New York Times Hot Pepper Headache Remedy Is Nothing New

A recent article in the science section of the New York Times featured the headache relieving powers of Capsaicin, the natural chemical that dictates the heat of hot peppers. The article noted several clinical trials rightfully backing up the claim that hot peppers can stop headaches, but according to a small company in upstate New York, the concept is nothing new.

SiCap Industries, LLC launched the world's first commercial capsaicin headache nasal spray in 2003 under the brand name Sinus Buster. Today the brand features a variety of hot pepper nasal sprays designed to relieve headaches, sinus problems and much more.

Since its launch, Sinus Buster has become a top seller in drug stores, supermarkets and health food shops throughout North America. It all started in 1995 when Wayne Perry, a former self defense instructor landed a guest spot on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Perry was infamous for his live self defense pepper spray demonstrations. After teaching Oprah to use defensive pepper spray on her show, he was deluged with requests to be blasted in the face at venues across America.

Wayne had suffered from chronic cluster headaches most of his life, but never had an attack during a live pepper spray demonstration. Then in 1996 after being sprayed more than 50 times for live audiences, Perry made the discovery of a lifetime.

Only seconds before being sprayed with real police pepper spray for a live television news segment, Perry was hit with a terrible cluster headache attack. Knowing the show had to go on, he allowed the news reporter to spray him.

Within seconds his headache was completely gone, and the world's first capsaicin nasal spray was born.

"My head was killing me, but once the pepper went up my nose I felt great. My headache was gone within seconds. I knew I had to find a way to pack the power of hot peppers in a commercial nasal spray, so I experimented with natural hot pepper extracts for a couple years until I found a formula that stopped my headaches every time," says Perry.

Wayne went on to start SiCap Industries which stands for, "The science of capsaicin".

By 2004, Sinus Buster had been featured in numerous media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Howard Stern Show and Chile Pepper Magazine. Perry's concept was even mentioned in Dr. Perricone's 2004 best seller, "The Perricone Promise," after Wayne contributed information on the medicinal properties of Capsaicin for the book.

Sinus Buster was most recently featured on The Big Idea, a popular CNBC show hosted by marketing guru Donny Deutsch.

For more information, visit sinusbuster.com

Prognosis good for sex-related headaches

The exact frequency of headache associated with sexual activity in the general population is unknown, but findings from a small study suggest three quarters of such headaches are episodic and most cases do not require medical treatment. Even the for chronic form of these headaches, about 80 percent will go into remission within 3 years.

At first onset, patients should have a medical examination to rule out more serious conditions, Dr. Achim Frese, University of Munster, Germany, and colleagues suggest in the medical journal Cephalalgia.

The investigators analyzed data from 60 patients treated for headache associated with sexual activity at a headache out-patient clinic between 1996 and 2004, and tracked the patients' outcomes after 1 year or longer.

The patients were an average of 37 years old when they first experienced either slowly intensifying or sudden severe headache, prior to or during orgasm. The researchers report a combined overall recurrence rate of 43 percent over an average follow up of 6 years.

Of the 45 patients reporting single attacks prior to their initial examination, 37 reported no further attacks at follow-up. Another 7 patients reported at least one further attack, and one patient developed chronic headache associated with sexual activity.

The remaining 15 patients had chronic headache associated with sexual activity; 9 with infrequent attacks (less than 20 percent of their sexual activity); 3 reported attacks during 20-to 50-percent of sexual activity; and another 3 reporting attacks during nearly all sexual activity.

Most attacks of headache associated with sexual activity do not require medical treatment, the investigators note, but about 15 percent of patients report severe pain lasting from 4 to 24 hours.

"From our experience, beta-blockers (propranolol or metroprolol) for prophylaxis and indomethacin for preemptive therapy can be recommended," Frese and colleagues write.

While other headache disorders, including tension and exertional headaches and migraines, were evident in 39 of the 60 patients, data from this study could not confirm an association between other headache disorders and headache associated with sexual activity.

SOURCE: Cephalalgia, November 2007