A migraine is a severe headache triggered by a variety of factors, including stress, certain foods, bright light and noise. It may be accompanied by an aura and vomiting. Treatment comprises resting in a quiet room and taking over-the-counter analgesics. However, if you suffer from severe or frequent migraines, your doctor may prescribe medicines to alleviate pain and reduce migraine frequency. The herb feverfew may also help to prevent migraines. Ask your doctor whether taking feverfew is suitable for you.
Properties
Also known as bachelor's button or wild quinine, feverfew is flowering bush, the leaves of which are used as an herbal remedy for a number of medical conditions, including psoriasis, arthritis and to prevent migraines. It contains a number of active ingredients, including a compound known as parthenolide, which may be responsible for feverfew's therapeutic effects, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center notes.
Administration
You can take feverfew in several ways -- either in capsules, as tablets, or as a liquid tincture or tea. You can even chew fresh feverfew leaves. However, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center notes that chewing the leaves or taking this herb as a tea may cause mouth ulcers, so you may prefer to take capsules or tablets. The University of Maryland Medical Center suggests taking 50 mg to 80 mg per day to help prevent migraines.
Effectiveness
Findings from several studies indicate that feverfew may help to prevent migraines. For example, clinical trial findings published in the November 2005 issue of "Cephalagia" show that patients who took 6.25 mg of feverfew three times daily for four months experienced fewer migraine attacks than patients who took a placebo treatment. However, an analysis of data from five clinical trials that included a total of 343 patients, published in the 2004 "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews," concludes that feverfew is no more effective than placebo in preventing migraines.
Safety Considerations
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, or NCCAM, states that feverfew is unlikely to cause any serious side effects, although it may cause nausea, and bloating. NCCAM adds that withdrawing from long-term feverfew treatment may cause insomnia, headaches and painful joints. Don't use feverfew if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or if you are allergic to similar plants -- for example, ragweed and chrysanthemums. It may also heighten the effects of anticoagulant drugs.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Migraine Headache
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Feverfew
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Feverfew
- "Cephalalgia"; Efficacy and Safety of 6.25 Mg T.I.D. Feverfew CO2-Extract (MIG-99) in Migraine Prevention: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Multicentre, Placebo-Controlled Study; H.C. Diener, et al.; November 2005
- "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews"; Feverfew for Preventing Migraine; M.H. Pittler and E. Ernst; 2004
