So what foods trigger your headaches?

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  • pianolover2012
    pianolover2012 Posts: 168 Member
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    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.
    ** You can always tell when people have never experienced a migraine- it is NOTHING like a headache! Feel better soon!
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
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    Turkey and MSG ...

    ETA: aspartame ... asparagus ... all migraine triggers ... Luckily, I'm good with red wine and cheese, if I wasn't, I'd just have someone take me out back and shoot me ...
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,954 Member
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    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.

    My friend is celiac and can take up to three days before some of her symptoms hit but it's usually much faster than that. I know you said you cook at home and you're gluten free but I wanted mention that if you're not being careful about cross contamination you could still get symptoms even if you're not eating it. I was baking and decorating cakes (gluten filled) but I never, ever tasted them. Just the flour in the air contaminated me though and I ended up with symptoms from it. My oldest used to hide in her bedroom until the air had cleared and I'd wiped everything down because she always had symptoms when I'd bake for other people. I've pretty much stopped doing it now because of that.

    If you're not careful about cross contamination in food you buy you could also get glutened there. You may already be super careful but I figured it wouldn't hurt to mention it. I hope you find your triggers.
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
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    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.
    ** You can always tell when people have never experienced a migraine- it is NOTHING like a headache! Feel better soon!

    True that! ... Hurts so bad you can barley talk, let alone sleep ... I've had both migraines and cluster headaches ... NOT FUN, seriously, if my mom wasn't a nurse and hadn't told me I wasn't going to die, the first time I experienced the types of headaches, my @ss would have insisted on going to the ER ...
  • Care76
    Care76 Posts: 556 Member
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    I always had headaches almost my entire life. And yes, migraines too. I did an elimination diet about 6 years ago and found out my triggers are MSG, soy (even organic soy), and pretty much most artificial sweetners and flavourings. I don't always get a headache right away. Sometimes it is if there is a small amount of soy and I eat it a lot. Then I will realize what I'm eating and it will go away after a few days or even weeks. Like recently I realized the prenatal I have been taking for almost two years has soy in it. I know it didn't when I first started taking it but at some point it changed. I started having daily headaches while pregnant and we thought it was hormones. Then they kept coming after delivery. Then I litterally just saw they now have soy. Don't I feel stupid.

    It can be so many things. But I would do elimination if you can although it can take a long time to figure out. And keep a headache journal and write down everything you did that day.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    none
  • SmileCozYouCan
    SmileCozYouCan Posts: 315 Member
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    Chocolate =( But I NEVER care
  • PinkNinjaLaura
    PinkNinjaLaura Posts: 3,202 Member
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    Cheddar cheese & Italian sausage both do it for me. I can eat a small amount of cheddar and it will be okay, but if I were to eat a larger piece of it or eat it a couple days in a row then the migraine hits. Any amount of Italian sausage (or more specifically one of the spices in it) will trigger a migraine within a couple of hours.
  • wiscck
    wiscck Posts: 185 Member
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    Nightshades. Bell peppers, chili peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, tobacco...
  • miranda_mom
    miranda_mom Posts: 873 Member
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    Red wine and pizza.
  • Julene64
    Julene64 Posts: 63 Member
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    Aspartame & MSG always give me headaches, even migraines. Also, letting myself get the least bit dehydrated will often give me a headache. And the weather. Ya, I know that's not food but a low pressure system approaching gives me a really bad headache. At least I always know when it's gonna rain. ;-)

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  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
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    MSG and any wine that has a lot of tannin
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
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    I've been getting migraine/cluster headaches since I was 15. They have actually gotten better over the years - initially, they came with extreme nausea and would typically cause me to be physically ill, now the nausea is rare and even if I do get an upset stomach, I rarely get ill. If a headache is developing, there are certain foods can help push it along (especially red wine or aged cheeses), but I luckily have nothing (with the exception of mixing tequila and red wine*) that will straight up trigger a headache. One thing that triggers them more than anything else is actually not eating. On day when I miss breakfast or don't eat enough in general, I can develop a cluster headache.
  • CSO200
    CSO200 Posts: 19 Member
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    Aspartame, dehydration,
  • CorlissaEats
    CorlissaEats Posts: 493 Member
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    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.

    My friend is celiac and can take up to three days before some of her symptoms hit but it's usually much faster than that. I know you said you cook at home and you're gluten free but I wanted mention that if you're not being careful about cross contamination you could still get symptoms even if you're not eating it. I was baking and decorating cakes (gluten filled) but I never, ever tasted them. Just the flour in the air contaminated me though and I ended up with symptoms from it. My oldest used to hide in her bedroom until the air had cleared and I'd wiped everything down because she always had symptoms when I'd bake for other people. I've pretty much stopped doing it now because of that.

    If you're not careful about cross contamination in food you buy you could also get glutened there. You may already be super careful but I figured it wouldn't hurt to mention it. I hope you find your triggers.

    Im not diagnosised with celiac disease, but I have gotten a nose bleed after helping my mom make bread and pies for Thanksgiving, so yeah, I tend to be careful about cross contamination but I do live in a mixed household. :smile: I have some immediate gluten reactions, but some can take up to a week to show up. Ive been tracking them for about 2 years now so most of those I have identified.

    I got allergy testing done this week, hoping the results are available soon. Even if they come back clean it crosses one more breadcrumb to track.
  • irene85903
    irene85903 Posts: 2
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    papaya weirdly....and sometimes milk and coconut milk, or almond milk...
    I always thought that I am the only one having this issue since it sounds so weird.....so glad I'm not alone
  • flynpa
    flynpa Posts: 14 Member
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    I have experienced headaches since a child. For many years doctors told me it was because of my hay fever. About 10 years ago I found out from a neurologist that some of my headaches are migraines and some are tension headaches. The migraines were cut drastically by cutting out caffeine and trying to eat on a regular schedule. The tension headaches were cut by getting massages and going to a chiropractor regularly. When I found out, I started paying closer attention to them and can actually tell the difference between the headaches because the tension headaches start at the rear base of my skull and progress to the top of my head. The migraines start as a dull pain all over and move to a spot between my eyes. I went from a couple headaches a week to about 4-5 a year, they are usually mild, and I can normally knock them out with Excedrin ( I don't like prescription medication and only take my Imitrex if they get bad). Hope this helps.

    flynpa (Stuart)
  • patrnbabe
    patrnbabe Posts: 42
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    Foods that trigger headaches: The worst? Bananas. Second worst is potatoes. After that, we can choose citrus fruits (all of them, but especially oranges), and we cannot leave out peanuts. I literally had constant headaches for years, because of course those are some of my favorite foods. I learned to tune out the dull, constant pain but if I thought about it, yeah, I had a headache. Sometimes the pain is not dull. Amputation can look like a valid option on occasion.

    Eliminating problem foods from my diet has almost 100% resolved the problem. I can have the occasional banana (like one or two per year) without a problem. Potatoes I allow myself a single serving on major holidays. The citrus I can do more often, but have to keep the quantities small and not too often. Once a week is too often. Peanuts I can eat more often, but I don't pay as close attention to how much and how often I've eaten them, and so get more peanut headaches than most of the others. Some food headaches last a full week, sometimes longer. And they usually wait a day or two before the head ache hits.

    Another thing that helps (IDK why, but it does) lessen the headache is a nice heaping spoonful of buffered vitamin C. Mix it in a small amount water, chug quickly, and follow up with a glass of water. Tastes like vomit, but it really helps. You could mix it in juice or something, or in a larger glass of water, but then you taste it longer. I suppose you could try straight vitamin C, but my stomach doesn't tolerate it, so I use the buffered.
  • RachelN76
    RachelN76 Posts: 16 Member
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    I have migraines, taking Topamax as a preventative at the moment, but it's becoming less effective, and to say I'm gutted is an understatement!

    I don't think I have any food triggers, but lights will get me every time. Flickering computer screens, fluorescent tube lights, halogen car head lights, flashing lights of any kind. Christmas is a nightmare, I might as well just wear sunglasses! LOL

    Good luck finding your triggers.
  • Chelz2013
    Chelz2013 Posts: 176 Member
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    Food trigger: Yogurt, aspartame
    Other triggers: dehydration, menstrual, stress
    I take Excedrin Migraine - I can get a very sore neck & shoulders first, so I put IcyHot on in hopes to prevent the migraine. Occasionally a heat pad or ice pack helps too. I never get the aura and a lot of times, I wake up with the migraine already present.

    I don't know if you've been referred to a Neurologist yet? My Dr's always seem to do LESS testing than what you've experienced, although I have had a couple of head CT's (which were clear). Neurologist wants me to keep a migraine journal. It was recommended I take Topomax as a prevention, but I declined, as I personally choose to not take a daily pill which doesn't actually "guarantee" anything. It's trial and error to find what works for each individual. I have taken many, many different prescriptions; most didn't work for me. There are natural remedies out there. I have used scented oils on my temples and "Migrastick", which occasionally helps me. Good luck!

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