I guess the marketing firm should have interviewed EVERY migraine sufferer in America, catalogued each person's subjective description of how EXACTLY the pain feels to him or her, then run a 5-hour commercial accurately depicting each and every subjective symptom described in this crazy string.  Marketers get 30 seconds to make their point, people.  And pain is so subjective you can't possibly expect them to get it right for EVERYONE.  And if you're overly sensitive to this ad because of some childhood phobia, that doesn't mean it shouldn't run altogether.

Cutting down on eating in general, specially the pasty carbohydrate type can reduce pressure and lead to reduction or cessation of migraine attack.

More of fruits and vegetables which are light and easily digestible.

I've had migraines for decades but this ad does not resonate with me at all.  It's just creepy.  An ad that makes me feel soothed and relaxed would work much better.

Low dose LSD is good for migraines, and one dose can prevent a re-occurrence for months or a year.  Unfortunately it's unlikely to ever get approved for that use in this country, even in a clinical setting.  But think, you get a migraine, take a sub-hallucinogenic dose of the stuff, and not only does it cure your migraine you don't another one for months.

Ergotamine, LSD's cousin, is already used to treat migraines but is not as effective, and it does not seem to have preventative effects.  In my case it doesn't do anything.  I'm stuck with narcotic pain relievers and relaxation techniques.  Lucky for me I can get the headache to abort almost every time, but, I may feel icky for a couple of days.

The ad is a useless waste of time and money!  And it's simultaneously tasteless as well.  That's what's most scary about it.  Added to the fact that Imitrex essentially DOUBLED my episodes of migraine, it also has a laundry list of very risky side effects that should make anyone run screaming into the night.  Taking Imitrex, I actually felt like I'd dodged a bullet when my headaches simply returned, with a vengeance, because I didn't suffer a fatal heart attack or stroke.  All Imitrex did was postpone AND DOUBLE my migraines!  This "new and improved" version they're calling Treximet includes 500mg of Alleve, which is more than twice the OTC dosage.  Alleve is naproxen sodium, another risky thing for anyone with circulatory problems, especially if they're undiagnosed.  Hey, doesn't anyone else recall that episode of House MD that dealt with the 'new and improved' migraine med?  That overbearing black fellow who owned the drug company & was aiming to take over the hospital tried to blackmail House into making a speech of endorsement for the new med, but instead House told the truth about it.  He said it was about NOTHING BUT PROFITS, and that's what Treximet is, too.  It doesn't work either, unless you want twice as many migraines.  And it's RISKY as hell, just like Imitrex is, don't forget that part!  

I have also suffered from these accursed headaches for as long as I have memory, and to my sadness, passed them on to my son.  It really saddens me to see the number of responses referring to “true migraine sufferers” as being only those with what I refer to as a “Shoot me now” class of headache.  I have been diagnosed with Complex Migraine Headaches.  It means exactly what it says – there are a wide set of symptoms that run from aura – visual or auditory, to emotional – Look out the B***h is here for no apparent reason, to the inability to articulate what I am thinking when speaking.  Pain levels can be bearable to extremely intense and with or without nausea – I go to bed, shut the drapes and pray for oblivion.  I tend to averaged 15 -16 days of Migraine per month.  Treatment with a headache specialist (a specialized neurologist) has helped to lessen the intensity of my symptoms if not the frequency.  I am able to perform most daily functions when I must; because I have to –at this frequency, what choice do I have? Who else would have raised my son or done my job?  Just because I have this level of functionality most of the time does not mean I am not a “true migraine sufferer”.  For each of us with this debilitating condition, the symptoms may manifest in different ways, all of them “true migraines”.  Various treatments work for some, but not for all.  We should be supportive of each other, share what we have tried, take some comfort in knowing that we are not alone, and encourage the dissemination of information about Migraines.  Do the advertisements get it right?  No, not all of time, but they do get a bit more information about the impact on life this condition makes with each new set.  And as some of us have written – that impact can make you wish you could remove you head.

I used to have bad migraines, they stopped after I got older [maybe menopause?] I would interpret the commercials as the medicine making you feel as if your head is gone, so there is no headache. I haven't seen the commercial but if I had a migraine, the idea of disconnecting my head and the pain would appeal. Any commercial that can get an article written about it and then a bunch of comments posted has done it's job. I have a friend who is dibilitated with constant migraines and has found no med that will give her relief. Has anyone here found something that really works?

You all have missed the TRUE POINT! This is called advertisement. It got your attention and thats what it's all about. The commercial did what it was suppose to do. Get your attention and sell the product.It stirred you up and got you talking about it. Job well done to the advertising company!

This ad is not cute, intelligent, or innocuous. It is plainly horrific. But judging form the comments, one can see how desensitized our society has become to such horrific imagery. If nothing else, the ad should go far toward a further lowering of our collective tolerance for the destruction of the human race. Incidently, there are places in the world where beheading is already legally practised. Of course, at that point, anyone would prefer a migrane.    

Clearly, this is a commercial who's time has come. It never could have run even 10 years ago. The idea is to get your attention. Doing that today requires something pretty graphic. It does make you wonder though what it will take to "grab attention" in the next 10 years. Blech!!  

Dumb ad. That's all.  I've had migraines.  A person in that kind of pain would be reluctant to talk, period.  Let alone standing upright.

all you people who cliam not to be abl to function with a migraine are wimps. I have had excruciating migraines since age 16 and sometimes you have no choice. The only time i can not function Is When the Aural effects actually obscure my vison...... the blindness makes it awfully hard to continue with daily life.
Next I agree with the author this commercial is really creepy and stupid. The only reason treximet was even created is due to the pending patent expiration of imitrex. SOmeone would hae to be a moron to take treximet when they can just get over the counter aleve ( brand or generic naproxen sodium) and (soon to be generic)Imitrex.
this is a really creepy add hoping to take advantage of the migraine sufferers wallet

This commercial didn't bother me as I really didn't pay attention to it but the one that I find creepy is the potato head that slices and turns into potato chips Don't remember the brand name just that it creeped me out and I am 50 years old. so go figure...eh

My brother in law suffered from migraines and after trying everything, absolutely everything, and the migraines now becoming what is called cluster headaches, he tried oxygen.  He had a tank that went with him to work and as far as I know, once that cycle had completed, he's not had one since, and that's been about 2 or 3 years now.  It was not cheap at all, however, he was fortunate to have extended health insurance that paid for it.  Other people I know who have migraines have also tried hyperbaric oxygen treatments (hbot).  

Oh waaah!  Your article disturbed me more than the add.

Just a thought, but this article missed the whole point that all this NEW IMPROVED drug is is Imitrex(sumatriptan) mixed with Aleve(naproxen sodium).. Please people don't waste your money if you're on Imitrex.. just buy a bottle of aleve!

"the woman in question is actually literally holding her head in her hand, and her body is decapitated."

Actually literally holding her head??  Was this story written by a Wasilla Hillbilly?  How sad to see the English language fall into the gutter of stupidity.  

Is Allison Linn only capable of senior high school grammar, or is msn.com the website that caters to morons in America?

I've lost my head over you....

So is this another form of alleged migraine drug that may not be suitable for people who are at risk or have already had a stroke???
I had a stroke at 28. I was then diagnosed, post-stroke, with Trigeminal Neuralgia and Migraines. The form of migraine I have (24/7 varying in type and intensity) prevent me from surgery to ease the TN.
Best migraine med out....Topamax!!! works, few side effects and also treats my TN.
As for the commercial, I have never wanted to take my head off. Have thought of pulling my own teeth to stop the pain, never take off the head though.

I've suffered with some terrible migranes (along with some really wicked sinus & tension headaches a few times a week) for the past 14 years (since I was in my mid-teens). When a migrane hits, I'm just praying I can pass out so as to get through it, but generally, that's a stretch.

While I do think/agree that from an advertising standpoint, the commercial achieves what it's meant to do... it REALLY shouldn't be aired during the day or the early evening. I find the commercial moderately unnerving, and I'm 28. I know if I were a child seeing this, I would have nightmares over it and I'm sure there are many children out there who feel the same. This should have been thought through a lot more before being aired during any prime time slots. For that reason, I feel it's in poor taste.

I just went to youtube to see the ad for myself, and while I don't suffer with the terrible pain of migraines I know many who do, myself I saw nothing wrong with the ad, but I couldn't agree with Paul more, many times I wondered how the author of this article continues to get paid, you wan't do so something about ads then do something about the "true" personals ad, there's advertisement to be offended by.

This commercial should be taken off the air.  It airs during hours when kids watch TV and I know my 3 yr old walked into the room when it came on and got upset by it.  It's horrible!  *I* find it gross and I'm an adult, I can't imagine how scary it is for kids!  

Migraine sufferers might try MigraCare with feverfew which can be purchased from a Natural Foods/Health store.  Prevents migraines and/or lessons intensity of them.

WOW...brings back memories of the beheadings we just recently were exposed to just a few years ago when the terrorists were targeting Americans overseas. Didn't the producers of this add think of this, I am appauled with these adds. I have had migraines but nothing justifies this type of distastefull advertising.

I love it my husbabd and all my girl friend taught it was very funny.We all shoping at JcPenny and we wouldn't change a thing. Hey we all just need a good laugh ant this was it.

I can say with absolute certainty that I have never experienced a headache so bad that I wanted to remove my head. But i will take it from migraine sufferers that a migraine can feel that bad.

I don't think it's saying chopping your head off is the solution, people... I think it's more so representing one of, if not both, two things:
1. The fact that when one suffers a headache, you wish you could take your head off. (I know, I suffer occassional migraines) and/or,
2. Having a migraine is equivelant to chopping your head off...

Either way, the advertisement worked. You're watching, right?

Not at all offended, though I felt weird watching it the first couple of times, with her little boy there and all...
overall good ad for them, and good means, good enough to sell.

If you have a disabling headache, it's most likely a migraine.  I have taken both the Imitrex and Treximet and can say without a doubt that the Treximet is a lot better than the Imitrex was.  I used to get that tired achy feeling after taking Imitrex, and with Treximet I don't get that anymore.  The headache goes away and I don't feel hungover anymore.  The ad is kind of crazy but it's their job to catch your attention and it does.

health care costs with prescription "benefits" are one reason nobody can afford anything right now. . . how much does the pharmaceutical industry pay for these ads that use expensive air time to warn us of side effects including potential death?  Let's shut them down.

the ad is terrible to show a woman holding her head. i had to explain that to my 3yr old. it should not be allowed on television.

But Dad I didn't mean to take Mom's head off with an axe but did you see what she got me for Christmas?  SOCKS!!!!!!!!!!

The ad has changed...same headless moms and same ad visually, but now instead of empty shoulders and whole heads cradled in their arms, the mom that says "I just want to rip my head off" does rip her head off, but it looks like she tore her head out of a  picture (white ripped edges and everything" and every other mom is holding their paper heads and the place where the head's supposed to be is a white ripped out blank.

Perhaps the taking-your-head-off-and-carrying-it-under-your-arm part was meant as a bit of comic relief to get people to pay attention?

You're right, Tracia. I noticed the new ad today. Do you suppose the company did some research to ask people if they found the torn paper heads less offensive? It doesn't seem that different a concept to me.

I too suffer from Migraines. They changed the commercial now so it isn't as creapy but i think it does a good job at describing some of the effects, especially the light sensitivity one which is the most common symptom I get as well as the pain. I take Imitrex at the onset of a migraine, but if i don't catch it right away I usually have to take another a few hours later and lay in a cold dark room. I do however get severe muscle cramps in the base of my neck when I take imitrex, so I usually would like to take my head off along with most of my neck when I get a migraine.

What's migraine pain like? Imagine this; there are several little imps (each armed with a bow and arrow) jumping up and down inside your brain. Each time they land on the surface of your blood vessel, they shoot an arrow inside your brain, which ricochets in every direction imaginable.  This goes on without interuption for at least 24 hours.  Meanwhile, your stomach feels as though you've just consumed a quart of molded, soured milk, but you're unable to regurgitate.  It's alot more involved than wanting to take your head of (as the ad implies).  It affects every area of your life.

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