A "filler" in todays local paper, probably for lack of real content, might have application to some prior threads on "health concerns," but also could be worth some less directed discussion. It's unlikey to appear on my local rag's website, and is brief.

[quoting:]

Wichita Eagle 26 June 2006

BY SUSAN BRINK
Los Angeles Times

For many people, sex can turn a dull throbbing pain into a raging headache.

For a few who jump into bed feeling fine, orgasm can trigger a sudden, explosive headache. And for a minority of people, headaches are cured by a roll in the hay.

A small pilot study exploring the link between migraines and libido suggests there might be a reward for headache pain. In the June edition of the journal Headache, researchers found that young adults with migraines reported higher levels of sexual desire.

The study has its skeptics.

'That's not my experience," says David Kudrow, neurologist at the California Medical Clinic for Headache in Santa Monica. "In general, people with migraines don't want to engage in anything, including sex. It just makes it worse."

Although Kudrow's patients are typical, there is a wide-ranging and seemingly contradictory body of research on the connection between headaches and sex, orgasm and desire.

Some people have orgasmic headaches, or sudden severe headaches at the moment of orgasm. Experts speculate that the release of brain chemicals such as serotonin may constrict blood flow.

If headaches become the routine price of an orgasm, the condition can improve with weight loss, exercise, adopting a passive role during sex or prescription medications taken before sex.

A few people find that sex is just what the doctor ordered.

A study in the May 2001 edition of Headache found that was true for 27 of 57 women who reported having sex during a migraine. Intercourse provided complete relief for 10 of the women, and 17 said they experienced temporary or modest relief.

[endquote:]

Now if anyone wants to admit having corroborating or contradictory evidence, feel free.

Meanwhile, I think my odds are better if I go take a pill.

John