MAGNUM In the Wire Services & Web News

NSAIDs Appear to Ease Tough-to-Treat Migraine

by Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) -- Delivered intravenously in an emergency-care setting, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be at least as effective as narcotics in treating late-stage migraines, a new study suggests.

Even better, the researchers add, they are much safer and non-habit forming.

Thus, NSAIDs should be considered first-line therapy for migraine sufferers showing up in emergency rooms, say the researchers, who are to present their findings Thursday at the American Headache Society annual meeting in Philadelphia. Continue reading...

BCBS Still Limiting, Declined Response

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida Neither Resolved This Case NOR Issued a Statement
by Teri Robert

Where We Left Off Last Week:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida (BCBS) has been having Miss Brown's pharmacy change the prescription written by her attending physician so that less Maxalt is dispensed than her physician prescribed.
• When Miss Brown found BCBS to be unresponsive, she asked me to represent her as her patient advocate.
• Before contacting BCBS, I contacted the FDA to get a statement on record that none of their regulations would apply to this situation. They confirmed that they have no jurisdiction over the insurance industry and none of their regulations or policies would apply to this case.
• BCBS representative Chris Luke presented me with the "company line" on these limitations, and when shown to be incorrect, resorted to a clause he says is part of Miss Brown's policy even though neither Miss Brown nor I can find any such clause and BCBS could or would not tell me where it is allegedly located.

Continue reading...

Blue Cross Limits Access To Meds

Blue Cross Blue Shielf of Florida Sets Unacceptable Limits on Triptans Coverage
by Teri Robert

The Overall Problem:
For many Migraineurs and sufferers of cluster headaches, the only medications that will relieve an attack are triptans: Imitrex® (sumatriptan), Zomig® (zolmitriptan), Amerge® (naratriptan), Maxalt® (rizatriptan), Axert® (almotriptan), and Frova® (frovatriptan). Without triptans, we endure days of pain and other symptoms, often resort to emergency room visits for assistance, or - in thankfully fewer cases - risk a stroke from a prolonged, unrelieved Migraine episode. To say that these medications have saved lives is no exaggeration. To say that they've improved millions of lives is an understatement. Yet too many insurance companies, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida limit the quantity they will pay for regardless of the doctor's prescription and the high insurance premiums patients have paid.

Our Current Case:
Alice Brown is a Florida attorney who has suffered with Migraine disease for more than 45 years. She is single, lives alone, and has no assistance when she is incapacitated by a Migraine episode. In addition, her career and livelihood are at risk if a Migraine causes her to miss a court appearance. Continue reading...

Migraines: Causes and New Treatments

Migraine Sufferers Getting More Options as Scientific Understanding Grows
by Amanca Onion

Sept. 17 — Michael John Coleman remembers the first time he felt the excruciating pain of a migraine. He was 6 years old.
    
"I was looking out the window at school at a green field and my head really hurt. I was seeing spots and stars," recalls Coleman. "My teacher told me to put my head down and I saw a huge mass of clouds approaching. Then I felt nauseous."

Since that first onset, Coleman, who heads up MAGNUM, a Washington, D.C.-based migraine awareness group, has struggled with migraines his entire life, getting them at least twice a week. He says his migraines feel like "a gang of thugs" are smashing him in the head with baseball bats — over and over again. Like many migraine sufferers, his headaches are also preceded by an aura, a temporary state during which his vision is blurred and he sees spots. Continue reading...

U.S. Congressmen Back Migraine Work

Congressional letters of praise delivered to World Headache Alliance Board of Directors Meeting in Ireland
by Teri Robert

When the Board of Directors of the World Headache Alliance (WHA) met in Dublin, Ireland, in March of 2002, letters form two United States Congressmen were presented, working to improve international government understanding of Migraine Disease issues.

Following the events of September 11, President Bush encouraged nongovernmental organizations to get involved in our communities. When preparing for the Dublin meeting, the staff of MAGNUM, the National Migraine Association, decided to turn to two prominent New York Congressmen with deep Irish American roots in the state of New York. Continue reading...

OxyContin’s ‘Up’ Side

Those In Real Pain Worry They Won't Get the Drugs They Need
ABCNews
by Jenette Restivo
August 21, 2001

Aug. 21 — With at least 34 million Americans suffering from some form of chronic pain, doctors are under considerable scrutiny to treat it well.

Michael Troyer, the president of the National Chronic Pain Outreach Association and a chronic pain sufferer, hopes that the abuse of OxyContin in emergency rooms and elsewhere will not deter doctors from using such narcotics to treat pain.

"Physicians have been taught for decades that narcotics are evil, to be used only when absolutely necessary," he says. "Pain is a tough call for a physician to make. It's a judgment call on the part of the physician every time."

It's that judgment call that worries pain treatment advocates like Michael John Coleman, executive director and founder of MAGNUM, the National Migraine Association. Continue reading...

World Head Pain Experts Meet in Istanbul

European Headache Federation sponsors the 6th Headache Congress
by Teri Robert

• Who: leading head pain experts and advocates from around the globe
• What: 6th Headache Congress, hosted and organized by the European Headache Federation and the Turkish Headache Society
• When: June 26 - 30, 2002
• Where: Spectacular Istanbul, Turkey, "the crossroads of the world," "where the continents meet."

ISTANBUL, TURKEY (July 1st, 2002) - Staff members of MAGNUM, The National Migraine Association, visited Turkey’s beautiful ‘crossroads of the world’ city of Istanbul to attend the European Headache Federation's (EHF) 6th Annual Headache Congress. The World Headache Alliance (WHA) Council meeting was held concurrently. In addition, MAGNUM Executive Director & Founder Michael John Coleman was a guest speaker at the medical conference, delivering a paper on "Migraine and Art". Continue reading...

HMOs Limiting Use of Migraine Drugs

by Susan Chosholm

PORTLAND, Maine (Reuters) - Some U.S. health insurers are limiting the use of a newer class of migraine drug called triptans that has brought relief to millions of patients who suffer from the debilitating affliction.

Jill Piggott, 39, of Saco, Maine, who has had severe migraines since she was three, got a notice from her insurer in June that she would be restricted to six tablets a month of the drug Zomig. She had been taking 60 tablets each month of the triptan medication made by AstraZeneca Plc.

Statistics are hard to find, but advocates for migraine sufferers and some neurologists said they have noticed a trend in which health insurers restrict access to triptans. They said the reluctance to pay for the drugs stems from their relatively high price -- tablets costs between $14 and $16 each -- and a lack of understanding among general practitioners and other doctors of just how debilitating migraines are. Continue reading...

Bush Addresses "Congress"

by Teri Robert

June 29, 2001, was a day of "firsts:"

• It was the first time President George W. Bush sent a formal address to "Congress" in New York City.
• It was the first day of the Tenth Annual International Headache (Migraine and head-pain disorder) Congress, known as IHC 2001, Liberty from Headache.
• President George W. Bush became the first U.S. President to go on record addressing the serious nature of Migraine disease and headache disorders.

This congress is designed for neurologists, family practitioners, internists, anesthesiologists, dentists, physical therapists, psychologists, nurses, and other health professionals who treat Migraine disease and headache disorders. As nearly 5,000 health care professionals gathered for the opening ceremony, the world’s leading head-pain Epidemiologist, Dr. Richard Lipton, President of the American Headache Society, and keynote speaker, announced that the President of the United States sent a message for them. Continue reading...

Advance PCS Study Concludes Migraine Treatment Should be Based On Severity of Patient Disability

IRVING, Texas, Nov. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- A study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) by a subsidiary of AdvancePCS (NASDAQ:ADVP), the nation's leading health improvement company, concluded that patients who suffer from migraine headaches should receive different treatment therapies depending on the severity of their migraine attacks -- as measured by a self-administered questionnaire.

The Disabilities in Strategies of Care (DISC) study compares different forms of care in the management of patients with migraine attacks. The study found that "stratified care," where initial therapy is selected based on the severity of the patient's illness and illness-related disability, produces better outcomes than the usual "step-care" approaches. Continue reading...

Dell Computer Corp. Now Migraine Aware

Run of Dell's "Migraine Commercial ending — not to be renewed.
by Teri Robert

Migraineurs and those of us with other headache disorders find that one of our biggest obstacles is the misconceptions others have about our conditions. It's a constant battle to educate people that Migraines are NOT headaches, but that Migraine is a neurological disease, and head pain is a symptom of a Migraine attack. Too many people still think that a Migraine is "just a headache" and can be easily treated by "taking a pill."

Dell Computer Corporation is currently running a television commercial, the video of which is also showing on their web site, that has many Migraineurs quite impressed with the company - negatively impressed. Continue reading...

Tipper Gore and Senator Bill Frist, M.D. & Others on Capitol Hill Come Out Strong for MAGNUM-Sponsored Migraine Disease Awareness

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- In a keynote letter in M.A.G.N.U.M.'s 5th Annual Migraine Disease Awareness Exhibition program, Tipper Gore stated "by increasing awareness about the true nature of Migraine disease, erasing the stigma and shame associated with this condition, and working to improve our nation's public policies, you (M.A.G.N.U.M.) bring hope to millions of people and families affected by this condition." Dr. Bill Frist, the only United States Senator who is a physician, noted in his letter of support to M.A.G.N.U.M. "your efforts to raise public awareness about the symptoms and epidemiology associated with Migraine disease are laudable. We all benefit from the commitment M.A.G.N.U.M. has displayed to Migraine disease education and prevention." Senator Charles S. Robb, who has supported M.A.G.N.U.M. longer than any other legislator, noted in his current message that he voiced praise and appreciation for the leadership of M.A.G.N.U.M.'s Michael John Coleman, Executive Director, and Terri Miller Burchfield, Legislative Director. Robb continued by saying, "I congratulate them for (their) continued national and international work towards increasing public awareness of Migraine disease." Continue reading...

Elvis & LSD? No, DHE for Migraine!

Elvis Presley's Private Struggle With Intractable Migraines Revealed
by Teri Robert

Visit the About.com forum for headache/migraine any day, and you'll find posts from people whose main problem with Migraine care is Attitude - not theirs, but that of some medical professionals, some media, and much of the general public. Too many people still don't realize that Migraine is a neurological disease. They still stereotype us, consider us "drug seekers," and continue to misunderstand Migraine. When Michael John Coleman, the director of MAGNUM, the National Migraine Association, and the rest of the staff discovered that Elvis Presley was reported to have been a Migraineur, they set out to investigate. The article below is the result of his months of in-depth research.  Continue reading...

Researchers to Try Surgery for Migraines

All Medications Have Successes — and Problems
by Mark Moran, MPH
WebMD Medical News

Sept. 20, 2000 (Cleveland) -- The muscle in your forehead that makes you frown may play a role in migraine headaches.

And now some researchers at University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine want to know if removing that muscle surgically can help end migraine headaches.

Tarvez Tucker, MD, associate professor of neurology at Case and director of the Headache Institute at UH, tells WebMD that years of experience with surgical removal of the corrugator supercilii muscle in the forehead -- a common cosmetic surgery procedure -- has produced a startling finding: Patients who get the procedure, and who also have migraines, often experience an end to their symptoms following the surgery. Continue reading...

DrugVoice's New Study Provides Fresh Insights Into The Migraine Patient

August 22, 2000

HOBOKEN, N.J., Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- DrugVoice, an innovative market research company focused exclusively on the healthcare patient, today announced results from its comprehensive MigraineVoice survey of the online migraine patient.

This 130-question survey captures in-depth insights about the preferences and experiences of over 500 patients in preventing and treating migraine headaches. This report marks the beginning of a long-term, longitudinal study of the migraine patient. Continue reading...

Head Pain: NOT To Be Ignored

"Better safe than sorry," could never be more true.

by Teri Robert

Unfortunately, those who suffer with Migraine disorder or other headache disorders are all to used to not being taken seriously. A doctor recently said to one of our forum members that, "Migraine isn't really a health issue as much as a quality of life issue." Were it within my power, I'd revoke his license to practice medicine -- after I slapped him silly, of course. Is it any wonder that Migraineurs often don't realize the possibly serious ramifications of Migraine attacks when their doctors make such uneducated comments?

Recently, a young woman who participates in our forums and chats was in the throes of a multi-day Migraine attack. Her medications hadn't helped, and she had not sought emergency care. A few days later, I received an email from her mother telling me that on the seventh day of her Migraine, the young woman began having seizures, and is now in a coma. Tests indicate that she has had a stroke. Continue reading...

International Symposium, Topamax Study

14th Biennial International Research Symposium Held, Topamax Research Presented.
by Teri Robert

The theme of the Migraine Trust's biennial International Research Migraine for 2002 is "RESEARCH is the Key," building on the belief that research is the key to the future for people with headache disorders. Professor Peter Goadsby is the Chairman of the Migraine, and is lecturing at the public program portion. He said, "This is a great opportunity, creating the chance for sufferers and researchers to meet and talk about the condition to ensure a fully rounded discussion. We are pleased to invite the public to this conference and look forward to the open forum following the lectures."

This is the 14th biennial Migraine hosted by the Migraine Trust, and is the larges of its kind in the world, attended by leading neurologists, researchers, and health professionals. It is intended to bring to light the latest developments in Migraine research and treatment. Topics covered by the Migraine's lectures in the field of Migraine are pathophysiology, disability, and children. Continue reading...

Oh, My Aching Cerebral Cortex: Migraine Sufferers Don't Get Adequate Treatment

by Marian Jones
FOX NEWS
June 19, 2000

NEW YORK — Getting proper migraine treatment can cause more of a headache than it needs to.

"I see a significant gap between the treatment that's available and the treatment that's actually delivered," said Dr. Richard Lipton, speaking at Maryland's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke last week.

Attempting to address the reasons for undiagnosed migraines and work on a plan to increase awareness, Lipton noted many of the 28 million American migraine sufferers don't know what's going on — all they know is they're in major pain. They skip going to the doctor because they chalk it up to stress or sinus trouble. Continue reading...

Invida Outcomes Network to Offer Registry For Migraine Sufferers

Leading Migraine Advocacy Group Becomes First Invida Alliance Partner

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill., June 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Invida Outcomes Network ( http://www.invida.com ) announced today that its first online patient registry will focus on migraine, a neurological condition affecting approximately 28 million Americans, and that it has formed a strategic alliance with M.A.G.N.U.M, The National Migraine Association. Invida is the first consumer health web site to use outcomes research to help the chronically ill track their treatment progress over time. Continue reading...

MacGregor Honored with EGA Award

Dr. Anne MacGregor has been awarded the 2002 Elizabeth Garret Anderson Award
by Teri Robert

In recognition of her outstanding contribution to the cause of Migraine in women, Dr. Anne MacGregor has been presented with the prestigious Elizabeth Garret Anderson (EGA) Award. The award, sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline, was presented at he Migraine Trust's biennial International Research Symposium by Ann Turner, World Headache Alliance (WHA) Trustee and Director of the Migraine Action Association. Continue reading...

Cause of Migraine is Mystery, But More Women Suffer

by Keith Mulvilhill, Medical Writer
January, 2000

"When I get a migraine headache it's always in the right temple. It starts slowly, creeping in behind my right eye. Eventually, it feels like my eye is being pushed out, and a mallet is cracking open my head," said Marsha Winkler, who is 55 years old and lives and works in Manhattan. "When a migraine strikes, believe me, I am not much fun to be around. I lay in bed, in total darkness and wait for the pain to pass."

Winkler, who is upbeat and very outspoken, has suffered migraines headaches most of her adult life. Typically she can have as many as two per week and at times has found her illness to be very debilitating, causing her to miss at least one day of work each month.

While many people are familiar with migraine disease, most do not know that the number of people like Winkler who have migraines seems to be on the rise. Continue reading...

Mainstream News: Now Getting It Right!

Kudos and thanks to ABCNews.com and reporter Angela Onion

Unfortunately, I've gotten used to seeing news articles on Migraine, Cluster Headaches, and other head pain disorders where myths are perpetuated and/or the information is scanty, incorrect, or incorrectly interpreted. Although I'm used to it, I cannot and will not accept it, so I've written my share of letters and email messages politely pointing out the errors in the coverage. Recently, I was cautiously pleased to go to the ABCnews.com main page and find featured there an article entitled "Gaining on the Pain," with the subtitle, "Migraine Sufferers Get More Options as Scientific Understanding Grows." Once I got to the article, cautiously pleased turned to exceedingly pleased. The article, written by Angela Onion, is excellent. Perhaps just as importantly, such an article appearing on the web site of a major news outlet give me hope that more such excellent coverage will follow on not only Migraine, but other head pain disorders as well. Continue reading...

Excedrin Migraine Marketing Draws Criticism

1998

WESTPORT, May 28 (Reuters) - In a new ad campaign for Excedrin Migraine, which recently received OTC marketing approval from the FDA, Bristol-Myers Squibb is not conforming to FDA guidelines for the appropriate use of the drug, according to a statement issued by the Migraine Awareness Group: a National Understanding for Migraineurs (MAGNUM).

Specifically, the migraine patient advocacy group believes that although the package insert states that Excedrin Migraine is approved for the treatment of mild-to-moderate migraine pain, and that a physician should be consulted if headache pain worsens or if unexpected symptoms occur, the company's television and print advertisements do not make this clear. Continue reading...

Remembering Abigail Smith

December 3, 2001

On October 3rd, Abi Smith began posting in our forum. She attended our evening chats on October 4th and 5th. Abi was on day five of a Migraine attack, which meant that she was in status migrainous, and needed emergency care. Unfortunately, she didn't seek care, and on October 7th, she suffered seizures and a migrainous stroke. Although the doctors thought she had recovered from the stroke and discharged her a couple of weeks later, when she got her next Migraine, she had another stroke. Abi passed away early on the morning of November 12, 2001. She would have been 22-years-old on December 3. Continue reading...

Millennium Migraine Awareness Month Underscores Need for Treatment Options

Migraine Sufferers May Benefit from Preventive Treatment

ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Jan. 17 (2000) /PRNewswire/ -- Migraine headaches are disabling and can make the new year anything but happy for sufferers. During Migraine Awareness Month in January, attention is being drawn to this devastating disease in hopes of raising public awareness and providing education about available treatment options such as preventive therapy.

"January can be a particularly painful time of year for migraineurs. Disrupted sleep patterns, changes in climate and altitude associated with travel, and also common seasonal indulgences containing alcohol and preservatives such as nitrates often trigger attacks," said Michael John Coleman, executive director of MAGNUM, the National Migraine Association. "Appropriate diagnosis and treatment are essential."  Continue reading...

Poetry Gives Judges a Headache!

April, 2001

Judge says, "They're too good to choose!"

"They can help build awareness of our plight."

Why a poetry contest?

• Writing is a wonderful outlet for many people with chronic health problems. It gives us the opportunity to express feelings, and often helps us get some of the frustration out of our systems. It's a very healthy activity for many of us.
• Sharing these wonderful works of art can help express the fear, pain, and frustration of headaches/migraine in a way that some people will understand better than they would a normal conversation.
• To support each other while building awareness among "non-headachers."
• It's National Poetry Month
• Why not? :-)

Continue reading...

Migraine Remains a Reimbursable Medical Condition

Medical News / Health Line
Reuters Health, 1997

WESTPORT, Sep 05 (Reuters) - Severe pain, including acute migraine, is included as an "emergency medical condition" in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Thus, emergency department visits for migraine by Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries remain reimbursable events, Michael John Coleman, Executive Director, and founder of the Migraine Awareness Group: A National Understanding for Migraineurs (MAGNUM Inc.), told Reuters Health.

The nonprofit educational group, based in Alexandria, Virginia, worked with House and Senate Offices and organizations such as the AMA and AASH to convince legislators not to delete the "severe pain" definition from the Balanced Budget Act, which was recently signed into law. "If they didn't retain 'severe pain' in the prudent layperson definition of an emergency condition," Coleman said, "it would have created a loophole for health plans to deny coverage to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries who, in severe or profound pain, take a reasonable decision to seek emergency medical care." Continue reading...

WHAM! World Headache Awareness Month

37 organizations in 26 countries join to raise awareness
by Teri Robert
About Headaches & Migraine

"I look forward to a time when there is no need for World Headache Awareness Month." Kary Shannon; Chief Operating Office, World Headache Alliance.

Whether you're a ClusterHead, a Migraineur, or someone affected by tension headaches or another headache disorder, you know the great importance and value of awareness and understanding of these disorders. The World Headache Alliance (WHA) and its members understand very well. In 2000, they began plans for the first annual World Headache Awareness Month (WHAM) to occur in September, 2002. The focus for WHAM 2002 is on a global awareness plan that assists member organizations to distribute information locally to spotlight their organization within the global framework of the WHA. Their advance planning resulted in 12 government proclamations of World Headache Awareness Month on four continents. September was chosen, in part to coincide with the Migraine Trust's biennial International Research Symposium being held in London September 22 - 26. This is the 14th biennial Symposium, which is the largest of conference of this kind and attended by the world's leading neurologists, researchers, and health professionals. This year's theme for the Symposium is "Research Is the Key." Continue reading...

Migraine Management: The Options and the Obstacles

All Medications Have Successes — and Problems
by Jim Morelli, RPh
WebMD Medical News

April 24, 2000 -- They may be the most effective drugs ever created for treating migraine headaches, but the triptans have proven a hard sell to some patients. Ronda Solberg, who runs a web site devoted to migraine sufferers, says one of the drugs -- sumatriptan -- didn't work for her, and she says that some visitors to her page have expressed concern about an increased risk of stroke or heart problems with the drugs.

But one expert says there's absolutely nothing to worry about. "The drugs are safe and effective, and they work for most people," says Stephen D. Silberstein, MD, co-chairman of the U.S. Headache Consortium and director of the Headache Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. "I think it's safer to take a triptan than a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory [Advil, for example] -- if you look at what drug class winds people up in the hospital," he tells WebMD. Continue reading...