Claims have been made that feverfew migraine relief is a great answer for migraineurs. But what is feverfew, and what are the facts?
Feverfew, also called bachelor's button, is a popular folk remedy for headache. This herb is a member of the daisy family, and many people grow the plant themselves and then harvest the leaves. For a long time feverfew was thought to relieve fever symptoms (hence the name), but that didn't turn out to be the case. Today it's mainly used as a preventative for migraines.
For preventative migraine relief, patients take a controlled
amount of feverfew on a daily basis. In one study, over 2/3 of
migraineurs experienced relief by taking feverfew regularly. Not all studies have shown the same benefit,
One of the more positive studies was published in 1997 (Palevitch, D. G. Earon, and R. Carasso. "Feverfew as a prophylactic treatment for migraine..."). This was a well controlled study which showed feverfew to not only significantly reduce pain, but also nausea and sensitivity to light and noise.
Feverfew is an anti-inflammatory, working much like ibuprofen. It is also believed that the herb may inhibit chemicals that cause the blood vessels in your head to spasm. New research is telling us that one key chemical in feverfew, parthenolide, may have leukemia-fighting properties (Monica Guzman, PhD, of the University of Rochester Medical School and research team, 2005). Someday it may be used in more varied treatments.
What does this mean for YOU? Today feverfew is widely used for migraine and has benefited many people. Do remember that, like many herbs, it can cause side effects if you take too much. Feverfew has been known to cause skin rash and sore mouth. It's best to check with your doctor for a dose that works for you.
The popular migraine treatment Migrelief (see below) contains 100mg of feverfew. Dosages between 100mg and 300mg per day are commonly recommended. The actual contents of feverfew varies from company to company - look for a reliable source! You'll want to get it right the first time when it comes to feverfew migraine relief. More on that below...
Here's more information on feverfew and migraine from the University of Maryland Medical Center. We have lots more information about herbs for migraine and other headaches! Find out which ones are the best...
There are a number of good options when it comes to feverfew migraine
treatments. See the suggestions below, and don't forget to check Headache and Migraine News for the latest on feverfew migraine treatments.
Source Naturals has an excellent supplement containing feverfew. Source Naturals Feverfew Extract has 0.5% parthenolides. Each tablet contains 200mg, with a recommended dose of 1-2 tablets per day.
Look for a supplement which contains feverfew leaves and 0.2% or
higher parthenolide. You don't want to get stuck trying a product that
says "feverfew" on the label but actually has very little of the
migraine-fighting herb that you need. Because of the differences, doses
will differ - talk to your doctor.
One of the best supplements containing feverfew is MigreLief. MigreLief contains 0.7% parthenolide, and two other ingredients for preventing migraine. We now have an article on MigreLief here. You can
buy Migre Lief with feverfew here.
More and more people are finding the feverfew migraine solution works for them. Give it a try!