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No, I did not think you were prying. You were being helpful.

Be careful with meds that raise your blood pressure, as that can cause more migraine. I'm currently taking nortriptylene to control chronic migraine, but recently had to add blood pressure med to counteract the high blood pressure caused by nortriptylene. It's a vicious cycle!

Reply to comment by Linda Gauvin-Miller 9 hours ago

I take sumatriptans (Imitrex) for migraines, and I was wondering if it endangered me, as I also have hypertention...and take meds for that too; Diovan, and hydrochlorothiazide (water pills). When I take the Imitrex...it makes my blood pressure rise...and also causes swelling in the knees and fingers. My doc doesn't seem to think there's concern...but I can't help but wonder.


Nice to have you in the rabble Terry and Mocha...WELCOME to our little subdivision ;)
Do you mind telling us a bit about yourselves?

It's a tough call, isn't it Dawn!!!
Sometimes, you take a med out of sheer desperation, such as the Imitrex....to prevent me from smashing my head against the wall! Is nortriptylene a new triptan?

Linda,
Nortriptylene has been around for a long time, originally planned as an antidepressant, but it works well for controlling chronic migraine. It worked great for the first month, then I had almost constant migraine again. I went back to the doctor, who discovered the high blood pressure. Since that's back under control, I'm back down to a migraine about every 1-1/2 to 2 weeks.

My migraines have GREATLY lessened in severity as I aged, and I don't get them as frequently. I was told that when I reached menopause that the migraines might go away...however, that was not to be the case, as mine are not triggered by hormones alone. An interesting variation to my painful migraines has been the introduction of ocular migraines! Causing auras...but without pain! However...I still get the painful ones as well!
What are the side effects of Nortriptylene??

"Dr Atkins' Vita-Nutrient Solution: Nature's Answer to Drugs" is a compendium of most nutrients and how they can be used instead of drugs. I looked up migraines in the index and read all the pages that had migraines mentioned.
p122="Regular migraine suffers need not anticipate a future of daily visits to the doctor's office if they want sustained relief; taking magnesium orally is a good reventive."
I will type the 4 paragraphs discussing dosage recommendations if you want.
My greatest respect for dear Dr Atkins was for his knowledge of supplements. I did read all his books on low carb, but the nutrient book is the one I have beside my computer and it is dog eared from frequent searching in this manner.

My own GP who uses lots of intravenous supplements in his practise, gives lectures and he says that people with high blood pressure would be better to just take magnesium which relaxes arteries. Furthermore, many books cite that over 300 body processes require magnesium and that about 80% of people are deficient.
Notice that Dawn said that as her high blood pressure was resolved, so too did it control the migraines. That is an indication that magnesium that relaxes the arteries would also contol both.

Raw almonds without salt are a good idea. NO salt on them is to avoid an increase in blood pressure. If you don't like raw almonds and prefer the roasted kind, be careful as that way you might end up eating too many and 1 oz is 165 calories and is about 7 almonds, so consider each full almond to be about 25 calories. Sure, some are different sizes.
I guarantee you will gain weight with eating a lot of nuts.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/447719-almonds-and-magnesium/
I used to have 0.5 oz of walnuts and 0.5 oz of almonds wrapped in 1oz foil wrapped packs, of my own doing, in the freezer so I would have only one pack at a time. I chose not to get the roasted kind as they tasted too nice and would be a reason to get an extra pack out of the freezer. I kept them there just to keep them fresher.
I also did not bother with extra oil capsules in supplements as I was getting the good fats from nuts.

Thank you so much Janina....so informative! I already take magnesium as a supplement (500 mg daily), but would like to know the suggested dosage from Dr Atkins.
Actually, I think I'll go out and get the book, as I have many gift cards to book stores given to me as year end gifts by my students....but in the meantime, could you still give me the suggested daily intake from his book?

Before I type it in, my GP also said that magnesium can NOT be measured with a blood test because it is inside the cell and not in the blood. You will note from Dr Atkins words that he is aware of that too.
http://www.amazon.ca/Dr-Atkins-Vita-Nutrient-Solution-Natures/dp/0684844885/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343249467&sr=1-7
Since it was published in 1999 it is hard to find in stores these days, but can be ordered.
I will type the 4 paragraphs next on dosing just for magnesium. Notice the last paragraph as a cheap very safe alternative.

Giving the cells in your body the optimal amount of magnesium isn't as easy as swallowing a supplement or two every day. Quantity alone is no guarantee, and an overload could be harmful. For a nutrient like vitamin C, to give an example, you can dose yourself into a case of diarrhea, but that's about the only side effect you'll suffer. Big doses of magnesium, particularly magnesium oxide, also causes diarrhea, which makes it a good short term treatment for chronic constipation, but diarrhea is not a benign consequence. Taking too much could be dangerous, especially if your blood's concentration already is high, as can happen when certain kidney problems prevent the mineral from being excreted. No one with seriously diminished kidney function should take magnesium supplements without careful medical supervision.

Blood tests are the best way to determine your true need and track the effectiveness of supplements. Don't rely on standard blood serum measurements. They can be misleading and will often fail to detect a deficiency. A much better gauge is the mineral's concentration within red blood cells. I've found that the optimum dosage for magnesium-related health problems typically brings the red blood cell reading to a point slightly above the middle of the "normal" range. For most people this usually translates into a daily dosage of 400-1,000 mg.

To reach the ideal point, some formulations work better than others. Magnesium oxide, the type most frequently found in mineral supplements, does easily raise the standard blood serum level, but other forms deliver the nutrient to tissue cells more successfully. My favorite is magnesium orotate, which, although once difficult to find, is now beginning to be found in health food stores. Other good forms are magnesium taurate, magnesium chloride, magnesium glycinate and magnesiumm aspartate.

As an alternative, go soak your feet --- and the rest of your body. Epsom salts are known chemically as magnesium sulfate, and your skin will absorb as much of the mineral as you need. Drawing a bath and pouring in some Epsom salts can be as nourishing as it is relaxing.

Those 4 paragraphs were Dr Atkins' exact words, not mine, from p123-4 of "Dr Atkin's Vita-Nutrient Solution: Nature's Answer to Drugs"

I guarantee you I reread it carefully so it is perfectly spelled. You may never have heard of "magnesium orotate" and I also gave up looking for it years ago in the health store.

Epsom salts are inexpensive. I forgot how much I paid for a container years ago.

I am glad I typed this in for you as I do still have a low red blood cell issue and so I will use these strategies to boost it higher. I already have improved significantly with Genuine Health Greens+Multi+ supplement and more lemon juice in water for the past year. Lemons may taste acidic but they alkalize the blood.

Thanks so much...and also for the comment re lemons...though I already know that...sometime I tend to get busy/forget and put information on the back burner...good to be reminded though because I tend to be mostly acidic.

I did find an example of magnesium orotate that has 50 mg magnesium and 720 mg of orotic acid so I decided that is unlikely to help as it is far too much acid compared to magnesium.
So I might just try the soaking of feet in epsom salts and warm water while reading a book in my brightly lit bathroom.
Epsom salts are more likely found at a drug store as they are for bathing rather than consumption, but I have had to take it orally when doing a liver cleanse, but that is less than fun except for the results.
But, I will try this....as foot bathing for a long while might need to be done, I found...at CdnTire...
Aquarius Spa Epsom Salts, 2 kg, Product #81-3333-6
for just $10...that should last a long time as it doesn't likely degrade with time either as salt is like a ground up rock.
If you took a full body soak, it would be used up sooner. So being a female that likes to save money, I'll try the smaller water volume of a foot soak that might take longer, but might result in the same effect as Dr Atkins said the body will only absorb what it needs. While that sounds crazy, it is actually logical as it is a matter of osmosis. So, if you leave enough time to pass and your blood is circulating, it will eventually get everywhere in the body that blood flows. If you prefer to watch TV, just put a doubled over towel down first in case any spills out, as who knows what it might do to carpet colours.

You did a liver cleanse??

Three in my life, at 24, then one mid 1990s and one in 2004 and was planning another and asked my endo if the liver ultrasound in July 2010 that said "rough" might mean there were lumps from gallstones in it, so he said OK let's redo the ultrasound and find out. My Nov 2011 was so good they said there was absolutely nothing wrong with it. So I feel that proves my favorite VitC works wonders as I had indeed increased it, still to this day, and I knew it cleared out a liver.
So, I have the inputs, except the pink grapefruits, to do a liver cleanse and MIGHT try it again, but don't need to, says my endo.

Janina,

Thank you for the information on magnesium! I've been taking oral magnesium daily for about 1-1/2 years. My son has epilepsy, and after 2 years of no seizures, his neurologist wanted to wean him off his epilepsy meds. After researching magnesium, we agreed to start Jonathon on daily magnesium tablets, and I began taking them as well. It was 10-12 months after I started taking the magnesium that my migraines became chronic, and MUCH worse than they'd been in the past. I'll try the foot soaks and see if there's any improvement.

Short of going for an ultra sound....are there symptoms which indicate that a liver cleanse might be a good idea?
By the by....I do have gallstones, as indicated via xrays as well as on an ultra sound.


Princess Ida....so happy that you've joined our little "subdivision"...WELCOME to the rabble. Do you care to introduce yourself to the group?