Migraine

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Originally posted by e:
Caffeine doesn't seem to be a trigger for me, but one thing that always makes me feel better when I have a migraine is Vitamin Water. They have a couple "energy" versions that have caffeine, but most are just vitamin-fortified. I don't like really sweet stuff, so it's just right. I don't know if it will help pick you up, but it always makes me feel better, even if it is just psychological

I love that stuff too. What's your favorite flavor? I love the lemonade one- the all the vitamins one, and also the "energy one." Yum. I also like 'em 'cause they don't have sucralose in 'em. Splenda is a huge trigger for me.

I love the dragonfuit one - vitamin water I mean. That one is good!

As far as caffeine - it's a trigger when I DON'T have it! I drink so much coffee I should be in a rehab! I have cut down a lot during the week but on weekends - look out! I drink (well between DH and I) probably like 4 pots a day! Yeah, we are both big coffee people!

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Originally posted by EileenHOST:
I love the dragonfuit one - vitamin water I mean. That one is good!

Never had it... but now I have to try it on my way home

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As far as caffeine - it's a trigger when I DON'T have it!

I also need my caffeine. I'm not much of a coffee drinker anymore, so I need it to come in other forms- like diet coke.

Each time I get to the part on the "Return Visit Questionnaire" from my HA specialist's office, and they ask for how much caffeine you consume in a day, I know that my HA specialist isn't gonna say anything, but the PA (Who does the nerve blocks) is going to shake his head and sigh and tell me I need to get my amount of caffeine intake in one day (3 cans?) down.I always nod, while thinking "yeah right. Not gonna happen" It's not like I'm taking vivarin tablets for the caffeine, and it's spread out all day. But, I've just given up on the explanations, and ready myself for pain relief!

eewwww, diet....icky....of course this is just my full blown caffeinated opinion!!

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I also need my caffeine. I'm not much of a coffee drinker anymore, so I need it to come in other forms- like diet coke.

I stay away from the diet sodas of any kind - artifical sweeteners (especially aspartame) do bad things to my head.

I used to drink a latte 3-4 days out of the week, but I haven't had any coffee in at least a month, which is weird, because I normally drink it during the rainy season here. But I haven't at all been craving it, so no latte for me.

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Originally posted by JamieHOST:

I love that stuff too. What's your favorite flavor? I love the lemonade one- the all the vitamins one, and also the "energy one." Yum. I also like 'em 'cause they don't have sucralose in 'em. Splenda is a huge trigger for me.

I like the dragonfruit one (power), the fruit punch one (revive), and the energy one. Oh! The XXX blueberry one is good too. I like that they're not too sweet and don't have high fructose corn syrup for sweetener. I used to drink a little gatorade when I was playing sports, but it just makes me sick now it's so syrupy. The vitamin water was a life saver at the all-day tourneys this summer.

I got my miracle a little over a year ago and I would like to share what helped me with everyone. I hope it will help you too. I have been migraine-free for a solid year as of November 2007. I had been having between 9-21 migraines per month for 15 years. They always started on the right side of my neck, and I ended up with the right side of my head throbbing. I also had extreme nausea and sensitivity to light. I had auras only a few times a year, luckily. It seemed that my triggers were just about anything--smells, cigarette smoke, too much heat/sun at the beach, going too long without eating, getting upset, weather changes..you name it. I tried so many prescription preventive meds that I just wanted to cry every time they'd want to try a new one on me. I had to stop taking everything because of side effects as I seem to be pretty sensitive. Plus they really didn't help me that much anyway. I am in my late 30's now and I never had kids because I couldn't bear the thought of going without my Imitrex for 9 months. There was just no way I could have survived it. One day I just happened to think about the only two things that were consistent in my life: migraines and CAFFEINE. I really liked tea. Well I googled 'caffeine ang migraines' and found a wonderful website I had nothing to lose at that point so I decided to give it a shot. I eliminated ALL CAFFEINE..not 'just a little' not 'I'll have it here and there'...I mean complete abstinence. No one wants to hear that, I know. But, it took about 3 weeks for me to stop having all headaches...I just took my Imitrex when I had the caffeine withdrawal and that got me through fairly easily. IF YOU TRY THIS, YOU MUST FIND ALL CAFFEINE IN YOUR DIET, INCLUDING THE SNEAKY STUFF IN SOME MULTIVITAMINS. My vitamins were actually giving me migraines because they had Green Tea in them. As I was tapering off caffeine, I could drink half a cup of tea and 3 days later get a migraine. No wonder it is so confusing. Not to mention, I drank caffeine throughout my childhood and had only infrequent and mild migraines...then they got awful in my 20's.

Finally, the payoff. No migraines! I'm totally serious. I know it is unbelievable. To think that I had been poisoning myself all that time..all the fun I missed..all the pain I went through. I did it to myself. I just didn't know better. Now I do and I want to share it with everyone. The triggers I used to have are no problem for me now. To think of all the money I spent trying to get well, and the solution was totally free. Wow.

I was on the elimination diet including caffiene- for a couple months. I found that cheese was more of a trigger than caffiene. My migraines still occurred...and I did eliminate everything, including tea & chocolate. I do try to avoid caffiene when I am menstrating, as it seems stackable trigger.

One thing I did notice is that I was falling asleep even more frequently throughout the day- even though I don't think caffiene keeps me more alert except for the psychological boost. Nowadays, I can barely function because of my sleepiness, sleep problems, migraines & seizure-like stuff. I wish it were that simple!

I had a coworker who made the discovery that her migraines disappeared when she eliminated all caffiene & started drinking herbal tea (you know you drink a lot of coffee if get to be best customer of the month)-- she was thrilled. I thought, lucky her! Some people are lucky to find a quick remedy. Granted, those who were that lucky (coworker & my father) to find a trigger that caused most of the stuff, had pretty simple migraine cases- no basilar or hemiplegic ones or crazy long migraines.

This past year, I have found V-8 juice & vitamin water to be helpful, as well as attempting to drink more liquids in general. Caffiene dehydrates, so I always make it a point to drink water or juice when i have caffiene.

Caffeine isn't a "trigger" for me but it's definitely a potential problem if overused. I'm trying to gradually get it out of my system. Although it's hard to do!

I guess it's hard for most of us to realize caffeine is a problem for most migraineurs because it is often an ingredient in popular over the counter headache medications. We take a pill, like excedrin and feel better. We drink a cup of coffee or a soda and our headaches are relieved or at least prevented. This works in the short run. At least for me it does!

But as many have said that if they don't drink coffee or soda, we will get a headache! How does this happen? In most cases, the prolonged use of caffeine can cause rebound headache. And I've been there. It's an endless cycle that is hard to get out of out. Trying to take preventive medications won't get you there. The medication won't work unless you break the rebound cycle caused by caffeine.

So I'm down to only one can of Coke Zero a day... do they make mini cans of Coke Zero?

Welcome Christine (don't know if I welcomed you or not yet)

I think they do make the mini-me Coke Zero's. I am going food shopping later so I will keep an eye out for ya!

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So I'm down to only one can of Coke Zero a day... do they make mini cans of Coke Zero?

Oh, I think they do - I think I've seen the little tiny cans of Coke Zero.

That stuff is ok - but there still isn't nothing like the real thing!
(and yes during a migraine I learned the hard way! LOL)

Hi guys!

Here's a little something to think about...

My last HA specialist told me that there is still some amount of caffeine in "caffeine-free" soda. (I'd think what he said is true--he's a fairly well known HA specialist.) So if you're a big caffeine-free soda person, look out!!

jenny

Jenny,

I can understand caffeine free colas having some trace amounts left over. Do you think the HA specialist also means the clear stuff, like sprite or 7-up?

Christine

My Neuro says for me to keep my coffee consumption under 20oz per day.
I've been gradually trying to drop it by halfing my coffee grounds with
an herbal coffee like teeccino (http://www.teeccino.com/)
I really do feel like I need to do a complete withdrawl from caffeine in order to see if it is adding to my trigger load. I always think, uh, TOMORROW I will start!
I am lessening my caffeine intake a bit... I find that I only need one or two sips to stop a caffeine withdrawl... so I'm hoping that means it won't be too, too hard to go all the way.

Hi AngelB -

I have been completely off caffeine a number of times (not right now - I am such an addict on this one) - and I have fewer migraines when I'm off it. Here's a few wake-up tips that have worked for me:

- Peppermint tea - no caffeine at all, but gets you going.
- When I wake up, lie on my back, legs crossed, and arms holding my knees. Then rock side to side gently, then rock back and forth along my spine ( if you get up a little momentum you may end up sitting). This is very stimulating - my chiro says it pumps up your spinal fluid - and wakes me up naturally. Can't do it in the midst of a severe migraine, though.
- A big glass of water right away after sitting up in bed.

Good luck - I'll be following on the no caffeine thing again soon.

- megan