Alcohol and migraine

I know alcohol is a common trigger for migraines. Out of curiosity, how many of you are able to drink it? When I use to get migraines just once a month due to hormones, I made sure not to drink at that time. Then after menopause when they came every week I chose not to drink at all period for fear it would trigger one. Out of boredom and just tired of having to give anything up, I tried it and was fine. I never over do it (never was a heavy drinker) but enjoy it especially in social situations. If you do drink at all, what, if any, is more likely NOT to cause a problem?

If my migraines are out of control I can't drink any alcohol.

With a preventative working, I still can't tolerate wine but can have a beer now and again.

I can't drink red wine at all and if I do I might not get the migraine right away but sometimes the aura/migraine will come 24-48 hours later but.......it always comes. Beer is fine and actually after a night of having a few(few being the key word)I feel pretty decent the next day it is wine that is really bad for me. It stinks because I would like a glass once in a while. Does anyone know what is in the red wine that gives migraines?

I don't touch wine at all. I even got a horrible migraine from having chicken Marsala that lasted three days. I can tolerate some beers and I do better with the local microbrewery type. Maybe it doesn't have the preservatives. Because of taking so many pain killers, I don't drink the hard liquor at all either. But a beer every now and then after a hard day is very relaxing and helps me sleep. We're talking maybe once every two weeks.

Imposable for me to touch. No way!

Any alcohol will cause me a near instant headache.

Havent toched alcohol in over 20 years due to migraines. I was never able to drink more than 1 drink of any kind without severe head pain. Dont really miss it!
Cindy

I can only drink vodka, so an occasional bloody mary is all I can do. I used to love wine. I just dumped a dozen bottles of wine that had gone bad.

One or two glasss of white wine no problem, in fact seems to give me a boost. Anything else isn't good. I think the boost thing is relating to autoimmune problems but who knows. I am so confused.

No red wine...I can a couple of anything else but just choose not to since I taKe so many other meds.

Although I am not much of a drinker, the occasional glass of white wine is not a problem. I have had migraines triggered by red wine though so I generally stay away from that. It is the tannins in red wine that are a problem. Interestingly enough I've never had any problem with red wine in France. Their red wines are fantastic, even really cheap bottles. I was told that the tannin content is much lower in their wine than in the states. From experience I would say that the tannins in Australian and South American wines are probably also high but Ive never seen any data on that.

Out of curiosity I looked up tannin content and found the following on wikipedia. Interesting info on the potential causes of headaches from red wine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_wine_headache

I can drink any light-colored, clear alcohol without any problems (unless I overdo it). White wine and tequila are my most common alcoholic drinks, but I can also drink mojitos, vodka, etc and be fine. Beer, red wine, and whiskeys/scotches/etc kill me.

I have never understood why any one would want to ingest something that is only going to make them vomit.

I can not, and never have been able to, tolerate any type of alcohol. Even minute quantities, i.e. 1 or 2 drops, make me very nauseated. Just the stench of alcohol alone is enough to make me sick to my stomach and give me a headache; even merely briefly smelling it on someone else's breath.

Any food cooked with alcohol also makes me very sick. It is a myth that the alcohol disapates with cooking. Scientific tests, where the alcohol content is measured before and after cooking, prove that most of the alcohol stays in the food.

each person has their own triggers--and thus if they partake, they should live with it in the morning.

vodka, some beers, good scotch & whiskey, and sometime mixed with coke can be refreshing.

everone's different.

i'm affraid that living like a monk has no long-term benefits---you're still going to have a headache.

like i said, each person is different.

Mule Kick - Most people that drink do not get sick and do not abuse alcohol. The ones that do are usually young and just haven't learned their lesson yet (and there are older people that still haven't learned). Alcoholics and heavy drinkers usually don't get sick because their bodies are accustomed to the alcohol. For moderate drinkers alcohol can be relaxing and enjoyable as long as they don't overdo it.

porsche fan - I totally agree with what you said about being a monk. Have fun when you can!

Ciders = instant pain

Light coloured Beer is calming but only if I have no warnings of an impending migraine.

Rum and coke is nice too.


I really love Ceasars but all Brand Name clamato juice is full of MSG. Unless you make it at home and buy the noname clamato with no MSG, your headed for disaster at the pub.

I can't touch any alcohol or I will get a migraine

Yes, I was going to mention the MSG in clamato for caesers as well...watch out!

I can drink. Bubbly will set off my head, and often other drinks, usually wine, rarely beer.

I actually wish beer did it to me...I'd have a nice set of abs if it weren't for the beer!

When these migraines first arrived, the only thing that would work would be to pop two tylenol 3's then have a beer. I know...I know...I know...so very wrong, but it was the only thinkg that worked for quite some time.

Now I try to limit my intake, as I know it cannot help me in any way, but I do love my beer.

milo, you're right.

sometimes a couple beers can help knock out a migraine for me. it can't be a heavy german beer. labatt's light gives me one heck of a headache.

miller lite (i know, great stuff, lol) can help.

jim beam and coke can help knock one down for me.

none of my docs have a problem with it.

if you're downing a fifth of vodka a day, that's a different story!

Most of my family produces wine in one of the most reknown areas of Italy. Good and refined wine that I CAN'T drink. And that I love.
Of course, during important family reunions, I have a glass of red wine and take the consequences. Sometimes I get away with it, but most of the times I get migraine right away.

I had avoided alcohol for the past 5 years, since my migraines became so chronic and was put on a pain management regime.
Before that I used to enjoy red wine, gin and tonics, dirty martinis...

For the past month or so I have started to have a drink here and there. It hasn't made my head any better, but not worse either!
I stay away from red wine. I enjoy a glass of Prosecco; chilled sake; gin and tonics or a martini (not altogether! Perhaps 2 drinks per week?)
I have been off all pain meds for over 3 months now. No preventatives either. (need to get back into some treatment Seriously!...am seeing new pain dr next week).

If its a bad migraine I won't go near alcohol. I do enjoy having a cocktail here and there, though!

T

I really miss having a good beer occasionally. I really like a good asti spumante or other sweet wines too.

BUT - The end result makes it not worth it. I'd make it through 1/2 a beer before the thumping would come on like a freight train.

I'm better off abstaining!!!

Dan,
At least you have a strong cause and effect. It's sometimes hard to make the connection when the migraine shows up 48 hours later. It took a few migraines for me to figure out the cause.

I can't remember if I've posted about reading research into the effects of alcohol.

Small amounts of alchohol raises endorphines, raising acth (adrenal stimulating hormone), raising adrenaline.

Large quantities of alcohol slows endorphines, slows acth, slows adrenaline.

Researched it for my brother who has addisons.

His acth level always very high because he has no natural adrenaline - Even though on cortisol body constantly seeking. Therefore if he gets totally smashed he feels better, his body isn't "seeking" even if with a hangover.

If on the other hand you have sluggish adrenals, a shot or two may pick you up and get the old adrenaline going.

I used to drink a couple of glasses of wine but stopped completely when on Amitriptyline. When I came off it and tried to drink again, I could only manage about a quarter of a glass before a headache came on. I keep trying but it's always the same . I do miss it with a good meal.

My very good friend in NZ always tells me to throw away all the meds and buy a crate of wine. I wish . . . . . sounds an interesting theory. I love her dearly but needless to say she's never had a migraine!

Liz