5-HTP
★☆☆☆☆
5-HTP
★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
5-htp is a precursor to serotonin, which means your body will take 5-htp, convert it to serotonin and it in theory will act like Imitrex. Though that's where the awesomeness ended for me.
I have a few major warnings for anyone interested in 5-htp:
1) You cannot use it if you are pregnant
2) You cannot use it with many anti-depressants
3) You cannot use it within about 24 hours before or after you use Imitrex. Both anti-depressants that increase serotonin and Imitrex that imitates serotonin used with 5-htp that creates even more serotonin can cause a serotonin overdose and can be fatal.
4) I did more research on it and it turns out that 5-htp is a chemical by-product of L-tryptophan, which is responsible for making serotonin in our bodies. They used to sell tryptophan supplements but after many people started developing eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome, an incurable muscle and blood disease, from these supplements, as they were tainted, they banned the sale of tryptophan supplements in the US. (This happened mainly due to one large manufacturer going cheap, but who's to say this won't happen again with 5-htp??)
There have already been a few cases of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome being caused by 5-htp supplements to date and that got me thinking: "Is taking this 5-htp to hopefully have a cheaper more 'natural' form of Imitrex worth it?" I decided it wasn't worth it.
I just want to warn those who are thinking about taking 5-htp that just because it's natural doesn't make it safer, and just because they sell it doesn't mean it's guaranteed safe. Supplements are not regulated by the FDA and only get any attention once a lot of people get sick from it. Use the information we are given to make the best decision for you. I ended up finding that Mint essential oil works really well for me and with no serious side effects. (or any at all for me)
I hope this helps someone, it would have been nice to have this all written for me when I was researching it. :)
(New York, US)
09/17/2014
Melissa.. About 5HTP
I am also leary of 5 htp after doing research on it.. Actually the last doctor who I didn't like said I should take it for anxiety.. she also gave me a supplement with L lysine, 5 htp and folate and L tyrosine in it.. the 5htp is 150 miligrams.. I am a bit scared to take it as I have read good and not so good things with 5 htp.... I also meditate and use essential oils.. maybe just stick to that.. I also try and get sun and take vit.D..
Thanks for the post Melissa. Two items that need clarifying. One, like most all supplements or drugs there is a dose dependent factor which must always be considered. Generaly speaking, natural supplements are much, much more safer at even large doses than their counterpart pharmaceutical drugs at small doses. Way too many folks have left this world as a consequence of overdose of drugs.
Second, supplements are regulated by the FDA by the same standards as foodstuffs. Hospitals report any problems w/ bad food or supplements from sick patients the same as drug interaction or overdoses, and these reports are monitored for public safety. Also many or most supplement manufacturers are standardized and inspected by oversight companies like GMP which is overseen by the FDA as well as WHO. So yes, nutritional supplements ARE regulated for safety.
(Il)
02/20/2018
I take amino acids to treat my gene mutation, enzyme deficiencies in Fibromyalgia. Migraines are a common symptom of Fibro. But I would NEVER recommend an amino acid or a hormone (like 5-HTP or melatonin) unless it muscle tested well for that person. The only way to tell if the product is right for you, or is any good or even tainted, is through Applied Kinesiology/ muscle testing. I believe everyone should learn how to detect if one's body's BP spikes when stimulated by something. AK enables a person to do this. I Say...Learn AK!
5-HTP
★★★★★
Currently I take 200 mg/day and can have a sandwich for lunch and cheesecake! (it's SO wrong, I know! ) I still try very hard to keep the gluten and casein out of my diet. Even though I can cheat and not have a migraine attack, I still can tell that my body feels wrong or icky when I have those foods. But it's SO nice to go from 10 migraines a month, down to 1, maybe 2 per month. I plan to cut back to 100mg/day because I know that there is differing opinions about how much is too much. Plus being able to eat whatever I want makes it very hard to stay gluten/casein free. I hope this post helps other people to realize that they may have food allergies/intolerances that they are unaware of yet.
(Los Angeles, Ca)
01/21/2013
It sounds like you might have tyramine-triggered migraines, rather than simply a gluten/casein sensitivity. Check out the list of foods that contain tyramine. Glad the 5-HTP is working. I'm looking for something to help my aunt, who suffers from migraines probably due to tyramine.
5-HTP
★★★★★
(London, England)
08/02/2016
★☆☆☆☆
Gave it a fair trial. It did nothing
(Fountain Inn, Sc)
08/03/2016
Hello Beth,
Have you tried niacin (B-3) or the herb Feverfew? I have a video up on Earth Clinic that discusses migraines if you care to watch.
(London, England)
07/24/2020
Thank you, yes. I've tried both. Feverfew grows in my garden and I took it every day for years but the migraines only increased in frequency.
Acupressure
★★★★★
Acupressure, Garlic, Peppermint Tea
★★★★★
(Spain)
02/18/2018
My mom's chronic hormonal migraines vanished definitively at menopause.
(San Diego)
03/15/2018
I am 67 years old and started getting migraines about 5 years ago. My migraines are severe. Along with vomiting, I get diarrhea which actually helps relieve my headache. I also use cold compresses on my neck and apply pressure to my lower neck.
(Arcadia, Ca)
03/19/2018
Dear Marthe,
What your feeling maybe something bad your sickness reminds me when I had bad headaches. I would get just like you with the vomiting and diahrrea. One day I felt a huge bang in my head it was a BRAIN ANEURYSM. Then it burst and that is when I found out I had a BA. Please go check yourself with your doctor. Better to be safe than sorry!
Air Purifier
★★★★★
Alka Seltzer
★★★★★
(Dallas, Texas)
06/20/2012
★★★★★
Anitha, thank you. You are the only person I have known to confirm my experience. The very first migraine I ever had was unbearable. I couldn't sleep, and was throwing up. My husband came home, and brought me an Alka Seltzer original, in a glass of water. It gave me total and complete relief. No headache, no upset stomach, and I could sleep. My migraines have lessened in severity, over time, however. So my other favorite remedies for migraine are 1) a glass of whole milk with a chocolate bar, and 2) a pinch of cayenne pepper on the tip of my tongue for 30 seconds, followed by a glass of water.
(Texas)
05/03/2014
★★★★★
Alka Seltzer works for me if I catch the migraine early.
(San Antonio)
02/23/2017
★★★☆☆
(New York, USA)
08/15/2022
★★★★★
I too, use Alka-seltzer. I get the “Gold” one. It doesn't contain any aspirin and is potassium bicarbonate instead of sodium bicarbonate. It works well on migraine with nausea and ones that have an intense pounding feeling.
(Philippines)
08/15/2022
★★★★★
Hi LMF... It is incorrect to say that Alka-Seltzer Gold ingredients contains "potassium bicarbonate instead of sodium bicarbonate." The full list of ingredients for Alka-Seltzer Gold is shown below:
Anhydrous citric acid 1000 mg
Potassium bicarbonate 344 mg
Sodium bicarbonate (heat-treated)* 1050 mg
*When sodium bicarbonate is heat-treated it becomes sodium carbonate.
After the acid-base reaction between the citric acid and the bicarbonates when water is added, the drink then essentially contains sodium citrate and potassium citrate -- notably with the sodium citrate in much higher quantity than the potassium citrate.
This drink mixture of sodium citrate and potassium citrate is more or less in exactly the same amounts and proportions as advised in Ted from Bangkok's alkalizing sodium/potassium citrate remedies on EC. Except that his version is made with the bare ingredients, which is perhaps a much cheaper way of doing it than buying Alka-Seltzer Gold.
Almonds
★★★★★
Alternating Hot Cold Showers
★☆☆☆☆
(Atlanta, Ga)
05/10/2015
★★★★★
You need more than just a cold shower. You need to alternate hot and cold water over the affected areas of your head. I position myself in a way that the water only runs over my head and neck, and not the rest of my body. Too uncomfortable!!
I run the hot for about 1-2 minutes, and then turn the water to the coldest setting for about 30 seconds. Keep doing this, alternating between hot and cold, and eventually the shock will knock the headache out. Sometimes you may have to this up to a 1/2 hr. Other times it may only take a few minutes, depending on the severity of the Migraine.
Amalgam Fillings Removed
★☆☆☆☆
(Leeds, West Yorkshire, Uk)
06/23/2011
My migraines started about 5 years ago and affected the right side of my head near the temple. At first I would get them several times a year but in the past two years they became a daily event. When my migraines started I was sensitive to light and noise. I would have to draw my curtains and get into bed. I would pass out at some point, waking up several hours later.
I too have amalgam fillings and having done some research on the net I figured I needed to remove my fillings. I was advised by my dentist to take Chlorella for a week prior to having the fillings removed and to continue for another week after removal of the fillings. However, an article I read on the internet suggested taking Chlorella for 3 months before and after removal of the fillings. I came across a free book online called
Superfoods For Optimum Health: Chlorella and Spirulina
by Mike Adams, the Consumer Wellness Research Center (chlorellafactor. Com). Google it!I started on 2.5g Chlorella powder combined with 5g Spirulina powder (a ratio of 1:2 is advised) for 2 weeks (twice a day) to allow my body to get used to these superfoods. After the initial 2 weeks I increased the amounts to 5g Chlorella and 10g Spirulina and I having been taking that for the past 5 weeks (twice a day). To be completely honest I can't remember exactly when my migraines stopped. What a relief!
I purchased my Chlorella (1kg powder for £55, and Spirulina (1kg powder for £45) from Indigo-Herbs of Glastonbury in the UK.
I still intend to have my amalgams removed, but my priority now is to deal with my eczema (face and back of hands)
The introduction (extract) from the free online book reads as follows:
Some have called this book, "The most courageous voice yet... " on chlorella and spirulina. That's because inside this book, you'll get the astounding truth on how these two superfoods are far more than just "supplements" like vitamins and minerals: they are disease preventing and even reversing foods from nature that can actually help conquer cancer, nerve damage, diabetes, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, clinical depression, and much more.
You probably haven't heard that before, and here's why: no company selling chlorella or spirulina is allowed to tell you the truth about it. That's because the FDA would consider such statements to be "medical claims. " So you never hear the real story on how these amazing superfoods can actually reverse serious diseases with no side effects and often without surgery, drugs, or other barbaric treatments like chemotherapy."
Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
The other day one of my co-workers was sitting at her desk with her head lowered, cupping her forehead in one hand and massaging her head and neck with the other. I asked her if she was all right and she said I have a migraine. So I logged in to see what Earth Clinic has posted for migraines and saw the remedy of 2 Tbsp. of ACV and 2 Tbsp. of raw honey in a glass of water.
I asked if she usually takes something for it and she said she takes Excedrin but that she did not have any with her. So I told her that my #1 resource for natural healing recommends ACV and honey in a glass of water and told her that I had both of them if she would like to try it. She looked up at me and said let's do it. I mixed it up and she drank it. About 20 or 30 minutes later another co-worker asked her how she was feeling and she said she felt a lot better! And for the rest of the day she was her usual bubbly self.
What is particularly interesting about this is that I work for a tribal government and these folks are Native Americans who, for the most part, have lost or forgotten the old ways, replacing them with medical services provided by the federal government through Indian Health Services. But many of them have witnessed my journey and have come to me for help for themselves and for their animals. They are re-discovering that Mother Nature has provided all that we need!
Thank you to all who post on this website, you are changing and saving lives! Flower's Mom
Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
Update: I awoke with a migraine headache and tried two tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar by mouth first. Within about one and a half hours, the severity had been reduced from an 8 on a scale of 10 to about a 2. I must add that I also drank coffee, but I will be using the ACV first from now on.
Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
