cure my migraine

Botox for migraines

2010-07-19T08:07:00.000-07:00

This month it's been reported that Botox has been approved as a preventive treatment for chronic migraine by UK drug regulators. Patients who suffer headaches for at least 15 days a month, half of which come with migraine symptoms, are eligible.

Read the full report on the BBC website.

I had once considered trying an injection of Botox to cure my migraines. In 2004 whilst interviewing the owner of a medical clinic, she told me she had had Botox injected into her forehead for the usual reason of smoothing out wrinkles. A few months had passed and she hadn’t suffered a migraine since. What a great side effect! Botox at that moment seemed very tempting. Yet, did I want my forehead to be frozen without being able to form any kind of expression there? I decided it wasn’t for me. I know I would have felt very differently if I was suffering from 15 migraines or more a month. Then, I believe, I definitely would have given it a try.

Aspirin 'reduces migraine pain'

2010-05-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

I recently saw this story on the BBC News website - Aspirin can reduce migraine symptom pain, review says. http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/health/8617254.stm

Research suggests that an aspirin can reduce migraine headache pain within two hours for more than half of people who take it. Researchers have also found that a high dose of aspirin also reduces other symptoms of migraine - nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light or sound.

Wow this is great, but I think I'd be too scared to try it in case the aspirin didn't work in the same way as my usual migraine medication. Would you try using aspirin as your migraine cure? I would be interested to hear your thoughts...

Migraleve, Tiger Balm and Vemma - the essential Vemma toolkit

2010-04-04T07:25:00.000-07:00

Vemma diary: March 2010

Wednesday's migraine wasn't any different to the other migraines I have had in recent years. Migraleve - my migraine drug of choice - does a great job in numbing the pain and preventing the sickness. There is, however, the fear that I might take the two pink tablets too late - if, for instance, I sleep through the aura - allowing the full force of the migraine to take hold. In recent years, I'm happy to say this hasn't happened, that is until Wednesday's migraine turned into a double whammy.

After a whole day of battling with a migraine, I was looking forward to recuperating with a full night's sleep, but at 1am I woke with a throbbing headache. As I swallowed more pink tablets, I was reminded of the immense pain of a migraine headache. Not having experienced this for a number of years, I wasn't prepared and I found myself whimpering and in a flummoxed of what to do.

Not being able to sleep and wondering how on earth I used to endure this for many hours at a time, especially when I was in my early teens, I reached for the Tiger Balm that I had bought in Thailand, and in the darkness massaged a load of the stuff into my forehead. The heat of the balm fought to soothe the pain and it seemed to do the trick as eventually I was able to sleep. If this hadn't had worked, I was also considering getting the bottle of Vemma out of the fridge, taking a few massive gulps of the thick orange liquid and then rubbing that into my forehead too!

My first Vemma podcast!

2010-03-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

Vemma diary: February 2010

Not just for migraines. Vemma can help prevent and lessen the symptoms of many medical conditions. This powerful nutritional liquid supplement will also slow down the aging process, increase energy and strengthen the immune system. Check out my podcast below and then pop over to my website The Health Drink Station for more information...

New Year, new feelings: a different migraine experience

2010-01-28T13:39:00.000-08:00

Vemma diary: January 2010

Today I am recovering from a migraine. It is the first one of the year and I hope there aren’t many more to come in 2010. The good news is, I can’t remember my last migraine. It must have been about three months ago. I think this might be a record and I believe I have Vemma to thank for that.

I also have Vemma to thank for lessening the severity of the attacks. Since taking the nutritional supplement every day, my body, it seems, has become better equipped in dealing with the symptoms of a migraine.

I experienced my first migraine when I was 12 years old, and 22 years on, I am finally starting to feel somewhat in control of my condition. That control comes from knowing and avoiding my triggers as best I can and having an understanding and knowledge of what my body needs to help prevent and recover from a migraine attack. Vemma really has been my migraine lifeline.

Even though I feel as if I am gaining some degree of control, the migraine condition can still surprise me.

Let me explain. The day before the attack I was very emotional. I felt anxious, gloomy and unmotivated. I couldn’t think straight. My mood was terrible and there was no snapping out of it. Ok I had a touch of the January blues, but my negative feelings were heightened greatly. I didn’t realise at the time, but a migraine was on its way. Mood swings are known to manifest before an attack.

The next morning I woke with an aura and immediately felt relief. I wasn’t frustrated, disheartened or anxious like I normally am with the onset of a migraine, instead I was relieved that I could finally move on from the horrible feelings of yesterday. It was a new day. Yes I had a migraine, but I would get through it and then I would be ready to get on with living my life again.

Happy 2010!

A migraine-friendly Christmas

2009-12-06T12:13:00.000-08:00

Vemma diary: December 2009

The festive season has just begun and already my family and friends are making it a migraine-friendly Christmas for me. My mum has made me a special Christmas pudding without the citrus peel in preparation for our feast on 25th. And last night, my very good friend, Claire, made some mulled cider especially for me so I wouldn't feel left out while everyone else supped on mulled wine. Ah isn't that lovely. Avoiding my food triggers - cheese, chocolate, caffeine, red wine and citrus peel - can be awkward and even isolating at times, but I have no need to worry this festive season. I am able to enjoy the food and drink traditions of Christmas with everyone else.

As well as enjoying a migraine-friendly Christmas, I'm also hoping to enjoy a migraine-free Christmas. I have a very good chance of achieving this, as I drink Vemma everyday. Vemma is doing such a great job at keeping my migraines at bay, I couldn't live without it. If you are a migraine sufferer, I urge you to try it. Check out my Vemma website.

Wishing you all a Merry, migraine friendly and migraine free, Christmas!

How drinking mangosteen juice reduces migraines

2009-11-14T07:03:00.001-08:00

Vemma diary: November 2009

Ever since I started taking my daily dose of Vemma, I have believed in the many benefits that Vemma has to offer the body and how much it can benefit certain conditions, especially the migraine condition. There has been no denying that the juice of the mangosteen fruit, which is the main ingredient in Vemma, has helped lessen my migraines over the past two and half years. This rare fruit found in South East Asia really is powerful as it can potentially correct abnormal serotonin functions in blood vessels that lead to migraines.

I have been reading an interesting book called ‘Mangosteen Desk Reference’ by Dr Kenneth J. Finsand. As a migraine sufferer I have experienced many migraines related to allergic responses to food. Dr Finsand points out that amino acids have been found to lay a role in headaches and migraines. He says ‘Fatty acid imbalances are what I consider one of the main reasons we see inflammatory type headaches. I tell my patients that if you have a fatty acid deficiency, you will have inflammatory flare-ups, so the best thing is to balance your nutrition. By drinking the mangosteen juice every day you will be adding nutrition to your body that just so happens to get rid of inflammation.’

Dr Finsand continues to explain that taurine, an amino acid that is found in blood-cell platelets has been shown to be high during migraines. Serotonin, also a product of an amino acid called tryptophan, plays a key role in platelet-related migraines. Normal liver function can be predicted by normal gut function and can be the key factor in normal amino acid levels in the body. Heal the gut, balance liver function and produce normal amino acid levels and this in turn can help reduce headaches and migraines… all achieved when you drink mangosteen.

Get the chiropractor and Vemma on stand by: I'm moving house!

2009-10-18T05:41:00.000-07:00

Vemma diary: September to October 2009

My lower back and my bank balance recently took a battering, but now I can finally say 'phew, I'm all moved in'.

Moving home is never easy...emotionally and physically. The searching, the negotiating, the waiting.... Luckily for me, the transaction of buying a place was fairly smooth and quick, so my stress levels did not soar too high. It was the physical strain on my body that took its toll.

The days spent packing... the big day of the move.... and the days spent unpacking. It's enough to make the strongest of bodies cry out for mercy. My mum, dad and brother were there to help... a blessing especially as I have been undergoing treatment on my back and neck since February and I had been given the strict instruction not to lift anything heavy. Inevitably I still lifted and carried and for a couple of weeks my back throbbed with pain. One chiropractic session and one sports massage later and I felt normal again.

Amazingly, I only suffered two migraines during the weeks leading up, during and after the move. If I had suffered many more, it wouldn't have come as a surprise. As a migraine sufferer, I expect the interruption of migraines during times of big change, stress and physical strain. All I can say is, thank goodness for my chiropractor for caring for my spine and for Vemma for keeping me energised, but more importantly, for helping to prevent many more migraines coming my way...

Migraines make me healthy!

2009-08-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

Vemma diary: August 2009

When I am in the throws of a migraine, healthy is the last thing I feel, and yet, migraines make me healthy. Let me explain by telling you a short story

Recently, while enjoying a family pub lunch, my mum offered me some of her Coca-Cola. ‘I don’t drink caffeinated drinks, remember,’ I said. ‘You are so healthy,’ she jokingly replied. ‘Not by choice,’ I smiled back. ‘It’s a forced healthiness, because of my migraines.’ Then in sudden realization I said: 'Migraines make me healthy!' Finally, after all these years, since I suffered my first migraine at the age of 13, I have discovered a good side effect, and a very good side effect it is indeed.

Every day I take preventive measures in order to avoid my migraine triggers. I stay clear of caffeinated drinks, I keep hydrated and drink plenty of water, especially when exercising, I don't eat my trigger foods, mainly cheese and chocolate, which are also fatty foods, I try not to drink too much alcohol in fear of becoming dehydrated, I eat little but often and never skip meals so that my blood sugar levels don't drop, I try to get enough sleep and rest and avoid stress as much as possible, and finally I drink a nutritional supplement everyday called Vemma - which is packed full of vitamins and essential minerals - to help lessen the number of attacks I suffer from. All the makings of a healthy lifestyle! Would I still be this healthy if I didn't have this condition? Maybe, but its nice to think that there is some good that comes from being a migraine sufferer.

Vemma for sport as well as migraine

2009-07-31T04:45:00.000-07:00

Vemma diary: July 2009

There are many reasons to drink Vemma every day. For me, the main reason is it helps lessen my migraines. I also love to take my shot of Vemma every morning with breakfast because this liquid dietary supplement gives me all the nutrients my body needs. In other words, the mangosteen fruit and essential minerals found in Vemma supports a healthy body and a healthy lifestyle, and creates a much welcome energy boost everyday.

Always keen to spread the Vemma word, and even keener for family and friends to try it for themselves, I gave a bottle to my brother, Justin. He willingly accepted, especially as he is preparing and training for his first ever duathlon (5km run, 20km cycle and 3km run) in 3 weeks time. Will Vemma increase his energy levels, thus increasing his performance? Will Vemma help support his immune system and keep the bugs away? And will Vemma, that aids muscle and joint health, speed up the recovery time after each training session? I'm confident. Follow his experiment and training here.

Could my remedy for migraine help speed up my nephew's recovery from a serious accident?

2009-06-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

Vemma diary: June 2009

I have recently been through a very stressful and worrying time and as a result have suffered a bout of migraines.

My 8-year-old nephew, Damon, recently had a serious accident. He was enjoying a family picnic in a public park when a reversing grass cutter knocked him down, slicing his foot. The lawnmower driver reversed unexpectedly after Damon, his friend and his friend’s dad had waited for it to pass. Damon fell into the rotating blades in his attempt to save his friend who was knocked down first. His friend escaped serious injury. Damon was airlifted to hospital to undergo an emergency operation in a bid to rebuild his foot and avoid amputation. Several operations later and Damon is at home recovering. There is still a long way to go, but my brave little nephew, who is a junior cycling champ, is going to be OK. His foot has been saved.

Over the last two years Vemma has greatly helped to lessen my migraines and I would recommend the product to anyone. This nutritional supplement, which contains mangosteen fruit, may not have been able to help prevent my recent bout of stressed-induced migraines, but I still very much believe in its power to heal and that is why I have passed on a bottle of Vemma to my nephew to help aid his recovery. The xanthones in mangosteen improve the body’s cell to cell communication, speeding up healing and repair. I’ll let you know how he gets on.

Links to published articles about Damon's accident.
BBC News
The Telegraph

Vemma diary: May 2009

2009-05-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

Super fruit mangosteen has another role to play

I started taking Vemma everyday in the hope it would cure or help lessen the number of migraines I suffer from and two years later I can truly say that this liquid nutritional supplement, that includes the fruit mangosteen, has been my saving grace and I feel as if I couldn’t live without it now. My migraines have indeed lessened and as a result I feel to some degree that a big weight has been lifted from my shoulders; I no longer need to worry as nearly as much about when the next one is going to rear its ugly head as I have faith that Vemma is helping to keep them at bay.

It’s crazy to think that a tangerine-sized fruit can be so powerful and effective at helping to combat the frequency of migraines, but it really is quite simple. Mangosteen can potentially correct abnormal serotonin functions in blood vessels that lead to migraines. Mangosteen is a super fruit for this reason and for many other reasons, and that is why I find myself increasing my daily shot to twice a day – one in the morning with breakfast and one in the evening with dinner. This is because mangosteen aids muscle and joint health, and pain can be reduced by the anti-inflammatory properties of the fruit. Also this rare fruit improves cell communication. The xanthones in mangosteen improve the body’s cell to cell communication, which speeds up healing and repair. This is exactly what I need while I’m undergoing chiropractic treatment on my back and neck!

Having sessions three times a week has meant I am often sore. Muscles are being released and bones are being re-aligned. However, my body has coped well and at my three-month progress examination, the x-rays showed a lot of improvement. Sometimes I feel like the class swot as my progress has been maybe quicker than others in a similar position. According to my sports therapist I have good muscle structure (from going to the gym) and my muscles have released quickly allowing the chiropractor to be able to get to and work on my spine quicker. I may have had a lot of aches and pains throughout the treatment, sometimes quite considerably, but at the same time, I feel as if my body is strong and healthy, and this, I believe, has a lot to do with taking two shots of Vemma every day. So I may have started taking Vemma because of my migraines, but Vemma has another role to play now – helping to heal and repair my muscles which in turn is helping to re-align my spine.

Vemma diary: April 2009

2009-04-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

Migraine pain prepared me for chiropractic pain

I have been seeing a chiropractor for the past three months. The sessions are painful and from the start, I have seen my treatment to correct my spine as a challenge; a challenge to overcome the pain and get better as quickly as possible. How I cope and how others cope with the pain fascinates me. I have heard screaming, groaning and swearing from the treatment room while I wait for my turn. No-body can blame another person for being vocal, however, I don't like to swear and I have never seen it as an option to groan out loud. That's not to say that I haven't felt like crying at times. If I cope with the pain and I cope with it well, it feels like an achievement.

The chiropractor and sports therapist often say I have a high pain threshold. Is this something that a person is born with or is it developed over time? Do I have a high pain threshold because I had such horrendous migraines from an early age? As a child, I had to learn very quickly to find a way to deal with the pain of a thumping headache, which could go on for hours at a time. There was definitely no swearing or screaming, just the need for quietness and concentration. Laying down the pillow felt like concrete and sleeping would be impossible. So, the thumping headache became waves crashing against rocks - a beautiful vision in my eyes - and this mediated state was often how I dealt with the pain of a migraine. I would try to relax and go along with the pain. If the body and and mind is relaxed, the pain would be easier to deal with, and this, I have realised is how I have been coping with the pain of the chiropractic treatment.

Finally, it seems, a good thing has come out of being a migraine sufferer. Migraine pain, I believe, has mentally prepared me for the chiropractic pain. In comparison, the pain endured in a chiropractic session is far easier to cope with than the pain of a full-on migraine attack, for the sole reason you can tell the doctor to stop at any time and in the back of your mind you know the pain will be over in 30 minutes anyway. With a migraine, there is no such luxury.

Vemma diary: March 2009

2009-03-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

Cracking bones lessens cracking migraines...

I have started seeing a chiropractor. It turns out I have a curve in my spin and my neck has lost its curve due to a fall I had 5 years ago. I had meaning to go to this chiropractor that had been recommended to me by a friend for quite some time as she specialises in helping with migraines. So it was shock to discover that I would need three months of intensive treatment, with three sessions a week.

During the first 2 weeks of my treatment I experienced quite a few migraines. I already had 2 during the previous 2 weeks on my holiday in Thailand. Normally I would be feeling quite down about this. However, as my muscles start to be released and things start moving back into place then a few migraines is to be expected. Having a reason for a migraine helped me deal with them better and I didn’t let them bother me so much. My chiropractor reassured me that the attacks would lessen and sure enough I’m 6 weeks in with the treatment and I’ve been migraine free for 4 weeks. Result.

When I saw also saw an osteopath recently he said an interesting thing. He said a migraine happens when there are three triggers at once so to eliminate one trigger – muscular tension – will help decrease the frequency of my migraines. Seeing a chiropractor for three months will re-align my body once more, lessening my back and neck pain considerably and this in turn will help me to cure my migraine.

Vemma diary: February 2009

2009-02-26T11:58:00.000-08:00

On the search for mangosteen in South East Asia

With no Vemma in my backpack, I planned to find mangosteen fruit to eat instead whilst on holiday in Thailand.

So imagine my surprise and excitement when I came across the fruit as soon as I landed at Bangkok airport. I was buying my flight down to Koh Samui and sipping tea when I spotted a bowl of fruit on the other table. I asked the friendly staff what fruit it was, although I was almost sure I knew what the answer would be. Breaking one open, I ate my first mangosteen and it was yum.

I found more mangosteen on the market stalls. I bought big bags and ate them one after the other as I sat in the sun outside my bungalow by the beach. Bliss.

Vemma diary: January 2009

2009-01-18T09:25:00.000-08:00

Holidaying with migraines

I have had a lot of migraines over the years. Most blur into one another, however, some I remember very well. Like my first ever one during a music lesson at school, my most horrific one where I felt like a wild animal trapped in my own pounding head, the one when I was stuck in a traffic jam on the motorway, and the ones I have had while on holiday.

Having a migraine on holiday is never easy. Time away is precious and the intrusion of a migraine becomes all the harder to bear. I remember the migraine I endured on a day trip to Mexico from San Diego was particularly hard, however I still managed to write an article about the day when I returned and had it published in the local paper. While, the migraine I had on Boxing Day in Sydney was extremely frustrating more than anything else. Then there was the migraine that popped up two days before my wedding in Cyprus. Now that was a big pain in the backside (and in the head of course), but I was very, very grateful that it wasn’t on the actual day of my wedding. Can you imagine?

The reason I’m thinking about the ordeal of holidaying with a migraine is that I am off to Thailand in just over a week’s time. I’m not worrying or dwelling on the fact that I could be ill while I’m enjoying my time in the sun, but its there in the back of my mind as a possibility. All I can do is pack my medication and my bottle of Vemma, and hope for the best. Hopefully the Vemma will stay kind of fresh without constant refrigeration. If not I’ll go in search of some mangosteen fruit, which is found in South East Asian countries, including Thailand, and make my own home-made shot of Vemma each day! Now that would be fun.

Vemma diary: December 2008

2008-12-30T11:37:00.000-08:00

Migraine miracle

The migraine started at 6.45am while I was having breakfast. By 7.30am I was out the door and walking to the office – an hour’s journey. It was the week before Christmas and with a busy schedule at work I couldn’t afford to be sick, so I took my medication and carried on with my day as if the migraine did not exist.

I may have been fuzzy headed, clumsy, my reactions slower than normal, and I may have mixed up words and struggled at times to put a coherent sentence together but somehow I got through my hectic day. I even had a little chuckle when I discovered that I had written ‘migraine’ instead of ‘migration’ twice in an email and in my diary.

By the time I got home I was feeling proud of myself and rather baffled. ‘It is a migraine miracle’ I thought. I have tried several times before to push through a migraine attack whilst at work but I have eventually given in and gone home to bed. So why was this time different and why did I not feel so ill? I have taken the same medication - Migraleve - for years. When taken as soon as the migraine begins (during the aura) these pink tablets combat the nausea and the headache allowing me to sleep if I so wish. So I’m wondering if Vemma could also be helping me. Has Vemma made my body healthier and stronger and therefore more capable of dealing with a migraine attack?

I’m also wondering if my mind is getting stronger at dealing with migraine attacks. By pushing through the migraine and carrying on with the day as normal, am I training my mind to believe that a migraine (if the right medication is taken) doesn’t have to be debilitating. I was certainly more determined than usual to get through the working day. I couldn’t let the migraine win - I had deadlines to meet. I did not allow myself to stop. Adrenaline kept me going and as a result my usual negative feelings of disappointment, failure and guilt of having a migraine did not have a chance to surface. Instead I ended the day feeling positive because on this day the migraine did not control me. I control it.

Happy 2009!

Vemma diary: November 2008

2008-11-10T05:40:00.000-08:00

"Vemma is like a pocket rocket smoothie!"

My good friend, Mark, feels like a new man since he started taking Vemma - and he's only one week in! "It was very exciting when I opened the Vemma box - just like Christmas. Very posh especially with the shot glass," he tells me. "Every time I take it I feel energised and perky, which is very unlike me in the morning. Must be all the goodness causing brain stimulation, like a pocket rocket smoothie!" I'm so pleased it has already had such a positive effect. It certainly feels good to recommend Vemma to a friend.

For your own pocket rocket smoothie click here.

Vemma diary: October 2008

2008-10-31T13:16:00.000-07:00

Would you avoid certain activities to avoid a migraine?

As a migraine sufferer I make a conscious effort to take extra care of myself which means sticking to a healthy, balanced lifestyle in order to avoid my triggers. Well that’s the plan anyway. I don’t miss meals, I don't drink caffeine, I try not to let myself get too dehydrated, I try to avoid stress and muscular tension, I take my daily shot of Vemma…and so on. But sometimes I’ll do something which upsets the routine and the risk of triggering a migraine becomes greater.

Take for instance, the abseil I did for charity. I abseiled down 29 storeys (469ft) and even though it was all over in a matter of minutes I had, without realising it, put a lot of strain on my body. I may not have felt scared; in fact I thoroughly enjoyed it however my body was still very tense. The next day my neck, back and arms were stiff, and I suffered a migraine. As with all migraine attacks you can never be sure of the exact trigger or combination of triggers, but I think it’s a fair bet to say it was probably due to muscle strain from doing the abseil. As muscular tension and migraine often go hand in hand I wasn’t surprised this had happened.

Normally I feel angry and upset when I get a migraine, especially as I try to figure out what had caused it this time. But how could I feel angry that I had a migraine because I had done a charity abseil the day before? If doing the abseil meant I would get a migraine then so be it. I'll happily avoid certain foods to avoid a migraine but I certainly won't avoid doing certain activities to avoid one.

Vemma diary: September 2008

2008-09-29T13:47:00.001-07:00

Migraines are a pain in the neck

I often find myself spreading the Vemma word, telling friends, colleagues and family members about how well Vemma is working at combating my migraines. I also recently suggested to a friend that his mum, who suffers from arthritis, should consider taking Vemma to help relieve the pain. I have read testimonials from people with arthritis who say that they are now pain free or have experienced reduced pain and stiffness.

This got me thinking. Many different triggers for migraines have been identified and one cause is muscular tension. I know that many of my migraines are caused by muscle tension around the neck, shoulders and back. A few years ago my neck had become very stiff and sore, which lasted for months. It had got so bad that I could hardly move my head from side to side. I had many migraines during this time and ended up seeing an osteopath to get my neck back to normal and therefore reduce the number of migraines I was suffering from. After six weeks of treatment the stiffness and pain had disappeared and the migraines had lessened. However, I found that if I did not keep up with the daily neck exercises the stiffness would slowly start to return.

I haven't done any neck exercises for over a year now and I've hardly experienced any problems with my neck. I also started taking Vemma over a year ago too - in June 2007 - so I'm pretty much convinced there is a connection between the two. If Vemma relieves muscular and joint tension, then surely I haven't been having so many migraines because Vemma has been relieving and keeping at bay the muscular tension in my neck.

Vemma diary: August 2008

2008-08-31T12:28:00.000-07:00

Eating lots of fish and ginger can help with headaches

I love eating fish. I could quite happily eat fish every day. I also love ginger, especially in tea, which I also happily consume every day. So when a friend forwarded me on a pdf about which food helps with which aliment, I was absolutely delighted to read that fish oil helps to prevent headaches and that ginger reduces inflammation and pain.

As a migraine sufferer, there are certain foods that I avoid because they are a trigger - most notably cheese and chocolate. I often joke that cheese and chocolate are evil because cheese and chocolate equals pain. So I love the fact that fish and ginger have a positive effect on headaches and migraines. So it seems, fish and ginger are good, because they help to prevent and combat the pain of headaches.

Mangosteen is also good. In fact it is great in my eyes. This rare, tangerine-sized fruit which grows primarily in Southeast Asia, is the main ingredient in Vemma, the liquid dietary supplement that I take everyday. I love this fruit because it helps me with my battle against migraines. Who would have thought that a small orange fruit could take on such a big, powerful entity!

But just don't take my word for it. Click here to read some testimonials from other Vemma drinking migraine sufferers.

Vemma diary: July 2008

2008-07-31T13:11:00.000-07:00

Controversial surgery may cure migraine

Since my last post I have been scanning the web to find out more about the surgical technique that could offer a cure or significant relief for some migraine sufferers - the removal of the corrugator muscle in the forehead (the vertical frown muscles).

The BBC News tells the success story of a 53 year old lady who had been suffering from debilitating migraines for 15 years. She has not had a migraine since the muscle was removed last December and her quality of life has improved beyond her imagination.
Read the full story here: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7487995.stm

To screen migraine sufferers for surgery, patients are given Botox injections to temporarily paralyze the corrugator muscle. If patients report improvement after Botox injections, surgery to remove the muscle is recommended. It is, however, a controversial technique and many experts remain skeptical.

The executive director of the National Migraine Association in Alexandria, Virgina, USA argues that neither Botox nor surgery can be a "cure" for migraine, but only a treatment of its symptoms. "The most important thing," he says, "is that migraine is an incurable disease."
Read more here: www.migraines.org/about_media/wbmd0900.htm

Researchers at the Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, undertook a study to determine whether there is an association between the removal of the corrugator muscle and the elimination or significant improvement of migraine headaches, and their findings indicate a strong association.
Read about their findings here: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10946944

Vemma diary: June

2008-06-30T07:18:00.000-07:00

Could this be THE migraine cure?

Today I feel excited because I have just read an article in the Daily Mail Online with the heading ‘Clinic offers first surgical migraine cure…by removing a muscle in your forehead’!

This is big news in the migraine world as sufferers can now have an operation to remove a muscle in the head that triggers the attacks.

The article reports that the surgery works by removing the ‘corrugator’ muscle found above the eyebrows. Many, but not all, migraines are triggered by the interaction of this muscle with nerves in the head. As the treatment is only effective against this type of migraine, patients must be screened by having Botox jabs in the forehead to paralyse the corrugator muscle. After eight weeks, if they have experienced significantly few headaches, the hour-long operation can take place. Patients can leave the clinic the same day.

You can read the full article here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1029891/Clinic-offers-surgical-migraine-cure--removing-muscle-forehead.html

This sounds amazing to me. I know every operation, however small, has a risk, but if the result is a life without migraines then I'd be willing to go under the knife. I'd be interested to know your thoughts.

Vemma diary: May

2008-05-31T07:01:00.000-07:00

Eating dessert with a migraine is no easy feat

At the time I was angry, frustrated and disappointed. I was after all sitting in a plush London restaurant, 48 floors up with fantastic views overlooking the city, eating a delicious three course meal, when it happened. If I could just make it to the end of the evening without ruining the occasion... Dessert had arrived and so what if I couldn't actually properly see what lovely sweet things I was eating. The tablets would kick in soon and I'll just carry on like it wasn't happening. But of course, that was no easy feat. The migraine had closed in upon me and my body and mind were shutting down. I was silly to think I could fool my close friends. They could see that I wasn't being myself, especially in a fun and social setting, and were concerned. I should have told them as soon as I got the aura. But you see, in the past, I have managed to go practically a whole day at work with a migraine and not tell any of my colleagues. It was hard, that's for sure, but with no meetings and no deadlines for the day I could sit very still at my desk, not talk and even close my eyes for a while. I hate having to announce to the office that I'm ill before taking my speedy departure, so I was determined to push through it. The usual negative feelings which coursed through me, making me look, I'm sure, stressed and moody, worked in my favour. It is work after all, so one is expected to look stressed and moody from time to time. So the moral of the story; be honest about your migraines to your friends and family...and not necessarily to your work colleagues :-/ (OK this last bit is debatable).

Vemma is my closest thing to finding a cure

I may still be getting migraines, but Vemma is my closest thing to finding a cure. I went two months without one, which is good going for me. So it appears, Vemma may not keep this illness completely at bay, but it is very effective at lessening the number of migraines suffered.

Vemma diary: April

2008-04-30T10:11:00.000-07:00

When was my last migraine again?

Sitting round the kitchen table one evening with my house mates Claire and John, I was reminded of how Vemma is working so well in helping to cure my migraine. The topic of migraine came up and Claire asked me when the last time I had one was. For a moment I couldn't remember and it was John who had to answer for me - last month whilst visiting my family. I was chuffed that I couldn't immediately remember and even more chuffed that I have been migraine free for the whole of April. Result. Thanks Vemma. (Click on Vemma link on the right hand panel for more details).

Vemma diary: March

2008-03-31T08:21:00.000-07:00

Party time!

I had an interesting party at my place the other Saturday, and no, it had nothing to do with irate neighbours or bad dancing. I had left my bottle of Vemma - a liquid dietary supplement containing life-giving whole food phytonutrients and powerful antioxidants - in the fridge. I believe my daily shot of Vemma has been helping to lessen my number of migraines. So I'm sure you'll understand my shock and disappointment when someone decided to drink my Vemma - providing a nice mixer for their vodka perhaps. Now this had been followed by one friend who spent some time having a little dig at the ingredients, followed by another friend who couldn't understand why I would pay £56 a month for the stuff. Truth be known, I would pay £1000 a month if it guaranteed no more migraines. I didn't actually mind my friends' comments as I realise it is difficult for a person who has never suffered a migraine to understand the misery it causes. However, next time I have a party, somebody please remind me to take my bottle of Vemma out of the fridge!

Vemma diary: February

2008-02-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

My worst ever migraine

10 years ago, when I was 22, I had my worst ever migraine. I was asleep when I had the aura - a 30 minute warning to take your medication and fast! It wasn't until the pounding headache started that I woke.

It was a Saturday morning and I was staying at my boyfriend's house. I took two Migraleve tablets, but by this point I was already throwing up and the tablets didn't stand of chance of staying down. Now this has happened to me before - whereby I would have to endure a migraine without any drugs. In my early teens before I even knew it was a migraine that I was experiencing I had no medication at all to take. It's tough. I can't sleep, the pillow feels like concrete and the sickness is relentless. And yet, some how I got through it. I would often imagine that the waves of pain on my forehead were waves crashing onto rocks - a beautiful scene in my mind. It was a form of meditation I guess. And yet on this Saturday morning, things were very different indeed. I could never have imagined a migraine could ever be this bad.

A scary sight

I was like a wild animal unable to communicate my thoughts. I paced up and down the bedroom for hours speaking gibberish. My words were back to front, inside out. I was delirious from the pain and the vomiting would not stop. This must have been a very scary sight for my boyfriend. He had seen me suffer from migraine attacks many times before, but never like this. He wanted to take me to the hospital, but I refused. How could I leave the room? It would have been too difficult, and besides I did not want anyone else to see me in this state. In the end my boyfriend collected medication from the hospital. I couldn't tell you what it was but one tablet went under my tongue and the other tablet took the rectal route. They did the trick and eventually I was able to sleep.

Going to work on Monday was strange. I felt like I had been through that nightmare and here I was back in the office, going about my duties as normal like nothing had happened. After that day, things seemed different. A shift had been made in my mind and my view of migraines had changed forever. The attack had scared me. Why had this migraine been particularly bad. I never want to go through that again, I thought, but it might and I have no idea of when that will be. Sitting here writing this, I am pleased to say that I haven't had to go through that again - touch wood, several times over.

Vemma diary: continuing in 2008

2008-01-15T03:49:00.000-08:00

With a New Year, feelings of new hope, new beginnings, and a fresh, renewed outlook on things inevitably arise, and I am determined to keep positive and pro-active in my search for a migraine cure in 2008.

The dairy-free life
On my shopping list this week there is no regular milk, yogurt or margarine. Instead they have been replaced by Soya milk, Soya yogurt and Soya spread. And you know what – it tastes all right. As I have previously discussed (in week eleven), many people are sensitive and not allergic to diary and gluten. Therefore it has been recommended that migraine sufferers should try life without one or both, to see if it helps. I have considerably cut down on my dairy intake since the New Year and so far so good. Plus, with the Vemma and the decaf tea I have been drinking lots of (well I am English after all) I’m hoping my body responds well to all three.

A time to be thankful
There are certain times in my life when I am thankful that I did not get a migraine, like during my holiday in Vancouver last month. I did have a bad cold however. Yet, this just made me even more thankful that it was just a cold I was suffering from and not a migraine. The cruelness of migraines is that they can strike at any time and will often strike with little or no warning. It often feels unfair and it certainly always feels intrusive, and even though there is that initial feeling of shock, at the same time it comes as no surprise. It's the 'oh no not now' thought followed quickly by the thought: 'OK here we go again'. For instance, after my delight of not being ill with a migraine during my trip to Canada, a week or so later, a migraine did make a not so welcome visit on Christmas morning. I did feel that initial shock and yet at the same time I just thought this is so typical. I wanted to sulk, but how could I? It was Christmas day. So I got out of bed and got on with the festivities, which to be fair wasn't too difficult with presents waiting and my mum and dad looking after me. It's when you are at work or at an important meeting, that it is very hard.

Vemma diary: several weeks later

2007-10-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

It’s been a while since my last post and in my world of migraines; it’s been quite an eventful and insightful couple of months…

Question time
Although I cannot deny its positive effect on my general well-being, I had been questioning whether Vemma was actually helping with my migraine and so I found myself reducing the dose from once a day to a couple of times a week. (This also had a lot to do with the fact that I didn't want to spend £50 a month if it wasn't working.) I guess I was hoping for a miracle and I was disappointed (but of course not entirely surprised), that Vemma hadn’t become my migraine cure. I was still getting migraines; I was averaging at one a month, and even though I know I am very lucky compared to other sufferers who have to endure many more than I do and certainly those that suffer from daily headaches, it was still too many. As a migraine sufferer, I go through good and bad patches. A bad patch is three in a week or several in a month. I thought great I am going through a good patch and I wasn’t entirely convinced it was due to Vemma. Well, I am rapidly changing my mind. Since lessening my intake of Vemma, the frequency of my migraines has increased. So it seems, or I hope it seems, that Vemma was doing a pretty good job at helping to reduce the number of attacks I suffer from. The outcome - I am now back to taking Vemma full-time!

The headache clinic
A few months ago I made an appointment to see a specialist at a headache clinic. Many years ago, my GP decided to refer me to a specialist to make sure there wasn't anything more sinister going on. There wasn't. This time, it was my decision to see a specialist as I was hungry for more information, especially about any new preventive measures that I hadn't tried. Leading up to the appointment I was optimistic even though in the back of my mind I knew I was probably getting my hopes up.

The appointment didn't go as well as I had hoped. I thought I would have plenty of time to ask lots of questions but I didn't and the appointment felt rushed. I was told that at the moment I have straightforward migraine which may develop into chronic headache given the right circumstances. I found out that treatment at the clinic is mostly focused on acute or responsive medications and I was given a prescription for Naratriptan to use as a rescue if required after taking Migraleve. However, I am more interested in finding a preventive that is not medication based so I asked if a dairy free diet would help and the doctor said there wasn't any proof that it would. He did, however, suggest taking either Magnesium or Vitamin B2 or the combination of them together is preferred. Co-enzyme Q10, Aspirin or even Butterbur would also be options. I will look into these. The appointment further confirmed the need to carry out my own research and there are still more avenues to explore...

A very strange migraine indeed
One day at work I experienced a very strange migraine – a mini migraine, which I am still baffled about.

I suffer from the classic migraine, and even though they can differ in severity, they always follow the same pattern. I will feel moody (usually nervous and anxious) a day or so before, although it is not always identified. I then get visual symptoms in one eye 30 minutes before a one sided headache on the opposite side to the aura, which is throbbing, accompanied with nausea and sickness, and sensitivity to light and sound. The following day I will feel washed out. With medication – I use Migraleve bought over the counter – the severity of the symptoms are lessened considerably.

On this particular day, as I sat working at my desk, a visual symptom much like a firework shot across my field of vision. I sometimes experience these randomly and sometimes they are a pre pre-warning to a migraine attack. However, this time, I started to feel unwell almost immediately, not so much so that I needed to take a couple of Migraleve tablets but I felt as if I had already taken the tablets and the symptoms were being controlled. I carried on my day as normal, grateful that it wasn't a full on attack and a little perturbed that after all these years as a migraine sufferer, a migraine can still strike taking a different shape and form.

Vemma diary: week eleven

2007-08-13T03:31:00.000-07:00

Monday 13 August 2007

Since my last entry and two migraines later, I am still not sure if Vemma is helping to lesson the number of attacks I suffer from. However, what I am sure about is that it is helping with my general well being (for one, I have not caught a cold or the flu since starting on the programme when others around me have), and if Vemma with all its powerful nutritional and antioxidant properties is having such a positive effect on my health, then I am keen to carry on down the nutrition and diet route and see where it leads me.

Diet

Of course I already know that diet plays an important role when it comes to controlling migraine. My food triggers (and also the classic food triggers for migraine sufferers) certainly seem to be chocolate, cheese, red wine and citrus fruits, and I have avoided eating all of them for over 10 years. However I have sometimes wondered if I should be cutting out all dairy products. The other day I read an article about autism, in which it discusses the benefits of putting autistic children on a gluten- and dairy-free diet along with a number of supplements, minerals and vitamins to redress possible biochemical imbalances. The neurologist featured in the article, then went on to say how she advises her intractable migraine patients to have a trial of three weeks of a dairy-free diet, or three months of a gluten-free diet, as they will have fewer headaches because many people are sensitive (not allergic) to dairy and gluten. This is definitely an option to consider, but first I have an appointment with a headache specialist…

Vemma diary: week seven

2007-07-13T01:54:00.000-07:00

Friday 13 July 2007

Well, I had a migraine. Not happy. Oh dear. Even though I feel disappointed, I’m still remaining optimistic that Vemma will have a positive effect on my migraine. In a way it already has. The days following my attack, my hair was not limp and lifeless, as noted in my previous post. In fact, considering I was over due for a cut and highlights, my hair was looking pretty good. And that my friend, is thanks to the Vemma.

So onwards and upwards, and my mission continues. I plan to make an appointment with a specialist at King’s College London headache clinic. I want to find out if there is any new research and any other avenues that I can explore. My GP, when I asked for a referral letter, seemed quite taken aback saying ‘they won’t tell you anything different from what I can tell you,’ as she tried to offer me more preventive drugs that I have tried and don’t want to try again. Sitting there in the throws of a migraine, I answered somewhat aggressively ‘well, King’s College London is world renowned for its research so I think they will have plenty of new things to tell me!’ Never cross a migraine sufferer ha ha.

Talk, talk, talk
Since starting my blog, I have been talking more and more about my migraine. This is because my blog is making me think more and more about my condition, as I search for new ways to combat it. It’s good to talk and it’s equally as good to write it down. Those years of bottling it all up are well and truly passed, and I feel so much better for it.

Vemma diary: week four

2007-06-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

Monday 25 June 2007

Although not unusual, I have been migraine free for three weeks. Fantastic. But, something strange has happened to my hair. It has become thicker, softer and shinier! And no I haven’t changed my shampoo. It must be the Vemma. As I noted in my first post; thousands of years ago in India traditional ayurvedic doctors used the rind of mangosteen to maintain healthy eyes, skin and hair. And it seems I am following in their footsteps. Result.

Hairy thought
I am always learning new things about migraine – often from fellow sufferers. On the Vemma testimonials page, for example, a lady from Ohio noticed that her hair goes limp and lifeless during and after an attack: “Even my hair hurt and my hair dresser told me many times that it not only straightened the permanent wave out of my hair, my hair lost life for a period of time after a headache.” So the last time I had a migraine, I made a point of noting the state of my hair, and sure enough I had a bad hair day for several days afterwards.
Now I could say I would be interested to find out if Vemma helps with the condition of my hair the next time a migraine strikes, but of course that would be silly because I am hoping Vemma will help keep my migraine at bay. Now that would be a result!

Vemma diary: week two

2007-06-07T06:17:00.000-07:00

Thursday 7 June 2007

Argh! On day 12 I had a migraine. My new thing – after seeking advice from the Migraine Trust helpline – is to push through it, which means getting on with my day as normal and not give in to it. This is very hard going but can, I have found, help speed up the recovery process. So early Monday morning when the migraine struck, I took a couple of Migraleve tablets, went back to sleep and woke up as normal to go to work. I was there 5 minutes when I realised I couldn’t actually focus on the computer screen as the words were dancing. So, back home I went. On this occasion I was happy to give in to it.
I feel a little disheartened that Vemma hasn’t worked its magic on my migraine yet but not surprised at this early stage. I need to give it longer…

Vemma diary: week one

2007-06-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

Thursday 31 May 2007

Well, ironically the day I decide to take my first dose of Vemma I suffered a migraine. The liquid is nice tasting, which you take in a shot glass – mixing the Essential Minerals with the Mangosteen Plus. James told me I would probably have a sore throat, feel a little run down and come out in spots in the first week as my body adjusts, but so far all I have experienced is a sore throat in day two. On day five I had a slight hangover even though I had drunk a lot over many hours. While my housemates were white faced and on the verge of throwing up, I couldn’t help but wonder if I would be the same if it wasn’t for the Vemma in my system. I will, for medical research, continue to test this theory out!

The story so far

2007-06-05T08:06:00.000-07:00

Wednesday 23 May 2007

I have suffered from migraine ever since I was 12 years old. I kept thinking ‘I will grow out of this’ but it never happened. So here I am 20 years later and quite frankly I have had enough. So I am on a mission to find a cure – always have been – but now I am broadening my horizons.

Preventative drugs
As a teenager I tried many preventative drugs that didn’t work. After a month or so I would become intolerant to them. At the age of 17, however, I got hooked on Beta-blockers, a drug which is used to treat high blood pressure. They work by relaxing the blood vessels and as a result I was relaxed…all of the time. My mum was right to be concerned that I wasn’t quite myself, and so I went cold turkey.

Botox in the forehead
Much time passed and in 2004 whilst interviewing the owner of a medical clinic, she told me she had had Botox injected into her forehead for the usual reason of smoothing out wrinkles, however, and get this – as a side effect she hadn’t suffered a migraine since. This sounded great to me apart from one detail – my forehead would be frozen and I wouldn't be able to form any kind of expression there. What would happen when I was puzzled or sad or whatever? No – I decided there and then that wasn’t for me.

Hole in the heart
And then last year I read that some people suffer from migraine due to a tiny hole in their heart, which scientists believe stops the right amount of oxygen reaching the brain or allows unfiltered blood with toxins to pass through. Everyone has a small hole in the heart when they develop in the womb. Usually this closes at birth but sometimes it remains open and you may never be aware of it. Once the hole had been sealed up – you guessed it – no more migraine. I work for King’s College London and there are opportunities to volunteer for research studies. One such study involved having a MRI scan of the heart to provide information on the heart’s blood supply. The perfect opportunity to ask the doc to keep a look out for any holes! Well it turns out I have a healthy heart and even if I did have a small hole in the heart would I go through heart surgery which involves a certain amount of risk and could cause complications to seal the hole up? The doc had a point.

The unseen illness
So why am I sharing my story with you? Well, migraine is often called the unseen illness because typically when a person has an attack they lay down in a darkened room, needing to be away from everyone and everything. Plus, I never used to talk about my condition, preferring to forget all about it until the next attack. But I am no longer hiding it away and now I do want to talk about. By creating more awareness I can hopefully help others like me beat this thing or at least find a way to manage it.

Ultimate liquid nutrition
Recently a friend of mine, James, recommended trying the Vemma Nutrition programme – a liquid dietary supplement containing life-giving whole food phytonutrients and powerful antioxidants.
It can apparently help prevent and in some cases cure diseases from cancer to Eczema, and here is the bit I’m interested in – it is also known to stop or reduce the frequency of migraine. After checking out the testimonials on www.vemmavemma.com (click M for migraine), I decided to give it a bash.
Vemma contains the most powerful food known to man the mangosteen – a rare, tangerine-sized fruit which grows primarily in Southeast Asia. Mangosteen has superior nutritional and antioxidant properties capable of producing a wide range of benefits; benefits that enhance many of the body's health-promoting capabilities. It is thought to have been traditionally used by natural health providers for thousands of years. In India, for example, traditional ayurvedic doctors used the rind of mangosteen to support a healthy digestive system and maintain healthy eyes, skin and hair.
With this in mind, a top Chinese chemist was asked to come up with the ultimate liquid nutrition. And the result is two powerful liquid formulas – mangosteen, aloe vera, and green tea in one bottle and 65 trace minerals in the other.
It’s pretty pricey at £50 for a 32 day course but if this potion can work magic on my migraine then it will be worth every penny.