From what you've said, she needs to see a neurologist, yesterday, and not fool around with 'alternative' meds now. There are other conditions besides headeaches that cause such symptoms and without proper diagnosis, or by trying to mask symptoms, she could be asking for trouble.

Here's one previous discussion of herbal treatment for migraine (feverfew is the best known and studied alternative) on this forum. You can find more by using the search engine at the bottom of the forum page.

That discussion also mentions non-herbal supplements that are helpful for some people in decreasing frequency of headaches (coenzyme Q etc.).

Hopefully your girlfriend is discussing the side effect issue with her physician (some meds like Topamax can cause real trouble) and possible lifestyle/diet changes and supplement use to control migraines.

I had intense Migraines for years. So bad that I couldn't leave the house for 3 or 4 days out of every 30. I had silver fillings and a gold crown. It never occured to me that the migraines started within days of getting the gold crown. (I had had silver fillings all my life, and lots of them) It fell out, my migraines disappeared, but I still didn't make the connection. Had it glued back in and migraines came back. (Still didn't make the connection, I'm a little slow) A few years later , the crown fell off again, and I didn't have the money, time or inclination to have it re-glued. THIS time I made the connection when the migraines disappeared! For four years I lived with no crown. I recently had it replaced with a white composit crown. Still no more migraines. The gold creates a reaction to the silver that draws the mercury out of your filling and into your mouth! Seriously, both times, the migraines stopped immediately after that crown fell out, and haven't returned in 5 years. If I were someone with migraines today, I would get all the silver fillings taken out, but start with any gold crowns if you have them. Mercury causes all kinds of problems, even MS-type symptoms.

The tiny amount of mercury in amalgam fillings has not been linked to migraines, and is not "drawn out" of fillings by a gold filling elsewhere in the mouth. Getting a bunch of amalgam fillings removed for fear of "mercury toxicity" is expensive, painful and medically unjustified.

"One study found that people with symptoms they related to amalgam fillings did not have significant mercury levels. The study compared ten symptomatic patients and eight patients with no reported health complaints. The symptom group had neither a higher estimated daily uptake of inhaled mercury vapor, nor a higher mercury concentration in blood and urine than in the control group. The amounts of mercury detected by the tests were trivial. Some studies have shown that the problems patients attribute to amalgam restorations are psychosomatic in nature and have been exacerbated greatly by information from the media or from a dentist."

Seriously, Make certain she has seen a neurologist. Migraines are often a symptom of something much worse. Not just a general practitioner--make sure she sees a specialist.

As a stop gap measure, the only thing I can recommend is skullcap. When I was having migraines I took a few drops of tincture every day and it cut down on them. Also make sure she's drinking plenty of water. Durring the migraines, shut off all lights and noise, and place a warm damp washcloth over her face.

Hopefully the neurologist will take care of it for her.

Feverfew is one of the best things for migraines (although it smells and tastes horrible). I recently have discovered that when I'm getting near time for my "monthly migraine" that I'm craving really spicy foods with lots of cayane pepper in them. I recenly read that cayane is good for preventing migraines.

Lavendar oil is good for regular headaches, and can sometimes help with migraines. Put some in a diffuser in the room she'll be resting in. And hey, worst case scenario if it doesn't help - the room smells nice when you're feeling better!

I would also strongly advise figuring out what triggers them and trying to avoid the triggers. I had a ton at one point, but as I've been trying to eat better and take better care of my health they have lessened significantly. Now I just have a few, but if I don't take care of them, they get me!

I found this forum while searching google for a link between migraines and amalgam fillings. I think carey is right.

I am 32 years old and I started suffering from migraines exactly 1 year ago. I have a migraine about once a week and they include a visual aura that completely blinds me for 45 minutes, extreme confusion, memory loss and weakness. Please note that I NEVER had this before and nothing has changed in my life. I eat very healthy and exercise 5 days a week.

The only thing that did change exactly one year ago was that I got several amalgam fillings. eric_oh, I feel that you are giving bad advice. It may be expensive but the pain is worth it if I go back to what my life was like before these migraines.

Looking at this from a logical standpoint the migraines are either being caused by something physically that changed with my body or from something being introduced from the environment.

I have seen a neurologist and have had the MRIs and EEGs which came back negative. I have seen a ENT, everything checks out. My regular doctor thinks I am a hypo. Only thing left are these fillings I got a year ago, exactly at the same time migraines started.

I am going to go do something that's medically unjustified and have them removed. I will write back and let you all know if it solves my issues with migraines.

Best Regards

David

There are lots of things (foods, stressors and other lifestyle changes) that can trigger migraines. Or they can start or stop without rhyme or reason. So it might seem reasonable to blame the fillings in your teeth - except that they do not contain anything known to trigger migraines (the tiny amounts of mercury released from amalgam fillings are meaningless, as we all are likely to have trace amounts of mercury from other environmental sources in our systems, and the fillings don't significantly add to that amount).

Sadly, scare stories on alt med websites have pushed some people to get their fillings removed from exploitative practitioners, a painful, expensive and unnecessary procedure. And there's no guarantee the substitute materials they use for fillings are any safer than amalgam fillings, which have been used in millions of people without problems for decades.

I hope you don't go this route. Best of luck with your migraine problem.

Amalgam fillings use the antimicrobial effects of silver to fight off new cavities. The composites don't. you are more likely to get an infection under a composite tooth and have th cavity keep growing. That is a problem so bad that you would be an idiot to not want to trade it for migraines.

I have a history of bad migraines and a few years ago my ex-boyfriend broke my nose needless to say it gave me the mother of all migraines. But this one did not last the typical day or so it lasted four months straight, non-stop, no light, no noise, comatose in bed. I started seeing a headache specialist
and tried just about everything under the sun then my chiropractor gave me Mag Glycinate from Metagenics which is highly absorbable Magnesium 400mg 2x per/day and its help greatly. I highly recommend it. Although it did not stop my four month cycle. What finally stopped it and is also good for migraines is Verapamil ER it is used to treat high blood pressure and works by relaxing vessels so blood can flow more easily

Has she had a neurology work-up? Being a migraine sufferer myself, and a physician, I wouldn't mess around with a migraine causing seizure symptoms.
The differential diagnosis for this is extensive a serious, she needs an MRI and Neuro workup asap!