ABC World News Tonight is running a three-part series on migraine, which began last night. The first report covered treatments on the horizon, including the drug Trexima, a skin patch that delivers an abortive drug directly into the skin using an electrical impulse, and an inhaler.
Trexima is a combination of Imitrex and the same type of drug that’s in Aleve, which I’ve been critical of. The story quotes Dr. Richard Lipton, director of the Montefiore Headache Center in New York City as saying, “When you combine these two drugs, one and one doesn’t just make two — it makes three.” As long as “three” is a migraine abortive that will be more effective than current treatments — or combinations of treatments — I’ll keep my mouth shut.
As a complement to the story that aired on TV, and article on ABC’s website addresses alternatives to traditional therapies, including biofeedback, neurofeedback (which is described as similar to playing a video game with your mind), and a heart surgery that closes a small hole in the heart, called a PFO.
For all the hype about PFO closure, this is the first time I’ve seen a negative comment in mainstream media. According to the article, “Dr. Dawn Marcus, a neurologist at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, is skeptical. While many patients have noted relief of migraine headaches after surgical closure of their PFO, she said ‘there are studies that show people who developed migraines or had their migraines worsen postoperatively.'”
As I write this post, the ABC News website shows that the current most frequently e-mailed articles are:
- Yanni Arrested in Alleged Domestic Dispute
- Easing the Pain: New Hope for Migraine Sufferers
- Treating Migraines Without Painkillers
Thanks for paying attention to us, ABC. As evidenced by your e-mail traffic, there are lots of us out here looking for help. We appreciate coverage that demonstrates that headache disorders should be taken seriously.
[Thanks to Migraine Blog for the heads up]