Headache

Question 1

What was the believed cause of headaches in the past?

Answer 1

demons, they would place people’s heads in an oven to get rid of the demon

Question 2

what is trepanation?

Answer 2

It was used as a cure for headaches. Surgey: drilling a hole in ones head. Has life long effect (hole in head)
peter howardson still believes this - must relieve pressure, let demons escape

Question 3

Does the brain feel pain?

Answer 3

No

Question 4

What are the two classes of headaches?

Answer 4

muscular + vascular

Question 5

How does a muscular headache happen?

Answer 5

The muscle bands around the skull contract and put pressure on the tissue surrounding the skull

Question 6

What is one main cause of a muscular headache?

Answer 6

stress

Question 7

What is the best treatment for a muscular headache?

Answer 7

A.S.A, Ibuprophen, and Naprox work best cause they work with prostaglandins which relax muscles

Question 8

What are two types of vascular headaches?

Answer 8

Toxic + Migraine

Question 9

What causes a toxic headache?

Answer 9

toxins, poison
- the brain wants to release and get rid of the poison so the blood vessels dilate to make room for this which puts pressure on the tissue around the skull.

main one is alcohol = hangover

Question 10

what is it called when blood vessels dilate or contract?

Answer 10

vasodilation + vasoconstriction

Question 11

explain the process of alcohol expulsion. What enzymes are involved? Which causes the hangover?

Answer 11

There are 2 chemical reactions that occur involving 2 enzymes: alcohol dehydrogenase, and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase.

• Acetic acid is a good end product = no hangover
• acetaldehyde harms the liver
• more enzymes = less hangover, unless there’s an imbalance and there’s more acetaldehyde.
• Asians have more of this enzyme

Question 12

What drug is used to cure alcoholics? why?

Answer 12

disulfiram (antabuse)- it blocks the second enzyme which makes them sick and not want to drink cause it doesn’t create acetic acid

Question 13

what makes certain alcohols more likely to give a hangover?

Answer 13

age- the darker color, toxins from the wood.

Question 14

Should you take acetaminophen with alcohol? why?

Answer 14

No because alcohol activates CP450 which is linked with liver toxicity. Acetaminophen is linked with the same thing so this would be toxic for the liver

Question 15

What in red wine, chocolate cheese, and hotdogs gives headaches?

Answer 15

histamines, phenalthylamine, tyramine, nitrates (nitroglycerine)- vasodilator)

Question 16

when were MSG’s discovered? how?

Answer 16

• 1907
• man discovered it in seaweed after realizing it enhanced flavours in food
• knowck syndrome (Chinese restaurant syndrome): eating Chinese food = headaches -> due to MSG
  NOT true

Question 17

What are MSGs disguised as?

Answer 17

Hydrolyzed vegetable protein

Question 18

What is MSG in our bodies?

Answer 18

a metabolite (5% of protein)

Question 19

How does caffeine cause headaches?

Answer 19

• it is actually a vasoconstrictor
• when someone drinks coffee heavily, going without it will trigger the chemicals and our body will want the vessels to dilate
  *rebound headache

Question 20

who do migraines affect?

Answer 20

6% men, 18% women

Question 21

What produces a migraine?

Answer 21

Both vasodilation and vasoconstriction
- caused by a specific trigger

Question 22

what are 4 phases of a migraine?

Answer 22

prodrome: occurs 1-2 days before, mood swings
aura: effects felt 1-2 hrs before
- hallucinations, sarcoma, sensitivity etc..
pain: occurs on one half of the head, nausea, lasts 1-72hrs
postdrome: “hung over” feeling, exhaustion,

Question 23

What medication can abort a migraine?

Answer 23

Tryptans

Question 24

What is the history of finding triptans? (Rye bread)

Answer 24

a fungus that would grow on rye was called ergot,. When consumed it would alter peoples behaviors and cause hallucinations. People thought that those acting out after consuming ergot were possessed my demons
- they were interpreted as being witches

was used by midwives to induce labour - muscle contractions (small dose was okay)
- very deathly poison - causes gangreen + death

Question 25

When was it discovered that with a proper dose it could be good for migraines?

Answer 25

1962

Question 26

What is the active ingredient related to Ergot? who discovered it? what is the med that is sold today but not drug-like?

Answer 26

Ergotamine (arthur stoll), cafergot

Question 27

Who discovered LSD? What does it have a similar structure to?

Answer 27

Albert Hoffman, ergotamine

Question 28

Importants of seratonin, migraines and drugs

Answer 28

serotonin lvls change during a migraine but if we replace the lost serotonin with a drug that can fit into he proper receptors we can prevent a migraine… especially during the aura stage

Question 29

what was the first triptan drug?

Answer 29

sumatriptan