American Migraine Foundation Facebook Live Round Up—November

Information from fellow members of AHS

One of the primary goals of the American Headache Society is to promote the exchange of information concerning the causes, symptoms and treatments of headache and related painful disorders. As a professional society, we primarily focus on establishing opportunities for communication between health care professionals. However, our commitment to headache medicine includes our responsibility to educate patient communities.

Over the past few months, several AHS members have hosted 30-minute Facebook Live events on the American Migraine Foundation’s Facebook page. Jennifer Robblee, MD, provided lifestyle-management techniques for patients with migraine. David Dodick, MD, FAHS, described the groundbreaking developments in anti-CGRP treatments; and Shivang Joshi, MD, MPH, RPH, provided an overview of headache pharmacology best practices. Thank you to all the doctors that donated their time and resources to this AMF initiative. Here’s a recap of their patient-centered discussions.

Lifestyle Management for People Living with Migraine

Jennifer Robblee, MD, Headache Medicine Fellow at Mayo Clinic, Arizona, shared “SEEDS” for success in migraine management––Sleep, Exercise, Eating healthy, Diary and Stress management. Dr. Robblee explained that these are areas in a patient’s life that can significantly impact the burden of migraine, and minor adjustments to each can improve patients’ quality of life. She urged patients to aim for consistent bedtimes, implement a gradual exercise regimen, and avoid fasting and irregular caffeine intake. Dr. Robblee also encouraged patients to track their headache attacks each day in a color-coordinated calendar—which can help health care providers better understand their specific headache attack patterns. Watch the full discussion here.

Developments in Anti-CGRP Drugs

David Dodick, MD, FAHS, Neurologist at Mayo Clinic, Phoenix and past president of AHS, led a timely discussion on the recent approval of anti-CGRP therapies. Dr. Dodick explained that CGRP is now understood to generate and maintain head pain associated with migraine, and biologics have been engineered to target the CGRP molecule itself or its receptor. Dr. Dodick’s Facebook Live was recorded prior to the release of a third FDA-approved anti-CGRP treatment option: galcanezumab (Emgality™), which Eli Lilly and Company announced in late September 2018. Watch the full discussion here.

Headache Pharmacology 101 for Patients: The Do’s and Don’ts

Shivang Joshi, MD, MPH, RPH, Neurologist at the D.E.N.T Neurologic Institute, provided patients with an overview of headache pharmacology. Dr. Joshi described the uses, risks and possible routes for administering commonly used triptans. He also provided an overview of non-triptan medications––anti-inflammatory medications, nasal sprays and potassium oral solutions––and their associated side effects. He urged patients to discuss health complications and future plans, such as becoming pregnant, openly with their physician as these are factors health care providers need to account for when determining an individualized treatment plan. Watch the full discussion here.

Since launching the #MoveAgainstMigraine campaign in 2017, the online community has amassed over 60,000 followers. Weekly 30-minute Facebook Like discussions inform the patient population about developments in the field of headache medicine, treatment options and more. Hosting an event is an excellent opportunity to impact patients on a larger scale and help change the conversation surrounding migraine. If you are interested in hosting an event, please fill out this form.