Migraines and fitness

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pieceofvegancake
pieceofvegancake Posts: 12 Member
edited April 2018 in Fitness and Exercise
Any tips to stop a migraine coming on during exercise?

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  • gcconroy29
    gcconroy29 Posts: 85 Member
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    I think you have to notice what patterns bring on the migraine. It's most likely something before the workout and the workout exacerbates it. At least that's my case, so if I eat something that triggers me or have a very stressful day, I'm most likely to have a migraine the following day.

    Make sure you're drinking enough water. On days when I know I"m going for a run, I make sure to drink 64 + oz the day before and at least 64 before I run. I also tend to avoid any exercises where my head is lower than my body, unless I'm lying on the floor with feet up above me, that always sparks something for me.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Good to high hydration levels and electrolytes helped.

    Prophylactic migraine meds to try and prevent the onset also helped (pizotifen).
    I also tried beta blockers but hated the feeling of having an artificial heart rate cap that seemed lower than my actual needs during intense exercise.
  • brig220
    brig220 Posts: 52 Member
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    Make sure you don’t exercise on an empty stomach. And take it easy until you build more endurance to push harder. Also like the above said, hydrate before and after A LOT
  • jaena4
    jaena4 Posts: 175 Member
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    I hate to say this, but I have much less trouble with this when I work out earlier in the day. If I wait til evening, my trigger load is up and I'm much more likely to get a migraine. Early in the day I'm usually ok.
  • OceanAddict
    OceanAddict Posts: 55 Member
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    My migraines were partly a result of a magnesium deficiency, and they were definitely made worse by exercise. Magnesium supplements are cheap, and there isn't much danger of getting too much, so it's worth a shot to see if it helps you.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
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    Is exercise itself a trigger for you? Or is it something else, like not eating enough before your workout or not being well hydrated? Is it the bright lights at the gym or something else in the environment there? All of those things are potential migraine triggers and you really just have to figure out which one(s) are causing your migraines. Are you on any medication that helps prevent your migraines?

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