Don’t treat your migraines, prevent them. A life without migraines is possible, I know. I suffered from migraines for 12 years and have been treating…preventing them for my patients for 15 years. The 95%+ success rate achieved in my practice comes from a combination of research, common sense, and the hard work of my patients.

As a teenager I suffered from terrible migraines several times a week. Like most of you, I’ve tried medication and biographical commentary with little help. Regular chiropractic care offered relief, but my migraines continued. Relief came to me by accident, I was shopping for groceries and didn’t have enough money for everything. I had the choice of eating or drinking my daily 2 liter bottle of Pepsi, I liked to eat. Like magic my migraines disappeared for the next week. It took me several weeks to recognize that sodas, alcohol, etc. they were causing my migraines but once i got rid of them i felt great. Trigger foods are well documented, but they are not the complete answer.

When I started treating patients, I was sure that a simple elimination diet was the answer for my migraine patients, but many did not respond. He was determined to find the answer to migraine treatment. I reviewed thousands of medical research articles on migraine headaches and found the clues I needed. The best way to treat migraines is to successfully prevent them. In order to prevent migraines, he needed to determine the true underlying reason why migraines occur.

The key to preventing migraines is to realize that they are caused by an overload of toxins in the body. A migraine can be seen as a really severe hangover caused not by alcohol, but by all sorts of toxins inside and outside the body. The liver, the body’s main system for removing toxins, is overwhelmed when you have a migraine. The liver is not diseased, it just doesn’t work fast enough to keep the body detoxified. Simple examples of a toxin can be alcohol, chemicals, caffeine, and drugs. Toxins also include hormones and chemical compounds that the body produces naturally, but cannot detoxify itself quickly enough. Toxins can even be food if the digestive tract can’t break them down properly, such as preservatives, artificial colors, and artificial flavors. This simple concept has led thousands of former migraineurs to live without pain. If toxins and slow liver function cause migraines; then reducing the toxic load and increasing liver function will prevent migraines.

Tracey T. was 40 years old and had suffered from migraines for 13 years. She was taking Pamelor, Topamax, Esgic Plus, and Zomig with no relief. She was under the care of a neurologist, the fourth, and she had migraines every day. She was in general good health and followed a healthy lifestyle; she exercised and avoided alcohol and caffeine. She began taking nutritional supplements, improved her diet, and increased her water intake. Her 2 month checkup showed that she had only had 1 migraine in 8 weeks and several minor headaches. She was working with her doctor to remove the medication from her and now she was only taking 1, in reduced amounts. A six-month checkup showed that she was not taking any medication and was doing very well.

There are 10,000s of medical studies on migraines. The medical research I reviewed overwhelmingly supports a lifestyle change with a nutritional supplement approach.

Medical Research…. How it supports this approach

1. low levels of B vitamins and magnesium…….nutrients needed in liver detoxification

2. women 3 times more prone to migraines…. women produce more hormones that need to detoxify,

3. the frequency and severity of migraines increases with the menstrual cycle……….the female body produces up to 4 times more hormones during a menstrual cycle

4. Elimination diets are helpful…reduce intake of toxins, less to detox so the liver can keep up with demand.

5. drugs cause 30-40% of headaches… drugs need to be detoxified by the liver, increasing the toxic load

6. triggered by smoke, perfume, etc… odors are all chemical compounds that increase the toxic load on the liver

There are also two supporting laboratory tests that prove slower liver detoxification is associated with migraines. The first is a liver function test, this is not your typical blood test. A functional liver test will measure how long it takes your body to break down and detoxify different chemical compounds, including; caffeine, aspirin and paracetamol. The second test in state-of-the-art genomic exploration. Migraine sufferers have been linked to a genetic defect in liver detoxification.

The liver needs about 8 weeks of reduced toxic load and nutritional support to detoxify. When my patients start the process, we ask them to keep a journal of each migraine, how severe it was, and how long it lasted. Most patients begin to see a decrease in frequency or severity within 3 weeks and are migraine free by week 8. Usually, a woman can tell that she is better by her third menstrual cycle. The first and second weeks may be a bit difficult as she adjusts to her new diet and the body eliminates toxins. The following are some guidelines to follow:

Lifestyle changes to prevent migraines
I recommend that my patients get 100% success. The more you limit the toxins entering your body, the better your chances of success. An elimination diet alone will not work for most migraine sufferers. You will need to take nutritional supplements along with your lifestyle changes to live migraine-free. Life doesn’t always allow you to stay within the pattern, do the best you can.

Avoid the following:

caffeine and decaffeinated coffee, teas and soft drinks

chocolate

artificial colorant

artificial flavorings

condoms

walnuts

personal care products with heavy perfumes, switch to all natural
cleaning products, switch to all natural

cigarette smoking gold second hand smoke

alcohol – all forms

Consume the following:

60-80 ounces a day

fiber-rich foods; fruits, vegetables, grains

Nutritional support: to promote further detoxification of the liver

Artichoke

Turmeric

silmayrin

glutathione

cysteine

cod liver oil

all natural multivitamin

B complex

Patients using over-the-counter and prescription drugs take longer to detox. Migraine sufferers who are currently taking prescription medications should talk to their doctors. Together you can come up with a plan to reduce and then eliminate your medications. Patients using drugs as needed try to reduce the frequency of use, after a couple of weeks with a new diet and lifestyle.

Questions and answers:

Q: Why doesn’t my doctor know this?

A: Doctors are trained to treat disease, not dysfunction. Doctors most likely cause 30-40% of all migraines due to the migraine medications they prescribe and the rebound effect they cause.

Q: Is your protocol secure?

A: The recommended lifestyle changes and nutritional support are very safe.

Q: Can I continue with my medication?

A: Yes, continue with your medication and start the protocol when you feel better talk to your doctor

Q: Are there any side effects?

A: You may feel a little worse for 1-2 weeks, but it’s worth it to be migraine free in about 8 weeks.

Q: What kind and where can I get nutritional supplements?

A: The nutritional supplements listed are available at any good health food store. My office uses professional grade nutrients that are available only through health professionals, they are not available in health food stores.

I welcome your comments and questions. Email me at [email protected] if you have any questions.