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Going gluten-free for migraines?

nikki_dw

I'm in the midst of reading "The Migraine Miracle" by Josh Turknett. So far, it's describing my life since late childhood... plagued by unpredictable and debilitating migraines and having narrowed down few triggers. I've missed concerts, days of work, spent vacations throwing up, and slept on my bathroom floor during my college graduation party all because of migraines. :sick:

The book suggests eliminating a number of things from your diet. Some like added sugars won't be that hard... But going gluten free? I'm a comfort food eater. I love bread. I love pasta. I love pasta with a side of bread.

But I'm willing to do almost anything to get rid of these migraines and take control of my life.

My question: Have any of you switched to a gluten-free diet for your migraines? And did it work? :huh:

Replies

LisaLu618

This is my first time posting, but as someone with celiac disease AND a migraine sufferer from a very young age like you, I figured I'd chime in. Switching to the GF diet when I was diagnosed with celiac disease did not help my migraines in any way. I'm not saying it wouldn't help you - it's definitely worth a shot! I can just say it didn't help mine at all.

Phrick

My now-13 year old son suffers from migraines, they began when he was about 5 and have persisted right on through. We went strictly, painfully, completely GF as an entire household for 6 months hoping that it would help him, and if anything the headaches began coming even more frequently, rather than diminishing! GF did absolutely nothing for his headaches, so we went back to eating our pasta-with-a-side-of-garlic-bread and being HAPPY people.

asp415

Thanks for this post OP & everyone that responded. I'm a migraine sufferer & was considering going GF as well. I think after your replies I will research it a bit more. Thanks.

nikki_dw

Thanks for sharing your experiences with me. I'm still considering it because anything is worth a shot at this point, but I think I'll look a little more into it.

LB2812

I have a family member who had trouble with headaches and migraines and he ended up being diagnosed with celiac disease. He's gone completely gluten free now and has no more issues! So it's worth a shot IMO.

Melissa132129

I've had migraines most of my life (29 now) and I've tried so many things. The only thing that has helped me (tried at the beginning of this year) is to take magnesium at night before bed. Right now I take 800 mgs. I used to have 5-6 migraines a month that would last 2-3 days at a time. Now I have maybe 1-2 a month that are not that extreme. It's been worth it for me. I don't think I could ever give up gluten but I might have tried if I still was having them 5-6 times a month. Good Luck!

Phaedra2014

I'm in the midst of reading "The Migraine Miracle" by Josh Turknett. So far, it's describing my life since late childhood... plagued by unpredictable and debilitating migraines and having narrowed down few triggers. I've missed concerts, days of work, spent vacations throwing up, and slept on my bathroom floor during my college graduation party all because of migraines. :sick:

The book suggests eliminating a number of things from your diet. Some like added sugars won't be that hard... But going gluten free? I'm a comfort food eater. I love bread. I love pasta. I love pasta with a side of bread.

But I'm willing to do almost anything to get rid of these migraines and take control of my life.

My question: Have any of you switched to a gluten-free diet for your migraines? And did it work? :huh:

I resisted cutting out grains for years and years. Finally, two years ago, I cut them out completely. Best thing I ever did for my migraines.

Sabine_Stroehm

It's worth a try! I would definitely give it up if I thought that was the trigger (I'm 90% GF already and rarely have migraines any more...don't know if that's what did it, but BOY does my stomach feel better!)

aliencheesecake

Between my IC and migraines, the list of possible food triggers is ridiculous. I'd never eat anything! The sinus-like migraines I used to get in early adulthood seemed to have slacked off, and the only thing that really helps my tension migraines is to prevent them with hard exercise! Good luck to you!

Melissa132129

double post

Sabine_Stroehm

I've had migraines most of my life (29 now) and I've tried so many things. The only thing that has helped me (tried at the beginning of this year) is to take magnesium at night before bed. Right now I take 800 mgs. I used to have 5-6 migraines a month that would last 2-3 days at a time. Now I have maybe 1-2 a month that are not that extreme. It's been worth it for me. I don't think I could ever give up gluten but I might have tried if I still was having them 5-6 times a month. Good Luck!

Magnesium. Interesting. I take magnesium citrate (which one do you take, there are a few different kinds) twice daily. It's really helped huh? I take it for digestion and to ward off lovely menopause foot cramps.

RxKetogenicRx

OTC migraine prophylaxis combo is Magnesium (citrate is much more bioavailable than the oxide) + Riboflavin (B2) + ubiquinol (coQ10). Migraine with aura responds to progestin only contraceptives.

laurelobrien

I changed to a ketogenic diet for health reasons, but I haven't gotten a migraine since :-) I used to get them once a month, the day before my period started. Awful migraines - in tears, vision blacking out, strong desire to put an ice pick through my eyesocket. It might have been something else about keto, but I'm definitely gluten free now. I do not have celiac or any wheat/gluten allergies.

HollisGrant

I had terrible headaches for several years, had many expensive tests done (like an MRI of my brain to see if I had a tumor, and seeing a dental specialist), and no one could give me a diagnosis. I would alternate aspirin with Advil and lived on those meds. One day I read the back of the Advil bottle where it said not to take them more than 2 weeks in a row. I stopped taking all over the counter meds, had one more whopping headache, and then they went away.

I was basically poisoning myself with over the counter meds. If you are headache prone, your body can easily become addicted to over the counter meds. When they wear off you get another headache, so you reach for another pill and the cycle repeats. This is called a rebound headache.

None of the doctors that tested me knew anything about rebound headaches. I read a statement from a headache center that said a huge number of the chronic headaches they treat are caused by over the counter meds.

I still get a migraine once a year or so, but they are caused by lack of water, too sudden caffeine withdrawal, certain foods, and stress.

Sabine_Stroehm

OTC migraine prophylaxis combo is Magnesium (citrate is much more bioavailable than the oxide) + Riboflavin (B2) + ubiquinol (coQ10). Migraine with aura responds to progestin only contraceptives.

My migraine with aura got worse with fake lady hormones. Interesting about the Magnesium/riboflavin/coQ10 combo. Thanks.

RaeLB

There are sooo many possible triggers for migraines:

certain foods or drinks, additives & preservatives, certain smells, noises, and visual stimuli, barometric pressure, weather, certain sleep positions, posture, physical exertion, stress, hormones, lack of sleep, too much sleep, etc

It can make finding your triggers so frustrating. Do you keep a migraine journal? that is the best way to figure out your triggers. Keep a daily journal filled with detail about your entire day: when you wake up, the weather, temperature and barometric pressure, everything you eat and drink, all your activities, your mood throughout the day, when you sleep, etc and when you have migraines, how long they last and rate their intensity.

When you have a journal to review you can look for patterns before the onset of your migraine to try to figure out your triggers.

gert0767

Ive been gluten free now for 3 weeks. I chose o go gluten free as I have had constant sinus problems all my life and I read somewhere that many of my symptoms (including migranes) could be caused by a gluten intolerance. Well, for three lovely weeks I have been pain free and my thought processess are much clearer.
Yesterday I had a really nice cheese bun (not GF) within 1/2 an hour I was feeling not very well at all.
Also during those 3 weeks I have lost weight without even trying and that's over the Christmas New Year period.. I'm very excited.Cant wait to see how I am after 6 months.

thlunski

I tried going gluten-free twice for a few weeks and didn't notice any change, I was disappointed. Then my Dr told me it can take 4-6 months to notice. So I tried one more time, feeling very sorry for myself as I love me some gluten. I made a plan so I had some sweets options, chips, bread that was all gluten-free. It's been 3.5 months and I still had some headaches but was feeling pretty good. Last night I had a piece of cake at my sons birthday party - woke up with a horrible migraine. Does anyone know if the one dose of gluten could cause that? I definitely wont be cheating again. Hoping to find some insight. I also noticed huge sinus changes, my running nose is not running anymore!

ashenriver

Going gluten free for migraines and other issues will only help if you have a gluten intolerance.

To find out if you have a gluten intolerance go see a doctor.

In order for testing to give a correct diagnoses you want to keep eating gluten.

HotAshMess

I highly recommend the CoQ10 combo.

It was suggested that perhaps I had a problem with gluten. I've never been able to give it up 100% but I noticed I have considerably less problems for what its worth.

bpotts44

Its worth a shot and a little self experimentation won't cost you much. No sugar, no grains really isn't that hard to follow.

kotarea

I have had intense migraines such as yours since I was 2, :frown: doctors had my mom cutting and adding things from my diet my whole childhood, no MSG, add MSG, no caffeine, add caffeine, no sugar, add sugar, no gluten, add gluten, etc... :noway: nothing ever really helped. But now I must be doing something right, I have not had a migraine in over a year (just my daily pesky headaches) I cut out meat, however I am a pescatarian, I stick to lots of fruit and vegetables and stay away from candy and junk food. As long as I eat healthy the migraines stay away which is good given that I am trying to get to a healthier weight

but like I stated previously I do continue to deal with daily headaches, some days worse than others some days better, but everyday always there.

Dragonwolf

I changed to a ketogenic diet for health reasons, but I haven't gotten a migraine since :-) I used to get them once a month, the day before my period started. Awful migraines - in tears, vision blacking out, strong desire to put an ice pick through my eyesocket. It might have been something else about keto, but I'm definitely gluten free now. I do not have celiac or any wheat/gluten allergies.

The state of Ketosis is widely known among neurologists to have protective effects on the brain. In fact, the Keto diet was originally designed to reduce the number of seizures in epileptic patients, and has been effectively used for nearly a century now.

I haven't heard much about gluten free for migraines, but Ketogenic diets (low carb, high fat, moderate protein) has shown promise on pretty much every neurological front, including migraines and cluster headaches. As a migraine/cluster headache sufferer, I can attest to power of this kind of diet, even without going into deep ketosis (on the order of less than 50g of net carbs a day; I see results at just about anything less than 100g of carbs a day).

About two years ago, I started following a paleo dietary framework (Primal Blueprint, specifically), for reasons other than my migraines/headaches, and dropped my carbs down to under 100g (total) and eliminated all grains except for the occasional white rice and in-season ear of corn. As a result, I went from taking 800mg of Ibuprofen pretty much daily to taking none at all within a month of switching.

For various reasons (not the least of which being emotional and stress related), some sugary and starchy foods have worked their way back in, and as a result, I've started finding some specific triggers, including my ever-beloved mashed potatoes (at least during a cluster period) and excess sugar in general. So, I'm working on kicking that stuff back out and getting back to getting my carbs from non-starchy vegetables and some fruit.

Going gluten free for migraines and other issues will only help if you have a gluten intolerance.

To find out if you have a gluten intolerance go see a doctor.

In order for testing to give a correct diagnoses you want to keep eating gluten.

Gluten intolerance is only diagnosable through an elimination diet, there are currently no tests for it. Therefore, if you have migraines and eliminate gluten, and your migraines go away, it would stand to reason that you are gluten intolerant, and it's not really possible to wait for a GI diagnosis before cutting out gluten.

That said, it is generally advised to keep eating gluten and get the Celiac test done to rule that out, mainly because doctors won't do a biopsy until they get a positive blood test (the villi take quite some time to heal, if they ever do, but the markers leave the blood relatively quickly).

Boycrazymommy

I have been a life long sufferer as well, I was diagnosed with celiac almost 2 years ago, and at first my headaches got worse and more intense. Some one told me to add more healthy fat like avacado and coconut oil and take magnesuem (spelling). And that has helped. I still do get occasional migranes but it's only a few times a year instead of a few times a month. I still get pretty bad headaches but not like I used to. Good luck, going GF is tough at first.

_Zardoz_

I'm in the midst of reading "The Migraine Miracle" by Josh Turknett. So far, it's describing my life since late childhood... plagued by unpredictable and debilitating migraines and having narrowed down few triggers. I've missed concerts, days of work, spent vacations throwing up, and slept on my bathroom floor during my college graduation party all because of migraines. :sick:

The book suggests eliminating a number of things from your diet. Some like added sugars won't be that hard... But going gluten free? I'm a comfort food eater. I love bread. I love pasta. I love pasta with a side of bread.

But I'm willing to do almost anything to get rid of these migraines and take control of my life.

My question: Have any of you switched to a gluten-free diet for your migraines? And did it work? :huh:

I have never heard or read any evidence as Gluten as a cause of Migraines. As a sufferer myself if it was I'd happily eliminate it I think you'll just make yourself more miserable for no real reason just my opinion.. Sometimes I'm afraid there is no obvious cause for them

daliyanin

I did. I also have been a migraine sufferer since childhood, also debilitating. In my adolescent years I would get them frequently, 3 a month or more. But as I got older they lessened to about once or twice a month. I went to a wellness doctor to try and see if there was something I could change, without taking prescriptions, to get rid of my migraines. She suggested going Gluten Free for other medical reasons, but said it may help my migraines as well.

I have been Gluten Free since December 26 of last year. I have noticed a difference in many aspects of my life, one of them being my migraines. I have had 2 since I started this diet, so it sure beats the 6-10 I would normally have had. During this time I also realized I was really stressed, and started meditating and doing yoga. I believe a combination of all of these things has helped me.

Best of Luck!

fittocycle

I noticed a difference as well. Most of my migraines only involved the aura, although I would also get a headache from time to time as well.

After going gluten free, my migraine auras became further and further apart. It's been a year and almost three months since my last aura. I've been gluten free for two years and six months.

If you do try a gluten free diet, research it carefully. Gluten is hidden in a number of foods (such as some soy sauce), not just the obvious foods such as bread. If you read the labels, you might find it in your favorite granola bar or cereal. You really do need to be diligent about it to see if it will help your headaches.

I hope you get some relief soon. Migraines are no fun at all! Take care!

Dragonwolf

I noticed a difference as well. Most of my migraines only involved the aura, although I would also get a headache from time to time as well.

After going gluten free, my migraine auras became further and further apart. It's been a year and almost three months since my last aura. I've been gluten free for two years and six months.

If you do try a gluten free diet, research it carefully. Gluten is hidden in a number of foods (such as some soy sauce), not just the obvious foods such as bread. If you read the labels, you might find it in your favorite granola bar or cereal. You really do need to be diligent about it to see if it will help your headaches.

I hope you get some relief soon. Migraines are no fun at all! Take care!

"Soy" sauce is actually partially a misnomer, as it's usually includes fermented wheat.

Also, regarding granola -- most granola is made with oats, which aren't considered a gluten grain themselves, but are very often cross-contaminated by gluten grains. So make sure you get certified gluten free oats.

Don't just look for the grains themselves. A lot of foods use derivatives of gluten, which includes glutamic acid (and its cousins -- monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract; note - glutamic acid is a common protein found in a lot of foods, even naturally occurring, but generally, food additives get it from fermenting gluten-containing grains; so unless you know the source of the glutamic acid, it's best to avoid it), maltodextrin, malt, seitan, modified food starch, "flavorings," and "seasonings."

An easy way to remember what grains should be avoided -- BROW (barley, rye, oats, wheat). It should be noted, though, that all grains contain some amount of gluten in them, so those that have gone gluten-free and still getting migraines might want to try completely grain-free (personally, I just find it easier to shop the perimeter and avoid boxed foods in general).

Here's a more thorough list of gluten-containing foods:
http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/copingwiththediet/a/Gluten-On-Food-Labels.htm

cpettigrew

I have suffered from migraines my whole life (33). I have tried everything under the sun. GF never stopped them. "Sugar-free" never stopped them. It reduced the frequency in my late teens and early twenties, and I was not on prescription medications. Now, I am in my thirties, eating better than I ever have, am over all healthier than I have ever been, and I am on 3 separate medications for migraines, 2 of them taken daily, and under doctor supervision because their frequency and intensity has increased in the last 3 years.

rebalee8

Going gluten-free is only going to stop your migraines if gluten is a trigger for them. Gluten intolerance as nothing to do with it - as a couple of the posters with celiac disease and migraines whose migraines haven't stopped have shown.

And the only way to determine that is to do the elimination diet where you eliminate all potential trigger foods - http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/triggers-29502-5.html - for about two weeks, then introduce them back in about a week apart. Generally, if a food is a trigger, a migraine will happen within about 48 hours. If you add them all back in with no migraines, you're unlikely to have food triggers (Hi! Welcome to my world), which makes controlling harder and more likely to be medication-based (something like topirimate or some other preventative if you have regular migranes).

Regarding gluten itself though - you're more likely to be triggered by yeast than gluten, which can be confusing since most yeast products are wheat-based and therefore have gluten as well. So cutting out gluten could make it seem like it's the trigger, when it's actually the yeast.