Evidently, using antidepressants to treat medical problems beyond their original intent -- think irritable bowel syndrome -- is becoming the norm these days, with this new study about prescribing the suicidal Effexor (venlafaxine) for headaches.

Scientists compared the effect of Effexor on frequent tension heachaches versus an inactive placebo on 60 patients for 12 weeks. One caveat: Patients were able to take aspirin or acetaminophen along with Effexor or a placebo.

I'm not surprised to learn headaches were reduced by 45 percent, nearly three times that of a placebo. That said, why in the world would anyone take an antidepressant for a headache like Effexor that has elicited safety warnings from the FDA for increased incidents of fatal overdosing?

There's no need to risk your health on any kind of drug to treat a headache, when you can tame your pain by learning the Emotional Freedom Technique, a noninvasive acupuncture technique used daily in my practice. Many patients also experience dramatic improvement when they follow the nutrition plan, described in my Total Health Program.