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get my migraine headaches under control


 

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How to get my migraine headaches under control



More "How I Did It" stories

It took me
7 months
It made me
healthier


It took me
5 years
It made me
Amazed and Happy


It took me
3 years
It made me
Painless


Entries

shoemaker is OVERWHELMED

Dissapointment 1 week ago

I thought the combination of -

1. a much healthier diet, ZERO caffeine, Zero junk-food, weekday vegan (only one peice of meat and one piece of fish each weekend), ALMOST ZERO added sugar; and -

2. weekley Yoga class; and -

3. more regular sleep habits;

would greatly reduce the migraines.

No such luck (yet)...



Tension Headaches 6 months ago

Since finals week, I’ve had persistent headaches. I know they aren’t migraines because the pain is bilateral. When I have migraines, the pain is only on the left side of my head.

I think a lot of it has to do with neck tension and, since I grind my teeth in my sleep, tension in my jaw.

Completing final papers was quite a stressful situation, which was followed by a lot of car trips, a move, and now a job hunt. I need to find a way to deal with stress more effectively.



progress 6 months ago

I have recently reduced my headaches by getting adequate nutrition. I used a software program to record what I eat, and tell me if I was getting enough of all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Too much Vitamin A was triggering headaches, as was too little potassium, water, and folate. Balancing my omega 3’s helped too.



Triggers 7 months ago

After removing preservatives and artificial sweeteners from my diet, I’ve narrowed down my triggers to a few possibilities:

  • Grinding my teeth in my sleep
  • Tension in my neck muscles
  • Skipping meals
  • An allergy to pollen
  • Chocolate or soy

I’ve also noticed that caffeine can really help me, so I usually take my Maxalt with a can of soda now.



Radical changes. 8 months ago

I’m currently taking Maxalt, which is great, but makes me unbelievably drowsy. The side effects are just about as debilitating as having an actual migraine, so due to the frequency with which I’m getting headaches, it isn’t enough.

I’ve been doing research on so-called migraine diets, and have decided to change how I eat. First of all, I finally got off my school’s meal plan, which means I can start cooking for myself.

I’m cutting out trigger foods that I consume the most frequently. These include (unfortunately!):

  • Alcohol
  • Chocolate
  • Caffeine
  • Bacon
  • Soy beans
  • Sourdough bread
  • Soy sauce/miso/teriyaki sauce

In addition, I’m being very picky about what I cook with. Today while buying spices, I noticed that McCormick’s includes a preservative with their ginger. While it may not be a trigger, I’m not going to spend the rest of my life Googling every obscure chemical name to find out if it’s okay to consume. I’m just going to get something without preservatives.

The good news is that there are several foods thought to help with migraines, which I’m going to up my consumption of:

  • Cream cheese
  • Peppermint
  • Fish
  • Turkey
  • Ginger
  • Garlic
  • Black-eyed peas
  • Calcium-rich foods (dairy, spinach, broccoli)

I’m really hoping that making positive changes to my diet will be more helpful than just drugging myself to sleep.



Common triggers: 8 months ago
  • Cheese
  • Chocolate
  • Citrus fruits
  • Hot dogs
  • MSG
  • Aspartame
  • Fatty foods
  • Ice cream
  • Caffeine withdrawal
  • Alcoholic drinks, especially red wine and beer

More info.



Bloody life-ruining nuisances. 9 months ago

Migraines are genetic, my mother gets them as well. To treat them I take two or three paracetamol, or two or three ibuprofen, and the drug sumatriptan. Sometimes it doesn’t work, case in point: have had current migraine for four days now.

I don’t have much to get stressed about, having a crappy one-day-a-week job and a non-existant social life due to depression. Maybe that is the cause of my stress, though. I mostly get muscular migraines, seeing as I have back problems and ever-present knots in my neck and shoulder muscles. I eat junk food on an almost daily basis, which can’t help, either.



Another form of Control 10 months ago

I was orignally controlling my migraines with a diet the cut refined foods out.

I have also found raw broccoli to be pretty effective at easing the pain of a migraine when eaten during a migraine.

This prompted more research. Then, I found that if I take magnesium supplement, there is a decrease in the frequency of Migraines. I believe this to be due the effect of magnesium regulating serotonin. My family doctor said that there has not been enough research in this area for him to comment.

I later found Chromium to be helpful also. Chromium helps my body process sugars. This in turn contributes to a lower frequency of migraines also.

So, I have been eating more foods that I shouldn’t eat and still having few migraines. However, weight gain is very possible with these migraine control measures.



shoemaker is OVERWHELMED

Back-to-back-to-back 11 months ago

whoppers!!

I’m just under toooooooo much pressure, and I’m not treating my body right (or my soul, for that matter)...



lalapirates is trying, at her level best, to do her homework...

triggers for me... 11 months ago

-chocolate
-cheese
-meat
-dairy products
-spicy stuff
-too much tv/computer
-too much loud music in my ears
-chemicals from AP chemistry (i dropped out of that class)
-dust, particles in the air…
-STRESS (HUGE factor…)
-my mother’s yelling



See all 73 entries

Ask for advice: Get help from people who've accomplished this goal


Emily asks, “Do you take any prescription drugs for migraine treatment? What are they, and have they been helpful?”
— 8 months ago


4 answers

shoemaker asks, “Conventional medicine doesn't seem to be doing it - has anyone had success with alternative medicine?”
— 3 years ago


12 answers

 

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