible would rather shoot yourself in the head then feel that way kinda pain migraine!! I do still get headaches, but they are treated with ibuprophen and/or aleve. If you go to iherb.com, you receive $5 off of your first order and I get a 6 month supply for about $13, I think. There are also ratings on this website-read the ones for FEVERFEW-there are many folks who have success with this. My life is so different now. I would go back to nortrityline in a heartbeat if the FEVERFEW ever quit helping me. It's kinda cheesy to say, but it really did give me my life back! HTH!!

 

I am copy/pasting this from another thread that I responed to and it is looking funny! Sorry! I try to let everyone I know about this because it worked so well for me!!

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Magnesium and a B complex have cut my ds's migraines from every other week at their worst to maybe quarterly -- and more managable too. An Excedrin Migraine will now work in about an hour, and he has only had about 2 abdominal migraines in the last year (those used to put him in the hospital regularly).

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One of the problems with overuse of pain medications for migraines that you develop a Daily Headache Syndrome. It is real and painful. The first thing is to actually stop ALL pain medications. Heal your Headache is a terrific book that helps you to understand the causes of migraines so you can learn to limit triggers and actually start to control them. But coming off of daily pain medications is going to be HARD, and your husband is going to need to want to do it for himself. He should probably also be under the care of a doctor when he's doing it if he has other health problems.

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One of the problems with overuse of pain medications for migraines that you develop a Daily Headache Syndrome. It is real and painful. The first thing is to actually stop ALL pain medications. Heal your Headache is a terrific book that helps you to understand the causes of migraines so you can learn to limit triggers and actually start to control them. But coming off of daily pain medications is going to be HARD, and your husband is going to need to want to do it for himself. He should probably also be under the care of a doctor when he's doing it if he has other health problems.

:iagree: with all this.

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