Feverfew for Migraine Relief

Many Americans suffer from nagging headaches. For most people the pain is minor, an annoyance that comes and then goes away after a few hours. Others experience a more intense and severe pain know as a migraine headache. It is estimated that migraine headaches affect over 28 million people in the United States. Headache is the leading cause of absenteeism from work, with 150 million lost workdays per year.

What Causes a Migraine?

A migraine is defined as a severe, recurring headache. There are several kinds of migraines. The pain can be very intense and throbbing, coming weekly or yearly, or at various intervals, and may last for days. It frequently starts on one side of the head and travels to the other side; in some individuals it is felt on both sides at once. Migraines may be triggered by many factors, including anxiety and stress, lack of sleep, allergies, or dietary factors. Among the foods thought to trigger migraines are aged and processed cheeses; alcohol, especially red wine; aged, cured and processed meats; yogurt, peanuts, and chocolate; caffeine-containing beverages; and food additives such as soy sauce, yeast extracts, meat tenderizers and MSG. Attacks may last from hours to days. The pain may be so severe that one is unable to conduct routine activities.

Simple Relief

People who suffer migraine headaches often seek relief in various ways, including using inexpensive alternative methods, rather than traditional drugs. Much research has been done to find relief for these sufferers. Many people find help in the simple medicinal herb, feverfew.

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), which blooms in the summer months, belongs to the daisy family. Feverfew was given its name because it was used in ancient times to treat fevers. Modern research has discovered it to be useful as a pain reliever. Persons using feverfew have experienced a reduction in severity and frequency of migraines. In addition, it can reduce the discomfort of nausea and vomiting, which are often associated with the migraine.

How Feverfew Works

The active components of feverfew are plant biochemicals called parthenolide and related sesquiterpenoids. These are known to be spasmolytic, that is, they make the walls of blood vessels of the brain less responsive to certain normal body chemicals, including serotonin. They thus act as serotonin antagonists, and inhibit its release from blood platelets. High serotonin levels in the brain are thought to oppose the dilation of blood vessels in the head; clearly it is a very important vasoactive substance, contributing to vascular headaches. Feverfew, then, helps diminish migraines by reducing the blood vessel spasms and pain that are considered to be the major cause of the discomfort of migraines.

You Can Grow Your Own

Feverfew is easy to cultivate. It can be grown in a small backyard garden. The herb grows well in most soils, and prefers a lot of sun and a little shade. Storage of feverfew is also easy. After drying the leaves they should be placed in a tightly closed container and stored in the refrigerator.

How to Use Feverfew

Feverfew can be obtained in many forms including leaves, powder, capsules, and a tea may that be brewed from the leaves. All forms can be purchased from a natural food store. For migraine relief, the leaves of the plant are recommended. About one to two leaves a day are needed to reduce the intensity, severity and duration of a migraine. If capsules are used, a dose of up to three 300 to 400 mg capsules a day is recommended.

Feverfew leaves can be taken and made into a tea. To brew the tea, boil one cup of water, then pour it over one to two teaspoons of dried leaves. Steep for 10 minutes. One to two cups of tea daily may be used. Though not unbearable, the taste is quite bitter. In order for feverfew to be most effective, it should be used regularly. Remission of migraines should begin after two months of feverfew use. The herb can be used indefinitely, though after two years, some people no longer find it necessary.

Safety

Feverfew has been proven to be safe to take for many months. Only about 10% of people experience any side effects while taking it. The most commonly seen side effects include mouth ulcers, and swelling of the tongue and lips. It is not recommended for women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, or for children under the age of two.

Other Options

Feverfew may not help everyone. Because intensely painful, throbbing migraines may be due to over-dilation of blood vessels in the brain, cold compresses to the neck, and forehead, even packing the head with plastic bags or ice bags comfortably full of chipped ice may give relief. Quiet, dark surroundings are also helpful.

Another simple remedy for migraine is the use of magnesium. Recent studies showed that volunteers who took 600 mg of magnesium a day experienced a sharp decrease in headaches after two months. However, before consuming large doses of magnesium one should first seek the advice of a physician.

Tips to Help Prevent Migraines

• Drink plenty of water.
• Avoid stressful situations as much as possible. Stress can cause migraines.
• Keep a diary of every food you eat, including all components of mixtures, to determine which food(s), if any, trigger(s) a migraine.
• Exercise regularly.
• Get plenty of rest and sleep.
• Eat a balanced diet with an abundance of fruits and vegetables.

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This article was published originally in the Journal of Health and Healing, a publication of Wildwood Institute.