New Drug With Vitamin B and Folate May Aid Migraine Sufferers

A team of researchers is well on their way to find a cure for the worst form of headache-Migraine! Migraine is not new to us. One of Lewis Carrol's character in his classic 'Alice in Wonderland' shows signs of experiencing what we now know as 'aura' an experience that is linked to migraine.

A scientific team from Queensland is hoping to find a cure for migraine with a treatment involving vitamin B and folate supplements.

According to Bridget Maher, postdoctoral researcher at the Griffith University, this remedy is expected to bring about relief in 20% of sufferers whose problem is genetic. Maher says that one out of every five person who suffers from migraine has a faulty enzyme that is incapable of working as optimally as it does in those with normal enzymes.

She further explains that the new remedy is capable of effectively reducing the frequency and severity of the condition. This information is very welcome, as there is a lot of social stigma linked to the lives of these patients, mainly because the condition is chronic, besides negatively impacting patients' lives!

Those who have migraines which are familial in origin experience auras, which is a term given to an episode of temporary neurological disturbances involving 'seeing stars, pins and needles and numbness'.

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Migraine is a condition affecting millions of people around the world. It is characterized by headache, vomiting, nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. The chief sufferers are women, which is not surprising, given the fact that hormone fluctuations, especially during menstruation, is among the common causes.

Not many cures are known to be effective in treating migraine. It is recommended that one observes the pattern of occurrence and try to identify the trigger involved. Excessive exposure to sunlight or consuming foods such as salami, alcohol, smoked foods, turkey and old cheese or strong- scented perfumes, motion sickness or excessive exercise are some of the many triggers that can cause migraines.  

The research team at Griffith involved in the making of the drug is working on the correct optimal dose of these supplements. The new drug is expected to be in the market within the next few years.

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Source-Medindia