Migraine

Someone suggested to me that I should undergo allergy testing (which would be around $400 US for foods and chemicals) as well as suggested other options ie neck/shoulders, jaw, bad teeth, look for general health problems and so forth and trial various treatments ie acupuncture, oesteopathy etc. However it's naturally approaching it wisely, ie trying elimination diets of various kinds that are free, neck exercises, meditation so I'm not spending a fortune.

I know that the general trigger diet is quite common but what other methods have people trialled?

Cheers DJ

Hi DJ,

The way I understand it, migraine triggers and allergens work along different pathways in the body, so something that causes an allergic reaction may not be a migraine trigger. I've been allergy tested for everything under the sun, and I have quite a few allergies, but they are not migraine triggers for me.

One of my allergic reactions is eczema. My dermatologist told me that some physicians believe eczema, allergies, asthma and migraines are related. People with one tend to have another. She called it atopy. Not every doctor believes this, and she said there's no real clinical value to the knowledge, but maybe someday there will be. It kind of makes sense. We have a sensitive immune system in allergies and the like, and a sensitive nervous system in migraine disease.

I know some folks on the forum have done elimination diets and had success with them. I'm sure they could give you advice on that.

Good luck with everything!

I have to second MelZ. Allergy testing measures a histamine reaction, which isn't what happens with a migraine trigger. I'm not allergic to oranges at all, but they give me wicked migraines.

You can find a lot of info on elimination dieting on the internet. I also recommend the Headache Prevention Cookbook by Dr. David Marks. It has a really comprehensive listing of what not to eat.

If you want to try preventives, you can try supplements like Magnesium, B12, Co-Enzyme Q10, Feverfew, Butterbur, etc.

Also, keep a detailed migraine diary. This will help you track and avoid triggers.

Good luck!

I went through allergy testing and get allergy shots. I have gotten them for over 20 years. Every time I tried to stop, my allergies returned with a venegence so I keep getting them.

As far as my migraines, they haven't affected the frequency or severity of my migraines at all. Anecdotally, I can say they are not related to each other.

My allergy shots make it possible for me to keep my cats though!

I've not tried anything like allergy testing, and I'm not sure it would have that much bearing on migraine trigger investigation, really.

As for looking for other things that might contribute to migraine, such as neck and shoulder issues that might cause tension headaches which can segue into migraines, that's more understandable. Dental issues have been known to contribute, too. I had impacted wisdom teeth that were impinging nerves and helping to trigger me.

I did used to go to a naturopath for a while to try and help stabilize thyroid ick issues. Her mantra was that absolutely everything is tied to the gut somehow, including migraine. She was speaking of actual cause of migraine, and I don't buy that. I guess my point of this is that seeing out non-traditional advice can be good, but in some ways, it can just be more complicating.

Here's another side...

I've never heard of allergy treatment to help with Migraine triggers, but there is a histamine component to pain. Avoiding things you know you're allergic to can help reduce overall pain.

An ER doc told me this many years ago. I generally get a very resistant Migraine attack in March every year just as the dogwoods are blooming. Until I remember to take an Actifed or Zyrtec, nothing helps it. That March Migraine is the last pollen-related issue I have to overcome.

Droolie, funny that your naturopath tied all things to the gut. Histamine is produced in the stomach you know.

Here's the thing.

Migraine is a genetic neurologic disease. Triggers vary from person to person but do not cause a Migraine.

So, let's say our allergies are bothering us in the spring or fall. These allergies may make our bodies more susceptible to getting Migraines. If we get our allergies under control, maybe we can (no guarentee here), reduce the frequency and/or severity of the attacks. When my son stays hydrated he can avoid some of his Migraines. He also has asthma and allergies. When his allergies are under control his asthma is much better, and dare I say his Migraine are less severe.


This is also the idea with trigger identification and management: identify the triggers, try to reduce or eliminate them and you have a plan. Oh, if it were only that easy, right?

quote:

Originally posted by Nancy Bonk:...This is also the idea with trigger identification and management: identify the triggers, try to reduce or eliminate them and you have a plan. Oh, if it were only that easy, right?

That's far more than many people with migraine have. And it seems to work for your son!

My experience with Migraine and allergies is that my Migraines are almost always worse if my allergies are bad on any particular day.

I experienced a severe 5-day Migraine that was only made worse because my sinuses were so inflamed from allergens. I went to the ER to be treated and the doctor said he'd gotten a lot of cases like that recently. This was back in the beginning of May.

People with allergies and asthma are often comorbid with Migraine. While it's true they may function differently, both are reactions of the nervous system to an outside antagonist.

I'd say that knowing what you're allergic to might help you in regards to Migraine, but only if you can avoid your allergens when you've encountered a Migraine trigger. But some you can't avoid, like the outdoors, or dust, or pet saliva, all the time.

One may not trigger the other but they can make the symptoms of one worse on you.

I have had food and other common allergy tests done and was not allergic to anything. However, I clench my jaw when I sleep and also during the day. That puts a lot of pressure on my jaw muscles, part of which attach in the temple area. That is where I usually feel the pain of my migraines. I actually have knots in the massater muscles where they attach to my temple .
I don't think that my jaw is a trigger, but my last neurologist told me that people who don't respond to preventive treatments often have on underlying physical problem in the neck, jaw, back or other area that prevents the medicine from working properly.

Buteo

In the early days of my current round of migraines, 13 years ago, I was sent for sinus x-rays and allergy testing.

My sinuses were clear, my slightly deviated septum (from where then DBF now DH broke my nose 32 years ago) showed up, and I tested mildly allergic to chocolate , eggs , red oak, and some type of grass. My allergist (who is also a cousin) said there was nothing worth treating by way of allergies.

Kat and I tried the elimination diet. Found no food or drink triggers, not even chocolate or caffeine.

First-hand cigarette smoke is not a trigger, but second-hand is.

2 months since my last cigarette, y'all!

Rebecca, The Island Mama

quote:

Originally posted by newbattleaxe:...2 months since my last cigarette, y'all!

Rebecca, The Island Mama

YESH!!!! YAHOOOOO!!! YOU GO GIRL!!

I quit cold-turkey 18 years ago, smoked my last one and never bought another pack. Oh me... I still dream about smoking. I enjoyed every single cigarette I ever smoked.

I am SO IMPRESSED AND PROUD of you!!

Thanks for all the advice and feedback. I was naturally reluctant to spend several hundred dollars on allergy and sensivity testing when there are diaries and elimination and avoiding trigger diets that can be done for free and just cause a bit of inconvenience. I'm actually doing weight watchers at the moment which eliminates most triggers as they all have high points and is a healthy diet as it encourages fruit and veg and cooking food simply keeps points down as well so you end up eating an unprocessed food diet. It certainly would worth seeing if physio for the jaw would help. I've had it for my neck in the past and even though it helped my neck, no difference in the migraines.

The person who advised the allergy testing does not believe in taking any medications as they could be bad for you and getting to the cause/root of the matter. Yet with migraine there is no other cause unless it's occurring along with another condition and would depend on if that condition has treatment anyhow. However I'm sure doctors weigh up the benefits and the costs of prescribing a medication and with a proactive doctor they should be checking for any bad effects anyhow. I certainly don't take many meds anyhow and if I had decided against prophylatic medication then I'd be upping analgesics to avoid taking too much sick leave from work so it's one apparent evil for another.

I did the Dr. Buchholz "Heal Your Headache" recommended diet. It was somewhat difficult and took a while (months) to get it done right. I was lucky though because I had quit my job and was only working part time which enabled me to really focus on figuring out if I had food triggers. I eliminated pretty much all the known reported triggers which left me with what didn't seem to be a whole lot. I was very strict about it though. In the end I was able to figure out that my triggers were: Nitrites, Sulfites (though I can have a half a glass of wine on occasion), Most likely MSG, and the real surprise that I figured out even though it wasn't on the list was modified food starch (Which is in a zillion different things). I think Malto-dextrin may also be on the list. I haven't really proven that, but I may test it later by reintroducing foods that contain it into my diet and seeing what happens.

By eliminating all the food triggers from my diet, I have gone from many random unpredictable Migraines, to mostly only getting a Migraine with my cycle (which I can often stop if I take the imitrex straight away). At times (like when travelling) following the diet can be really frustrating and difficult, but not getting the headaches makes it worth it.

I only followed the diet part of Dr. Buchholz' book, but it did wonders for me. I was able after about 4 or 5 months to add back in most of the foods I had originally removed (like cheese, onions, citrus, etc...) I ignored the part that said give up all medication. I still have Imitrex for emergencies, but only take it about once a month.

Welcome to the forum, Swiss. And what good news! Being able to reduce your migraines so drastically by controlling triggers is wonderful.

If you haven't yet, stop by the Start Here folder. The information there is intended to help you get the most out of your time on the forum.

Here are a couple of articles that could interest you:

Learning About Migraines and Headaches - Where To Start

“Heal Your Headache” - Review

Welcome!