Man With Green Blood Shocks Surgeons

Posted by Dr. Mercola

June 11, 2007

A group of Canadian surgeons were surprised to find that the 42 year old man they were operating on had dark-green blood.

Analysis revealed that the blood discoloration was caused by sulfhemoglobinaemia, which happens when a sulfur atom becomes attached the oxygen-carrying hemoglobin protein present in blood.

The condition was likely caused by the patient's migraine medication, sumatriptan, which contains a sulfonamide group.

After going off sumatriptan, his blood returned to normal within five weeks.

Sulfhemoglobinaemia usually goes away as red blood cells regenerate, but can necessitate a transfusion in extreme cases.

The Lancet June 9, 2007 (Registration Required)

New Scientist June 8, 2007

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

Yet another side effect of modern medical "miracles" In this case green blood from taking an anti-migraine medication.

Headaches are so common that Americans dish out more than $1 billion every year to get relief from migraines. The pain associated with migraines can be so severe that some patients will actually consider suicide as a reasonable alternative. When you consider the options of suicide or a pill, the pill certainly seems to be the better solution, at least at first.

The problem is, the pills can cause as many problems as they solve, if not more. In addition to potentially turning your blood green, headache drugs can actually give you a "medication overuse headache" or, in the case of sumatriptan, a withdrawal headache when you stop using it. Why take a headache pill that will give you a headache?

This is particularly tragic because there so many simple, inexpensive and effective alternatives. Fortunately, you don't have to risk these unpleasant and strange side effects, because there are plenty of natural and effective remedies for your migraines.

Energy psychology techniques like Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) work amazingly well to get rid of migraines, even in as short a time as five minutes. Most migraines also seem to have a food-based reaction relating to wheat, dairy, sugar, or artificial preservatives or chemicals.

Eliminating these foods and incorporating the other principles in my nutrition plan frequently improves migraines as well. Generally there is a 70-80 percent reduction in the frequency and intensity of the pain after people begin following the eating plan.