MIGRAINE TYPES

Migraine sufferers typically feel a throbbing on one side of their head. The migraine can cause nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound.  They are more severe than headaches.

With or Without Aura?

There are 2 types of migraines 1) migraine with aura (visual symptoms like lines, flashes, or shapes) and 2) migraine without aura.  Some people can lose their vision for 10-30 minutes as well as experience tingling in your arms / legs.  An aura can affect your taste, smell, touch, or speech. People who get an aura will notice it before the head pain begins and the aura may last for an hour. Here are some migraine subtypes.

Brainstem Aura Migraine

This can cause visual, sensory or speech / language problems. To be labeled a brainstem aura, the migraine needs to cause at least two of these symptoms: 1) slurred speech, 2) vertigo, 3) tinnitus, 4) double vision, 5) unsteadiness, or 6) severe sensitivity to sound.

Episodic Migraine

The most common pattern of migraine for most migraine sufferers. Basically, a person get migraines from time to time (up to 7 days out of the month.) If a person has migraines more than 7 days, they will be told they have high-frequency episodic migraines (migraines for 8-14 days per month) or chronic migraines (migraines for 15 or more days per month for 3 months or more.)

Hemiplegic Migraine

Hemiplegic means paralysis on one side of the body. There will be an aura that is companied by weakness on one side of the body for 72 hours or less. No nerve damage is caused but this type of migraine mimics a stroke and should be taken seriously at the first occurrence.

Migraine Without Headache (Silent Migraine)

The main sign of a Silent Migraine coming on is an aura. A person can experience nausea with it as well as other migraine system.  These typically last 20 – 30 minutes.

Abdominal Migraine

The migraine is located in your belly rather than your head.  Symptoms can be 1) stomach pain, 2) appetite loss, 3) nausea, and 4) vomiting.

Abdominal migraines affect children mostly who have typical migraines or family history of migraines.

Menstrual Migraine

Typically a menstrual migraine will start 2 days before a woman’s period and last for 3 days.  Usually there is no association with an aura with a menstrual migraine. Patients with this type of migraine will experience migraines at other times of the month.

Ocular (or Retinal) Migraine

Ocular migraines are extremely rare.  Patients will see colors, flashing lights, or other visual changes including partial loss or total loss of vision in one eye. The vision loss will usually last less than an hour, then be followed by a migraine.

Vestibular Migraine

With a vestibular migraine, a person gets vertigo which is a spinning sensation that can be short lived or last up to several hours.

Status Migrainosus

Is a migraine that lasts for more than 3 days.  It’s pain and nausea may cause a person to be hospitalized. Certain medications or withdrawal from medications can cause this type of migraine.

The 5 Common Stressor Images

Tonsils

Tonsillitis and peritonsillar abscess can both cause headaches. A virus or bacteria infection can cause tonsillitis, leading to sore throat and headaches. A peritonsillar abscess can form in the space behind the tonsils due to tonsillitis complication. The abscess can produce headache, difficulty swallowing and swollen lymph nodes.

Supplement support for the tonsils:  Cataplex AC, Cataplex ACP, Epimune, Antronex, and Spanish Black Radish.

Thyroid Caused Headaches or Migraines

If a person has a under active thyroid (known as a hypothyroid) this can be the cause of their headaches or mirgraines.  An under active thyroid causes a decrease in hormones that impact your metabolism and blood pressure.  Therefore the root cause may be not giving the body the necessary nutrients to keep metabolism and blood pressure under control, which than leads to headaches or migraines.

The last thing to do for the thyroid is start feeding it the proper whole food supplement to give it the nutrients it has not be receiving to restore it to it’s full functional state. The best supplements for this are:  Thytrophin PMG, Oragnically Bound Minerals, Calcium Lactate and Essential Fatty Acids (SuperEFF, Cod Liver Oil, Tuna Omega 3 Oil, Linum B6, Cataplex F Perles, and Black Currant Seed Oil).

Parathyroid

Hyperparathyroidism is when there is too much calcium in the blood and the amount of extra calcium can be slight or a lot.  It is actually the duration of high calcium levels that causes the symptoms of hyperparathyroidism of which recurrent headaches are one. Other symptoms are chronic fatigue, body aches, difficulty sleeping, bone pain, memory loss, poor concentration, and depression.

Most common supplements used:  Cal-Ma Plus, Cataplex D, Cataplex F perles or tablets.

Lungs/Bronchi

COPD can cause headaches upon waking in the morning.  In a person without COPD, oxygen will go down into the lungs and out the walls of your lungs. A person with COPD can have portions of the lungs that are clogged or have been destroyed.  In COPD patient it becomes difficult to inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. This person’s blood will not contain enough oxygen. This is the definition of hypoxia.  Therefore the COPD person’s heart will be overworked and hamper tissue functions.  COPD patients will have too much carbon dioxide in their blood. This all leads to headaches upon waking because of the increased amount of carbon dioxide in the blood during your sleep.

Pulmonary migraines can have symptoms of recurrent asthma, cough producing mucus from the lungs, low back pain radiating to the shoulders, collapse of part or all of the lung and occasionally nausea with vomiting. It is hypothesized that spastic bronchi narrowing causes the migraine.

Lung supplements that could be used are:  Pneumotrophin PMG, Allerplex, Antronex, Fen-Gre, Cataplex AC, Epimune, and Cataplex ACP.

Heart

1. Some patients can experience a headache or migraine along with heart palpitations. There are lifestyle factors that can produce headache with heart palpitations. They are stress, alcohol, caffeine and other stimulants, tobacco use and exposure to smoke, some medications and dehydration.
2. High blood pressure can also cause headaches and migraines.
3. Anemia can cause heart palpitations with headache or migraine. Anemia is when the body lacks healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the various parts and organs of the body. A person may feel tired or weak, may look pale, have cold hands and feet, feel dizzy, and/or have shortness of breath.
4. Hyperthyroidism can affect your heartbeat.
5. Panic attacks may influence your heartbeat.
6. Pheochromocytoma is a tumor affecting the adrenal glands and the tumor releases hormones causing headaches or migraine with heart palpitations. Other symptoms may be high blood pressure, tremors and breath shortness.

Heart supplements Dr. Knox uses are:  Cardio-Plus, Cataplex E2, Cataplex G, Cataplex C, Cardiotrophin PMG, Calcium Lactate, Magenesium Lactate, Vasculin, Cataplex E, Cataplex B, Cataplex ACP, Cyruta Plus, Cyruta, and Essential Fatty Acids (SuperEFF, Cod Liver Oil, Tuna Omega 3 Oil, Linum B6, Cataplex F Perles, and Black Currant Seed Oil).

Stomach, Small Intestines, and Large Intestines

Research has shown that people who regularly experience gastrointestinal symptoms, such as reflux, diarrhea, constipation and nausea — have a higher prevalence of headaches than do those who don’t have gastrointestinal symptoms. Studies on irritable bowel syndrome and celiac disease is starting to link migraines to these digestive health issues.

As a Nutrition Consulting Syracuse doctor, Dr. Knox has studied the Second Brain which is located in the Gastrointestinal tract.  Your gastrointestinal tract has its own microbiome consisting of 1) essential / beneficial flora, 2) opportunistic flora, and 3) transitional flora.

• The essential / beneficial flora is the most important and most abundant in a healthy person. It can be considered indigenous friendly bacteria consisting of Bifidobacteria, Lactobacteria, and Propionobacteria. It also contains physiologicial strains of E. coli, Peprostreptococci, and Enterococci.
• The opportunistic flora is a large group of various microbes. Their number and combinations can be quite individual. In healthy individuals these numbers are normally limited and are closely regulated by the beneficial flora. Opportunistic microbes cause various health problems when they get out control.
• Transitional flora are various microbes that we daily swallow with food and beverage. If the gut is well protected by essential / beneficial flora, these microbes goes through our digestive tract doing no harm.  Whereas, if the essential / beneficial flora is damaged and not able to protect well, transitional microbes can cause disease.

One can now see the importance whether for headaches or migraines or for other health issues, the gastrointestinal tract needs to be cleaned up as well as heal and seal the gut (as the saying goes.) This then stops the major source of toxicity in the body, allowing the entire digestive tract to be a source of nourishment.

Most Americans do not realize our digestive system, skin, eyes, respiratory and excretory organs are coexisting with TRILLIONS of invisible lodgers. This allows an ecosystem of macro-life and micro-life to live together in harmony.  This is a symbiotic relationship in which one cannot live without the other.

Our digestive tract contains the largest amounts of microbes. These microbes are a highly orchestrated micro-world with certain microbes predominating and controlling others. The functions of these microbes are vital to us. In fact, it is said that if our gut was sterilized we would die.

The entire gastrointestinal tract has a bacterial layer known as the “Gut Wall” which provides a natural barrier against invaders (undigested food, toxins, and parasites.) This is what happens to unprotected soil when the turf has eroded. (Turf is the upper layer of soil bound by grass and plant roots into a thick mat.) Once the gut wall suffers, its protective “turf” gets damages.

Besides forming a physical barrier, the essential / beneficial flora acts a security guard by keeping invasive pathogenic micro-organisms in check. The opportunistic flora produces antibiotic-like substances, anti-fungal volatiles, anti-viral substances (interferon, lizocym and surfactins) to dissolve the membranes of viruses and bacteria. They make the immune system respond appropriately to the invaders.  The beneficial bacteria will create an acidic environment to hinder the growth and activity of the bad bugs needing an alkaline environment, preventing the bad bugs from taking over.

These bad bugs produce a ton of very potent toxins. Keep in mind this is on top of all the toxic substances we take in with food and drink.  The cell walls of the digestive tract’s good bacteria absorb many cancer-causing substances to make them inactive.  The good bacterial cell walls blot out hyperplastic processes leading to cancer formation.

The ”Walls of the City” become unprotected when the essential / beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract are damaged, thus not working as they should. This is why we have so many people with headaches, migraines and other health issues. Without a healthy gut wall the body becomes open to invasion from viruses, fungus, bacteria, parasites, and toxic items. These bad bugs can damage the digestive tract by causing chronic inflammation in the gut wall. Do not forget about the opportunistic flora living in the digestive tract waiting to take over the essential / beneficial flora in the gastrointestinal system if the timing becomes right.

The picture gets even bleaker because without a well-functioning gut flora, the gut wall becomes both unprotected and malnourished. A healthy gut flora is a good source of energy and food for the cells lining the gut wall. The essential / beneficial flora bacteria digests the food that floats by, changing it to nourishing particles for the gut lining. (The gut living receives 60-70% of its energy from the bacterial activity.) If not halted, a vicious downward spiral occurs in the gut wall structure, furthering the inability to digest and absorb nutrients.

The intestines have an absorptive surface containing villi. Villi are finger-like protrusions with deep pits between them. The enterocytes coating the villi are the epithelial cells that do the digesting and absorb the nutrients from the food in the small intestines. The epithelial cells work extremely hard, therefore they must be young and in great shape to work effectively. God made a wonderful way to ensure the “Walls of the City” stay healthy.  In the deep pits, enterocytes are continually being created. Once created, the enterocytes slowly journey up to the top of the villi as they do their job of digestion and absorption while maturing. Once the enterocytes reach the villi top, they are released allowing the “Walls of the City” to be continuously rejuvenated with new enterocytes so the “Walls of the City” always work properly.

Animal research with sterilization of the gut (when the essential / beneficial flora bacteria is removed) has proved the process of enterocytes renewal gets totally out of order. The journey from the deep pits to the villi top takes longer leading to the upset of the enterocytes maturation process and frequently turns them cancerous. The cell division in these deep pits 1) become significantly less, 2) the enterocytes created will be less healthy, 3) therefore making it difficult to do their job well. This all leading to abnormal enterocytes because the housekeeper (essential / beneficial flora bacteria) are not there to take care of them.

In our bodies, the lack of good bacteria ALWAYS coincides with bad bacteria getting out of control. This makes the situation even worse. Without the good bacteria fighting to keep control, the bad bacteria attacks and wins over our bodies. This changes the structure of the “Walls of the City,” causing pathology and disease to creep into our bodies.  The body’s villi start 1) to degenerate, 2) are unable to digest and absorb nutrients correctly, and 3) this leads to malabsorption, nutritional deficiencies, and food sensitivities.

This causes casomorphine (is an opioid peptide (protein fragment) derived from the digestion of the milk protein casein) and gluteomorphin (is an opioid peptide that is formed during digestion of the gliadin component of the gluten protein) to be absorbed unchanged into the blood. These opioid peptides cause 1) interference with brain function and 2) immune system function.  There is a growing amount of research with patients having autism, schizophrenia, ADHD, psychosis, depression and auto-immunity. The research shows these patients have high levels of these opioid peptides indicating their gut wall is not fit to handle the complete digestion of the peptides.

Dr. Natasha McBride (founder of the GAPS Diet) sums it up so well from her GAPS Diet book (page :

A well-functioning gut with healthy gut flora hold the roots of our health.  And, just as a tree with sick roots is not going to thrive, the rest of the body cannot thrive without a well-functioning digestive system.

The bacterial population of the gut – the gut flora – is the soil around these roots, giving them their habitat, protection, support and nourishment.

Research is showing those regularly experiencing gastrointestinal symptom like reflux, diarrhea, constipation and nausea are more likely to have headaches than those without gastrointestinal symptoms.

There are many whole food supplements Dr. Knox tests against the stomach, small and large intestines: Multizyme, Zypan, Betaine HCL, Enzycore, Gastrex, Okra Pepsin E3, Chlorophyll Perles, Dermantrophin PMG, Cataplex G, Lactic Acid Yeast, Lact Enz, Prebiotic Inulin, ProSynbiotic, Spanish Black Radish, Fen Cho, Choline, Cholacol, Whole Food Fiber, Disodium Phosphate, SP Purif Program, and Cataplex AC.