A complete guide (manual) to migraine prevention and treatment without taking any medicines. It is a self-help guide with full explanation about how to successfully abort and prevent all migraines. The book also provides a full explanation of the cause of migraines from a physiological, biological, and genetics perspective. The book is laid out in five parts: Part I: migraineurs who read the 1st edition of the book comment and introduction Part II: quick guide to get rid of an ongoing migraine Part III: the heart of the book, describing the physiology and biology or migraines, who is susceptible to migraines and why. Also includes all prodrome types, all triggers, and detailed analysis on how triggers can be cancelled. Part IV: a more complex explanation of migraine-cause specifically for doctors, scientists, and migraineurs more interested in the genetics and bio-physiology of migraines. It also contains a part titled "Drugs of Shame" describing the 30 most often prescribed medicines for migraine pain prevention, their side effects, and FDA warnings. Part V: a huge citation list of over 800 citations of academic literature. Each academic article adds a little bit of information to complete the whole picture of migraines. In this book I pull together information from many fields of science and connect the dots to help the reader also conclude the same thing I did.
The theories proposed in this book make sense, although I'll have to try the recommendations for a while to know if they'll help with my migraines. From what I can tell, the author is now also working on protocols involving sugar intake and diet, so it would be best to check out the latest information on her website and Facebook page as well. For example, I suspect she wouldn't recommend off-the-shelf energy drinks anymore (unless it was a dire emergency) because of the amount of sugar they contain. It's probably time for a new edition of the book.
Also, for those of you who have a low tolerance for poor writing, be forewarned that the quality of the writing gets progressively worse the farther into the book you get, to the point where spelling and subject-verb agreement become issues. Writers, editors are your friends. Just sayin'.
Browsing through the books available on Kindle Unlimited, the title caught my eye and as a person who has suffered almost half his life, I decided I should give it a go. The author can't and doesn't claim that what she's written is scientifically proven, but I found her line of reasoning acceptable. She tries to emphasize the role of hydration (mostly by salt and water) in preventing migraine episodes, while she finds carbs guilty of ruining the electrolyte balance and causing insulin resistance. She suggests a migraine sufferer must quit consuming carbohydrates, cold turkey! I don't know about USA, but where I live, without carbs you'll starve. Bread and rice constitute a large portion of the local diet in Iran. How much can a person modify what he/she gets to eat? I am an MD myself and I have always recommended patients with migraine to keep themselves hydrated. Reading this book, was like having another person reminding me to follow my own recommendations. But it obviously isn't enough. The author keeps quoting from people who have found her recommendations 'magical' and stayed off medicine with no more episodes, yet I find that claim questionable. I wonder how many have experienced no significant results, without their feedback appearing in the book. As for the book itself, it is poorly written. Some parts are recurring throughout the book, with exact same words which is quite annoying. Information regarding her notion of the physiology and etiology of migraine itself is scattered through the book and hard to follow. She has dedicated a whole chapter to copying adverse effects of drugs that are routinely administered for migraine prevention. I sincerely hope it hasn't been for the purpose of increasing the page count! She admits that she is not an MD and doesn't want to be one. Then she attacks physicians that don't accept her new ideas, harshly and names them by category, 'clueless', 'bad', 'ugly'. She has even devised a website, which she says she has set it up to 'shame' doctors. Well, no hard feelings there! A doctor gets used to being called worse than that. But isn't it better to be a qualified MD and prescribe drugs and diets by the way of evidence-based medicine than to introduce novel ideas about diets solely based on personal experiments? It is no wonder that in the last chapter, despite all she says about close-minded doctors, she disclaims any responsibility for adverse changes in health conditions. I bet a lot of people have e-mailed her and have said that after taking high amounts of sodium, their blood pressure has gone off the charts.
While the author makes some interesting points, as she admits, she is neither a doctor of medicine nor of science. I am also a sufferer of migraine headaches, and although I fit her profile in some respects such as hyper-sensitivity to light, tastes, and smells, I also suffer from high blood pressure, and her prescription for adding extra salt to my diet sent my blood pressure soaring. She states most migraine sufferers have low blood pressure. Well, that is not true for me, and it was not true for at least one other person I know who suffered from migraines. Her suggested no-carb diet, very popular in current diet literature, is almost impossible to follow for the average person. I believe it has also been found to be unhealthy. For me, being allergic to milk and eggs, it is totally out of the question. It also seems to me that the assisted living homes are full of seniors in their eighties and nineties who are enjoying a diet full of carbs. They must be doing something right to have lived so long :-) I agree that we are eating too much sugar, but her solution is too drastic. If it works for her and others, that is wonderful and I wish them well. However, it did not work for me.
If you have migraines buy this book and put in the work!! Found this book and protocol during a 45 day streak of migraines. I joined the group and read the book and started my migraine free journey! In 1.5 years I have learned how to control my migraines with the help of the this book and the amazing people in the Facebook group! In the time.since starting protocol I have gained my marriage back, relationships with my family, gone on vacations, started and almost finished with my masters! If it wasn't for Angela and her knowledge I would be on medication that wouldn't help and I don't even want to think about the pain!
Fantastic as the author shares a range of personal experiences as well as experiences from other migraineurs who have been involved in her Facebook studies. She also includes some very helpful scientific explanations and details of what impact certain foods can have on you. And she explains how what you eat and drink that has the greatest impact on you - she's not peddling her own line of vitamins etc etc.
Frustrating as this information was repetitive and scattered through the book. Plus her proposition of "migraineurs generally need to eat more salt and drink more water and dump the sodas and caffeine" is alluded to but not hammered home til the last few chapters. Plus her list of foods show the high potassium foods (which then need to be balanced out with more salt and water) but it's incomplete. No doubt that will be expanded upon in her next book?
Overall, very much worth a read, but have a pen and paper at the ready to make your own notes as you don't want to have to wade through it agin to find these nuggets of helpful information!
After many years of battling chronic migraine, my wife decided to try following Dr. Stanton's migraine protocol. We are quite happy with the outcome. Although she still suffers from migraines they are better controlled, less intense and shorter. She is also often able to prevent migraines from progressing.
As a result, she is now able to lead a more productive life.
On top of that, Dr. Stanton generously contributes to her Facebook group and helps migraineurs work through problems. I highly recommend this book and the Facebook group.
Update as of April 2024: I came to realize that Angela Stanton has no credentials in dietary nutrition and has no business giving anyone dietary recommendations. She may have a PhD but it isn’t in nutrition. She may claim to do research, but none of it is rigorous, it’s mostly compiled from self-reported data from people filling out an online questionnaire, and it isn’t peer reviewed. I did give two stars because if you’re desperate maybe following the recommendations in the book will help some of your symptoms. Changing your diet is worth trying, but keep an eye on your cholesterol levels and blood pressure, as you don’t want to put yourself at risk for heart disease.
Personally, I never followed a keto diet, but did moderate carb intake. I try to keep my carbs fairly complex: (oats, chia and flax seeds, potatoes with the skin, fruits and veggies, whole grain bread) and don’t have a ton all at once. I eat more carbs now than I did after reading this book but they’re healthier carbs, and I get less migraines … I think my migraines are more to do with hormone fluctuations 🤷🏻♀️
I do crave some salty foods after a migraine and will indulge, it seems to help!
Will do! If I could give it 10 stars I would. I understand why some people may have left the group, it can be intimidating, there’s so much to take on board, I’m a scientist and I was embarrassed by how much I struggled. But this is clearly laid out from the beginning and the help was there to help me get to grips with it. I think the people who have done this don’t fully understand their condition or haven’t reached that point yet, the point where you have had enough and would literally cut a limb off if it meant curing the headaches. This protocol and group support have been a lifesaver for me, literally!! I HAD, almost daily cluster headaches that had pushed me to the point where, well, let’s just say I’m sure we all know where it can push you? After only 2 weeks my condition is more manageable, I’m more in tune with my body and I’m about to start a new job, life is good. 🙏🏻 thank you Angela Stanton and the admin for all your work
Fantastic book that surprised me with new strategies to obliterate migraines. It made me confront some of the concerns I had about a high sodium diet. I, now, have no concerns about that, especially following up this book with The Salt Fix, by Dr. James DiNicolantonio. The book isn't arranged smoothly, but I found it to be quite comprehensive. She even touches on what amino acids could be raising your insulin levels and explains how insulin levels can affect your brain pain.
Unfortunately, her strategies are not a panacea. I experimented with chocolate and red wine while using her recommendations. They don't make up for allergy-induced migraines, but they will help to finally resolve them. When you can't drop acid, read this book.
Highly recommend for anyone with migraines. I found this book and the Facebook group after searching for links with low sodium and migraines. The explanation Dr. Stanton provides is the closest thing to an answer on what causes migraines I have found or been told by a medical professional. I'm just beginning the protocol and have already found some value in applying information to balance electrolytes.
The book provides a practical, food- (not medicine) based means of controlling migraines. Yes it’s a lot to take in. But is worth the investment, as it works. Really works. The book is well complimented by the active Facebook group run by the author as the group provides very timely updates and support to people using this approach.
The information is detailed and makes the complicated brain /body better understood. The "food is thy medicine " is a fundamental prescription lacking in our medical system. Kudos for sharing your experiences, expansive knowledge and concern for people's wellbeing.
A must read to everyone having a migraine. So small changes bring so big relief. If you have migraine, even for very long time and if even you don't believe, that anything can help. It is not true. You just need to try!
Very useful, practical advice. She healed her migraine. And provides a possible way to heal yours within 6 months. Editing could have been slightly better.
I did read almost all of the book except the section that was for doctors and scientists. I skimmed through that part to see what was there and it looked like it had what was in the rest of the book only with more technical terms.
Prior to seeing this book I had been wondering if a salt capsule including potassium, calcium, and magnesium, with sodium chloride might be a good thing for me to take before bed since most of my migraines seem to begin in the early morning either a couple hours before I get up or soon after I get up. One of the big points in the book is keeping hydrated including not just water, but also salt and potassium balance. That went along with what I'd been thinking. Some other dietary measures seemed to make sense, but some I was not convinced about.
The presentation of the book was quite scattered, with many quotes of how well folks on the Facebook group are doing. I was skeptical of the assertion that this system works so well. I have seen reports from runners who take a salt mixture that prevents their migraines and I plan to work on hydrating and electrolyte balance to see if that part of Stanton's system helps. I really cannot rate or recommend this book at this point.
If I could give this book zero stars I would. I went into this book with an open mind, thinking I could adapt some of the principles to my lifestyle. The book is poorly written, riddled throughout with baseless claims and contradictions and very few citations or ACTUAL research cited. Her recommendations for migraine relief are based on what has worked for her and *some* of the women in her Facebook group .... that’s really the extent of any trials and research. The fact that this so-called “scientist” is giving people dietary advice that is contrary to most modern research on healthy diets is not only dangerous but irresponsible. Her method in a nutshell (which she reiterates hundreds of time throughout the book): take salt pills non-stop and eat lots of saturated fats to make your heart stop before you’re 30. I returned the book and got a refund.
It's too early for me to say whether the protocol laid out in this book will work for me or not, but it feels nice to be offered something other than a life of over-medication (well done, Western medicine 👏👏👏 ). The book offers hope that migraines can be healed in a natural way, something that you are unlikely to hear from any doctor. Definitely recommended for anyone living with a migraine brain (yes, migrainers have a genetically different brain, and migraine is not an illness). A lot of things will fall into place after reading it.
I had chronic migraine, five days pain in a week and lots of painkillers. This book changed the way I think and what kind of food I eat. I'm gratefull that now I have only once a week migraine with the need of painkillers and I hope that I will be pain free finally.
Tons of information.. many ideas to think about. I have tried the milk and salt idea and had positive results for two nights. The author is not a medical doctor, but has PHD in Philosophy.. everything is well documented. It’s worth investigating.
Poorly written and edited, this is a grammar and spelling mistake-ridden series of rapid-fire notes by somebody who understands chemistry and has developed a theory of migraine treatment that seems to work for her and others. The main takeaway: quantity and types of food matter less than getting the right ratios of dietary sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
* Drink plenty of water — 10 glasses a day if possible. Avoid dehydration at all costs. * The magic ratio is 2g of potassium for 1g of salt. The FDA recommends 2400 mg sodium and 4700 mg potassium (on a 2000 calorie diet).
For example, dark chocolate has lots of potassium but little sodium, an imbalance which may explain why it’s a trigger for some people. The solution: add salt. Similarly, bananas are high potassium but low salt and high sugar. The solution is to add salt to the banana and drink lots of water to counter-act the diuretic effect of the sugars.
One quick tip: drink milk (full-fat whole milk if possible), which has the magic minerals in an almost perfect ratio. In fact, she recommends drinking a glass before bedtime
Perhaps due to the various electrolyte imbalances, migraine sufferers are often more prone to static discharges.
Although she doesn’t say this explicitly, an evolutionary reason for migraines may a side effect of sufferer’s unusual sensitivity to light, sound, and other senses.
Apparently the author has shifted to a keto-based dietary approach since writing the book.
Groundbreaking! This is one of those books that fell into my lap when I needed it the most as my son has been diagnosed with migraines. Dr. Stanton's work shows that this is not a disease. She shows that migraneurs have a brain that is better adapted to pre-civilized life and therefore has special superpowers but is not sick. It does have very specific needs, however. They cannot handle the carbohydrates and sugar that flooded our world post-agricultural revolution. They are sensitive to artificial light and sounds and they have a high voltage in their brain that drains them of energy fast so they need a constant electrolyte balance. A carnivore diet is perfect for them and they must follow a routine of regular salt intake and whole fat milk. I've had my son on this for a week and he likes it and no symptoms thus far! A carnivore diet already comports with my life philosophy but now I'm even MORE motivated to commit to it for my family. I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone with migraineurs in their life! I'd give it 10 stars if I could.
While the author provides good information and research about migraines, there are times where she is repetitive driving home more than once her opinions that all migraines are basically the same and assumes the reader isn't smart enough to understand her protocol. And this is her second edition. Seems to me she ould have made it easier to find the info needed to help the migraineur but instead tends to push the reader to her FB group. If her protocol didn't have holes why would readers continue to ask the same questions over and over in her group. While I am working her protocol and have found some of it helpful, I do not agree with her on all her points. So will continue my own research on questions which arose while reading this book.
Really enjoyed this book. Helping with understanding my dehydration issues and how to manage them. Would like the actual protocol to be expanded on. Specifically how to tell when to add sodium and when to drink water. The air travel detail was really specific which is great. I like the discussion about Blood pressure versus blood volume. The description of biochemical processes is well explained for lay people. Great read for blood pressure in general. Sometimes it takes a non-MD to see the forest and not just trees.
The concepts make sense and seem effective so far. I'm glad to have a better understanding of how my body works.
This book was hard to read. The first 60 pages just talked about what you'll read in the book! There were typos and mistakes throughout the book. Apparently it bothered somebody who read the book before me because halfway through they started collecting all the mistakes. Many parts were overly wordy.
wow I learned a lot of things from this book but the cheese before bed to avoid a nighttime migraine was the most useful. I am a little salt to my water most of the time now. I've seen a reduction in migraines as a result.