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Wednesday 23 August 2017

Calling all Migraineurs

This is quite off my usual topics, as it is more personal than professional.

Eighteen months ago I had a terrible migraine which left me 60% blind after the first day, with my sight slowly returning over the next 21 days. I was hospitalised initially while the medical people ran tests. However, I soon realised that, although they were trying hard to find out what had happened to me, I probably had more idea of my own triggers and causal effects than they did... which was a bit depressing. Even worse, the Neurologist, who was a migraine specialist, wanted to put me on statins. Although my cholesterol ratio is already really good, she thought this might be an action we could take. It was, however, something that I most definitely didn't want.

Never having had such a significant migraine event strongly motivated me to find other solutions, as did the idea of going anywhere near statins. During my search over the next month, I stumbled upon a Journal of Mental Health and Family Medicine article which mentioned the Stanton Migraine Protocol, where 650 people had joined a closed Facebook group. The startling thing were the numbers cited in the research: 99.5% of people on the protocol stopped getting migraines (Stanton, 2015), and in other research, notes that 93% have come of all their migraine medication after following the programme.

Interestingly, the programme itself was not mentioned. The name of the Facebook group was not mentioned. I did a bit of hunting, but I found it in the end, and joined the group.

Learning the protocol was complicated, however, with the help of the volunteer admins, I got my head around it. I have been following it ever since. The founder, Dr Angela Stanton, has been researching and gathering data for the regime, which is constantly evolving. It is by far the most effective thing I have ever tried (even my GP is now convinced).

As someone who has had at least monthly migraines since I was eleven, I went from having around 20-odd migraines a year to three in the last eighteen months. My first stretch was migraine free for ten months. Then I had a series of very stressful family events (death, dementia, disease, surgery), and I had three break-through migraines in a cluster. Since then, I have had none. No living with post-dome hangovers, warning signals, chronic daily headache. No aphasia, photophobia, nausea, neck ache, or numbness. Bliss.

One of the most difficult things I have had to change is the amount of salt I eat: I had to increase it six-fold. I won't however, go more into the protocol itself. This is because this protocol is Dr Stanton's IP, and, if you are interested, I strongly suggest that you join the group. Joining is free. The expertise is free, the admins in the group donate their time, and Angela usually shares a copy of her book (though it can be bought on Amazon for a mere USD$5 for Kindle here). The group can sometimes be a bit "evangelical", but bear with it, because it is worth it. They aren't trying to sell you anything: they don't tell you that you will ever get better. They just tell you how to work with your migraine brain, and make the most of what you have.

You can apply to join the Facebook group here, and buy Dr Stanton's book here.

I won't wish you luck: if you get migraines and stick to the protocol, you won't need it :-)


Sam

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2 comments :


  1. Thank you Sam! It is so wonderful that you are spreading your success and the information about the group! Thank you! So very happy that you bumped into my work and that you joined our group! <3 Congratulation for your success! <3

    Angela

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    Replies
    1. No, THANK YOU, Angela! Your protocol has made a significant difference to my health and well-being. Spreading the word is the least I can do to repay you for that gift: even more so as you have volunteered your time, thought and energy!

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