Having had Migraine disease for as long as I have, I've tried more remedies than I can count, both prescription and over-the counter. When it comes to over-the-counter Migraine remedies, experience has made me a skeptic and a tough customer. Nothing I'd ever tried had ever worked at all, let alone lived up to its claims and hype... until I tried GelStat™ Migraine. I will admit that I was prepared for it to taste worse than nasty and do nothing, and now I have to admit to being wrong. It doesn't work for me every time, but nothing works every time, and GelStat™ works more often than not. It's also taught me a lesson about judging products in advance!

What Is GelStat™ Migraine?
GelStat™ Migraine is a gel containing feverfew and ginger, two remedies long recommended for Migraine, and headaches. Ginger has also long been used for nausea. What's different about GelStat™ is its unique OraDose™ sublingual delivery system. Each dose is packaged in a soft plastic vial with a tube, making it easy to squeeze the GelStat™ under the tongue where the medication is then held for 60 seconds before being swallowed. Sublingual administration allows the medication to be absorbed into the system via the network of blood vessels under the tongue, which affords much quicker absorption than medications that have to be swallowed and absorbed through the digestive tract. Although feverfew is usually thought of as a Migraine preventive, in GelStat™, feverfew and ginger combine as an abortive, meaning that GelStat™ works to actually stop the migraine attack at its source. As an OTC product, it's far less expensive than prescription abortives, about $6 for four doses. Triptan abortives average about $15 per dose. Other OTC medications merely attempt to mask the pain of Migraine. Often ineffective, the overuse of these OTC pain medications frequently leads to rebound headaches. GelStat™ doesn't present a risk of rebound. It is important to use GelStat™ as early in the Migraine attack as possible.

How Is GelStat™ Different from Other OTC Products
Other over-the-counter Migraine products are either preventives or offer only symptomatic pain relief. What most distinguishes GelStat™ Migraine from other OTC products is that it is truly an abortive, meaning that GelStat™ works to actually stop the migraine attack at its source. Other OTC medications merely attempt to mask the pain of Migraine. Most with moderate to severe Migraine find these products to be ineffective or only marginally effective, and they have significant side effects. Most significant for Migraine sufferers, the overuse of these OTC pain medications frequently leads to rebound headaches. Unlike OTC analgesics, GelStat™ there's nothing in GelStat™ to present the risk of rebound headaches.

What Are the Advantages of Sublingual Delivery?
Sublingual delivery is faster than capsules, tablets, or transdermal (skin patch) delivery. It offers several advantages over tablets or capsules that must pass through the digestive system:

• more rapid absorption for quicker relief
• the medication is absorbed directly into the bloodstream via the sublingual blood vessels, providing improved efficacy
• with more rapid absorption, less product is required, which reduces the possibility of side effects
• even though the product is eventually swallowed, much less is passed through the digestive tract, meaning less possibility of upset stomach.

• 48% of participants were pain-free two hours after treatment of Migraine during mild pain
• 83% were pain-free or had only mild pain two hours after treatment
  Migraine-associated symptoms were absent two hours after treatment in 53% of participants
• 41% preferred GelStat™ to their pre-study medication or felt it was equal to it
• 4 subjects reported side effects: 3 disliked the taste; 1 experienced transient burning under the tongue.

Anecdotal: From Two Migraineurs and a Doctor:

• THANK YOU!!!! I can't believe how well GelStat™ worked for me. I had a severe migraine today all day and my husband went to Walgreen's with me to look for your product. I got it, took it when I got home and in 10 minutes, I could function again. It was unbelievable. I kept saying this can't be true!! I have tried everything, even all the triptan drugs, and nothing worked. Until now!! Thank you again.
  Diane Pellerzi; Glen Allen, Virginia
• I have been diagnosed after almost four years of numerous doctors and tests and all types of medicines with Basilar Artery Migraines, which cause numbness on my left side with stroke like symptoms. I tried GelStat™ and to my surprise it has taken away the numbness and my headache. I have tried a lot of medications and none has ever worked so well. Thank You.
  William Attkisson; Fredericksburg, Virginia
• I am a New York City family physician and psychiatrist who treats a fairly large number of migraine patients. I use standard therapy including the triptans, ergot preparations, Midrin and also use antiepileptics and occasionally beta blockers for migraine prophylaxis. There are a percentage of migraine patients who are refractory to all treatment and at best obtain minimal relief from one or a combination of products. In the context of my practice, I started trying GelStat™ migraine on a number of patients, including those presenting with acute migraine. To my surprise (I tend to be skeptical of new products, particularly OTC ones), many of my patients including some who were refractory to most other remedies, had a very positive response to GelStat™. In several instances I was able to treat the acute migraine in the office to obliteration of all symptoms. Clearly, this product has great potential. I have patients returning requesting additional samples and some have started to purchase the product for sole use or use in combination with other products. It is always gratifying as a physician to be able to treat a severe malady with the least harmful med. "premum non nocere." I look forward to testing this product on increasingly larger samples of patients. If my preliminary results are any indication, this could be a significant addition to headache treatment.
  Paul Rosen, M.D.; New York, New York

Anecdotal: My GelStat™ Experience
When used early an aura, it has aborted the attacks 75% of the time. When head pain has begun without an aura, GelStat™ has successfully stopped it approximately 50% of the time. The difference may be that not experiencing an aura lets the Migraine progress farther before I use GelStat™. This is better success than I've ever had with an OTC product. GelStat™ has impacted my life. I can no longer take triptans, oral pain meds don't work for me, and I'd rather use GelStat™ than my injectable meds.


Summary
We Migraineurs can all use another tool in our arsenal. To my way of
thinking, it's good to see a viable over-the-counter abortive option, especially one that isn't contraindicated for coronary or stroke patients. As I would with any "natural" product, I encourage you to check with your doctor about using GelStat™ Migraine. Remember that such natural substances were, after all, our first drugs. The first clinical trial and my own personal experience are both encouraging. I don't do product "endorsements," but my experience with GelStat™ Migraine has been positive enough that this review might come across as one. It isn't. It's an honest evaluation. As we often say on the forums, "Your mileage may vary," so you'll need to try GelStat™ yourself to know if it works for you. After you do, email me and share your experience. You can find more information about GelStat™ Migraine on their web site, www.gelstat.com.

Note: This is a product review. I have no financial affiliation with the Gel-Stat Corporation and do not endorse this or any product.