As Migraine Awareness Week approaches (3-9 September), a chronic migraine sufferer from the Scottish Highlands has shared her secret to relief from painful headaches – by boosting her magnesium levels.
52-year-old Deirdre Bews, said: “I’ve suffered from migraines since I was 12 years old and my symptoms have included severe head pain, aversion to bright lights and nausea.
“I have diagnosed with chronic migraines a few years ago, as I found that there were only a few days I was not experiencing symptoms and the migraines constantly affected my daily life.
“I tried lots of ways to alleviate the symptoms including everything from eliminating food and drink to hypnotherapy, and it was at the point of being prescribed daily epilepsy medication that I decided to seek an alternative.
“My hairdresser told me about an article she’d read linking low magnesium levels to migraines and recommended to use the magnesium spray.
“I started using magnesium spray by BetterYou and since then the results have been very impressive. Even though it’s not a cure, it has helped hugely in reducing attacks and symptoms.
“Before taking the spray I would expect at least one migraine a week lasting several days. Since using the spray I have been able to reduce my need for migraine medication. This spray has changed my life!”
Clinical studies have shown that migraineurs have low brain magnesium during migraine attacks and may also suffer from magnesium deficiency [1-5].
A study by laboratory Mineral Check found that 70 per cent of a cohort of 8,000 people had a lower than expected magnesium levels [6].
Magnesium is a mineral that is difficult to supplement through traditional oral means. As it is a natural relaxant, too much in one go can have a laxative effect.
Transdermal magnesium is a more effective method. Watkins and Josling tested whether transdermal application of magnesium chloride could alter serum magnesium and whole body calcium/magnesium levels. After 12 weeks’ subjects saw a rise in cellular magnesium levels which represented an estimated five times quicker result than with oral supplementation.
BetterYou’s transdermal magnesium range includes MagnesiumBody Butter & Lotion, MagnesiumGel, Sprays and Bath Flakes, which are available from Holland and Barratt, betteryou.com and all good health stores.