Migraine and headaches

I also have a migraine disorder which causes visual disturbances. But mine's brought on more from stress rather than diet. You may want to doublecheck with your physician as to the causes and frequency. It could be more than just a lack of vitamins, etc.

I too get migraines. I used to suffer through them (although that meant a dark room for a day or two). I now keep Imitrex (sp?) with me at all times. You need to see your doctor to get the prescription.

I find my migraines are brought on by stress and/or alcohol and lack of water (sometimes I drink too much coffee and not enough water for days at a time). I have been watching my water intake and it has helped. No need for the prescription very often.

You do need to find out what are the causes of your migraines and try to remove those from your life.

Good luck.

Is there a new "diet food" you've started eating frequently? My husband has ocular migraines and his are triggered by certain types of foods and lighting. Usually its a processed food (lunchmeat, hot dogs, mentos gum, etc). I buy foods with minimal processing or when we're just hungry for a hot dog or whatever I buy products without nitrates and fillers. It has cut down on migraines significanty. Too much or too little sleep could also be the problem?

I've been dieting for over 3 weeks now and had a bit of success.

Unfortunately i've now started getting headaches and migraines more frequently. This can be quite debilitating as i get quite a strong aura and it leaves me quite tired for up to a couple of days.

I'm eating between 1200 and 1500 calories a day and get about half an hour walk a day. I'm sure I'm getting enough nutrition as i get a good varied diet.

Does anyone have any advice on how to help reduce the chance of migraines?

I went on a detox a few years ago, buit had to give up after just a week, as coming off caffein cold turkey gave me terrible headaches :sick: . Is there any stimulant which you are having less of? Coffee, tea, fizzy drinks all have high caffein content and could also be adding to your problems (if its not simple dehydration) as its a simple withdrawel symptom

Hey there! I'm so sorry for what you are going through. Unfortunately because your diet journal is locked it is hard for help. If you open it for viewing it might be easier to see if something you are eating is causing the migraines. Certain foods are definately triggers. I've delt with debilitating migraines since I was 13 and I'm 34 now. Only through preventative medication for the last 3 years have I finally gotten it under control. Again, if you'd like to unlock your diary or add me as a friend, I'd be more than happy to take a look for you.

I too suffer from headaches and migraines. The headaches (not migraines) have been much worse on days after exercise. I usually exercise immediately after work and feel fine in the evening, but then the headache develops through the night. It feels very much like a hangover, which would suggest dehydration. It also seems worse if the exercise is more vigorous and I lose more water through sweat. Problem is that I am drinking plenty of water, but I don't seem to absorb it. I've done a bit of reading around (on the internet, so info taken very cautiously) and this suggests the exercise is lowering my salt levels and stopping me from absorbing the water. A suggestion is to have a glass of tomato juice after exercise, which should help you absorb the water you drink after. I have tried this and found that it worked for a couple of months, but since joining MFP I have found it less effective - maybe you could try that through, it might be effective for you. The things I am now trying and have worked over the past couple of weeks are:

1. Increasing my water intake through the day prior to exercise (about 2.5 litres / ~ 10 cups) between the hours of 8am and 4.30pm, so that I definitely fully hydrated to start off with. It should be plain water, not counting things like fizzy drinks - having fizzy drinks contributes to my headaches and migraines.
2. Making sure I do a cooldown - I tend to walk for 5 minutes after harder exercise (also tend to sip my water through this walk).

(I am also continuing with the tomato juice, as I think this may help.)

The other thing I have thought about as being a cause is blocked nasal passages and sinuses and sometimes they also hurt. Making sure they are clear before and after exercise might help, e.g. a sniff of olbas oil or vix, etc.

I'm not a doctor, but just someone who has similar experience. You should go to the doctors as well as possibly considering the above. I went to the doctor and they have managed to prescribe me some good medication for migraine attacks, but they can't find a reason for the headaches. Just one of those things I suppose, so I am trying my own ways of figuring out the causes.

I suffer from migraines, sometimes for a week at a time. Since losing weight, my migraines have became less frequent, most probably because I'm drinking a lot more water than I used to. I had an awful migraine last Thursday that I couldn't shake, but I went to a walk to relax, and it had cleared by the time I got home!

Previously, when I tried losing weight, I would have monitored my sugar intake very closely, but a lack of sugar gave me a migraine!! So now I eat plenty of fruit, and I always keep some boiled sweets in my car or handbag.

It would be very helpful if you could make your diary public, as there could be a number of things giving you the migraine other than dehydration. I know of some people who would take a migraine from eating too much wheat, or like me, too little sugar.

Zest magazine have an article on headaches this month. Among those things suggested for relieving headaches are botox, supplements such as Co-Q10 and also Vitamin B2 in the morning (takes about 3 months to show and effect and making sure you are fully hydrated throughout the day.

Possible causes are listed as skipping meals - are you doing this (apparently the most common dietary cause)? Cheese, red wine, chocolate, citrus fruit, coffee, MSG, fatty foods, ice cream, soy sauce and miso. Also low blood sugar can spark a migraine.

I would pull back on the diet a bit and see how that helps, plus make sure you are getting adequate sleep and are not putting tension into your muscles. So the losing weight thing may take a bit longer, but I know what I'd rather choose.

if that doesn't help, see a doctor.