Migraine Sufferers

nilleah
nilleah Posts: 177
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm wondering if there are any other migraine sufferers out there who notice that when they do cardio they get migraines afterwards.

I've noticed that when I do even just a moderate cardio workout I tend to get a migraine shortly afterward. I drink about 100oz of water a day so I know dehydration is not the problem. Does anyone have any idea how I can stop this? Thanks for any advice.

Replies

  • MelissaH0910
    MelissaH0910 Posts: 67 Member
    I'd love to have an answer to this, too. I tend to get them after a strenuous workout, but not every time. I've never been able to figure out a pattern. I do know that my exercise-related migraines are far worse than those triggered by my allergies or stress.
  • nilleah
    nilleah Posts: 177
    Mine aren't every time either but definitely worse as well after exercise than say an allergy or smell (from someone wearing a gallon of perfume) induced migraine.
  • FakingFitness
    FakingFitness Posts: 325 Member
    I have to take a pain reliever before I workout or I get one.
    I also take a magnesium supplement that helps a lot.
  • LaserOctopus
    LaserOctopus Posts: 121 Member
    I used to get migraines every few weeks, and, yes, any kind of exercise made it even worse.
    For the last six or seven years, I only get them a few times a year, and not when I exercise unless I let myself get too hot. I will also still get them when it gets really hot outside or if I'm in the sun for too long (during that west coast heat wave, when the temps were running 112, 118, et cetera, I had a few).
    What I finally did, after much research and reading, is give up caffeine. Completely. Forever. No soda (except naturally caffeine-free ones, like an occasional root beer or ginger ale). No coffee, not even decaf (because 'decaffeinated' is not, it's only a little less caffeine). No tea.
    This may not work for everybody, but it was a miracle cure for me. There are several other benefits, as well. No energy spikes (and no crashes on the other end of that cycle), better sleep, better skin, et cetera.
    Again, it may not work for everybody, but it does work for a lot of people.
    Just as an aside, the caffeine addiction is pretty minor and easy to break compared to most (about a million times easier than quitting smoking, for example). For me it took about six weeks to be free of the little withdrawal symptoms, and they were quite mild. From what I've read, that's pretty normal.
  • MeowSkull
    MeowSkull Posts: 101 Member
    I do whenever I get overheated whether it be from exercise or even just being out in the sun. I too drink more than enough water throughout the day. I workout directly under a ceiling fan on high (at home) and only doing outside work early in the morning.

    As far as what's helped when I realize it might come, I take a few tylenol with breakfast after working out or if I'm too late, I take collidial platinum when it starts but no more than 1-2 times a week, less if I can prevent it with excedrin or something.

    Migraines just suck in so many ways. I've wasted many an afternoon in a dark room because I was out in the sun too much during the earlier part of the day.
  • wicki1989
    wicki1989 Posts: 54
    I used to get 15-20 migraines a month. No joke. So I know your pain. I would have to give myself injectable shots to get rid of them. But, since I changed my diet and started doing cardio I have not gotten ANY! It's a huge relief. Could something in your diet be triggering them?
  • sbransley1
    sbransley1 Posts: 3 Member
    I used to get migraines from everything, but a combination of a better diet (avoiding migraine trigger foods), drinking a lot of water, talking to my doctor about getting medication (both preventative and curative), and getting good sleep has helped me avoid getting migraines. I only get about one or two a month now versus the two or three a week I used to get.
  • Reevsie123
    Reevsie123 Posts: 35 Member
    I used to get loads especially after exercise, when I was in the states I spoke with a pharmacist she diognosed dehydration as one of the biggest factors, I went in for tablets, came out on her recommendation with 4 bottles of Gatorade, she told me not to overdose on the stuff or you get the squits !
    Since then I always drink a Powerade zero before and after exercise it's now been a year since I had a migraine - little did this lady realise she changed my life, I used to drink water, sports drinks are loaded with salts and the minerals you lose in sweat.

    All I know is it worked for me - guess its worth trying
  • tmm_0127
    tmm_0127 Posts: 545 Member
    I usually only get them when I am overheated, so bikram yoga and running / walking outside on hot days = no no for me. Even if I took an excedrin or bayer migraine before I worked out it never helped... so I just avoid doing those things. I don't usually get them if I workout even to my maximum if it's in a cool space. I switched from drinking regular water to electrolyte water (you can make some at home using water, salt, and citrus) or adding some electrolyte powder to my water if I'm going to workout really hard, and it really made a difference
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    There are some migraine triggers that come up again and again when you ask people what sets theirs off. Sun, caffeine, insufficient sleep, and even certain foods.

    Let me ask:

    * When you do cardio, is it running outside? Perhaps in the sun?
    * How is your blood pressure? Have you measured it before and after you do cardio?
    * Are you getting sufficient rest for the amount of exercise you get? Do you keep a sleep log (hours, quality of sleep)?
  • LaserOctopus
    LaserOctopus Posts: 121 Member
    I used to get 15-20 migraines a month.


    Ugh. I used to have this problem in the summertime, from the hot. Or sometimes they'd just last for a week or two. It was miserable. Now that I rarely get them, hot is *still* my worst trigger, no matter how much water I drink to try to stave it off.
  • Joreanasaurous
    Joreanasaurous Posts: 1,384 Member
    Ugh. I used to get migraine seasonally. Working out totally made them worst.

    Sounds extreme, but now I treat them with botox. Couple of shots and no more migraines.
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,301 Member
    reading your problem is provoked by perfume as well. I wonder if you have considered a salicylate base to your problem. Many perfumes have natural or synthetic forms of salicylate in them. Try looking at the "food can make you ill" web site, and there is also a book you could down load. There is a list of different symptoms which can be activated by various foods etc.

    I am S sensitive and have had to reduce what I consume drastically. But many people could find some relief if they were to keep salycylate at a lower than normal level especially if you are young or relatively so.

    Medics know about the potential for a problem but tend to dismiss it even though there is a growing body of work to support the problem.

    Hope you find an answer which works. all the best
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    My first go to is dehydration, but 100oz should be more than enough. Do you have hypertension?
  • nilleah
    nilleah Posts: 177
    Hi everyone, thanks for Ll of the responses. I don't have hypertension and I'm not dehydrated at all. I drink half my body weight in water every day. As my weight drops, my water intake will. My cardio consists mainly of water aerobics because I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia and I can't do anything that has impact. I also use elliptical machines and stationary bikes, walks, etc.

    My Diet consist of mainly fruits, vegetables, and chicken, turkey breasts, white tuna, white fishy, egg whites and plain greek yogurt.
  • NYgirl1990
    NYgirl1990 Posts: 180 Member
    Massages after a hard work out helps me.

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