Migraine Headaches

[nlp]

Hi Newbies and Others,

This is my first time to the discussion board. I have begun to follow Dr. McDougall's 7 day allergy elimination food plan, which I found online. This is in an effort to find out what has been causing my migraines for the past 33 years. I have suspected many triggers, and perhaps there are many. But I wonder if there is anyone on this forum who has experience with migraines and has found relief.

The is the end of my fourth day on the plan and, so far, no headache. But then I have gone for some weeks at a time in the past without a headache.

I've been a fan of Dr. McDougall ever since hearing Dr. Ruth Heidrich speak about five years ago, and a vegan for more years than that, but I've never been able to give up all the oils and nuts, etc....until this week.

Thanks for any suggestions or help you may have.

NLP

[CHEF AJ]

I suffered for migraines and the neurologist only wanted to give me drugs. So I want to an immunologist and got comprehensive allergy testing. Once I gave up the offending foods, I stopped having migraines. (Histamine also plays a role in some people's migraines and some foods are higher in histamine). Unfortunately for me, one of the foods I can no longer have is CHOCOLATE (and I'm a pastry chef!!!). But I figure if I can give up the love of my life after 50 years, than ANYONE can give up ANYTHING!!!

Love & Kale,
Chef AJ

[molly_horn]

Hi NLP,
I suffer chronic daily migraines and tension headaches. I am also new to this forum – this is my first post! I have not tried McDougall's diet yet, but I am excited to learn more about it. I have had MRIs, CT scans, blood tests, and filled out countless questionnaires.

Currently, I take Topamax and Nortriptyline to help with my headaches, and I try to keep my blood sugar in check due to reactive hypoglycemia and insulin resistance. Nothing works 100% though, and I still have headaches daily.

I have never been to an allergist, as none of my doctors have suggested that this might be part of the problem. Now I am thinking perhaps I should try this. I did try the "headache diet" that I found online, taking out many aged foods, caffeine, cheeses, etc. and it was no help. Going vegan made no difference (though I am vegan for other reasons).

I think that in my case, part of the problem might be use of artificial sweeteners? I use Splenda sometimes.

Thanks for reading, and for posting this topic.
-Molly
Fort Worth, TX

[nlp]

Dear Chef AJ and Molly,

Thanks to both of you for your replies. Molly, I have been trying to find out the cause for years also. Luckily I don't have the migraines every day, but one can last for six days.

I found Dr. McDougall's hypoallergenic diet very interesting, and I am still largely on it, although i am cautiously adding a few other foods. Again, that diet is simply brown rice, sweet potatoes, veggies (except for tomatoes) fruit (except for citrus) and water. No oil, teas, anything else.

Although I have had the beginnings of migraine while on this food, it's passed off quite soon with no medication.

I went off this food plan last Friday with four cups of beans in 24 hours, and spent the entire weekend in bed with an awful migraine. So I definitely suspect beans.

I know that there can be lots of migraine triggers. My local naturopath thinks a big one for me is stress. He is giving me suggestions about how to relieve it -- breathing, relaxation, writing, etc. I am going to take these seriously. He also gave me some supplements -- one an anti-inflammatory called Inflammatrix, a migraine preparation called Migracare, and a stress preparation called Testo-Gain.

I am really sorry that you are plagued so often by your headaches. Keep trying. Stay in touch, and let us hear about your progress.

"Love and Kale."

Layne

[CHEF AJ]

Stress is a key factor in many, if not most, illnesses. One things that also helps migraines is fasting. If it is too difficult to so yourslef at home, you can do medically supervised fasting at True North in Santa Rosa. I will be there for a week in January. Their website is ww.healthpromoting.com/

[Maer]

Hi,

I get severe migraines that can last for days, and am still trying to figure out the triggers. Beans seem to be a big trigger, so I've avoided all forms of legumes for about 6 wks now, with a drastic reduction in number of migraines. This is in addition to being on a (high fat in the form of nuts) vegan diet. I'm brand new to this McDougall thing and still trying to organize myself mentally to try it. Giving up nuts, while avoiding beans, gluten, and nightshades doesn't seem to leave much remaining!

I'd be interested in anyone else's experience re triggers and diet.

Thanks,
Maer

[molly_horn]

HI Maer,
I'm really curious about your anti-migraine diet. What have you heard about gluten and nightshades in relation to migraines? I've never heard that those are triggers... but I'm new to this, also. I'd like to know what you've learned, if you're willing to share.
Thanks!

[Maer]

I avoid nightshades and gluten for reasons of arthritis, however Dr. Neal Barnard MD in his book Foods that Fight Pain, lists the most common triggers, in order from most to least common, as
dairy, chocolate, eggs, citrus, meat, wheat, nuts + peanuts, tomatoes, onions, corn, apples, and bananas.

I think for me, the tomatoes, apples, and bananas are mild triggers, peanuts and all legumes strong triggers, as are chocolate/caffeine.
Don't know about meat and dairy as I've been off of them forever, it seems (with plenty of migraines still).

Hope that helps!

[molly_horn]

Oh wow, thank you so much! I bought that book several months ago at Half-Price Books, but have yet to read it. I didn't realize it addressed migraines – I would have read it right away!

I still eat citrus occasionally, but frequently (as in multiple times each day!) eat wheat, nuts + peanuts, tomatoes, onions, corn, apples, and bananas. I hadn't realized they could be migraine triggers. I was going off that "aged foods" list which does include nuts, but the others are all news to me. I gave up chocolate and caffeine, and being vegan negates dairy, eggs, meat, etc., but ... wow!

So much to think about. I really appreciate all the information from everyone.

[Emerson]

Oh wow, thank you so much! I bought that book several months ago at Half-Price Books, but have yet to read it. I didn't realize it addressed migraines – I would have read it right away!

I am testing doing a multiple reply.

he tomatoes, apples, and bananas are mild triggers

It seems to be working.

Stress is a key factor in many, if not most, illnesses. One things that also helps migraines is fasting. If it is too difficult to so yourslef at home, you can do medically supervised fasting at True North in Santa Rosa. I will be there for a week in January. Their website is ww.healthpromoting.com/

Good so far.

I've been a fan of Dr. McDougall ever since hearing Dr. Ruth Heidrich speak about five years ago, and a vegan for more years than that, but I've never been able to give up all the oils and nuts, etc....until this week.

Easy!!

[StarchBeet]

I'm happy to have discovered this topic. Next to getting more fat off me, my most pressing concern is dealing with my migraines. I get them when bad weather is coming but I dunno if that threshold is lowered because of something like beans or onions (definitely one of my triggers) because I can't control the weather! But chocolate, lack of sleep, skipping food all day (when I had horrible nutrition and chose to eat poorly after I starved myself all day, instead of cooking good vegan low fat foods so I hope that was related to poor blood sugar control and being obese), caffeine are things I've identified so far.

Now you've given me more to try to figure out after reading all of your experiences. My mother and grandmother both had them and they supposedly just went away after so many years for both of them.

Plant-strength to all of you!

[blondie]

Coincidentally, I just watched a video on youtube of Dr. Neal Barnard on the addictive nature of some foods, and he went through a list of things that often trigger migraines in children.

This is the video where he mentions a list of foods that trigger migraines @ 13:38 :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VWi6dXCT7I

[Vegankit]

I used to suffer from migraines with aura (averaged 1-2 a month) but they stopped once I started Maximum Weight Loss two years ago (I didn't cheat, very strict adherence). I never determined any food trigger. I do have allergies to several foods (cause my throat to swell up) so I never eat those.

I have determined two triggers: 1) being outside on a very sunny day after it's been cloudy for a few days; and 2) flashing lights - that off/on of lights that can be from an alarm system or driving on a tree lined street on a sunny day when you get the shadows from trees alternating with sun or through a tunnel with poorly placed lights, or a naughty kid flicking the light on and off. But this didn't account for most of my migraines.

Recently when walking in a local mall, their fire alarm went off including that dreaded flashing lights - and I did get a headache but it didn't escalate into a migraine and passed quickly - in the past I would have gotten a migraine within minutes. I have to say it felt weird to have a headache without a migraine - I don't know if I've ever had a headache before in my life.

I hope that you have the same wonderful response on this diet that I had in regards to my migraine which started when I was a kid.

[blondie]

Interesting about flashing lights triggering your headaches -- I have heard that flashing lights can trigger epileptic seizures.

[StarchBeet]

Thanks Blondie and VeganKit. I am getting the MWL in the mail soon. I'm zeroing in on what's health producing and healing. Things will continue to get better. Much appreciate your input.