Migraine Daily News

Today’s round-up of news about migraine, visual snow, persistent aura and related illnesses:

One More Reason to Ban Artificial Sweeteners from Your Diet. Posted by: Dr. Mercola. November 17 2009. Individuals who consume a diet high in artificially sweetened drinks are more likely to experience a decline in kidney function, according to a paper presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s annual meeting in San Diego, California … Among the risks, the phenylalanine in aspartame dissociates from the ester bond and increases dopamine levels in your brain. This can lead to symptoms of depression because it distorts your serotonin/dopamine balance. It can also lead to migraine headaches … a similar mechanism.

Worker Sues After Termination for Legal Marijuana Use. November 16, 2009. A newly hired employee of a Washington company failed her initial drug test because of her use of medical marijuana recommended and prescribed by a physician. The company fired her for drug use and she sued … “Jane” suffered from migraine headaches. In June 2006, her doctor authorized the use of marijuana as treatment for her migraines. On October 3, 2006, TeleTech conditionally offered Jane a job at the Bremerton facility. As part of the hiring process, it gave Jane the applicant drug policy, which stated that all applicants were required to submit to a pre-employment drug test and receive a negative result in order to receive employment.

[Use of cannabis has a statistical link to development of adverse medical conditions. Being an hallucinogen, it is possible that its use may also trigger "visual snow" or aeropsia; though I have found no direct evidence to support this. Cannabis use is illegal in many countries. Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_%28drug%29#Long-term_effects http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_snow See also the PMA & Visual Snow FAQs page.]

‘Complementary medicine useful’. Tuesday, November 17, 2009 » 07:55am. There is a place for complementary therapies such as herbal remedies and acupuncture in Australia’s hospitals, an academic says … Prof Cohen is overseeing a trial in two Victorian hospitals, in which people arriving at the emergency department with back pain, migraine or injuries like a sprained ankle are offered acupuncture for pain relief.