FDA approves magnetic device to relieve migraines

[Redfairen]

Source: UPI

The Food and Drug Administration approved the marketing of the Cerena Transcranial Magnetic Stimulator, a device that helps alleviate the pain related to migraine headaches that are preceded by an aura.

The prescription device, manufactured by eNeura Therapeutics of Sunnyvale, California, is used for migraines that are preceded by an aura -- symptoms including dizziness, ringing ears, seeing zigzag lines and sensitivity to light.

The device is held against the back of the head and and when the user presses a button a pulse of magnetic energy stimulates the occipital region of the brain, which may lessen or stop the pain.

The FDA reviewed data from 201 patients who had moderate to strong migraines and experienced auras preceding the headaches. Auras are present in only about 20 percent of all migraine cases.



Read more: http://www.upi.com/blog/2013/12/16/FDA-approves-magnetic-device-to-relieve-migraines/8921387206513/

[catbyte]

1. Dang, I wish my migraines were preceded by an aura. Mine just come crashing in.

I usually I wake up to them, grrrrrrrr. I've tried experimenting with triggers, but I haven't found anything I can do to control them. They aren't triggered by food or drink, but certain colognes trigger them immediately (CK by Calvin Klein is the worst offender) and flickering lights are the worst. I've had to stop going to concerts and must be very careful when I'm watching a movie. In fact, I haven't been to a movie theater in 10 years. I would love to be able to just zap my head--I really wish I didn't have to take Imitrex injections (the only thing that knocks them out) because it makes me feel like my heart is going to pop out of my chest. Oh, well, anything is better than that soul crushing pain. Maybe someday...

[longship]

2. I have had a life of migraines. I agree. Triggers are the solution.

I have not had a migraine in years.

My triggers are:

* perfumes and such smelly things.
* blue cheese!! And any such similar moldy food. Chiorzo, too.
* sleeping in a bed with a worn out mattress. (No back support)

That last one was a difficult one to nail down. But my migraines were so bad at the time -- I always woke up with one -- that I was taking very expensive migraine medicine for my multiple attacks per month. A new firm mattress and they just stopped. I didn't make the connection until then.

I have not had a migraine since. And believe me, mine were bad, a lifelong curse. And yes, mine had aura. I remember driving home after eating Gorgonzola at a friend's house. My visual field narrowed to like looking through soda straws. That was a very difficult drive and I got the worst migraine of my life. Blue cheese went off the menu. That was years ago.

When you get a migraine you have to make a list of everything you've done. You can then find the triggers.

Good luck. I know what you are going through.

R&K for more exposure.

[catbyte]

6. I'd forgotten about the bad bed--mine was a lousy pillow

My headaches were much less frequent after I bought a decent pillow.

[longship]

7. The answer came from the question:

Why am I waking up with migraines? That was new to my experience of lifelong migraine.

In my experience, a migraine comes from a trigger within about an hour or so. But what trigger would happen in the middle of a sleepful night?

I attributed it to uncomfortable sleep with a bad mattress. Maybe it was lack of sleep, or maybe it was my back or neck being skewed during sleep. The migraines were getting so bad and frequent enough that I suggested that a new mattress might help. Whatever the cause, the migraines stopped.

[eggplant]

4. My wife and I refer to her sumatriptan injector as "Mr. Stabby." :-(

And yes, the rush for the 15-30 minutes after injecting it is pretty damned awful. Bad enough that she really has to think long and hard as to whether the migraine is bad enough for her to put herself through it.

[catbyte]

5. I feel her pain--literally! Does ahe use the auto-filled injections? I can't stand to use them.

They release too violently for my taste. I get the 6 pack of .50 ml vials & use an insulin syringe to inject. It's much less traumautic, plus I get 12 doses per prescription as opposed to the 2-4 in the pre-filled pens. I've also injected into the air by accident using those awful autopens. I hate them with a passion! I can also control the amount I inject with the vials. Sometimes a half dose is enough if I catch it early enough & that awful rush is much diminished. Please pass along my best wishes to your wife!

[eggplant]

10. I will mention the vials and insulin syringes alternative to her.

I'm not sure she would be into shooting herself up (manually), but yea, the auto-pens are medieval. Plus, even with our really great rx insurance, they are about $70 per double-dose-pack as auto-pen refills, when everything else we get is covered 100% (well, except for her top tier asthma inhaler).

[catbyte]

12. I didn't think I'd like it better either, but the insulin syringes are so thin

I hardly even feel it. It is MUCH better than that awful autopen. It is easier for me, too, because my husband is an insulin-dependent diabetic so he showed me the best way to go. She should consult her doctor. It's much cheaper per scrip if you have insurance. Good luck!

[Tyrs WolfDaemon]

8. I wish I could take Imitrex (assuming it would work)

Unfortunately the first (and last) time I took it, not only did my heart feel like that but I also got a fever of over 102. On top of that, it made my head worse.


I'm willing to try an electro-magnet to the back of my head, that would be on of the less weird things I've tried.
I know where you're coming from, I wake with them as well, and I go to sleep with them. Haven't had a Migraine free day in 15+ years.

[catbyte]

20. Oh, wow. I only have 2-3 a month. I can't imagine how you live with daily migraines!

I'm so sorry.

[Tyrs WolfDaemon]

22. Migraines were passed down to me by my father's side of our family

Luckily for my cousin, I don't think she has them more than a few times a year. My sister also got spared, we're not sure why since mom also had migraines, but we're thankful she doesn't have to deal with them. We do worry that she might start getting them if she decides to have kids one day since pregnancy can set them off.

So that leaves me, the great inheritor of all the family's 'bad' genes. I started having migraine associated leg pains back to before I can remember. My first memories are of those and the taste of the children's Tylenol my parents would give me for them. So basically, I've lived my entire life with these things and don't know any different. To be honest, I don't know what I would do if I woke one morning without one, there is so much that I have had to give up that I'm not sure what I would want to do first.

Sorry, it seems I've rambled on.


Assuming you don't mind, I'll pray to Freya to help you too.

[catbyte]

24. You too, Tyrs.

I feel so bad that your life has been so negatively impacted by these awful things. Folks who don't get them are completely clueless about what a migraine feels like. They're used to nuisance headaches, which is as different from a migraine as a tap on the head with a feather duster as opposed to a bash on the head with a sledgehammer. Even though I only get them a few times a month, I find it difficult to plan ahead because I never know when one is going to strike. I don't know how many times I've had to call and cancel plans over the years. I don't throw parties for fear of getting one the day of. It really does rule your life.

I hope you are able to find some sort of relief somehow, some day. I'll be thinking of you.

[Matariki]

16. Mine were caused by a vitamin D deficiency

It might be worth checking that out if you haven't

[catbyte]

21. I take Vitamin D, but I will take your suggestion. Thank you!

Perhaps I'm not taking enough or I'm not absorbing it correctly. It's worth a shot. Thanks again.

[SoapBox]

3. ...fascinating.

[1000words]

9. Where's our resident expert on "woo?"

Head exploding, I'm guessing.

[DeadLetterOffice]

11. I have a 'woo' tolerance pretty near zero...

... and yet I would try this if it was made available to me. My migraines are finally controlled well enough that they only disable me for about 5 days out of 24, as opposed to all day every day for months and months. But the secondary effects of daily amitriptyline and beta-blockers and periodic sumatriptan injections are pretty unpleasant in and of themselves. Better than the blinding migraines, but not by much. The availability of a treatment option that would work without horrid secondary effects would absolutely cause me to break my self-imposed 'woo' ban, lol.

[Locrian]

13. LOL!

I was thinking the same thing. Auras, magnets - OMG!! I'm sure they'll be along any minute now...

[Archae]

15. It sounds like this is anything *BUT* woo.

And that's a good thing, no drugs, yet it actually helps with Migraines.

I get headaches quite often, maybe 2-3 a week, and sure, narcotics would help.
But T3's give me stabbing stomachaches.

Only thing that does work that isn't a true narcotic like Vicodin is Esgic plus.
Butalbital with Tylenol.

[1000words]

17. It's great, isn't it?

I was on Depakote for cluster headaches for a while. Did more damage than good.

Now, all I need is cannabis.

[caraher]

19. Nah, this is real stuff

Unlike most "magnet therapies" this device actually creates a field strong enough to penetrate the skin (note the warning that people with implanted metal cannot use this). And the "aura" discussed is not some nebulous "energy medicine" thing but the visual disturbance the migraine sufferer experiences. No woo here at all.

This appears to be a cousin to the transcranial magnetic stimulation used with some success in depression treatment.

My migraine frequency and severity are both much lower than they used to be, but I always get the visual disturbances (occasionally I just get that plus mild nausea but not much of a headache). I'd love to try this next time I feel one coming on...

[chocolate ink]

14. carbon dioxide

I've had migraines since teens(and now am in my 60's). Not until I was close to 50 did I find out one of the causes of my migraines. The ones I had upon waking up. My response was to stay in bed in dark room and hope they would go away however they always got incredibly worse.

I was diagnosed with a hereditary neuromuscular disease finally when I was close to 50. I found the 'cure' for one of the causes of my migraines was the carbon dioxide build up when I slept. Nerve damage around lungs means when you sleep(or lay down)you aren't able to breathe out correctly thus building up the carbon dioxide instead of dispelling it. The solution is incredibly simple. Get up and start breathing in and out in exaggerated form, especially pushing air out of the lungs. After a lifetime of migraines upon waking up being diagnosed with the neuromuscular disease(instead of being told for decades my physical problems were in my head) and information on neuro diseases led to the information on how this can effect your lungs/breathing. Such a simple solution.

I still have migraines but the waking up ones are no longer a problem.

[Mz Pip]

18. I've had every kind of migraine out there

Auras, cluster headaches, and now the occasional skull is going to explode random migraine.

Fortunately, Imitrex works with no side effects. I'd try this magnetic thing but I don't get the auras anymore. I'm glad for the Imitrex. Before Imitrex it was 2 Valium, 4 ibuprofen and an ice pack in a dark room.

[mainer]

23. Reported side effects --- WHAT?

There weren't many reports of side effects, only a few instances of sinusitis, aphasia, the inability to speak or understand language, and vertigo.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/blog/2013/12/16/FDA-approves-magnetic-device-to-relieve-migraines/8921387206513/#ixzz2nkFTCTsj

Those sound like serious side effects.