NKR - headache/migraine
DietPrada
Posts: 1,171 Member
Not really keto related, more reaching out to see if you guys have any ideas. For the last 6 years - 3 to 4 times a week, sometimes more, sometimes less - I wake up at about 3am with an excruciating pain in my right temple and behind my eye. Always on this side. I can feel my pulse beating in my temple (sometimes I can see the vein move) and it's like someone stabbing an ice-pick into my head.
I know before I go to bed it's going to happen, as I can hear my heartbeat in my ears, like there's pressure in my head.
It feels as though laying down causes some kind of restriction to a blood vessel on the right side of my head. Sometimes I'm worried I'm going to have a stroke.
Things that seem to cause it - nothing. Not TTOTM, not food/preservatives. Not environmental (I've moved in this time, both work and home).
Things that help - sitting up normally makes it go away, within about 20 minutes. Caffeine also helps greatly. Sometimes if I stretch my neck all the way to the left it eases (like I'm relieving pressure on that main blood vessel on the right side of my neck). Some days it doesn't go away as easily. Pain killers don't touch it. It also makes me feel nauseous - sometimes for hours afterwards.
I have been to the doctor. I've been to a couple in fact, and I've also had a cat scan. They don't know what it is. One doctor suggested "cluster migraines". Other than sympathetic noises and suggestions of what it might be I have not had any luck.
I guess the point of my post is wondering if anyone has had the same problem, or knows someone who has, and can think of anything I might suggest to my doctor to look for (they don't know everything, especially if something is not common).
It really is debilitating, causing me at times to miss work (or be 2 hours late like I was today). It would be nice to know what causes it and how to manage it.
I know before I go to bed it's going to happen, as I can hear my heartbeat in my ears, like there's pressure in my head.
It feels as though laying down causes some kind of restriction to a blood vessel on the right side of my head. Sometimes I'm worried I'm going to have a stroke.
Things that seem to cause it - nothing. Not TTOTM, not food/preservatives. Not environmental (I've moved in this time, both work and home).
Things that help - sitting up normally makes it go away, within about 20 minutes. Caffeine also helps greatly. Sometimes if I stretch my neck all the way to the left it eases (like I'm relieving pressure on that main blood vessel on the right side of my neck). Some days it doesn't go away as easily. Pain killers don't touch it. It also makes me feel nauseous - sometimes for hours afterwards.
I have been to the doctor. I've been to a couple in fact, and I've also had a cat scan. They don't know what it is. One doctor suggested "cluster migraines". Other than sympathetic noises and suggestions of what it might be I have not had any luck.
I guess the point of my post is wondering if anyone has had the same problem, or knows someone who has, and can think of anything I might suggest to my doctor to look for (they don't know everything, especially if something is not common).
It really is debilitating, causing me at times to miss work (or be 2 hours late like I was today). It would be nice to know what causes it and how to manage it.
0
Replies
-
I'm so sorry for your migraine troubles! My adult son has had them and we've been to doctors, headache specialists, and he's been through lots of tests and strong meds that I believe created even more migraines as well as other very difficult side effects. In my online searches I found Preventa Migraine https://amazon.com/gp/product/B00G7VX9S6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 made from Butterbur Root, Magnesium, Riboflavin, and Feverfew. It has helped him far more than the prescribed meds, which we have eliminated. He still gets some headaches, but the daily, very debilitating migraines are a thing of the past. The supplement and an occasional Excedrine does the trick. Perhaps it could be of help to you. Everyone is different, but it's worth a try.0
-
I'm so sorry for your migraine troubles! My adult son has had them and we've been to doctors, headache specialists, and he's been through lots of tests and strong meds that I believe created even more migraines as well as other very difficult side effects. In my online searches I found Preventa Migraine https://amazon.com/gp/product/B00G7VX9S6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 made from Butterbur Root, Magnesium, Riboflavin, and Feverfew. It has helped him far more than the prescribed meds, which we have eliminated. He still gets some headaches, but the daily, very debilitating migraines are a thing of the past. The supplement and an occasional Excedrine does the trick. Perhaps it could be of help to you. Everyone is different, but it's worth a try.
The reviews are really good but "this item does not ship to Australia" ...
1 -
Migraines are just miserable. Mine were food triggered and as long as I avoid most meats and wheat I don't get them which is like being set free from prison. You said food was not a trigger, so that sucks when you don't know the trigger.
Not sure what you have already tried, but here are a few that didn't work for me but work for a large percentage of migraine sufferers:
A daily magnesium supplement
feverfew 2/day (12 hours apart)
CoQ10
B22 -
Mine were triggered by a layered response to histamine, from appearances. It wasn't one food, but a combination of foods with a number that once I reached it, was similar to what you described. Oddly, taking a blood pressure pill twice a day, lowest level, has made the issue resolve completely.
Sounds like Feverfew and magnesium are a underlying similarity there...worth finding something in your neck of the woods that has both, I'd think. Maybe even look in essential oils that could be combined in a carrier oil and applied to the temples or something.1 -
Young living makes an essential oil blend called M-Grain that I used to use to treat my migraines, it worked pretty well, not sure how it would do as a preventative, but might be worth a try.0
-
This may be a silly question but since you said that you can tell it is going to happen before you go to bed have you tried taking some caffeine and doing some gentle neck/shoulder stretches before bed? If not that might be worthwhile. I have had similar migraines that only responded to a specific medication that is largely caffeine (its called Cafergot here in the states). It turned out that mine were actually due to a chemical sensitively in a cleaner used at my school. It took over 2 years to figure that out though because the chemical evaporated after a while so was only a problem during use or shortly after. You might also want to try an antihistamine, a histamine response could be part of the problem.0
-
migrelief.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/JANAreprintandStudies1.pdf
While this article is kind of deep it does hit some of the behind the scene causes that might give some ideas to help prevent migraines.2 -
'KnitOrMiss wrote: »Mine were triggered by a layered response to histamine, from appearances. It wasn't one food, but a combination of foods with a number that once I reached it, was similar to what you described. Oddly, taking a blood pressure pill twice a day, lowest level, has made the issue resolve completely.
Sounds like Feverfew and magnesium are a underlying similarity there...worth finding something in your neck of the woods that has both, I'd think. Maybe even look in essential oils that could be combined in a carrier oil and applied to the temples or something.
The doctor tried beta blockers about 5 years ago (blood pressure pills) my Dad also had great success with them, but my blood pressure is normally on the lower side of normal and all they did was make it so every time I stood up I nearly blacked out. So I didn't take them long enough to see if they helped with the migraines. I am currently taking magnesium. One of my co-workers said she has great success with "No-doze" which is a caffeine pill available from the pharmacy. Which is maybe worth a try, but do I want to take a caffeine pill before bed? The problem is not getting rid of the migraine once it occurs, rather preventing it from waking me at 3am. Once I do wake up with one I can get it under control fairly well by getting up, having a strong coffee and a hot shower. But this does not help me sleep.
0 -
If you have to take caffeine, try a low dose - and mute the wakeful side of it by taking it with taurine for balance. I've had a caffeinated drink close to bed time and taken it with taurine, and had no noticeable problem with sleep.0
-
Can you tell me what Taurine does in relation to caffeine? I googled it and all I could find is it can be useful for congenital heart failure and it's dangerous in energy drinks.0
-
Ive had migraines like that for 9 years. They controlled my life. Mine were behind both eyes.
I "thought" caffeine helped, but I learned it was my bodies dependance on the caffeine that made it help temporarily. I tappered off it slowly during SIX months. Now I have NO caffeine. Even one drink can cause my body to want more and a migraine to start.
I also go put on a nerve medicine. Zonizomide. Its for seizures, anxiety. Idea was stress and anxiety was causing nerve spasms in my head. If Im a couple hours late taking my pill I start to feel funny like one is coming on.
I bought an air neck pump thing from amazon. Its scary, its painful. Its amazing. When my neck feels tight I use it 5-10 minutes. It seperates my neck vertebrae some, allowing muscles and nerves room.
I have ice pack that wraps around my forhead, one that wraps below, over my eyes, and one that wraps behind the base of my skull in back. I have a heating pad I rotate out with the one on the base of my skull if my neck is stiff.
About once every 1-2 months around my period or a crazy stressful day I may get a migraine. I take 2 aspirin to help circulation, use neck stretcher, then ice up. Best cure.
Ive been on tons of level 2 narcotics in the past and lots of Drs. They were just like a bandaid.
0 -
KristinNitsirk wrote: »Ive had migraines like that for 9 years. They controlled my life. Mine were behind both eyes.
I "thought" caffeine helped, but I learned it was my bodies dependance on the caffeine that made it help temporarily. I tappered off it slowly during SIX months. Now I have NO caffeine. Even one drink can cause my body to want more and a migraine to start.
I also go put on a nerve medicine. Zonizomide. Its for seizures, anxiety. Idea was stress and anxiety was causing nerve spasms in my head. If Im a couple hours late taking my pill I start to feel funny like one is coming on.
Caffeine definitely helps. I know because in the 6 years I've been getting these migraines, I did 4 months caffeine free. The headaches were no worse or better, but I could not get comparable relief with other methods. I do not consume large amounts of caffeine, and I do not get "caffeine withdrawal" headaches if I go a day or two without.
My doctor has also ruled out stress as a contributing factor. I am not someone who suffers greatly from stress, and the migraines don't seem to alter in frequency or intensity depending on what's going on in my life or if I'm particularly worried about something. I have a job I like and a hubby I'm happy with and do not suffer any undue tension these days (10 years ago things were less serene).
Nor does it seem to be related to anything I eat or drink. It feels to me like there's a very physical cause, like something wrong with the vein in my neck/temple. I lie down I get intense pain, I get up it goes away. It'd be great if I never had to lie down.0 -
EbonyDahlia wrote: »Can you tell me what Taurine does in relation to caffeine? I googled it and all I could find is it can be useful for congenital heart failure and it's dangerous in energy drinks.
@EbonyDahlia - My response was based off of personal experimentation as well as knowing what the functions of taurine are supposed to do. It helps eye health, can mute out the negative side effects of caffeine (which is part of why they get a bad reputation in energy drinks, because if you don't get the jitters, you might drink more, etc.), helps some with regulation of electrolyte transfer, and has other effects, too. Here are a couple interesting links. Looks like it can also help liver and stress... But we know not all things work for all people.
For me, if I have a good clip of caffeine or start to get a headache, I can take a taurine pill and avoid the pain pills. I don't generally get withdrawal headaches at all anymore, though my 20's were another story altogether due to a mistaken notion that Mountain Dew didn't have caffeine while I was struggling to work two jobs...
https://migraineagain.com/can-taurine-in-energy-drinks-really-jolt-your-migraine-free/
https://liftmode.com/blog/taurine-for-top-10-uses/
healthpsych.psy.vanderbilt.edu/taurine.htm0
This discussion has been closed.