Migraine

hello everyone
I have a question, I was tested for allergies and found im allergic to michigan, LOL! well anything green, pollen, dust, mold etc...but no food allergies came up...so what i want to know is, how can food be a trigger if it doesnt show up in allergy testing? or r the 2 simply unrelated? im guessing they are as i think ive been getting more because i started to eat bananas and strawberries as of about 3 weeks ago and have had migraines nearly every day!! plus the weather and pollen has affected me..anyone got any feedback? i thought allergy testing would tell me the foods that i would react to? but maybe not in a migraine way? thanks in advance. shazz

No such luck, especially if you had scratch testing done. An allergy scratch test measures a hystamine reaction, but a food triggering a migraine isn't the same kind of reaction.

I have heard allergy blood tests can be sort of effective (like RAST and ELISA) but even those are sketchy.

Your best bet would be to stop eating bananas and strawberries and see if there is an improvement in your migraines.

Also, it helps to keep a daily food log and a migraine diary. This way you can see if maybe it's not just one thing, but a combo of foods that gives you a problem.

Yeah, Kat explained it well - it's two different systems - allergies trigger a reaction in your immune system. Migraine triggers trigger your nervous system. So migraine triggers it's just process of elimination to figure it out.

Good luck!

- Megs

Yep, triggering allergies and triggering migraines are two completely different processes. It's possible that some people might be both allergic to a substance and trigger off of it migraine-wise, but they're still exclusive of each other as far as the process goes.

Another thing to consider is that allergies are a physical stressor. The weather and pollen and all that have been affecting you, which causes your immune system to kick in and fight it. The resultant physical stress on your system from this battle could be making you more susceptible to your migraine triggers, which would make you trigger more easily. That could explain why the migraines are seeming more frequent now that the allergies are picking up. That's the way I understand it, anyway.

great !!!! so now im stuffed!! thanks everyone for your input I think I get it now! i took today off work coz i think i have used up enough nasal imitrex this week and i just cant take any more...it's a medium pollen day and it's humid, but the thing is we have central air and i stay inside you would think that would help a bit! but oh no after 40 years of these things they are getting worse...great come on menopaus oh that is another thing, two periods in one month, then they come late, then they come early..so my hormones are all messed up, im 48 and headed down the menopause road so i guess all that doesnt help..oh joy my life is soo ....grand