| More than half of the 30 million Americans | | | | Butterbur may prevent spasms of the blood |
| who suffer from the worst kind of headache | | | | vessels in your head, Lipton says, and curb |
| pain take only over-the-counter | | | | inflammation inside the vessels. The only |
| remedies—or nothing at all. But | | | | side effect of taking the herb appears to be |
| doctors now believe an unorthodox remedy such | | | | an unfortunate tendency to burp. The brand |
| as a B vitamin or a series of Botox | | | | used in the study, Petadolex, is available |
| injections may help. How they work | | | | only in 50 milligram capsules; take one three |
| isn’t entirely clear. But the risks | | | | times a day. Look for it in drugstores, |
| appear to be minimal, and the payoffs could | | | | health-food stores, and on the Internet. |
| be huge. Here’s our guide to the | | | | |
| remedies experts find most promising. | | | | Do the Q Co-enzyme Q10, an antioxidant found |
| | | | in meat and nuts, may also crank up your |
| Get your Bs | | | | brain’s ability to use energy. |
| | | | “The data are very encouraging,†|
| In people who suffer from frequent headaches | | | | says Mark Green, MD, of Columbia University. |
| such as migraines, tests show their brains | | | | In a recent study, researchers gave 42 |
| seem to be consistently low on energy, | | | | patients either co-Q10 or a placebo and found |
| leading to painful overreactions when the | | | | that the antioxidant reduced the frequency of |
| brain is pushed by bright lights, loud | | | | attacks by 47 percent, as well as the amount |
| sounds, or lack of sleep. Riboflavin appears | | | | of nausea. A 1-month supply will run you $40 |
| to help solve the problem, Kaniecki says. | | | | to $60, and you’ll need to take a |
| While the recommended daily intake for a | | | | fairly high dose (300 milligrams every day) |
| healthy adult woman is only about 1 | | | | for at least 2 months before you’ll |
| milligram, a high dose (400 milligrams daily) | | | | feel better. Buy it wherever it’s sold |
| cut the frequency of migraine attacks by | | | | in bulk; the Internet may be your best bet. |
| nearly 60 percent in one study, and there are | | | | |
| no known risks from taking that much. You | | | | A new use for Botox |
| have to use it daily for at least a month | | | | |
| before you’ll see results, because | | | | A new Mayo Clinic study found that Botox cut |
| your body needs time to adjust. A bottle of | | | | by more than half the number of headaches |
| 100-milligram supplements sells for about | | | | suffered by people who get migraines 15 or |
| $6.99 at most drugstores and is available for | | | | more days per month. But this remedy |
| less on the Internet. | | | | doesn’t slay headaches by forcibly |
| | | | relaxing or paralyzing muscles. Instead, |
| Magna magnesium | | | | experts say, it seems to block pain signals |
| | | | to the brain. Injections are usually applied |
| Magnesium also seems to correct brain | | | | at numerous sites in the scalp and neck every |
| hypersensitivity. The dose needed is | | | | 2 to 3 months. A big drawback: It’s |
| considerably more than the 50 milligrams in | | | | $1,000 per treatment, and insurers usually |
| once-a-day vitamins; patients took up to 800 | | | | won’t cover the cost. Many headache |
| milligrams daily in studies that found | | | | clinics offer Botox therapy; ask your local |
| significant reductions in the number of days | | | | hospital or neurologist for a referral. |
| with headaches, and in the intensity of pain. | | | | |
| That amount may cause diarrhea or gas in | | | | A pain-piercing approach |
| people with sensitive stomachs, but taking a | | | | |
| calcium-magnesium combo pill can offset these | | | | In a recent study, German insurance companies |
| side effects. Both magnesium and | | | | followed 15,000 headache patients and found |
| calcium-magnesium supplements are available | | | | that those getting acupuncture in addition to |
| at pharmacies for $10 or less. Give it at | | | | OTC pain remedies suffered 44 percent fewer |
| least a month, preferably 3 months, before | | | | headaches than those relying on medication |
| deciding if it’s worth it, experts | | | | alone. How and why acupuncture works is |
| say. | | | | unknown. Another recent study compared it |
| | | | with so-called sham acupuncture, in which |
| The butterbur effect | | | | needles are inserted at sites not usually |
| | | | used by an acupuncturist, and found both |
| Butterbur, an herb, has been used for | | | | methods equally effective at combating |
| centuries by Europeans to treat fever, | | | | migraines. No one’s sure how to |
| asthma, and inflammation. Thanks to a | | | | explain that, but having your body repeatedly |
| convincing study published last year, clinics | | | | stuck with needles certainly seems to help. |
| around the country are using an extract from | | | | Experts believe the real thing is effective |
| its roots, called Petasites. Patients who | | | | enough to be added to the arsenal of |
| took 75 milligrams twice a day for 4 months | | | | available treatments in many reputable |
| cut their incidence of migraine attacks | | | | clinics. Their advice: Find an acupuncturist |
| almost in half. The dosage is important: A | | | | specializing in headaches, and continue |
| second group that took 50 milligrams twice a | | | | regular sessions for several months. The |
| day got no benefit. | | | | American Academy of Medical Acupuncture can |
| | | | refer you to acupuncturists with MD degrees. |