Ouch! Everyone knows the pain of a headache, but migraines are in a special class — kind of a super-headache that throbs and pulsates until you're wracked with nausea.

Migraines are a problem for at least 36 million Americans, according to the American Migraine Association, and studies show that the pain and other debilitating symptoms cause more than 90 percent of sufferers to say they either miss work or can't function normally when they are in the throes of an attack. Problems extend to all areas of their lives, with 70 percent admitting their headaches cause problems in their relationships, and more than 50 percent saying they reduce their activities or require bed rest during an attack.

Drugs to prevent or treat migraines don't work for all patients. Drugs developed to treat other conditions but are prescribed for migraines have side effects, and usually aren't very effective.

What to do? There are developments that may totally change the treatment of migraines.

First, new drugs are being developed using CGRP antibodies. Researchers have discovered that a molecule called calcitonin gene-related peptide, or CGRP, soars during migraine attacks and is involved in the brain's pain-signaling. Researchers have discovered it can trigger migraines, but the first drugs created to block the peptide were abandoned because they increased levels of liver enzymes.

Companies are now focusing on developing drugs called monoclonal antibodies, which would be injected. They directly attack CGRP which reduces the risk of liver problems. The new drugs, which are in clinical trials, are being developed by four pharmaceutical companies, and at least one could be approved as early as 2019.

Second, "green" sunglasses and light bulbs may lessen the severity of attacks, especially symptoms associated with light sensitivity. "More than 80 percent of migraine attacks are associated with and exacerbated by light sensitivity, leading many migraine sufferers to seek the comfort of darkness and isolate themselves from work, family and everyday activities," said Rami Burstein of Harvard University.

However, Burstein discovered that all colors of light don't have the same effect. While blue, white, red, and amber light all increase migraine pain, green light didn't. In fact, green light even lowered pain levels. Researchers hope to develop either an affordable green light bulb that emits a low-intensity green light, or sunglasses that filter out all wave lengths except green.

In the meantime, there are several natural supplements that can reduce your risk of migraine.

• Magnesium.  Studies show that people who have migraines tend to have lower levels of magnesium than those who are headache free, says Dr. Russell Blaylock, author of the
The Blaylock Wellness Report. One study showed that an intravenous dose of magnesium can stop acute attacks in 80 percent of people. In acute migraine with aura, says Blaylock, drinking a mixture of 700 to 1,000 mg of magnesium citrate/malate and 4,000 mg of pyruvate in 8 ounces of distilled water can stop an attack.

Oral magnesium supplements also prevent migraines and can bring relief within hours, but, Blaylock says, the best results may be obtained after taking the supplement for as long as six months.

• Coenzyme Q10. A Swiss double-blind, placebo-controlled study found that CoQ10 cut the number of migraines in a group of patients who had an average of 4.4 migraines per month. One group received 100 mg of CoQ10 three times a day for three months, while the second group received a placebo. The CoQ10 group experienced a significant drop in the severity of symptoms as well as a 33 percent reduction in the number of migraines.

• Feverfew. The herb feverfew has been used for hundreds of years to treat headaches, especially migraines. A British placebo-controlled study published in The Lancet found that one capsule of powdered freeze-dried feverfew daily eliminated the symptoms of migraine headaches in 24 percent of patients and reduced the symptoms in other patients. In another study, 70 percent of the patients taking feverfew reported it reduced the number and intensity of their headaches.

• Butterbur. A double-blind study published in Neurology found that migraine patients who took 150 mg of the herb butterbur daily reported a 48 percent drop in migraines, and those taking 100 mg experienced 26 percent fewer migraines than the placebo group. Another double-blind study found that patients who took 50 mg of butterbur twice daily had a 50 percent reduction in migraines over those taking a placebo.