Headache Help
A Complete Guide to Understanding
Headaches and the Medicines
That Relieve Them
 second edition (2000)

Authors: Lawrence Robbins, M.D. 
             Susan S. Lang
ISBN: 0-618-04436-1
In Stock at Barnes and Noble

Dr. Robbins and Ms. Lang bring an insider's perspective to Headache Help. Dr. Robbins himself endures migraines and daily headaches. Ms. Lang, a medical writer, grew up observing her father's debilitating migraines. In their writing, they both seek to inform, encourage, and assist those who must deal with headaches of all kinds.

Headache Help is not just for people with tension headaches, or migraines, or any one kind of headache. It addresses the wide range of headache disorders. Many people who are dealing with one type of headache also have other headaches. This is a well organized and informative volume, easy to read, and a superlative reference book.

There are two main attributes of this book that especially stand out to me. First, the narrative sections are informative, relevant, concise, and diverse. Dr. Robbins and Ms. Lang discuss not only the standard topics of the types of headaches,  typical symptoms, and medications, they go on to delve into alternative therapies and other important topics. They advise us on self-help strategies, how to talk with our doctors and how to be good healthcare consumers. Also discussed is the emotional impact of headaches and depression associated with headache disorders.

A second outstanding attribute of Headache Help is the inclusion of excellent charts and lists such as:

• Tips to Help Prevent Headache (page38)
• Headache Intake Assessment Form (pages 52 - 54)
• Common Migraine Food Triggers (page 99)
• The Antidepressants: Comparing Side Effects (page 111)
• Quick Reference Guide: Second-Line Medications for Relieving Tension Headaches (page 149)
• Appendix A: Headache-Related Organizations and Publications
• Appendix B: Over-the-Counter Headache Medications
• Appendix C: Medications and What's in Them

Headache Help is a quite appropriate title for this book. Whether you have headaches or want to learn more so you can help someone who does, this book will help you. For additional help and a more in-depth look at headaches and headache medications, please continue on to page 2 for a preview of Management of Headache and Headache Medications, also by Dr. Robbins.

Headache Help Table of Contents:

1. Understanding the Modern Approach
2. Helping Yourself
3. Being a good Health Consumer
4. Recognizing Migraines
5. Treating Migraines in Progress
6. Preventing Migraines
7. Women, Hormones, and Migraines
8. Treating Tension Headaches in Progress
9. Preventing Tension Headaches
10. Understanding and Treating Cluster Headaches
11. Headaches in Children and Adolescents
12. Headaches in People Over Fifty
13. Less Common Headaches and Treatments
14. More Alternatives

Appendix A: Headache-Related Organizations and Publications
Appendix B: Over-the-Counter Headache Medications
Appendix C: Medications and What's in Them

Next page > Management of Headaches   > Page 1, 2
and Headache Medications
  

Special Note:
Dr. Robbins will be joining us in our chat room on Thursday, October 12, at 9:00 p.m., eastern time. Please join us for this special opportunity. To enter the chat room, click HERE or on the "Join Chat" link at the top of any Headaches site page.