Migraine

I watched an interesting podcast yesterday, of Dr. Richard Lipton talking about the difference between migraine and other headaches - the info was mainly quite basic, but he discussed one thing I'd never thought of before. You can watch the podcast here on Help my Hurt. He suggested that one of the reasons for more migraines on the weekend for some of us may be caffeine withdrawal - that if you're used to having caffeine at 7 a.m., say, on weekdays, and you get up at 9 on the weekend, you may already be in caffeine withdrawal when you wake up, and trigger a migraine that way!

I just did a blog post on this topic Here if you're interested. I know Teri has also come up with some great trigger-detective work on weekend migraines recently and wrote a great piece on Weekends, Sleep and Migraines, which was very helpful to me. I think in addition to the changing sleep hours and different foods, changes in my caffeine comsumption are probably a culprit.

Does this ring a bell for anyone else?

- Megs

I have to be careful about sleeping in on the weekends. I don't know whether it's caffeine withdrawal, or just the change in sleep patterns, but sleeping more than an hour or so late is a sure prescription for a nasty.

There are days when DH goes to the office early, and I don't make a pot of coffee for our customary coffee-in-bed ritual. I try to make sure I get a Diet Coke to ward off a caffeine-withdrawal headache.

Gretchen in Mississippi

I know I would definately get a migriane if I didn't have my coffee on the weekends... I know even before I started getting them all the time, if I slept more than 2 hours past my normal coffee time I would wake up with an awful headache.

It makes sense though. Caffiene is a vasco-constrictor, so if your used to it, and you don't have it, you end up over vasco-dialited.
(Oh, yeah, I spend way too much time on webMD!!! lol!!)

My migraines almost always flare up on the weekend, so this was really interesting for me! Thanks for sharing.

Funny - my neuro wants me totally off caffeine, yet I have been known to drink 3 20 oz. Monster energy drinks in 4 hrs. & not have a migraine.

Many years ago, when I worked in the research labs, though, I did get the weekend headaches. This was before they were diagnosed as migraines. I just called them caffeine-withdrawal headaches, took 2 asprin, & tried to keep going.

I've been practically caffeine-free since my appt. 19 June. Can't really tell a difference, as we've had some pretty bad thunderstorms roll through, & those are some of my bad triggers. Another one is on its way tonight. My Migranal is ready- I'm "armed and dangerous!"

Rebecca, the "Island Girl"

I rarely wake up on the weekends more than an hour later than during the week. My coffe pot is set to come on automatically and the coffee is ready when I wake up!! Even though I have cut my coffee consuption greatly, I still have 2 cups in the morning.

Many years ago, before I had migraines frequently, I did experience caffeine withdrawal when I was staying with Daddy after he had surgery. I didn't even think about the fact I was not drinking coffee in the morning. He couldn't, so I wasn't. After the third morning of an awful headache I figured it out. I had a diet coke in the morning and solved the problem.

Cindy

My neuro wants me off caffeine too, but I won't go off completely. I was in the hospital last year with a migraine from hell, and he took me off cold turkey and it made my head hurt worse. (I couldn't even have decaf coffee!) I usually see his N-P and I agree more with her approach; caffeine in moderation.

I've been mostly off caffeine since I had the bronchitis last month - I didn't have any while I was sick, so that made it easy to just continue without. But I've had some either when I didn't have enough sleep but had to get moving anyway, and also had some at the beginning of a migraine. Each time I was careful to have a little the next day at the same time and taper it down for a few days. That seems to be working. Cold turkey is definitely not a good idea!

- Megs

My great aunt once told me the easiest way she gave up caffeine and smoking was when she spent a week in the hospital having surgery. She was on morphine for 3-4 days post op, took care of all the initial cravings for both!! She just could never understand why others had such a difficult time giving up either after that.

She was pretty funny about it.

Cindy

I went off caffeine on my own, my second year of law school. My head got a bit better. While studying for finals, I drank a Tab [remember them?] and had a headache for a week.

I stayed off for 12+ years. I started back again when my neurologist told me to add caffeine to my rescue meds. Now, I drink 2 cups of coffee in the morning, usually, and perhaps a diet cola in the afternoon. And some kind of caffeine when I take my naproxen or rescue drug.

I was a real witch about the coffee pots at work. I'd pitch a fit when I saw someone making regular coffee in the decaf pot.

Gretchen