So what foods trigger your headaches?

CorlissaEats

So what foods trigger your headaches?

I’ve been experiencing almost daily headaches for over a year. Recently, they started to turn into migraine headaches. I think it is food related but I am unable to see the connections. I am working with my doctor on a few health issues but he is not keen on doing allergy testing. He thinks it will be a waste of time since I have no clear symptoms.

I have had my eyes tested 3 times in the last 18 months, my prescription was reduced twice, and my frames have been adjusted. The first prescription change was very significant, my left lens strength was cut in half, and the right by about 30%. The second change was minor, and the third visit showed no further change. Apparently, eyes getting better in adulthood is normal. He told me to see my GP about the headaches.

I have asthma that acts up every once in a while after I eat but again, I don’t react conclusively to any one food. I suspect milk and chicken but don’t consistently have a problem with them. No skin symptoms at all. Headaches are 4-7 days a week, every week, and not cycle related, so it’s not hormones or PMS. I have a follow up next week on a sinus X-ray but I called them, they didn’t call me to make the appointment so I am guessing there is nothing that showed up that requires addressing.

My diary is not open, but I do want to know YOUR food triggers so I can try to track different things.

dbmata

wheat mostly, corn sometimes, not fresh corn though.

mapenguinkeeper

anything with nitrates/nitrites or MSG

callie006

Aspartame

CorlissaEats

I'm gluten free and most of my food is home made. It can contain corn sometimes though. Is there a reaction delay for you? Its been several days since I last ate something with cornstarch in it.

dbmata

maybe a delay of 6 hours or less.

It really happens when I overdo it.

_KitKat_

Migraine sufferer here. You do not have to be allergic for a food to trigger. Soda triggers mine but mine are mostly hormonal, motion sickness, medications and stress. The best way is to keep a headache diary, yes I know "great, another thing to log", its can really help id your personal triggers. Just watching a 3d video game kills me in like 5 minutes.

Also migraines are not just very bad headaches, there are many other symptoms (nausea, vision distortion, over sensitivity to light and sound, stiff muscles and many others) and normally you feel these before the head pain onset. If I rub my neck like it is stiff, I will be having a major migraine that evening.

Mokey41

First off, have you been diagnosed as having actual migraines or is this an assumption based on a bad headache? A migraine is pretty much debilitating and can last 2 or 3 days with no relief. It isn't a tension type headache. It's usually one sided and I would compare mine to someone trying to ram a knife through my left eye. I have an aura usually before it starts accompanied by yawning and my eye watering. Once it gets going the only relief is to go to bed in a dark, quiet room and pray that I can possibly fall asleep. Nausea is usually a problem as well and a bright light is deadly.

Now if that describes your headaches that you have 4 days out of 7 I really feel for you. I've discovered mine are triggered my low air pressure mostly so this time of year with a lot of storms is bad.

MSG, red wine, chocolate and artificial sweeteners can be headache triggers as well as being dehydrated and having low blood sugar. A food allergy isn't usually just a headache trigger. You'd be more likely to have digestive upset or some more serious physical reaction.

magerum

None.

kae_blah

My triggers are cheese especially soft cheeses, tomatoes even just a little ketchup, pork (though bacon is worth a little discomfort), onions, aged meats, and juices (apple, grape, wine).

Some of these can trigger a migraine and some lead to minor symptoms which can be dealt with using painkillers.

emontag

Logging helped me pinpoint it down to eggs and nitrates. I just use my log on mfp and add migraine into the notes field. I get the aura with complete vision disturbances and numbness in my arm/hand and sometimes face. Then the pain starts.

JustAnotherCalorieCounter

Soft drink. Both diet & normal.

infamousdrew76

NONE

These types of posts trigger my headaches!

addean1

Chocolate triggers my dh's migraines. Glad it's him and not me, not sure I could stay away from chocolate. but he does.

RaggedyPond

Going too long without food gives me headaches.

CorlissaEats

Thanks for the input. Asking a real question so I am not sure why some find this annoying. You are your own best advocate for health. You live with yourself 365 days a year, your doc sees you a handful of times. He only knows what you tell him. I have food intolerances and diagnosed stomache issues so I am very aware that some foods are an issue for me. I've cut the ones that gave me clear digestive and balance/coordination issues but I suspect there are more that I need to address.

And yes, they are migraines; but no, not diagnosed. I don't think I need a diagnosis to know its a migraine. I frequently have headaches so there is a comparison. I have nausea, vision issues, light sensitivity, neck and back pain/stiffness, and an overwhelming urge to find a dark room and sleep. The pain starts behind my right eye, hence the sinus x-ray I am waiting to hear back about. The degree of the pain changes each day but they can last several days without relief. In fact the last one was about a week long. I am normally a one or two a year migraine sufferer, 4 weeks represents a change that concerns me at some level. I am not taking drugs to cover the problem or am I looking to start, I want to find the root cause and address that.

Thanks for the reminder to look at nitrates! My mother has a sulfite allergy. Meds almost killed her about 15 yrs ago and she still gets a numb jaw/tongue from things like liquid eggs and wine. I'll have to check my foods for ingredients with those.

Confuzzled4ever

added sugar..

esp when i stop eating it

UGH

LCAura

Eggs and bakers yeast. Instant headache and mid-back pain.

cmriverside

Migraine sufferer here. You do not have to be allergic for a food to trigger. Soda triggers mine but mine are mostly hormonal, motion sickness, medications and stress. The best way is to keep a headache diary, yes I know "great, another thing to log", its can really help id your personal triggers. Just watching a 3d video game kills me in like 5 minutes.

Also migraines are not just very bad headaches, there are many other symptoms (nausea, vision distortion, over sensitivity to light and sound, stiff muscles and many others) and normally you feel these before the head pain onset.

^^ All of this.

Common food triggers are Caffeine, Chocolate, Citrus, Peanuts, Caffeine. Sulfites are also common Migraine triggers, but there are lots of triggers for women that are not food related, like hormonal or temperature or bariatric pressure.

Good luck. Many years of Migraine journaling and pharmaceuticals for me. They are gone now, but only because I went through menopause.

knittnponder

Gluten is my main one. If I eat it I get a migraine and sometimes I even get the super fun flashy, blinky things in my vision and I can't see clearly.

Artificial sweeteners also give me a headache but not migraines.

I'm also sensitive to strong smells and can end up with a headache just from a laundry detergent that is too strong. Or if someone is wearing too much perfume or even if my own deodorant is too strong.

I'm a special, high maintenance snowflake.

pianolover2012

Before I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I had migraines constantly. I was eating "healthy" and had switched to whole grains. Little did I know, that I was killing myself by switching to wheat products. One evening, I had a migraine that was so severe, I felt as if I was having a stroke. I could not move my left side and felt unable to focus. The next day, my primary physician did bloodwork that led to a diagnoses of Celiac. Since going gluten-free, I have not had the first migraine. It might be worth checking it out. More info on Celiac.org. Hope you feel better!