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M**A
A "Must Have" Book!
This book is an excellent read!!!Admittedly, I haven't even gotten halfway through it and still felt compelled to post a review. Already I've learned so much; the dots are connecting and I feel some solid hope for mastering my Vestibular Migraines. The book is written in a professional yet conversational manner, making it easy to navigate.This a great tool to utilize in the headache fight. I really agree that anyone suffering can benefit from the information shared in the book. I highly recommend purchasing it (and having a highlighter and notepad ready when you start reading, because you'll want to make note of many things from the first page)!
B**R
14 YEARS LATER — UPDATE
If you suffer from debilitating headaches of any kind, you should read this book. If you're DESPERATE to reduce your suffering, buy this book NOW and begin steps 1 and 2 immediately. It will be some of the least expensive and most effective medical advice you will ever receive.I bought my first copy of the book and started on the 3-step program three months ago. After 30-40 years of misery, including three hospitalizations, I was fearful of giving up my heavy duty pains medications (step 1). But when I also eliminated all the possible dietary triggers (step 2), I found I didn't need the meds. Amazing! What an improvement in my quality of life. I finally feel like I'm getting genuine control of my life.I saw Dr. Buchholz as a first-time patient today. I'm fortunate to live within an hour of his practice, although I understand he sees patients from all over the country. Today's appointment with him will cost me around $600. For about 2% of that, his book gives you most of his advice, enough to turn your life around. (But if you can manage it, working with him in person is even better.)BUY. THE. BOOK. You will refer to it over and over. It will be one of the best things you've done for yourself in a long time. I bought my second copy recently, to give away, and I expect to buy several more for the same purpose. If you know someone who suffers from severe headaches, buy it as a gift. It's rare to find something these days with so much value for so little cost.NEW FEEDBACK, 7 YEARS LATER:This is my second review of the book. I posted my first review in 2011 after following the plan for three months. Seven years later, I have much more experience with the program. When I first read the book, I thought the plan was very difficult and terribly restricting. Now I think it’s easy, almost second nature. Do I still get headaches? Sure. But it’s completely different now.I had had debilitating headaches for at least 35 years. They were a daily problem. I was even hospitalized for them, twice, including once for eleven days. I used lots of narcotics and triptans, but they gradually lost effectiveness and seemed to actually be part of the cause.When I started on Dr. Buchholz’s plan, it seemed complex and daunting. But I was desperate. Everything else had failed and I was miserable. If his plan worked for me, choosing to follow it would be a no-brainer, despite any difficulties.Now, I no longer use prescription drugs and I don’t get crippling headaches. Instead, I pay attention to my body and my triggers and make adjustments on the fly when needed. It *is* pretty simple now.His method works, at least for the vast majority of people who try it. So why not everyone? I think those cases most likely need help in understanding and applying the plan. Possible places where they went wrong?1. They didn’t identify all the possible triggers that exist in their lives.2. They didn’t actually cut out all the triggers.3. They needed the additional help of a doctor who follows Dr.B’s approach to help fine-tune it for them.4. Or maybe they weren’t fully committed to following the plan; cheating or half-assed implementation is certain to fail. If they worked directly with Dr. Buchholz (as I did) and were committed, I believe most of the failures would become successes.Here’s the process as I experienced it: First, you cold turkey on all the drugs. Second, you cold turkey on ALL the foods, drinks, and other things on the LONG list of possible triggers (each of which has been a trigger for someone sometime). Third, you work with a doctor to add a preventive medication, if needed, and adjust any other meds you take that might themselves be triggers. Fourth, once the headaches have moderated and you become stable, you begin the long process of experimenting with adding back the triggers, one at a time, to find which ones are YOUR triggers and which ones you don’t have to give up.What I found was: First, I don’t have to give up everything I love. Second, my own list of significant triggers is much shorter than Dr.B’s. Third, some of mine are major and some are minor. Fourth, I can partake any of them, in moderation; I must be more careful with the major ones and less so with the minor ones. Fifth, what matters is the SUM, at any given moment, of those that I’ve indulged in. Sixth, some of them just aren’t worth the risk. How serious are YOU about losing your headaches?Dr. Buchholz and his book transformed my life—they taught me how to free myself from headaches. So thank you Dr. B. In a very real sense, you saved my life.14 YEARS LATER — UPDATEIt seems like it's been years since I've had a severe headache. I probably have averaged one per year in recent years, few enough that they play no significant role in my life. I think I've become even better at managing my trigger load, without having to even think about it. I'm no longer conscious of avoiding any foods or drinks. I even have a cup of coffee every day, which was one of my major triggers. When I feel a hint of a headache coming on, I quickly make adjustments.Dr. Buchholz has since retired, but this book has everything you need to implement his plan, except for one thing — the ability to change prescription meds if you're currently taking one that is a poitential trigger.I'll say it again: Dr. Buchholz's approach has transformed my life. Thank you.
S**S
Wish I had found this book years earlier!
This book has changed my life. It's been about 4 months now since I first started following Buchholz's steps.In retrospect, the empowerment it has given me to feel in charge of my migraines has probably been the biggest gift.I have started loosening up on my dietary intake (thanks to the holidays), i.e. eating some chocolate and nuts and freshly-made bread,and fortunately have been OK. Just having the heightened awareness of dietary triggers and trigger load has helped immensely,as I am now careful not to eat too much of any possible trigger food(s). I didn't think stopping my daily cup of coffeewas going to be easy, but I weaned off it slowly and I think that this step alone has made a huge difference.I have not yet followed his prescription for slowly trying to add items back into my diet (i.e. doing just one at a time over a week, totry to pinpoint personal triggers). I think I'm a little bit afraid that I will hit one that's a big trigger.For instance, yogurt, citrus fruits, bananas and cheese, even though I REALLY love these foods and they used to be a staple in my diet.Perhaps in a few weeks I'll try one of them. I'm especially aware now of preservatives, artificial flavorings, andanything with onion.The other big step I've taken, thanks to the awareness I gained from this book, is to get off the triptans.I used to alternate between Frova, Sumatriptan (or Imitrex), and Maxalt, and would take them whenever I got a migraine,sometimes requiring 3 or 4 days of use to get rid of the migraine. I now realize that I was getting rebound headachesbig time. They went from monthly migraines of 48 hours duration, to every two weeks, and then to once a week andlasting 4 days at a time. Yes, the first few headaches without pain relief were difficult to endure.Now, I still get a migraine about every 2 or 3 weeks, but it's so much milder now that I can make it without a triptan andas Buchholz described, I can now just use over-the-counter things like Alleve or Motrin. They don't take all the pain away,but I can function. I am also cognizant of Buchholz's statement that eventuallytaking a Triptan once a month (if really needed) should be OK, as it is not enough to cause the rebound effect.(But you have to first go for 4 months without any.)I also purchased another book on migraines that takes a more holistic approach, (not the huge focus on dietary triggers),and that is equally as empowering, called The Migraine Brain, by Carolyn Bernstein.I think these 2 books together can really help one take control of this debilitating affliction (how it feels at times).These authors' (both neurologists) credibility through their years of experience treating migraine patients, and bothbeing affiliated with premier institutions (Johns Hopkins and Harvard), was also extremely encouraging, as one reallyhas the sense that they know what they are talking about.Some other factors besides diet that contribute to migraine that I learned from both these books is thatbeing fully hydrated also makes a huge difference. If I am going to eat chocolate, for example, if I makesure to drink lots of water, it doesn't seem to be a problem. Although I've been too afraid to try drinking any alcoholsince starting this "diet", I think being fully hydrated (with water) before having e.g. a frozen daiquiri would be OK.I know in the past alcohol has definitely triggered migraines.Another big help has been paying attention to the importance of getting a good night's sleep.I know that interrupted sleep is a huge trigger for me. Not that this is always avoidable, but I do try to get intobed at a good hour so I can get more than 7 hours a night.I am also much more aware now of the shoulder muscle pain I get that accompanies (and perhaps precedes?) my migraines.If I feel my neck and shoulder feeling tight and sore, I try to massage and stretch that area with hopes it will not turninto a full-blown migraine. So these books have just made me extremely aware of migraine causes, and helped me tolearn what I can do to minimize them.One of my first thoughts after reading this book was why in the world didn't my neurologist and general internist tell me about this years earlier?Actually made me kind of angry that my doctors hadn't told me about it. Was it because they knew I wouldn't need themany more after finding my own "cure"? Or because the method is not peer-reviewed and in the journals?Or maybe they think the dietary restrictions are too difficult to follow? Not sure.Maybe it's just that migraines are so hard to pin down, so many different triggers, unique for each person, and that diet alone will not suffice.True, but this is such an important piece to consider, that I think it should be requisite reading for any sufferer.I am taking a daily preventative medication for my migraines (amitriptylene), and both Buchholz's and Bernstein's books address these options as well (Buchholz's Step 3). I initially was afraid to take this (fear of what it would do to my brain), but I know it helps raise my toleranceto stress (and other triggers) and ward off migraines. Buchholz has a helpful chart in the book that shows what the dosage rangeshould be. I have increased my dose of the preventative now (wasn't really working before and I now know why -- didn't know the need torestrict dietary triggers), and I'm comfortable now with taking it, knowing its relative safety, andthat it's been tested over many decades now. Has the added benefit of helping me get a good night's sleep too!Anyway, I would highly recommend Buchholz's book (and Bernstein's) to any migraine sufferer, especially one who feels thather migraines are out of control. I also purchased Migraine-Free Cooking!. This was especially helpful in the beginning months, as Ifelt overwhelmed by the list of restricted foods, and sincerely wondered "What CAN I eat?" This book of recipes really helps open upthe range of possibilities. Buchholz's book also has several recipes in the back that his wife developed.
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