Data mining: BMI and incidence of severe headache and Migraine

STOP THE PRESS!! Migraineurs and headache sufferers may need to watch their weights! Either that or not participate in medical studies...

Body mass index and headaches: findings from a national sample of US adults from the August 2008 issue.

Cephalalgia, an International Journal of Headache (Published on behalf of the International Headache Society), has mined data from a previous study of more than seven thousand men and women aged twenty or older who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2002.

This data-mining found the following:

After adjusting for a variety of covariates in a logistic regression model, those with a BMI <>2[odds ratio (OR) 2.01; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34, 3.02] or ≥ 30 kg/m² (OR 1.37; 95% CI 1.09, 1.72) had a significantly elevated OR for having a headache compared with participants with a BMI of 18.5–<>2. BMI is associated with the prevalence of severe headaches or migraines in a non-linear manner.

In other words, study participants with a body mass index lower than 18.5 or greater than 30 had a greater odds ratio of having a severe headache or Migraine attack. Participants with BMIs between 18.5 and 25 had a lower odds ratio.

(Curious about your BMI? Here's a calculator designed by the U. S. Centers for Disease Control, a Federal government entity, that will tell you the awful truth.)

Man, the questions that popped into my head as I read about this from the Wiley InterScience website...Had the participants been diagnosed with headache disorder or Migraine or had they diagnosed themselves? What were the questions on the self-reporting questionnaire? Did the original Nutritional Study distinguish between Migraine attacks and headaches? Were the participants experiencing the headache or Migraine attack as they were being screened or was the headache/Migraine data simply reported as it occurred throughout the study? Did something about participating in the nutrition study cause the attacks such as participants consuming foods known to be Migraine or headache triggers, I mean?

Were any of the participants under a doctor's care for headaches or Migraine? On a preventative regimen?

Both weight gain and weight loss are side effects of some drugs known to have an effect on Migraine. Topamax (link is to .pdf file--scroll down to Table 10) can cause weight loss and did so for me. Depakote (link is to .pdf file--scroll down to Table 2) has a slight tendency to cause weight gain. Both drugs are amongst the 4 that have been approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration for migraine prevention.

What if some portions of Migraine management plans are keeping migraineurs at unhealthy BMIs and therefore contributing to the potential progression of the disease?!?!1

This study illustrates that more work would be required to determine whether migraineurs and headache sufferers as a group tend to maintain less-healthy weights. Then one would have to explain that and find out whether regaining a healthy weight would have any impact on the number and severity of attacks or on the potential progression of Migraine, or if the unhealthy BMIs are merely a headache/Migraine artifact. Then one would have to determine whether management plans affect and/or could overcome BMI issues or whether they are the cause.

Huge task.

My point is that WE NEED RESEARCH in order to answer these questions. Data-mining such as this is absolutely crucial as we inch forward in understanding, safely preventing and treating, and someday curing Migraine and headaches.

The International Headache Society, who publishes Cephalalgia, is a closed organization. Sadly, although I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Humanities from the University of Alabama in Birmingham, and actively blog and have participated in migraine awareness and education for many years, it seems I may not qualify to join and thereby be granted access to the actual publication, Cephalalgia.

I plan to explore whether my local public library rates to subscribe to Cephalalgia. We have a teaching hospital here in Birmingham, so maybe the library will be able to get this.

In this season of giving (YOU KNEW THIS WAS COMING! :D), please consider making a gift to help resolve Migraine issues. My current favorite is the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy (link on left also).

If you can't donate, please consider signing up for the email updates. When the U. S. Congress is pondering how to spend your tax dollars, the AHDA will suggest ways to contact your congress persons to let them know how you feel about Migraine and headache research, and the importance of more and better funding.

Right now, I'm going to drink some watermelon seed tea, balance my energy, and crawl under a rock. A rain/snow mix is forecast for us and the weather change is making me feel headache-y. Not a Migraine attack this time, more like my body is trying to gin up a cluster headache. It has tried off and on since Thursday to bust out a cluster, but I've fought back the advancing forces. :)

If crawling underneath rocks and balancing my energy doesn't stop this cluster, Axert will. If I can make it go away without Axert, I'd rather. No triptans are harmless but neither are aspirin, acetaminophen, or other OTC meds. Migraine attacks and cluster headaches must be stopped though. What we've got in the way of management and treatments is what we've got and all we've got until something better is found.

For reference, I began working on this column several weeks ago. I started typing it here on my blog this afternoon at 12:35PM. It's 4:26PM now. Nearly four hours to type something I had already completely written in my head.

I used to have abilities. Now I have disabilities. Even if you don't have Migraine or get headaches, odds are you know someone who does. Help us. We're in your debt, and right now probably in your way. XD


Copyright 2008-2009 Parin Stormlaughter, Sparkling With Crystals, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I do not grant reprint permission under any circumstances. Contact me to request permission to link. And remember that if my work gets published anywhere else, I'll pray for you. And perhaps take legal action. Rest assured, prayer is far more powerful.

Maggots and castor oil and old-fashioned forward thinking

Oooo yum! Castor oil! XD

Tonight I gave myself my second castor oil pack, according to the readings of Edgar Cayce. No, not any castor oil internally but an external pack made with flannel soaked with castor oil, put in place, and kept warm with a heating pad.

For whatever reason, my gall bladder hurts now and then. I've had an ultrasound done and there are no gallstones, and blood work shows that my gall bladder is functioning normally, so there's no reason I can think of to have it removed. The doctor said that gall bladders can become inflamed and painful for no obvious reasons.

I had tried a heating pad and ibuprofen over the years and frankly, got no relief. I try to stay away from over-the-counter analgesics these days because--and who knew?--taking recommended amounts of OTC analgesics for non-headache reasons can cause an attack called a medication-overuse headache in susceptible individuals by themselves in the absence of any other trigger so...Time to search for a non-drug method to relieve the discomfort.

I'm a fan of Edgar Cayce's readings as I've mentioned before. I don't agree with everything he said. He said a number times that people should only take from his readings what was "helpful and hopeful" and discard the rest. Humble man, major psychic, wrong on some important theological points. Right on many health issues.

I really, really would like to do a series on his readings and what I have been able to take from them and use. So many things to write about, so little ability...

The castor oil pack is applied for an hour to an hour and a half daily before bed for three days, then on the evening of the third day a tablespoon of olive oil is taken. Lay off for four days, then start the cycle again.

I'll let you know if I get any relief.

In other news from my blogging compatriot Marijke Durning, RN, of Help My Hurt (link on left too):

Maggots and infections: you may want to skip this post if this gives you the heeby jeebies!

Natural and non-drug ways to do what artificial chemicals do now is what this blog is all about. Marijke explains maggots and leeches in use today for infections and to maintain circulation in reattached limbs.

If I were to ever need this type of therapy, I'd have to repeat to myself..."they're only eating the dead flesh...they're only eating the dead flesh..." :p

A Sensitive's Dream: You-Made-it?! Breakfast Sausage

Ahhh, the simple foods we loved! Years ago when I determined that processed meats (and processed foods in general) were causing me multiple problems, I began a quest to recreate the simple foods we loved that today contain food additives that cause me problems.

Food additives trigger Migraine attacks and Meniere's attacks in me, upset my stomach, cause heartburn at times, drive up the volume of the 24/7 tinnitus I live with, and just make me feel dreadful overall. Not quite a year ago, I ate a fast-food meal at a venerable institution here in this part of the country, Jack's Hamburgers, and the chemicals burned my esophagus and made the skin peel off my lips. Salad and a milkshake--salad and a milkshake...I've never been able to determine what was in those things I ate despite my efforts. Years ago I did some show-business work with the man who created some classic advertising for Jack's...didn't drop the name when I was inquiring about the nutritional information. Perhaps I should have...

Here's a picture of my maternal grandmother (b. 1895) and her five daughters. She always made her own sausage, so my mother (the little tike with my Gma) says. My mother lived on meat from their smoke house until she was 7 years old, when the family moved "into town" from the deep rural countryside. There were 8 siblings who lived to adulthood so counting my grandmother, 9 of them lived a very simple, live-off-the-land lifestyle. Estimating the age of my mother, I imagine this pic was taken between 1938 and 1040. No one knows who took the pic.

Below is my version of pork breakfast sausage. No food additives and my family LOVES IT. Experiment with the seasonings as you wish. One day I plan to make an "Italian" sausage variation with fennel and caraway seeds, omitting the sage. I'll post the recipe when I've got it right.

The more food I make myself from recipes traditional in my family, the better I feel. "Love food" nourishes the body as well as the soul.

I nursed my children, watching them grow strong and healthy on the love from my own body. The joy of nourishing all my family with recipes from the Sparkling Kitchen overwhelms me with a grateful spirit.

I plan to leave the "post time" and date as-is. I'm in the aura phase of a migraine attack and it may be some time before I can get the recipe itself posted. Right now, today is 11/13/08 and the time is 5:36PM. Sorry So Short (SSS)--


Copyright 2008-2009 Parin Stormlaughter, Sparkling With Crystals, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I do not grant reprint permission under any circumstances. Contact me to request permission to link. And remember that if my work gets published anywhere else, I'll pray for you. And perhaps take legal action. Rest assured, prayer is far more powerful.

From the Sparkling With Crystals Kitchen: You-Made-it?! Pork Sausage - recipe

You-Made-It?! Pork Sausage

1 1/2 lb pork steaks or 1 pound ground pork
1/2 tbs crushed red pepper flakes
25 turns of the black pepper mill
2 tbs whole or rubbed dried sage
1/2 tbs sea salt or to taste


If using pork steaks: Remove bone, gristle, and membranes but leave the fat on the meat. Process in food processor until ground and place in glass bowl or pie plate. If using ground pork be sure it's completely defrosted then place in glass bowl or pie plate.

Carefully and evenly sprinkle the crushed red pepper flakes, freshly ground black pepper, dried sage, and sea salt over the ground pork. Thoroughly combine with your hand or a fork.

If using right away, form into patties of desired size or into meatball shapes. Place in cold, heavy skillet like a cast iron skillet and cook on low heat until fully done--if necessary, cut them in half to check for pinkness and cook until evenly done throughout.

Important: Be aware that no matter which pork meat choice you use, this recipe has far less fat than store-bought sausage and might not render any fat at all even if you brown the patties or meatballs very slowly. The patties or meatballs may burn before you know it.

If making ahead of time, reserve the sea salt, combine the meat, herbs and pepper very well, cover meat mixture and place in the refridgerator. Right before cooking, evenly sprinkle sea salt over the entire meat mixture, carefully and fully combine, then form and cook as above. Don't refrigerate non-frozen meat mixture more than 24 hours before cooking.

Be sure to cook the entire batch when you do cook it. Freeze any leftover cooked patties or meatballs for later. Don't freeze the uncooked meat mixture.

Makes 6 to 8 patties or about 10 meatballs.



Notes: Personally, I like the flavor of pork steaks so I use them whenever I can. Ground pork is very convenient though. I have one of those small hand-crank-style choppers and it works beautifully for chopping the pork steak into ground pieces. If you grind the meat yourself be CAREFUL not to over-process because the meat heats up quickly and the fat will soften and melt, causing the mixture to become a gooey mess that's unpleasant to handle.

You can buy peppercorns in bottles with grinder tops if you don't have a pepper mill. No pre-ground black pepper can compare to freshly-ground black pepper. I don't like multicolored peppercorn mixtures--just don't like the flavor--so I can't give an opinion of how it may work here.

This recipe is a good example of when to used dried herbs over fresh ones. I LOVE fresh sage but it burns way too easily here. Also, using dried sage and crushed red pepper flakes will sort of act like a 'dry rub' of sorts if you make the meat mixture overnight, permeating the meat with the marvelous flavors.

It's important to sprinkle the herbs, salt, and pepper evenly over the ground meat--don't dump them in a pile. Sprinkling the herbs, salt and pepper will make for a more consistently-flavored sausage and make combining the meat mixture much quicker and more pleasant.


Copyright 2008-2009 Parin Stormlaughter, Sparkling With Crystals, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I do not grant reprint permission under any circumstances. Contact me to request permission to link. And remember that if my work gets published anywhere else, I'll pray for you. And perhaps take legal action. Rest assured, prayer is far more powerful.

Migraine & Depession: November 08 Headache Blog Carnival

November 08 Headache Blog Carnival: Migraine and depression


Note from Diana Lee, who runs the Headache Blog Carnival: Generally speaking, a blog is a collection of links to a variety of a blogs on a central topic. The Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival has been created to provide both headache and migraine disease patients and people who blog about headache disorders with unique opportunities to share ideas on topics of particular interest and importance to us. Visit the link to this month's carnival for a collection of informative entries on art inspired by living with headaches and migraine disease.

Oatmeal-Flaxseed Bread - recipe

Originally posted on my other blog The Carmelite's Habit for Holy Week. Great bread for fasting on bread and water. I'm working on a variation where the grain and flaxseed are pre-soaked in buttermilk.


Oatmeal-Flaxseed Bread
1 1/2 lb loaf

1 cup plus 2 tbs water
3 tbs corn oil
3 tbs sugar
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup oat bran
2 tbs whole flaxseed
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tsp bread machine yeast

Place all ingredients in bread machine in order listed. I like it with a medium crust.


Notes: A mild-flavored olive oil works nicely in this recipe too. If you think you might want to keep the loaf for a day or two, reduce the sugar to 2 tbs and add a heaping tbs of malt syrup. It will help to naturally preserve it and will really give it a nice rich flavor without adding any additional sweetness.


Nutritional Information for recipe as given

Per 1 ounce
Fat 2.9 grams
Calories 91.7 grams
Sat.Fat 0.3 grams
Carbs. 15 grams
Protein 2.3 grams


Copyright 2008-2009 Parin Stormlaughter, Sparkling With Crystals, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I do not grant reprint permission under any circumstances. Contact me to request permission to link. And remember that if my work gets published anywhere else, I'll pray for you. And perhaps take legal action. Rest assured, prayer is far more powerful.

The Green Demon of Migraine and...crystals

"Just one more,
Just one more,
One more rock and you'll be CURED!
Cured of Migraine forever!!" *poof*

Ugh.

At least I have a handle on pain now. Slowly but surely, I'm attacking the four phases of Migraine. Through crystal therapy (and reduced nerve inflammation through chiropractics) the number of attacks that I must medicate has gone down significantly. Through the preventive medication and supplement program I'm on, the aura phase is decreasing in intensity. I'm doing better, I would say! Yes, I'm feeling better.

I'll have'em whipped before you know it, all the phases. Whipped, but not cured. We need RESEARCH to find a cure for Migraine. It matters little that a migraineur may have a management plan that works. As long as there are attacks to be managed, Migraine isn't cured.

"You can do it!
You can do it!
If you put your mind to it!
If you put your mind to it,
You can do it! Do it! Do it!"


Copyright 2008-2009 Parin Stormlaughter, Sparkling With Crystals, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I do not grant reprint permission under any circumstances. Contact me to request permission to link. And remember that if my work gets published anywhere else, I'll pray for you. And perhaps take legal action. Rest assured, prayer is far more powerful.

Three Sisters Vegetable Stew - vegetarian recipe

Native Americans-First Nation Peoples-American Indians call corn, beans, and squash the Three Sisters. Here's my version as a nice, warming vegetable stew.


Three Sisters Vegetable Stew

1 quart field peas, butterbeans, butter peas, black-eyed peas, or limas
1 vegetarian bouillon cube (with salt added)
1 quart frozen or 4 cups sliced fresh summer squash of choice, defrosted if using frozen
Fresh corn from 3 cobs, sliced twice around the cob and any remaining corn juice pressed out with the back of the knife
1 medium or 1/2 large onion, chopped
3 tbs good olive oil
1 tbs butter
1/2 tsp salt

In large saucepan bring the peas and vegetarian bouillon cube to a boil in 2 cups water. Reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Add squash, return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for another 20 minutes.

In the meantime, slice off the corn off the cobs and rescue any corn juice you can get. In a skillet heat olive oil and butter on medium high until butter is bubbly, then add corn and onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss around for about 15 minutes or so until most of the non-fat liquid is gone.

After the peas and squash finish the 20-minute simmer, stir in the corn and fanatically clean the skillet into the saucepan. Every smidgen in the corn skillet will be exquisite and must be put into the saucepan. Add remaining 1/2 tsp salt.

Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Correct seasoning and serve. Makes six to eight servings, or four to five servings for hungry folk. Really nice as a leftover or to take in a thermos for lunch.


Notes: An alternative is to omit the corn and serve the peas-squash-onion stew over cornbread with lots of pot liquor. For people unaccustomed to non-meat meals, the cornbread would add welcomed texture and satiety. I plan to omit the corn and make jalapeno cornbread next time to see what that's like.

Another plan is to brown a pound of ground beef along with the onion in the skillet and drain fat, before adding the corn, but that would be a different sort of dish and of course non-vegetarian. But likely tasty. I might omit the corn if I use ground beef and just serve it over cornbread. Many possibilities! :D My brother the hunter would vote for venison instead of ground beef. He's welcome to it. :p


Copyright 2008-2009 Parin Stormlaughter, Sparkling With Crystals, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I do not grant reprint permission under any circumstances. Contact me to request permission to link. And remember that if my work gets published anywhere else, I'll pray for you. And perhaps take legal action. Rest assured, prayer is far more powerful.

Kreativ Blogger Award

I'm smiling again.

Here I am, dealing with this broken-off bone spur and degenerative disk disease in my neck, aggressive chiropractics and acupuncture to see if they will manage it so I won't have to have surgery, got the normal family dynamics of life after a major death going on, a close aunt who truly relied on my late father her brother after her husband died just had a mastectomy for breast cancer, Aikichik has both mononucleosis and pneumonia, and I'm about at my wits' end, and lo and behold! This blog has been awarded the Kreativ Blogger Award by my bud and migraine blogger compatriot, MaxJerz of rhymeswithmigraine (link also on left).

MaxJerz is a true writer and poet. She won Third Place in the Putting Our Heads Together 2008 Poetry Contest. Her blog is worthy of following, if it's not already on your blog feed.

She'll educate you, make you laugh, and migraine awareness and advocacy are well advanced by her efforts.

I'm humbled and appreciative of the recognition. Thank you, MJ!

Time to ice my neck and back again and close my eyes for a few. Unfortunately, no broad-leafed plantain poultice recipes for you in the near future--the chiropractor has strictly forbidden me to put any heat on my neck and back. Can't even take a hot shower. Ice is all I'm allowed for now. Maybe I'll post instructions for making ice packs from tea towels, water, and rubbing alcohol once I've gotten the system in working order.

I can eat all those marvelous leaves though. Melt a pat of butter in a skillet, toss the leaves around with a bit of salt until they're wilted...oh me, the joys of foraging for supper. :D



Copyright 2008-2009 Parin Stormlaughter, Sparkling With Crystals, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I do not grant reprint permission under any circumstances. Contact me to request permission to link. And remember that if my work gets published anywhere else, I'll pray for you. And perhaps take legal action. Rest assured, prayer is far more powerful.