Dawn Marcus, M.D.

Check out this review of The Woman’s Migraine Toolkit posted at the 50 Book Challenge. Always terrific when a long-time migraine sufferer learns new information and helpful ways to control disabling migraines.

“The subtitle of this book is “Managing Your Headaches from Puberty to Menopause,” and that pretty much covers the book. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about migraines. I’ve suffered from them since I was 13, and witnessed my mother coping with them to the point of hospitalization. From the very beginning of this book, though, I learned new things–such as that I’ve been medicating myself at the wrong stage of the cycle, which is why drugs often do very little to help with the pain. (You’re supposed to take medication before the point where your skin and scalp are extra-sensitive to touch.) Some of the illustrations are a tad on the corny side, but they do the job. The real meat of the book is in the text.

“The major sections of the book include:
- How migraines work
- How to manage them
- Childhood and adolescent migraines
- Menstrual migraines
- Safe treatments during pregnancy and nursing
- Migraines during menopause
- How to talk to your doctor

“I appreciated the book’s approach, which is easy to understand for laymen but not dumbed down, either. Chapters outline possible treatments, ranging from massage techniques to prescriptions to natural remedies. Since I just finished the book, I haven’t had the opportunity to put the workbook’s suggestions to use, but I intend to try some natural remedies within the next month. I’m weary of having a few days a month where I cannot function due to severe pain. If I can find a way to function and recover sooner, I’m all over that. This is one I’ll be keeping on my shelf–that is, after I let my mom borrow it.”

Get a copy for yourself to find out how you might better control your migraines. Is there a woman in your life with migraines — Mom, sister, daughter, cousin, girlfriend, wife? Wouldn’t this be a thoughtful holiday gift to show you really understand how much migraines impact her life!

Here’s another review posted at 1000 books in 5 years website:

“I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher and have to say it is a reference book I wish I had had (or my mother had had) 35 years ago. I’ve suffered from migraines since I was a child and my oldest daughter suffers from them too (migraines tend to be hereditary) and the tips and techniques in this book will serve us both well.

“If any of you are migraine sufferers or live with someone who gets them, please get this book when it becomes available. It is very hard for people who do not get migraines to understand how debilitating they can be for those who do and this book does a wonderful job of explaining what it is we experience.

“For years now I’ve told people that “even my hair hurts” when I have a migraine and I was shocked to see that very phrase used in this book. It is part of a heightened sensitivity phase that comes in the early stages of an episode and is basically the last opportunity you have to treat the pain to stop it.

“There is the usual information about triggers and keeping a headache diary, but there is also up-to-the-minute information on medication and non-medicative techniques to help treat and prevent migraine.

“Please, please, please, if you love someone who has migraines (including yourself) get this book so you can help them help themselves to handle and even perhaps prevent these debilitating headaches. Life is too short to spend it in pain when it isn’t necessary.”