Migraine

Overall I've been doing better migraine-wise since I got my vitamin D levels up and stopped eating dairy all the time. I've even started exercising regularly again.

Yesterday was great, I went walking for over an hour. Ate healthily all day and went to bed on time.

Then I woke up this morning feeling hung over, and it only got worse from there until the meds I took kicked in. I'm assuming the cold front that came through last night triggered a migraine for me.

I love the cooler fall weather, but I'm dreading the thought of another October like last year with all the cold fronts that blow in this time of year.

Besides meds, and avoiding what triggers I can, what else can I do? Why the heck do changes in barometric pressure trigger migraines anyway?

Weather triggers are notorious for being devilishly tricky to avoid. Having a good preventative regimen helps some, but it's harder to control these kinds of triggers than other kinds with preventative measures. A lot of it has to do with the unpredictability of weather fronts, and their tendency to do their own thing at whim.

I know that abrupt changes in environment as far as heat and humidity goes can help set me off, so one thing I've found that helps is to try and not go from one extreme to the other going in and out of the house if I can help it. This is big in the winter, when I might come in from five below into a 74-degree house. It's better if I stop for a minute in the garage to acclimate a little first, because it's less of a disruption to my brainbucket. Other than that kind of thing, and sticking with preventatives, which has cut down some of my tendency to trigger, I've not found a lot I can do myself except hope for the best.

Hi alanna,

Some folks have lots of problems with weather pressure changes. While you keep working on your preventive regimen you may want to talk to your doctor about the possibility of something you can take when you know the pressure is going to change. I know a couple of Migraineurs who take Diamox when they know a weather front is moving in.
Preventing Migraines triggered by weather changes

We have some Ask the Clinician questions you may find helpful you can take a look at here: Migraine and Headache Questions, #8

This article may help too:

Migraines Often Triggered By Change In the Weather

Hi Alanna!

Since Droolie and Nancy already gave you such great information, I just thought I'd stop in to add hugs and to commiserate and send the sympathies of a fellow weather-triggered Migraineur!

Here in NC, the weather starts to go crazy about this time of the year- cold- hot- cold- hot, and Jamie's poor little head eventually doesn't like it!!

I'm hoping to find still an even better preventive combo, but I'm SO much in better shape than last year at this time when the weather started to do this. I'm hoping I'll be able to do better this time around!

Best of luck to you this year- hope it's easier on the head with the weather changes and cold fronts!

It's always puzzled me how we trigger from weather barometer changes, but not from elevator rides (at least I didn't.) The last time I took any serious elevator rides, though, was 11 years ago, and I was in the early days of Migraining. (Touring NYC.)

I guess it's because the air pressure changes over such a vast area that we trigger? I'm just glad I wasn't migraining when Hurricane Hugo hit here - air pressure dropped to about 942 millibars (27.8 inches).

Rebecca, The Old Goat