Picture this…

☀️ Waking up with enough energy to work the entire day without needing a nap

💪 Feeling confident enough to try something new in your routine

🏃‍♀️ Having the motivation to clock in a new workout

💤 Acquiring enough sleep to feel well-rested finally

🧠 And knowing that today is going to be a migraine-free kind of day

We’ve been naturally treating patients who suffer from migraine symptoms for 15+ years by addressing the root causes and helping people structurally, neurologically, and nutritionally.

And in this newsletter, we will give you everything we’ve learned.

For Free.

🧠 The Migraine Mentors

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Here’s What’s Cookin’ This Week

•  🗞️ Media & Research

  • Helpful Tips from Around the Scientific Community

• 🥡 Weekly Take-Out

  • Meme of The Week - Medieval Interventions in 2024

• 📜 This Week’s Top Article

  • Is Serotonin Syndrome a Risk for You?

• 🧠 The Migraine Mindset

  • Let Food Be Thy Medicine - Part I

• 🍴 Migraine-Friendly Recipe of the Week

  • Migraine Friendly Protein Balls

🗞️ MEDIA & RESEARCH

What’s Happening in the Migraine World?

🧠 Should You Be Worried about Parkinson’s Disease?

• A new study found no causal link between migraine and higher rates of Parkinson’s Disease, which is excellent news for those already suffering from debilitating migraine symptoms. Records from nearly 40,000 women were involved in this study, where they were followed by 22 years by the research team.

• While this is exciting news, the study limitations were that these symptoms were self reported, and since Parkinson’s takes so long to develop, individuals may have acquired the condition after the study results had been submitted.

⛽️ Elevated Blood Pressure is Linked To Migraine Symptoms

• A publication out of Rotterdam has uncovered a higher risk of having migraine with hypertension (high blood pressure), specifically with elevated diastolic blood pressure.

• They argue these findings point to migraine being a problem with small blood vessels versus larger ones, but nonetheless, state that cardiovascular function impacts migraine symptoms. Exercise is your best friend for improving your cardiovascular endurance 🙂 

🚓 Migraine and Auto Accidents in Older Adults

• A cohort study published earlier this year found that older adults recently diagnosed with migraine were 3x more likely to be involved in an auto accident compared to their healthy counterparts. Be careful out there!

🥡 MIGRAINE TAKE-OUT

Meme of The Week

📜 TOP ARTICLE

Is Serotonin Syndrome a Risk For You?

Ever Heard of Serotonin Syndrome?

Most haven’t…

While it might sound like a sci-fi plot, Serotonin Syndrome (SS) is a real and potentially dangerous condition.

Even though it’s rare, it's something to be aware of, especially if you're managing migraines with medications that affect serotonin levels like SSRIs, SNRIs, and TACs.

❓️ What is Serotonin and Why Does it Matter for Migraine?

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, often referred to as the "happy, feel-good hormone," because it contributes to mood regulation and feelings of well-being.

It also plays a key role in regulating sleep, appetite, pain perception, and blood flow, amongst other things.

In the context of migraines, serotonin helps manage pain and regulate blood flow, both of which are critical to migraine treatment.

Low levels of serotonin have been observed in individuals who suffer from migraine, hence why medications to increase serotonin have been a go-to strategy for the western medical world.

(There are also studies linking higher levels of serotonin to migraine as well… More research is obviously needed on this topic).

📈 Case in Point: Individuals who suffer from migraine report that the pain can sometimes stop after vomiting. The process of vomiting stimulates intestinal motility and raises blood levels of serotonin, which most likely contributes to the changes in symptoms.

However, too much serotonin can lead to serious health issues, including Serotonin Syndrome, a condition where excess serotonin accumulates in the brain and body, causing harmful symptoms.

🌪️ What Causes Serotonin Syndrome?

Serotonin Syndrome typically happens when medications increase serotonin levels beyond a safe range.

This can occur in a few different scenarios:

1. Starting a New Medication: Introducing a medication that boosts serotonin, like certain SSRIs, SNRIs, and TAC antidepressants.

2. Increasing Dosage: Raising the dose of a serotonin-modulating medication.

3. Combining Medications: Taking multiple medications that elevate serotonin levels, such as combining SSRIs, SNRIs, and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), both of which are commonly prescribed for migraines.

4. Utilizing Supplements with Medications: Taking serotonin-supporting supplements may also increase the chances of acquiring Serotonin Syndrome, specifically tryptophan and St. John’s Wart.

👀 Recognizing the Symptoms of Serotonin Syndrome

Serotonin Syndrome commonly presents with a triad of symptoms:

• Neuromuscular Hyperactivity: Muscle twitching, tremors, and restlessness.

• Autonomic Hyperactivity: Rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, fever, and diarrhea.

• Altered Mental Status: Ranging from confusion and agitation to seizures.

If you experience any of these symptoms after changing your medications, it's crucial to contact your healthcare provider immediately.

It should also be stated that patients don’t have to experience these symptoms at the same time to be suffering from Serotonin Syndrome.

💊 Serotonin Syndrome and Migraine Medications

Migraine treatments often involve medications like triptans and certain antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, TCAs, etc. ) that affect serotonin.

While effective, these medications can increase the risk of Serotonin Syndrome, mainly when combined or used in higher doses.

What’s even more interesting is that these medications were thought to benefit patients by increasing serotonin levels, but new research findings suggest that the benefits of SSRI’s may actually be due to their anti-inflammatory effects on immune cells in the brain.

🩺 Who's at Risk?

Anyone taking medications that influence serotonin is at risk, but some people are more susceptible, including:

• Those combining different medications that increase serotonin levels.

• People new to a serotonin-affecting medication, especially at higher doses.

• Individuals with liver or kidney conditions, which can affect the body’s ability to metabolize medications.

It should also be noted that specific supplements and herbs can increase the concentration of serotonin in the brain, like St. John’s Wart, which is why it’s contra-indicated for those taking SSRIs and SNRIs.

✅ *Note: Always consult with your medical provider before starting a new medication or supplement to make sure they don’t interact with each other!

🪜 Preventing Serotonin Syndrome

You can take several steps to reduce your risk:

• Communicate with Your Doctor: Ensure your healthcare provider knows all the medications you’re taking, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements.

• Follow Prescribed Dosages: Never exceed the recommended dose or make medication changes without consulting your doctor.

• Monitor for Drug Interactions: Ask your doctor about potential interactions when starting a new medication.

• Recognize Early Symptoms: Be vigilant about any unusual symptoms when you start or change medications.

ℹ️ It’s Always Best to Stay Safe and Informed

While Serotonin Syndrome is serious, it’s preventable and treatable.

By staying informed and communicating with your doctor, you can protect your health and manage your migraines effectively.

More importantly, the more you know, the more you can take care of yourself!

🛣️ Next week, we’re going to break away from our focus on medications and nutrients to open the dialogue about the underlying mechanisms of migraine.

Are migraine symptoms caused by changes in blood flow or the brain?

💡 Stay tuned for the answer in next week’s newsletter!

🧠 MIGRAINE MINDSET

Let Food Be Thy Medicine - Part I

🍎 “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” - Socrates

Word on the street is Socrates was a pretty smart guy.

But does his sage advice hold up when we’re talking about naturally managing migraine?

✅ Absolutely.

If you read last week’s episode, we talked about taking back control to give you a greater sense of control.

Food is the thing you have the most control over, and it’s one of the biggest missed opportunities to improve your long-term migraine frequency and intensity. 

👇️ Let’s dive in…

Some people will have a decent understanding of “trigger foods.” They know which ones to avoid and haven’t done too much else beyond that.

The next step is addressing histamine intolerance.

🧬 Due to the genetics of migraine, most people with regular attacks lack an enzyme that helps them break down histamine.

Histamine is usually ok, but for migraine, it’s really bad. It does two big things we don’t want with migraine…

1.) It expands blood vessels (kind of like when you get a paper cut and it gets all scratchy. That’s histamine).

2.) It sensitizes pain nerves (it's why the cuts seem to hurt really bad for a while).

🩸 In a normal setting, these are good things. In the paper cut example, it brings blood to the injury and lets you know there’s something wrong by making it hurt.

🤕 But for migraine, vasodilation is what makes it feel like a “pounding headache.” More pulsing is the last thing you want during an attack.

Here’s The Point: Eat a histamine-friendly diet, and things will probably get better.

🤔 How do you eat a histamine-free diet?

Here’s a list of histamine-friendly foods from Johns Hopkins

🌾 Gluten-free grains like amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, millet, rice, and quinoa.

🥩 Fresh meat that has not been aged / Salmon - Only fresh or flash-frozen within 30 minutes of catch.

🍎 Non-citrus fruits like apples, blueberries, mangoes, peaches, pomegranates, etc.

🪴 Non-dairy milk like almond, coconut, or hemp.

🥕 Fresh vegetables; But avoid tomato, avocado, eggplant, squash, and spinach.

🥥 Healthy fats and oils like live oil, coconut oil, almonds, potatoes, flax, and chia.

🥛 If you tolerate milk: Butter, ghee, cream, cream cheese, ricotta, mozzarella, and other soft cheeses that have not been aged or fermented.

Click HERE to see the complete list of foods you should avoid.

Next week, we’ll dive into the 3rd step of eating to manage migraine: Blood sugar regulation.

🍴 Migraine-Friendly Recipe of the Week

Migraine Friendly Protein Balls

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond butter and honey. Microwave for a few seconds if needed to soften.

2. Stir in the vanilla extract, oats, coconut, ground flaxseed, and optional mix-ins until well combined.

3. Roll the mixture into small, bite-sized balls using your hands.

4. Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set.

5. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Why It's Migraine-Friendly

1. Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses whole, minimally processed ingredients. Foods with additives or preservatives, like MSG, nitrates, and certain artificial sweeteners, can sometimes trigger migraine symptoms, so these should be avoided.

2. Nut and Dairy Alternatives: Use almond butter or sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter, which can be a trigger for some individuals. This recipe is also dairy-free, reducing potential triggers associated with some cheeses.

3. Low in Trigger Foods: Ingredients like chocolate and dried fruits are included as optional, allowing you to adjust based on your known personal triggers. Always check labels for additives.

Other Options

- Substitute almond butter with pumpkin seed butter for a nut-free option that is still rich in protein and magnesium, beneficial for muscle relaxation and nerve function.

- Add cinnamon or a pinch of turmeric for flavor and potential anti-inflammatory benefits.

- Omit chocolate chips if sensitive to caffeine and include fresh blueberries or safe dried fruits instead for natural sweetness and antioxidants.