Migraines are common headaches. Besides the throbbing pain, nausea, vomiting and an increased sensitivity to environmental sounds and lights, some people have an aura. An aura can include blurry vision, seeing zigzags or stars, and pain around the eyes. Although no cure is currently available, there is medication to help with the symptoms and decrease the number of migraines. Some scientists are investigating the use of magnesium.
What Is a Migraine?
A migraine headache is very common, as it affects approximately 6 percent of men and 15 percent of women, according to Peter Goadsby, M.D., Ph.D., professor of neurology at the University of California, in "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine." This type of headache can cause nausea; vomiting; lightheadedness; and a sensitivity to any movements, sounds or lights. A migraine can start or become worse as a result of sounds, bright lights, too much stress, too much sleep, not enough sleep, strenuous exercise, alcohol, weather changes or menstruation.
How Does a Migraine Develop?
Recent studies on how a migraine headache develops shows that during a migraine, there is a decrease in the blood flow in the back of the brain, and this decreased blood flow then spreads toward the front, as explained in "Clinical Neurology" by Roger Simon, M.D., director of neurobiology research at Legacy Health Systems. Later on, the blood flow will increase in the areas of the brain. Neurobiologists hypothesize that the change in blood flow and the migraine may be caused by some type of abnormalities in the nerve cells.
Can Magnesium Treat Migraines?
The journal "Cephalalgia" published a study in June 2002 that was conducted to determine whether magnesium sulphate was effective in treating the symptoms of a migraine headache. Sixty people were given 1,000 mg of magnesium sulphate intravenously, or through a vein, while another 60 were given a placebo of a saline solution. Magnesium had no effect on pain or nausea in the ones who had migraines without an aura. It did help, however, with their sensitivity to light and sounds. The magnesium helped with all the symptoms in those who had auras.
Magnesium vs. Metoclopramide
Yildiray Cete, M.D., wrote an article in the March 2005 issue of "Cephalalgia" of a study which compared magnesium sulphate to a medication called metoclopramide among people who came to the emergency department for the treatment of migraines. Their results showed that magnesium sulphate was as effective as metoclopramide for treating pain, and was still just as effective 24 hours later. Unlike the above-mentioned research study, Cete made no mention of whether the people who participated in the study had auras or did not have auras.
References
- "Clinical Neurology"; Roger Simon, M.D., et al.; 2009
- "Cephalalgia"; A Randomized Prospective Placebo-Controlled Study of Intravenous Magnesium Sulphate vs. Metoclopramide; Y. Cete, et al.; 2005
- "Cephalalgia"; Intravenous Magnesium Sulphate in the Acute Treatment of Migraine; M.E. Bigal, et al.; 2002
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine"; Anthony Fauci, M.D., et al.; 2008
