I am getting significantly less migraines, compared to a year ago. I have this forum to thank for the improvement.
I started keeping a migraine journal, writing down everything I ate, everything I did, and everytime I had a headache. I looked for patterns and clues.
The first thing I noticed were the food clues. Within 6 - 24 hours of ingesting the following foods, I would get a migraine:
- sulphites (used in dried fruits, like dried mango)
- sulfa, sulphates (I'm allergic to sulfa, which is a drug. Sulphate is a preservative, I believe.)
- phosphates (used in many processed and pre-packaged foods)
- MSG (this one is a given. I think every migraneur reactions to this one.)
- Gluten (Gluten was a tricky one, since I came up negative on the Celiac Disease blood test. But, I noticed I always felt "off" and then got a headache after eaten anything with gluten (wheat) in it. So, I decided to give up gluten anyway, regardless of the Celiac test result. Voila! HUGE improvement in migraines. You have to be very, very vigilent with avoiding gluten. It is EVERYWHERE-- soy sauce, salad dressings, barbeque sauce, etc. I don't even try to eat out anymore in restaurants. It's like a guaranteed migraine due to the tricky sauces and all the weird places gluten can hide. I don't even eat a pre-packaged salad, or a salad from McDonald's, as they seem to use some kind of preservative to keep the lettuce fresh. My migraines just LOVE whatever that preservative is... So, if I am with my husband and son, and we stop for fast food, I just get a bottle of water, and I eat when we get home.)
I have lost several pounds since making all these dietary changes. I'm hardly ever hungry anymore, and I've completely lost my craving for sweets. I bought a package of gluten-free brownie mix from Trader Joe's over a month ago, but haven't even had the hankering to make it yet. Just not interested. Everyone's been commented on my weight loss and asking if I've been dieting. I tell them: "Nope. Just gave up gluten because of migraines."
Whoa... the reaction to that statement has been surprising... several people have told me: "I get migraines, too! Tell me what you are doing! My migraines are out of control!"
So, I've been referring them to this webpage, and telling them they will have to find their own triggers, and it is different for everybody. What worked for me may not work for them at all. This is an individual journey.
Oh, I also recently decided that pizza is the most migraneous food on the planet, even though I am from New York, and love a good slice of pizza. Here's why:
- the crust (gluten, of course)
- the sauce (a nightshade vegetable, tomato)
I'm so glad you've been able to manage some of your triggers. Weather changes and menstrual migraines are difficult to deal with. Some people take triptans, like Frova, before and during their period. Here is an Ask the Clinician question regarding this: Prevention of menstrual Migraines? I have been using Axert with a bit of sucess.
Also, you could talk to your doctor about the possibility of something you can take when you know the barometric pressure is going to change. I know a couple of Migraineurs who take Diamox when they know a weather front is moving in.
Keep us posted on your continued good fortune with the frequency of your Migraines, ok?
Nancy-
Thanks so much for the tips!
I did not know that there were such treatments for the "menstrual migraine" and the "weather change" migraine.
This week, when the rains came here to California, I got a migraine, my son got a migraine, and one of his teachers at school got a 3-day migraine! My husband had coffee after church today with another one of the teachers, and it turns out that he gets migraines, too!
It seems to me that either more people are getting migraines than, say, 20 years ago, or doctors are getting better at diagnosing them.
My theory is there ARE more migraines and it is related to the change in our diet. We are eating more processed food than ever before, and many of us are sensitive to nitrates, sulphites, MSG, and other food preservatives, (hence, the rise in migraines.)
Yet, when you go to a doctor for your migraines, they generally do not ask: "So, let's talk about what you eat everyday?"
They say: "Here are sample of a preventative, and an abortive, and a painkiller, but don't take too much of the painkiller, because they are addictive. If you like the sample, I will write you a prescription..."
So, the symptoms of migraines are being treated, but not the cause...
Just my two cents. - Diana