Migraines & Headaches

sarabeth320
sarabeth320 Posts: 15 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello, pals!

I have been getting headaches of the migraine sort for years now off and on. Lately, they have been ON and I either get them about an hour after waking up or around 3 pm and they only go away with my rx migraine meds. They are really starting to affect my energy level and overall attitude.

I've seen specialists and tried various things in the past, but can't seem to shake them all together. Do you think it could be something related to my diet or calorie intake? Exercise intensifies them, so it's hard for me to get motivated to work out when I know i am going to be left with a head banger afterwards.

Any ideas, tips, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Sara
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Replies

  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    I'm sorry :(

    Um.. my sister used to get them until she got pregnant. You could try that?

    Honestly though, I hope you get better soon! Headaches suck! Especially migraines.
  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
    chronic migraine sufferer here. even with my daily preventative meds, i still get them, and unfortunately for me, keeping my carbs on the high end helps (carbs and grease actually help me, its how i got fat in the first place). if i go too low, it's a guaranteed migraine. same for the workouts, if i don't have enough carbs before hand, i'll get at least a bad headache if not a migraine.

    so, bottom line there is maybe check on your diet and see if changing it around helps any.
  • Hell_Flower
    Hell_Flower Posts: 348 Member
    I find my migraines are linked to dehydration, lack of sleep and...this is the big one....eating processed foods.

    I've found that eating "clean" (by clean, I just mean that fresh fruit and veggies, meat and fish, instead of microwaved meals/jar sauces/tinned soups/McDonalds etc make up the bulk of my diet. Still have crisps/chocolate etc occasionally).

    Everyone's different, but eating fresh and getting around 9-10 hours of sleep a night means I can function like an actual normal human being. I used to get clusters of migraines that would knock me down for around 5-9 days a month. With the changes, I have managed to come off preventive meds entirely. I'm down to maybe 2 migraines every 3 months now, which I can manage with anti-vomit pills (can't remember what they are called) and 2 doses of Mersyndol.
  • WonderWhitney11
    WonderWhitney11 Posts: 78 Member
    Hi! I too was having a lot of trouble with migraines... until recently.

    I started seeing a chiropractor who focuses on strengthening my neck muscles- apparently my spine is curved forward where it attaches to my head, so if I don't keep good posture, my big ol' head pulls on my neck and causes headaches. I also try to do yoga to stretch the neck muscles.

    Maybe just getting an initial checkup with a chiro would help diagnose the problem? :) It does suck because it's not cheap, but if you keep up with the exercises they give you, you don't have to go often.

    Hope that helps! Good luck!
  • Jennisin1
    Jennisin1 Posts: 574 Member
    I use to have them occassionally.. then a few months ago, I was hit by them big time. I went on a daily preventative, work hard at staying hydrated and keeping my electrolytes balanced out and take my vitamins.. and haven't had one in three weeks now. Yay!
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    There can be many causes of migraines, but you should try an elimination diet if you haven't done so already. I have a number of dietary triggers, but it's often also a combination of things - stress, change of weather, coupled with dietary triggers = guaranteed migraine. Also make sure that you're adequately hydrated and don't let your blood sugar drop too low - eat snacks and at regular intervals. I get migraines too if I skip meals. They're awful, but they can absolutely be related to diet and I would certainly suggest trying to figure that out.
  • Laurenloveswaffles
    Laurenloveswaffles Posts: 535 Member
    I find my migraines are linked to dehydration, lack of sleep and...this is the big one....eating processed foods.

    When I don't drink enough water, I get them bad as well. I currently have one :sick:
  • mommyrunning
    mommyrunning Posts: 495 Member
    Years ago I was able to get the migraines to go away through regular exercise and healthy eating including lots more fresh fruits & veggies & more water. At the time I was in my 20s and active but eating lots of fast food/take out and caffeine. Recently they came back in my first trimester of pregnancy and I didn't want to take any meds so I tried acupuncture first out of desperation and that helped a little but did not eliminate it. Next, I started examining my diet and realized I was low on protein. I fixed that and they went away. I was referred a neurologist a few years ago and she encouraged me to try to get off the medication explaining how your body can become dependent and have rebound pain.
  • Kari121869
    Kari121869 Posts: 180 Member
    I was getting major headaches as well and my dr gave me a 'headache triggering foods list' - since I've eliminated most of what's on this list my headaches are pretty much non existent.

    Here's some items on that list:
    cheese, yogurt, grapes, bananas, canned soup, wine, soda crackers, anything with msg., potato chips, cheezies

    Those are a few I can think of at the top of my head - I have a list at home but those are the ones I can remember. Now - I DO have potato chips once in a while - I've cut down on cheese majorly (I'm a cheeseaholic lol) I no longer eat bananas or grapes (was hard because I love those too). Canned soup I only use when cooking now.

    Maybe try that and see what happens - give is a couple weeks. OHHHH and NO artificial sweeteners!! That was a MAJOR one - I use Stevia now and that seems to be a real help!!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Migraines are complex and different people have different triggers.

    Did any of the specialists have you keep a headache diary? That should be the very first step to try and identify what might be triggering them for you.

    Mine come from barometric pressure changes, stress, too much sun, getting too hungry ....

    My mother has food and hormone triggers.

    Yours could be any of those or something entirely different.
  • CountryBabe75
    CountryBabe75 Posts: 120 Member
    I was going through the exact same thing until a couple of months ago. I went to a neurologist and found out I get classic migraines. Mine are brought on by caffeine. As soon as I cut out the caffeine, I stopped getting the migraines every day. I was worried that my workouts were causing them, but thank goodness it was an easy fix, so you may be on to something with the diet. Look back over your diaries and see if there is a common food that corresponds with the migraines.

    I'm also like WonderWhitney and have a crazy neck. I see a chiropractor every three months and that helps a great deal!

    I hope you can get a handle on them soon!
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    I had them almost daily until I had my jaw broken and reset. (I used to have an overbite.)

    There a numerous reasons for migraines. You need to work with your GP to figure out what's happening with you, individually. Trying a lot of random stuff thrown at you by online strangers really isn't the way to go with a medical issue like this.
  • srslybritt
    srslybritt Posts: 1,618 Member
    You probably have your own set of triggers. They're different for everyone. Someone above said dehydration and lack of sleep. Those are two of my main ones, which sucks considering my insomnia.

    I also get migraines after eating ham. No clue why, and I freaking love ham, but I always end up having to pop pills after.
  • Jeneba
    Jeneba Posts: 699 Member
    I think you may be on to Something... I have had barometric migraines for YEARS. I recently read Dr. Buchholtz's book "The Migraine Diet." I have had to make some terrible sacrifices (vinegar, avocado, nuts) and that is really difficult on a vegetarian diet. BUT - the headaches are RARELY as intense as they used to be.

    http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/25/the-migraine-diet/comment-page-23/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0#

    This is still very controversial, but it really seems to be working for me.

    Best of luck!
  • 365andstillalive
    365andstillalive Posts: 663 Member
    I'm a unique little snowflake who got to have a four year migraine, so I more than feel your pain. I still get them occasionally, but changing my diet made a huge difference, as has losing weight. By the time I hit about 180, I'd decreased how often they happened to about once a month, from daily.

    Starting with your Rx meds, it sounds like you're not on any preventative medication and only on ones you take as the migraines start to come on. If you're having migraines even a few days a week, it's worth it to revisit the doctor and ask for preventative ones, for some people they make a huge difference. For me they didn't take away my migraines, but they made me functionable so that I could go outside if I needed to, or work short shifts etc.

    Beyond that, look at your diet. Is there something you're eating that's setting you off? For years I couldn't have peanut butter because it was a trigger. MSG which is found in a lot of fast food and processed foods is also a big trigger for most people. But triggers are pretty wide spread, from foods that are high in gluten (like bread) to cheese. Here's a list by web md, but really everyone's different: http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/guide/triggers-specific-foods

    Unfortunately, migraines (without a medical cause like a tumour etc) are really hard to treat because doctors still don't know a lot about them, why they occur, and why for some people they can be utterly debilitating. There are lots of treatments out there though, so if they're persistent, ask your doctor to do some research. Recent studies showed that increasing your Q10 intake can reduce them, other studies have shown that botox injected at the skull base can help (since it relaxes muscles), and while a little dramatic, some people stopped experiencing migraines for a duration of time after having been put under general anesthetic (which was my case, thank-you knee surgery).
  • Hell_Flower
    Hell_Flower Posts: 348 Member
    I find my migraines are linked to dehydration, lack of sleep and...this is the big one....eating processed foods.

    When I don't drink enough water, I get them bad as well. I currently have one :sick:

    How in the hell are you even sat up?! The most I can manage is to drag my sorry *kitten* to the toilet bowl for a spew and asking my husband to please just euthanize me.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I find my migraines are linked to dehydration, lack of sleep and...this is the big one....eating processed foods.

    When I don't drink enough water, I get them bad as well. I currently have one :sick:

    How in the hell are you even sat up?! The most I can manage is to drag my sorry *kitten* to the toilet bowl for a spew and asking my husband to please just euthanize me.
    Not all migraines are that bad. I have been lucky that I get a lot of them, but rarely get ones that bad (though they happen occasionally). Also, sometimes a migraine is general nausea and shakiness without even a tiny bit of head pain for me.

    They really and truly are a strange phenomenon. I worked in a neurology office for a while and one of the theories I heard about there was they think they may be related to epilepsy -- little epileptic seizures. I don't think it was confirmed, but something they were exploring. I haven't looked into it since then.
  • Catter_05
    Catter_05 Posts: 155 Member
    I have horrible migraines too. Sorry, it is awful. This year has been a bad one. I finally went to the neurologist and was put on daily meds. It took a few weeks but the medicine seems to be working. I went from 2-3 a week to 1 in the last 3 weeks! It has been such a relief. I really did not want to be on a daily medication but I finally decided it was worth trying.
    I've been having them since I was a kid and my triggers are all over the place.
    Food- hotdogs, movie theater popcorn, alcohol, Ham, smoked foods (so no bacon for me), etc.
    Weather changes, hormones, allergies, sleep - not enough, too much, going to bed really late.
    I finally feel good and I am starting to get back in shape and lose some weight.
    I am also going to the chiropractor. It is definitely helping.
    My best advice is to talk to your Dr. Maybe get meds to prevent migraines.
    Good luck!
  • Hell_Flower
    Hell_Flower Posts: 348 Member
    I find my migraines are linked to dehydration, lack of sleep and...this is the big one....eating processed foods.

    When I don't drink enough water, I get them bad as well. I currently have one :sick:

    How in the hell are you even sat up?! The most I can manage is to drag my sorry *kitten* to the toilet bowl for a spew and asking my husband to please just euthanize me.
    Not all migraines are that bad. I have been lucky that I get a lot of them, but rarely get ones that bad (though they happen occasionally). Also, sometimes a migraine is general nausea and shakiness without even a tiny bit of head pain for me.

    They really and truly are a strange phenomenon. I worked in a neurology office for a while and one of the theories I heard about there was they think they may be related to epilepsy -- little epileptic seizures. I don't think it was confirmed, but something they were exploring. I haven't looked into it since then.

    In all forms, they suck, I agree. I hadn't realized that you can get them without having head pain - everyday is a school day :smile:

    One thing I have noticed whenever the migraine topic crops up on MFP is that they are almost exclusively answered by women.

    Which makes me think that maybe men are the leading cause of migraine...

    Jokes (kind of).
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Are you perhaps more dehydrated? I sometimes find that I get more migraines when I'm not careful to drink enough water.

    I agree about discussing this with your doc. However, he/she may not have much in the way of answers. Mine always just said there were lots of triggers and I should try to find mine.
  • Ginger046
    Ginger046 Posts: 204 Member
    I've always suffered from migranes.. usually a few a month until september when I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease.. since changing my diet I only get migranes when I eat something with gluten that I shouldnt have :)

    I'm not suggesting that you cut out gluten!! Please dont!! but try finding out which foods do trigger them and go see a doc about it once you've got your wee list!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I find my migraines are linked to dehydration, lack of sleep and...this is the big one....eating processed foods.

    When I don't drink enough water, I get them bad as well. I currently have one :sick:

    How in the hell are you even sat up?! The most I can manage is to drag my sorry *kitten* to the toilet bowl for a spew and asking my husband to please just euthanize me.
    Not all migraines are that bad. I have been lucky that I get a lot of them, but rarely get ones that bad (though they happen occasionally). Also, sometimes a migraine is general nausea and shakiness without even a tiny bit of head pain for me.

    They really and truly are a strange phenomenon. I worked in a neurology office for a while and one of the theories I heard about there was they think they may be related to epilepsy -- little epileptic seizures. I don't think it was confirmed, but something they were exploring. I haven't looked into it since then.

    In all forms, they suck, I agree. I hadn't realized that you can get them without having head pain - everyday is a school day :smile:

    One thing I have noticed whenever the migraine topic crops up on MFP is that they are almost exclusively answered by women.

    Which makes me think that maybe men are the leading cause of migraine...

    Jokes (kind of).
    Ha ha! That could be it! Women get them far more than men do ... We have solved it! :wink:

    Yeah, you can get them without pain. They affect the entire body.

    My daughter used to wake up a lot and immediately throw up. Her (mostly useless) pediatrician diagnosed it over the phone as acid reflux and told me to just give her Pepcid before bed every night. Well, a few months later I was watching The Doctors and a woman called in asking about the same thing with her kid and they said that often happens with kids in families with migraine history (ours goes back at least four generations that I know of). She didn't have the head pain when it happened, but she had the nausea. And she does get migraines, too.
  • LesliemarieAZ
    LesliemarieAZ Posts: 352 Member
    Did anyone else get a migraine just by reading this thread? Oddly, that's one of the triggers for me - just talking about headaches gives me one! I also get headaches from not getting enough sleep, being in front of the computer for too long, hunger, stress, and being out in the sun. I get them so often that I feel like my supervisors at work don't believe me anymore about having to leave early or not come in at all, and I pretty much always run out of PTO by the end of the year because of it!

    I'm interested to know what kinds of meds everyone else is taking? I've been prescribed Imitrex for mine, but I don't often take it because it makes me really dizzy (which only makes the headache worse).
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I'm interested to know what kinds of meds everyone else is taking? I've been prescribed Imitrex for mine, but I don't often take it because it makes me really dizzy (which only makes the headache worse).

    Usually a couple Exedrin with an Aleve or ibuprofin will fix mine -- especially if I catch it early. But I keep Maxalt around just in case that doesn't work. They're pricey but they work miracles.

    I'm not on anything preventative simply because mine usually are manageable and I can function.

    Also, yoga helps a TON. I have walked into a yoga class with a splitting migraine and it was gone in five minutes.
  • jesiann2014
    jesiann2014 Posts: 521 Member
    Withuot Maxalt, I would not be able to function. The Maxalt takes care of the pain. I can manage with the blurred vision, nausea, light sensitivity, shortness of breath, etc. The pain? No way! Puts me down... :(
  • LesliemarieAZ
    LesliemarieAZ Posts: 352 Member

    Usually a couple Exedrin with an Aleve or ibuprofin will fix mine -- especially if I catch it early. But I keep Maxalt around just in case that doesn't work. They're pricey but they work miracles.

    I'm not on anything preventative simply because mine usually are manageable and I can function.

    Also, yoga helps a TON. I have walked into a yoga class with a splitting migraine and it was gone in five minutes.

    I usually take Aleve as well and it's really helpful but only if I catch it early. Sometimes my migraine starts in the middle of the night when I'm sleeping, and by morning time it's an awful rager. I'll look into Maxalt - thanks!
  • djflowerz
    djflowerz Posts: 23 Member
    Are you anemic? I have mild anemia caused by frequent, heavy periods. I eat red meat and vegetable sources of iron but I still need a daily iron pill supplement. This has reduced my headaches.
  • liekewheeless
    liekewheeless Posts: 416 Member
    I switch between ibuprofen and Tylenol (generic equivalent). If I keep taking the same stuff it stops working. (I don't mix them, just one month this one and than the other)

    I also need to take it immediately when I start feeling a pressure (not a headache yet) or no amount will work. Then it still takes about 2 hours to kick in.

    Sometimes throwing up helps.
  • melinda_great
    melinda_great Posts: 33 Member
    I struggle a lot with migraines and other headaches. Aside from finding your own personal triggers and avoiding those things, the biggest preventative things that help me are getting enough sleep and getting regular exercise. The regular exercise is a huge factor. If I slack off for more than a week, I pay for it immediately. The exercise is usually just as simple as a 20-30 minute walk, but the payoff is enormous. I treat it as a "prescription" just like my preventative med, and it works. I also find that I get fewer when I'm at a lower weight.

    I've also found things that help once my headaches and migraines start, since my Imitrex doesn't always last the entire month and I try to stretch it. Generic versions of Excedrin Migraine are great to try as soon as you begin to get a headache. Walmart has a "headache formula" that you can get for about $2.00 for 100 pills. An ice pack on the back of your head is awesome as well. This is my absolute favorite thing. I have a flexible one from Rite Aid that came with a stretchy band with velcro, and it's a life saver. Peppermint oil also eases my headache pain.
  • HappyathomeMN
    HappyathomeMN Posts: 498 Member
    I have the Maxalt MLT version because I can't swallow much at all when I have a migraine and the Imitrex shots were becoming too much. The version of Maxalt is a melt tablet that you don't have to swallow, it melts on your tongue. It has worked wonders for me.

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