News: Generic Toprol Hard to Come By

If you take the generic form of the medication Toprol XL, which is sometimes used as a migraine preventative, you may have had trouble getting it filled lately and wondered what the deal is.

The Wall Street Journal Health Blog has this explanation:

Generic Toprol XL Scarce After Problems at Novartis, KV

The shortage stems from problems at two big suppliers of the generic in the U.S. Novartis’s generics unit, Sandoz, recalled 6 million bottles of generic Toprol XL late last year, after the FDA sent the company a warning letter about the factory in North Carolina that makes the pills.

Novartis tells the Health Blog that it hasn’t yet been able to resume shipping supplies of the generic beta blocker, metoprolol succinate ER.

Another supplier, KV Pharmaceutical, has fallen on hard times and said earlier this month that it would stop making and selling all its products, including generic Toprol XL.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

January Pain Blog Carnival Posted

The January 2009 Pain Blog Carnival is posted at the How to Cope with Pain Blog. Check it out when you have a chance!

January Pain Blog Carnival

The February Pain Blog Carnival will be Wed, February 25. The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 20. You can submit your blog posts for consideration here.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Telcagepant & The Future of Migraine Prevention

Research into the future of migraine abortives is focused on a category of drugs that target a substance released in the brain during a migraine attack called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP).

One such drug, Telcagepant, is exciting to many doctors and patients because it promises a completely new method of aborting attacks. For people who cannot use triptans (such as Imitrex or Zomig) or who do not respond to them, the availability of this drug could be life changing.

The new drug is also exciting because testing demonstrates that patients experience fewer side effects with Telcagepant than with other medications.

James at the Headache & Migraine News Blog has written a thorough and informative article about Telcagepant:

What Everyone Should Know About Telcagepant

Rather than reinventing the wheel here, I would like to suggest you take a moment to read his excellent article to learn more about this medication.

Telcagepant is in Phase III of its clinical trials. Since data from this phase seems to indicate it is both effective and safe for patients, we can hope the drug will be available to the public sometime in the near future. It will depend on whether and when the FDA approves it.

Sources:
Migraine Abortive Telcagepant Performs Well in Trials
Targeting Neuropeptides Could Be Future for Migraine Treatment

Related Posts:
Possible Genetic Explanation for Migraine
Migraine News Roundup 34

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Latest Headlines on Acupuncture & Chronic Headaches

Another round of headlines have popped up saying acupuncture is effective in treating headaches and migraines, but that so-called sham acupuncture is almost equally effective.

What's going on in these studies? How is it possible that fake acupuncture treatments achieve similar results to treatments provided by trained acupuncturists according to the standards of Chinese medicine?

One possible explanation is the placebo effect. The placebo effect is the idea that a fake treatment can yield positive results simply because of the patients' expectation they are receiving a helpful treatment.

The whole point of giving some patients sham acupuncture in these studies is to measure for the possibility of the placebo effect. Otherwise there is no way of knowing whether any observed results are brought about because of the effects of the treatment itself or the power of suggestion.

These studies could be showing us the power of the placebo effect in action. Perhaps it is the ritual and practice of inserting needles and allowing the patient to quietly rest with the needles in their bodies that leads to a reduction in headaches and migraines rather than anything the practice of acupuncture does for the body.

Even if these results are attributable to the placebo effect, I wouldn't discourage anyone from trying acupuncture if you want to. If you believe acupuncture may be able to help you, it very well may. There is no harm in finding a qualified practitioner who can provide you with the treatment.

I have received many acupuncture treatments. They did not help with preventing my migraine attacks, but many times they helped relieve an attack in progress. I learned a lot through my interactions with the practitioner I saw. It was a incredibly valuable experience in my life.

I don't get the treatments anymore because I can't really afford it and because the practitioner felt she was not able to help me the way she wanted to, but I got more out of our sessions than she can possibly ever know.

Sources:
Migraines, Tension Headaches Respond to Acupuncture
Acupuncture Effective for Headaches, But 'Faked' Treatments Worked Almost As Well
The Healing Power of Placebos

Related Posts:
Acupuncture Effective in Preventing Chronic Headaches

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Review: 'Unexpected Blessings' Packed with Humor, Inspiring Lessons

I recently had the fortune of reading a powerful little book called Unexpected Blessings: Finding Hope & Healing in the Face of Illness by Roxanne Black.

Black founded Friends' Health Connection, a unique organization that matches chronically ill people with others going through similar experiences. Before the days of the Internet gave us so many opportunities, this kind of service was invaluable to people desperate for support and friendship. Today FHC also coordinates educational and motivational programs on a variety of topics of interest to people managing health problems.

The book's format is a series of short vignettes, each illustrating a special point about what Black has learned through her 20 year journey living with lupus, a chronic autoimmune disorder. One minute she was a 15 year old high school student with her life in front of her. The next she was introduced to the scary world of doctors, tests, medication, hospitals, surgeries and, eventually, organ transplants.

Black is a lovely writer, and her stories are profound in their simplicity. They are often deeply personal. She talks candidly about what lupus took from her and how she grieved those losses. She doesn't sugar coat the difficulty of coping with having your entire life uprooted by illness.

But Black doesn't leave you wondering how to get to the other side. She describes how she gave her life purpose through Friends' Health Connection and by reaching out toward all the goals she could still pursue regardless of the way her disease affected her body.

Her story is inspirational, comforting, funny and memorable. Her lessons will sink in and stay with you long after you've finished reading about them. Please get this book today and read it. It's that good!

Technorati Tags: books, reviews, coping, depression, migraines, chronic illness, health, somebody heal me

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Announcing February 2009 Headache Blog Carnival

I was horribly neglectful of the January 2009 edition of the Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival, so I'm trying to turn over a new leaf by formally setting out the theme of the February 2009 carnival before the day of the deadline.

Entries for the February 2009 Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival on the theme of "Sex & Migraines: having a sex life despite migraines, migraines caused by sex, when sex can help with migraines - anything goes!" are due by the end of the day on Friday, February 6th. Hopefully we won't attract the attention of too many nasty pr0n spammers with this theme.

Posts may be submitted through the form on the carnival website or directly to me by e-mail.

The February carnival will be posted on Monday, February 9th at right here at Somebody Heal Me.

If you're unfamiliar with the concept of a blog carnival and would like to learn more, visit this link: Blog Carnival. You can get more information about the carnival at this link: Headache & Migraine Blog Carnival.

Please let me know if you'd like to be added to the e-mail list for the carnival, if you're interested in hosting a future edition or if you have suggestions for future themes.

Technorati Tags: headache & migraine blog carnival, blog carnival, depression, migraines, chronic illness, health, somebody heal me

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Internet & Support: Are You Who You Say You Are?

My close-knit group of virtual friends and I have discussed the reality that some people aren't who they say they are online.

We're been parts of larger communities where people have perpetrated that fraud, pedaling their (fake) sob stories or fantastic (fake) lives for as much attention as they could garner, some people even going so far as to fake death for the outpouring of sympathy.

But what about the relationships I've built through this blog and through migraine support forums? That's a stickier question. When I ran into a random site one night recently I started thinking about it and couldn't stop.

This is the site: Crush

Don't ask me why I spent so much time on it because I don't even know. I guess their story kind of sucked me in and I had to keep reading.

At first I kept wondering how they could put themselves out there like that given the very real possibility the boy's mother would sue them for defamation (libel or slander). (Forgive me. I'm a legal geek at heart and First Amendment issues have always been one of my special passions.)

Right as I was finishing up my visit to the site, I read a comment by the site's author about her concern that some people with the same problem their grandson's mother has (Munchausen by Proxy) use the internet to garner attention for their situation.

I have known some of the people in my close group of online friends for more than five years now and had the privilege of meeting one of them in real life (IRL) so far. I trust them with things I only admit to myself, and they help me face things I would sometimes rather ignore.

We help each other through relationship problems, kid problems, fertility problems, lost jobs, even, unthinkably, losing children. They support me in ways I could never have thought possible.

I rely on them almost every day for help making decisions big (should I try botox) and small (what to have for dinner), and they make me laugh so hard all the time. They rock. No two ways about it.

I also have the fortune of interacting with people I've come to know through this blog and a couple of my favorite support sites for migraineurs.

These are some amazingly strong, brave, resilient women. Anyone who reaches out for support is welcomed into the fold. This is a beautiful thing in so many ways and a large part of why these communities are so special to me.

Unfortunately, it occurs to me that this opens us all up to the possibility (reality?) that we might be played for fools any old time it strikes the fancy of a profoundly lonely or disturbed person.

The nature of illness is inherently isolating. It scares you, takes you away from everything you thought you knew, tumbles you until you're so dizzy you could vomit and spits you back out into the world, dazed and grasping for anything to help you hold on.

I worry that in our eagerness to interact with others who share our experiences we could be unknowingly feeding someone else's mental disturbance, thinking we're offering support to a kindred spirit.

At this point I'm still left with lots of questions. It will take time for me to think through them and, perhaps, come to some conclusions. Among the questions: Does it really matter? What does it change if you learn someone you have leaned on or extended support to is a malingerer or liar? Will it erode that feeling of camaraderie and common purpose you feel with others sharing your struggle?

Have you ever doubted an online friend or had a bad experience? How did it make you feel? What, if anything, did you do or say?

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Must-Read Article on Art & Migraines

Don't miss this rather cool article from The Independent. It discusses unique research that examines how art can impact migraine attacks.

What Pain Looks Like

I guess we were on to something with our November Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival on the topic of migraines & art! Check it out here: Migraines & Art: November Headache Blog Carnival.

Technorati Tags: depression, migraines, chronic illness, health, somebody heal me

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Botox: Second Time's the Charm?

I got my second round of Botox injections on December 31st, and it seems to be having the desired effect. (Knock on wood, fingers crossed and all that.)

The first round did not make any kind of noticeable difference, much to my disappointment, but I'd promised myself I would commit to doing it twice because a few studies indicated that results are seen within six months, if at all. This seems to be holding true for me.

I was in the middle of a horrible week long period of nearly constant pain, nausea, vomiting, photo and phonophobia, etc. when I got the second set of injections. At first the main impact of the injections seemed to be switching the location of the migraine from its normal position on the left side of my brow bone to the right brow bone. But ever since I finally knocked that bad one out, I have only had one other full blown attack.

Could be a coincidence, of course, but I think there is definitely reason to be optimistic that I'm *finally* responding to a preventative after all these years.

The only downside, and it's a biggie for me, is that my right eyelid started drooping on Saturday and won't return to normal. I know I'm horribly vain for being so upset by this, but it really sucks. I hope it fixes itself soon.

Now I'm just keeping my hopes up that the FDA will approve Botox for migraines sometime soon so my insurance will pay for it!

Technorati Tags: depression, migraines, chronic illness, health, somebody heal me

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Coping with Suffering: January 2009 Headache Blog Carnival

Welcome to the January 2009 Headache and Migraine Disease Blog Carnival, our first anniversary edition.

The Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival has been created to provide both headache patients and people who blog about headaches with unique opportunities to share ideas on topics of particular interest and importance to us.

For the January 2009 carnival I solicited submissions on the topic of "What Keeps You Going When You're Suffering". I also welcomed entries of general interest to headache and migraine sufferers.

Please continue reading for this month's collection of posts.

Ellen Schnakenberg presents Migraine Pain - This is What Keeps Me Going posted at WEGO Health, saying, "I have to choose every day how I deal with my pain. It would be easy to stop trying. My post is about Universal reasons explained in a deeply personal message written secretly as I made my decision to fight the good fight."

Rosalind Joffe presents What Gets You Through the Times of Pain/Fatigue or Just Plain Can't Do? posted at Working with Chronic Illness.

Kelly presents Fly With Hope posted at Fly With Hope.

Rena Sherwood presents Revenge As a Way to Keep Going posted at Dealing with Headaches.

Jasmine P Walton presents The Pursuit of Painlessness posted at Jasmine's Cove.

James Cottrill presents What Everyone Should Know about Telcagepant - The Coming Migraine Drug posted at Headache and Migraine News Blog.

Suzanne presents Sleeping Off My Headache? posted at Without Dash.

GrrlScientist presents Why Do We Yawn? posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, "Even though yawning is a very common behavior among all vertebrates, the physiological and evolutionary reasons for yawning behavior are poorly understood. Excessive yawning has medical implications (associated with migraines) and also is associated with certain psychiatric medications."

Submit your blog article to the February 2009 edition of the Headache and Migraine Disease Blog Carnival using our carnival submission form or by e-mailing your submissions to me directly.

The theme of the February 2009 carnival will be Sex & Migraines - having a sex life despite migraines, migraines caused by sex, when sex can help with migraines - anything goes! Entries are due by midnight on Friday, February 6, and the carnival will be posted right here at Somebody Heal Me on Monday, February 9.

Past posts can be found on our Headache Blog Carnival information page.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Last Call: January 2009 Headache Blog Carnival

Announcing last call for submissions to the January 2009 Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival on the theme of "What Keeps You Going When You're Suffering". Submissions are due by the end of the day on Friday, January 9th.

Posts may be submitted through the form on the carnival website or directly to me by e-mail.

The January carnival will be posted on Monday, January 12th right here at Somebody Heal Me.

You can get more information about the carnival at this link: Headache & Migraine Blog Carnival. Please let me know if you'd like to be added to the e-mail list for the carnival, if you're interested in hosting a future edition or if you have suggestions for future themes.

Technorati Tags: headache & migraine blog carnival, blog carnival, depression, migraines, chronic illness, health, somebody heal me

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Happy 2009!

Thank each and every one of you for your loyal readership and support throughout 2008. I hope the new year brings you many blessings and better health.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.