Sharing Truth About Generic Migraine Meds

Thanks to my handy-dandy Google news reader, I just came across some important Migraine truth over on MyMigraineConnection.com. Some surprising truth.

You know how we’re always told that generic drugs are the same as the brand name? Well! That’s not necessarily true, and generics from different drug companies can theoretically vary a great deal.

This is something I think everyone who ever uses generic drugs should read: Did You Know Generic Migraine Medications Can Vary? by author and patient advocate Teri Robert.

Best,
Arabella ♥

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Bella, Bella, Bella, Good Grief!

On July 12, I wrote Disappointing: Bella Online Headaches / Migraines.

Well, I have to say that I don’t find Bella’s Migraine site disappointing today. Today, I find it downright frightening.

Today, I came across Robinson’s article Topamax For Migraines. I think we’ve all been taught that prepositions such as “for” don’t need to be capitalized in titles since at least junior high school, but it’s not her lack of writing skills that frightens me. What frightens me is that she really doesn’t seem to know much about her topics. Allow me to quote from this Topamax article:

Today, Topamax is growing in popularity as a migraine treatment not only because the product works but because the side effects are less serious.

What? The side effects of Topamax are less serious than what, Ms. Robinson? She doesn’t mention that some of the “visual problems” include glaucoma that can result in permanent loss of vision. She doesn’t include some other potential side effects that have earned serious FDA warnings:

• oligohidrosis (decreased sweating) and hyperthermia
• birth defects if taken by pregnant women

I don’t know Heather Robinson, and bear her no ill will. However, I find it disturbing that she writes for an online network and publishes pieces that are incomplete at best; incomplete to the extent of being inaccurate.

Please, if you’re one of her readers, verify any information you find in her writings before accepting it as correct. Be safe. Be healthy.

Best,
Arabella ♥

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And then there’s the plastic surgery “cure.”

Good afternoon!

Yesterday, I was looking for a good laugh, found one, and shared it with you. I hope you enjoyed it.

Today, I’m… well… I’m angry and indignant, and aggravated, and disgusted and… Well, damn it. I’m pissed off. There, I said it. I hope nobody is offended. I’m tired of being appropriate with my language, so just bear with me or click away from this post now. Fair enough?

Migraineurs everywhere are always looking for better treatments. We hope for the day when a cure will be found, but we know it’s not here yet.

One of the latest potential treatments to be touted as a “cure” is plastic surgery. Now, this is an unusual situation. I haven’t seen the doctor who developed the treatment or the doctors who published a journal article about it calling it a “cure.”

So, who WAS calling the procedure a cure? Only big media outlets such as CNN and major online health network WebMD! The very people who should know better. Reading their articles, it became quite clear that they had either not read the full journal article or didn’t understand the data and its implications. It came as no surprise to me that the most balanced report on the procedure and journal article came from author and patient advocate Teri Robert on MyMigraineConnection. Robert’s article reviewed the data from the study, included comments from well known Migraine specialists, asked questions, and ended with this paragraph,

Although I have my reservations, this study isn’t one to ignore either. It may be the beginning of another useful treatment. It is not a cure, however, no matter how many people (and sensationalized headlines) want to call it one. It is a potential treatment that needs more research. A larger study, conducted by other researchers with stronger methodology needs to be conducted to investigate any potentials of this surgery for Migraine prevention.

Her full article on MyMigraineConnection is titled Plastic Surgery for Migraine?

Personally, I’m tired of the bullshit, thus the “no bull” image above. To the media and health network folks who might come across this — I challenge you to get back to good articles rather than sensationalized headlines to grab attention. Take your cue from Ms. Robert who reads, researches, and consults other experts before writing. And to Ms. Robert, thank you!

Best,
Arabella ♥

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“Disconnect!” to Cure Your Migraines

I was in the mood for two things today:

• “busting” a Migraine cure
• a good laugh

So, off to YouTube I went. It didn’t take long to find this…

Ummmmmmmmmmm, yeah. A really good laugh. Does this guy think we’re like Pavlov’s dogs? He’s going to sound a buzzer and shout, “Disconnect!” and our Migraines will be cured?

Would someone please tell me why I keep hearing a strange song in my head? Wait. What IS that song? Is it the theme song from an old television series? Help!

Best,
Arabella♥

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Migraine Truth Via a Blog Carnival

Let’s take a look at this month’s Migraine Disease and Headahes Blog Carnival, brought to you by Diana Lee at Somebody Heal Me!

In case you’re not familiar with blog carnivals, here’s how Diana explains them:

Generally speaking, a blog carnival 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 patients and people who blog about headaches with unique opportunities to share ideas on topics of particular interest and importance to us.

The theme of this month’s carnival is “Migraines and Families,” and there’s a great deal of truth shared in it. Please take a few minutes to visit the August, 2009, Migraine Disease and Headaches Blog Carnival!

With thanks to Diana and the other great bloggers!

Best,
Arabella♥

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Accurate Migraine Info: How Important Is It?

Hello, readers!

Today, I want to do something a bit different. Today, let’s get YOUR opinion on something. To do that, let’s use a poll.

Please answer this poll:

Thank you for participating!

Best,
Arabella ♥

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Figuring out Jankk’s Migraine Help Blog

Did you know you can subscribe to Google alerts to have notices of new information on web sites and blogs delivered to you via email? It’s a wonderful service!

Lately, I’ve received several Google alerts to postings on jankk.com, a blog where the header reads:

Migraine Help, Migraine Headaches
Having Migraine Headaches? You need to treat it right.

The form of this blog is that the administrator posts a question as a blog entry, and readers post answers. Seems rather a strange format, but it could work.

One post / question that particulary caught my attention was, “What Are Basilar Migraines and Hemiplegic Migraines.” When I first saw this, there were a couple of answers that seemed that they might be good, but the links in them didn’t work. When I looked again, a great Migraine writer and advocate has posted very informative links on both basilar-type and hemiplegic Migraines. It was looking as if the blog could be pretty valuable, very recommendable.

However, when I returned to see if the first links had been fixed, the later posts with working links had been deleted.

So, what’s the deal with this blog? Why does this person keep doing it? I don’t really know, but there are two possibilities I can think of:

1. He or she is hoping that others will post detailed answers without links, thus adding to the value of the blog.
2. He or she just hopes people will click on the Google ads so he or she can make $$ from our misery.

Whatever the reason, it really stinks that the administrator of this blog is so small-minded, so self-aggrandizing, so egocentric that he or she is threatened when others post valuable links in response to the questions posed.

If you’re looking for good Migraine blogs, don’t waste your time on Jankk’s. It’s sad… It’s pathetic… It sucks.

Best,
Arabella♥

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