Common migraine triggers

Sorry for editing this post so many times... I am reorganizing it into an informative... what are they called, oh yah... skickey.

There are many migraine triggers depending on the migrainer. Migraines themselves may be variable in nature and specific to the migrainer's genetic pre-disposition to migraines, their environment, their medical history, and what medications they are taking.

Probably the largest group of migraine triggers are found in foods. The food trigger group can be split into the vaso-active amines (protien building blocks), food additives, alcohol and spirits, the caffeine related alkaloids, and unique or specific compounds in foods that do not share anything with anything else. Vaso-active amines are amino acids that directly and/or indirectly affect your blood pressure (hence the name, vaso-active), your neurotransmitter chemistry, and the sugar level in your blood. The most common vaso-active amine migraine triggers are tyramine, phenylethylamine, and glutamate/MSG. The food additives include a wide variety of chemicals added to foods to enhance its taste, smell, color, appearance, texture, and stability, or to extend its shelf life. Many of these can trigger migraines. Additives include dyes, of which yellow dye #5, and red dye #40 seem to be the most common migraine triggers of them. They also include food stabilizers that allow longer shelf life of food, and they include sulphites, nitrates, and nitrites, and a long list of compounds that would take a few weeks to list. The glutamates are actually in two groups of food triggers, the vaso-active amines (as bound glutamate), and additives (as free MSG). Another food additives that is high on the list of migraine triggers is the artificial sweetener aspartame (AKA: Nutrasweet). Alcohol and spirits seem to have a rather complex array of migraine triggers, depending on how they are processed, what they are made with and what is added to them. Red wine gets a bad wrap for causing migraines. However, several studies show that white wine is actually more likely to cause migraines. Oxidised wines and spirits are very likely to give you a migraine. These include Port, sherry and vermouth. Beer, and especially ales can trigger migraines. Caffeine is a common migraine trigger, as is caffeine withdrawl. Caffeine has a complex role in stimulating human physiology, and it has two close cousins that are found in foods: theophylline mainly found in tea, and theobromine found in chocolate. Many studies group these three alkaloids together and call them caffeine, though the three are different. Note also that cola from the cola nut is also a common migraine trigger.

Outside of foods, environmental factors that may cause migraines are loud noise and bright light. Weather changes and cold outside temperatures may trigger migraines. Loss of sleep or too much sleep may also trigger them in some people. Stress is a common trigger. Hormonal inbalance and mense cycles may also trigger them in women. Quite a few drugs can trigger migraines, especially opiates and barbituates. Weight loss drugs and ADHD stimulants may also be a factor in elevating the number of migraines, working in tandem with the food related triggers. This is the same in MAOI drugs, where people become sensative to the vaso-active amines in foods when they are on MAOI (monoamine oxidase inhibitor) drugs. Strong fumes can also trigger migraines, particularly substances like paint, gasoline, and pesticides. Neck pain and strain is also implicated in causing migraines. Missing meals and/or fasting may also cause them, as well as being dehydrated.

I will try to go into more detail about the main types of migraine triggers listed above in the posts below to (maybe) make more sense out of them. It is a very complicated process, and there is a lot of debate about what roles these triggers play in causing migraines.

Food related migraine triggers: Vaso-active Amines

There are several vaso-active amines that have high potential for triggering food-related migraines in about 30% of migrainers. Amines are amino acids, the building blocks for protiens. They exist in the food that we eat. Many can also be changed and converted from one type of amino acid to others when food ages (by enzyme or microbial action). Amino acids are also converted to other amino acids or other more complex protien compounds during digestion or in the bloodstream. Vaso-active amines are amino acids that directly and/or indirectly affect the blood vessels and increase blood pressure as a result. The change in blood vessels and pressure and response to that increased pressure can lead to migraines in people that are genetically suseptible to them (like me). They can also cause problems with people that have other diseases, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, or an enlarged prostate), and anyone on monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor drugs (MAOI) where they can cause a massive spike in blood pressure and even stroke or a heart attack. In general they all cause a rise in blood pressure, and in some cases cause a rapid rise in blood pressure with a spike in respiration, shortness of breath, palpations and rapid heart rate (tachycardia), high anxiety levels, and in some cases numbness at the back of the neck radiating to both arms and the back. It is my belief that these symptoms are commonly mis-diagnosed as anxiety attacks and that they are caused by something in our heads, when in reality they are physical responses to vaso-active amines that we have eaten and we can do nothing to stop their effects.

Three common vaso-active amines that are known to cause migraines are: Tyramine, Phenylethylaminem and Glutamate/MSG. All of these amino acids have high potential as hidden migraine triggers.

Tyramine

Tyramine is likely the most common food migraine trigger. Tyramine is common in a lot of foods. It is believed that people with food induced migraines do not digest Tyramine well or that it is not scrubed/broken down in the blood stream once it is absorbed. One theory is that we lack sufficient MAO-A which is found mainly in the liver and digestive tract, which is responsible for breaking down amino acids like tyramine. As a result higher levels tyramine are released as they are in foods into the blood stream. This is supported in the fact that people on MAO inhibitor drugs get migraines when they eat foods high in vaso-active amines. Another theory is that we lack sufficient amounts of MAO-B in the platelets to breakdown the amines once they pass into the blood stream. It may be that both of these MAO processes are not working properly. In both of these scenarios, enzymes that would ordinarilly break down Tyramine during digestion or once they enter the blood stream are not doing their job for some reason (by other substances that supress their actions), or the MAO enzymes are lacking in our systems. Or there is some other mechanism at work here. It is simply not well understood.

One thing that is known is that Tyramine can build up in your system to a threshold point at which point it may trigger a migraine. This makes tracking food problematic in that you may eat some leftover steak with Tyramine in it for dinner, then eat some bacon and OJ in the morning for breakfast, both contributing more Tyramine, and then get a migraine after eating a chicken Caesar salad for lunch (with no parmesan, please). You might be inclined to think it was only something the salad that caused the migraine, which it contributed to, but in reality it was the leftover steak, OJ and bacon that set it up, and the chicken in the salad tipped the scales because it was a few days before spoiling when it was cooked, and that was yesterday. It is hard to determine the Tyramine levels in meats. Tyramine levels in meats can rise fairly high before the meat ever spoils from high bacteria levels. For this reason cured and smoked meats like bacon and jerkey can be real problems for migrainers. For this reason you want to eat meats that are as fresh as possible. Avoid the section in the supermarket where they sell meat that is on or near the expiration date.

Tyramine levels rise in foods that age longer becasue it is created during the ripening process of fermentation and decay from Tryrosine. So the longer food ripens, ages, or cures, the more Tyromine is created. For this reason well aged cheese and meats are very high in Tyromine. Fresh liver is also high in Tyromine, as are several types of beans, most types of yeast, banana peels and over-ripe bananas, over-ripe avacados, eggplant, red plums and prunes, many types of nuts, chocolate, aged soy products like tofu and soy sauce, dried fruit, pickled veggies, and several types of cacti. Generally, the older and longer that food has been around, the more Tyramine it is apt to have. For this reason eating leftovers more than two days old is discouraged, and freezing foods when they are fresh is a good idea to keep down the level of Tyramine that may be otherwise created. I buy ground turkey and freeze it in segments as soon as I get it home, Then I thaw out what I can eat in 2 days, and toss it out if it sits any longer than that. Yes, its either guerrilla food warfare... or I get more migraines. There are many web sites devoted to Tyramine and include low-Tyramine diets and comprehensive lists of foods that are high in Tyramine. A google search will show many of them.

Phenylethylaminem

Phenylethylaminem is another vaso-active amine that can trigger migraines. Like Tyramine, it is the vaso-active effect of Phenylethylaminem that is believed to cause migraines. It is commonly found in many of the foods that also have high levels of Tyramine, so generally if you avoid foods high in Tyramine you are apt to avoid foods high in Phenylethylaminem. It is likely that the two amines work together to produce migraines as well, as Phenylethylaminem is broken down the same way that Tyramine is (by MAO-A in the gut and MAO-B in the bloodstream). It is particularly high in chocolate, as well as foods that have been fermented (like tofu). Phenylethylaminem is similar to amphetamines in that it raises blood pressure and blood glucose levels. It is believed to also result in the release endorphins, which results in pleasurable effects. For this reason Phenylethylamine is known as the "love drug" and is thought be be the reason why chocolate is said to be an aphrodisiac.

Glutamate & MSG

Glutamate (glutamic acid) is one of the most common amino acids out there, but they are non essential becasue humans can make all the glutamate that they ever need. Glutamate itself is typically not a problem, as in the natural state it is bound, and it breaks down slowly during digestion so it does not hit your system all at once. Foods naturally high in Glutamate (bound form) are mushrooms, aged cheese, tomatoes, condensed milk, soy products, meats, nuts, and some beans. Many of these foods are also high in Tyramine, but as the digestion of Glutamate is different than that for Tyramine it is not known if glutamate on its own is a migraine trigger, or co-concurrant with another vaso-active amine.

However, in one of the most common of its alternate forms unbound as a salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG) is absorbed rapidly by the body and becomes a migraine trigger (as well as a trigger for all kinds of other reactions and symptoms). Like the other vaso-active amines, MSG also causes a high number of other medical related problems than migraines. There are many names for MSG health related problems, such as Chinese Restaurant Syndrome (CRS), MSG Poisoning/Toxicity, MSG Syndrome, Hotdog Headache, and MSG sensitivity. After eating meals prepared with MSG, people with MSG sensitivity may get headaches or migraine headaches, stomach cramps, bloating, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, asthma attacks, flushing, visual disturbance, tingling, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, dizzyness or vertigo, tightness of the chest, skin rash, or have temporary sensitivity to light, noise, or smells. One very disturbing aspect of MSG that I found doing research for this essay is that MSG, like Phenylethylaminem, greatly increases the release of glucose into the bloodstream. As a direct result of that, insulin is then released into the bloodstream. It is postulated that a leading cause of obesity and Daibedes in the world is a direct result of consuming high amounts of MSG and its effects on blood sugar levels.

MSG is added to a wide variety of foods to make it taste better (and thus increase sales of food products), or to disguise bad or tainted food smells and tastes. MSG is often times hidden in many foods or labeled as other things. There are many online sources that list foods high in MSG, and alternate MSG label names. Here are a few common MSG names or addatives found on processed food labels that are high in MSG:

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
Sodium Glutamate
Disodium Glutamate
Hydrolyzed Protein: (plant, vegetable, any kind)
Sodium or Calcium Caseinate
Autolyzed Yeast, Yeast Extract
Yeast Food, Yeast Nutrient
Textured Protein
Glutamic Acid
Monopotassium Glutamate
Gelatin

Potential sources of unlabeled and hidden MSG are soft drinks, iced tea mixes, sports drinks (like Gatorade or Powerade), candy, and chewing gum. The following may also contain (or not contain) MSG, which makes it confusing and a lot harder to determine if a particular food may be a migraine trigger:

Malt Extract or Barley Malt
Bouillon
Stock or Broth (chicken or beef)
Carrageenan
Maltodextrin
Whey Protein
Whey Protein Isolate or Concentrate
Pectin
Enzymes or Protease Enzymes
Flavors or Flavorings
Natural Flavors or Flavorings
Natural Beef, Pork or Chicken Flavorings
Seasonings
Soy Sauce
Soy Protein or Soy Protein Isolate or Concentrate
Disodium guanylate and disodium inosinate (food additives)

Here is the scoop on MSG and migraines in people with a certain type of TRESK gene, and how they are triggered:

http://msgtruth.org/migraine.htm

A good web site blog about MSG:

http://www.scq.ubc.ca/msg-more-than-meets-the-tongue/

Another eye-opening web pagesite dedicated to MSG and all the potential problems of consuming it:

http://www.msgmyth.com

Zomigman,

Thanks so much for taking the time to compile all that information. It is stuff that I am aware of but not in the detail that you have described it.

You have inspired me to take another look at food triggers. I am planning on starting the Wild Rose detox diet within the next few weeks. The "safe foods" on this diet are: fish, almonds, buckwheat, rice, millet, chives, garlic, ginger, onions, and herbal tea. I was thinking of starting with fish and rice and then adding the other foods over the recommended 12 day period. However, I wasn't sure how many days I need to wait (from a migraine trigger perspective) before adding each new food. Is 48 hours between each one sufficient? I currently can't go more than 48 hours between migraines so this process of adding foods back in may take a very very long time.

I don't know if I would be better off doing the detox and then starting all over again trying to find migraine triggers after the 12 days? I know that nuts can potentially be a migraine trigger so I was hoping if I took the almonds out of the equation maybe the other foods would be okay? I just don't know where to start and while I have a ton of self-control, I really love my food and don't want to go without longer than absolutely necessary. Plus I have a husband to feed and we have just started a veggie garden this year so I don't want to miss out on all those fresh veggies. So how do I do this the most efficiently?

I'd really appreciate your advice as you seem to know so much about the dietary stuff.

Cookie Monster

Please be advised that almonds may not be safe. For me they are a migraine trigger, and I figured it out after reading this on the Livestrong Web Site:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/489279-almonds-migraines/

This web page that lists lots of articles on migraine triggers posted on the Livestrong site, which dedicates a lot of resoruces to migranes (and seems to be pretty good information):

http://www.livestrong.com/migraines/

Almond milk is also implicated in being a trigger, and there are small amounts of cyanide in almonds, a very strong poison. For some, almonds are said to ease migraine pain. Many nuts have high levels of toxins and various amino acids like tyramine in them, not becasue they are nuts so much as that they are commonly stored for very long periods of time. The more time that food has to age, the more problematic they become (for a large number of reasons). If you store nuts, store them in the regrigerator or freezer.

Note also that raw garlic and onions are also implicated as being migraine triggers, as well as ginger. Though I eat ginger anyway, as well as cooked garlic and onions. I quit eating raw onions and garlic as they are too hard on my stomach (they give me gas and make me grumpy).

As for elimination diets, that is another topic best discussed on another thread... I have posted several times on that.

OK, next up are the food additives, many of which can cause migraine headaches. As a lot they are generally substances that are added to foods for some reason. For the most part they are not added for their food or nitritional value. Generally additives are used for improving the taste of foods, creating an appealing color, stabilizing the food, extending the shelf life of food, or for hiding some bad flavor or smell, or some other aspect of a food. Note that some additives listed here do occur naturally in some foods though, and in those cases they are not listed (for example, cabbage may have nitrates in them).

MSG

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) may be the most common food additive that there is, listed under one of its many alternative names or hidden in some other food form. As it is also a vaso-active amine, it is listed with the amines above.

Sugar substitutes

After MSG, probably the most common additive that has implications in causing migraines is aspartame, also known as Nutrasweet and Equal. It is by far the most common sugar substitute used mainly in diet sodas and soft drinks, and is also available in packets for adding to coffee and tea. Like MSG, aspartame is an amino acid and causes migraines as well as a host of other medical symptoms other than migraines. Actually your body can turn aspartame into glutamate and in he bloodstream it has the same effect as glutamate in raising blood sugal levels, and thus indirectly raising blood insulin levels. However, unlike MSG, most of the aspartame that you consume is digested and broken down in the small intestine. It is the breakdown of aspartame during digestion that I believe is where the real problems occur with this additive.

The small intestine breaks aspartame down into three metabolites: aspartic acid, methanol and phenylalanine. Aspartic acid (aspartate) is one of the most common amino acids in the typical diet. Some blame it for a lot of problems, though it is hard to prove one way or another. The second is a well known carcinogen; methanol. Methanol is wood alcohol, and highly poisonous. Once it is created from aspartame, methanol is rapidly converted first into formaldehyde and then into formic acid. Formic acid is highly toxic. The answer to formic acid poisoning from the aspartame manufacturers is that typical alcoholic beverages have small amounts of methanol it them, and they are considered safe. Also the levels of formic acid formed by aspartame are small and thus have little effect on people. Regardless, methanol is highly toxic, and should be avoided. The third component of aspartame digestion is Phenylalanine, which is an essential amino acids. Concerns about the safety of phenylalanine from eating aspartame largely centers around changes in the neurotransmitter levels as well as ratios of neurotransmitters to each other in the blood and brain that could lead to neurological symptoms.

Another common sugar substitute is saccarine. Saccharin is made from a substance in grapes called methyl anthranilate. It is 300 times sweeter than sugar. Like aspartame, saccarine is likely to raise glucose blood levels, and thus lead to the release of more insulin into the bloodstream. Prior to May 2000, saccharin was on the list of cancer-causing substances by the U.S. National Toxicology Program. It has since been determined to be safe... and I am not aware of it causing migraines.

Food coloring

Food coloring is another common trigger for migraines caused by food additives. Of the hundreds of different numbered food coloring out there, yellow dye #5 and red dye #40 are likely the two most common dyes to cause migraines. Unfortunately they are two of the most commonly used food dyes in processed foods as well. Red dye #40 and yellow dye #5 are used in many food products like Kool-aid, flavored sodas, drink mixers, Cheetos and Doritos, Pop-tarts, many types of candy, especially colored candy like M&Ms, Skittles, chewing gums, and even in things like vitamins. Red dye #40 is also implicated in many child behavioral disorder issues. In June, 2008, the Center for Science in the Public Health, a consumer advocacy group, tried to get the FDA to ban eight artificial food colors: Red 3 and Red 40, Blue 1 and Blue 2, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6, Green 3, and Orange B for several reasons, including causing child behavior problems, causing various types of cancers, causing headaches, and in the case of Blue #1, even death. Note that artificial color is added to all types of things, even fresh produce. For example, they may even spray red dye #3 on fresh cherries to make them appear uniformally red and ripe.

Food preservatives

Other widely used food additives are put there to preserve foods, or to allow them to have a longer shelf life before going off in taste or spoiling. Sulfites are common migraine triggers and they are commonly added to and found in most dried fruits (including dried prunes, figs, apricots), wine (white and red), and many processed foods. Sulphites may be the main reason that wine causes migraines. Many wineries add sulphites to wine to stabilize them and to allow them to have a decades long shelf life. Some do not though, so you can look for sulphite-free wines out there to drink. Sulphates are another issue, and we need them to digest food property and to make amino acids. It is believed that one type of migraine may be caused by low levels of sulphates or the inability to break cysteine, an amino acid, into sulphates. Some foods require a lot of sulphates to digest, and sulphates also attach to and counteract the effects of hystamines (which can also cause migraines). Low sulphate levels can be corrected by soaking in one cup of Epsom Salts in the bath tub once or twice a week (your skin will readilly absorb the magnesium sulphate, and it is common that migrainers have low levels of magnesium as well).

Nitrites and nitrates are also common food additive migraine triggers. The more common forms that are found in food are potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate. They are most commonly added to meats to keep certain types of bacteria from growing in them. Typically they are listed in hot dogs, cured meats, lunch meats, bacon, ham, and many types of aged sausages like pepperoni, salami, etc., etc. Nitrates are broken down into nitrites by the body, so eating eaither nitrates or nitrites one will result in nitrite exposure. Nitrites may cause flushing of the neck and face. Your body can/may convert nitrite into nitric oxide (laughing gas), and that binds with oxygen and can lead to hypoxia (low oxygen levels in the blood). Nitric oxide is also a vaso-dialator, and like vaso-active amines, dialates the blood vessels and that in turn can trigger a migraine. Note that there may also be a fair amount of nitrates found naturally in some vegatables that are not put there as additives. These include beets, radishes, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, celery and cabbage. So if you are nitrite sensitive, you may want to avoid these potential triggers, as well as any exposure to nitric oxide. Note that nitric oxide is also used as a propellant in canned whipping cream.

Zomigman, could you please do us a favor? Please break your posts up into shorter paragraphs. Many of us have difficulty reading big blocks of text like that. I want to read what you right, but I just can't. Many of us have the same problem. Thank you!

Really informative posts Zomigman, so thankyou

I am reading with a lot of interest as I've done a lot of my own research over the past year too on dietary triggers. I already pinpointed tyramine and nitrates as a major trigger for me, hot dogs are a nightmare for me. Also nuts especially almonds have made me very ill in the past.

I followed a tannin free diet for a few months but it didn't help me unfortunately, also I now have bad acid reflux due to years of overusing soluble asparin for migraines so now I can no longer tolerate caffiene in any form...this has meant I now have to avoid coffee, tea, chocolate completely and these I believe contain tannins. I still get the migraines so I think I can safely say that tannins are not a trigger for me.

Its alway good to read new information I do agree that a lot of what we put into our bodies these days has a big effect on how we feel.

Brenda wrote:Zomigman, could you please do us a favor? Please break your posts up into shorter paragraphs. Many of us have difficulty reading big blocks of text like that. I want to read what you right, but I just can't. Many of us have the same problem. Thank you!

Well, my reply to that is basically no. Reason being that I am getting zero compensation for this type of posting, it takes up a lot of time and effort, these topics are EXTREMELY complicated, and to revise it for people's needs and making it more easy to read would take me more time and effort (and I would lose content). As Mark Twain once said, "if I had more time, I would write less." Meaning if he had time to edit what he wrote, he would be able to compress it all into fewer words. If I sound politically incorrect or insensitive, well, that is just the way it is. I am not going to appologize for my posts being the way they are. I know there are typos in my posts and mispelled words, and they are long winded, but again, time to revise and edit just takes way too much time.

Put another way, this is the way that *I* have to write (not right). It is targeted toward a high school grad or college educated person, yes. It is complex stuff, yes. If you and others here cannot read it or dislike it, well, I guess I will just stop posting here. I have way too many other things to do as it is.

It is not a matter of a lack of education, that people request that shorter paragraphs be used. Many people here suffer severe headaches and at times it is hard to focus, when the paragraphs are too long.

I do have college degree and, among other things, I wrote a lot of construction specifications, engineering agreements, engineering reports, and contract law. However, on bad days, I find it hard to read long paragraphs.

Martin

ZomigMan wrote:

Brenda wrote:Zomigman, could you please do us a favor? Please break your posts up into shorter paragraphs. Many of us have difficulty reading big blocks of text like that. I want to read what you right, but I just can't. Many of us have the same problem. Thank you!

Well, my reply to that is basically no. Reason being that I am getting zero compensation for this type of posting, it takes up a lot of time and effort, these topics are EXTREMELY complicated, and to revise it for people's needs and making it more easy to read would take me more time and effort (and I would lose content). As Mark Twain once said, "if I had more time, I would write less." Meaning if he had time to edit what he wrote, he would be able to compress it all into fewer words. If I sound politically incorrect or insensitive, well, that is just the way it is. I am not going to appologize for my posts being the way they are. I know there are typos in my posts and mispelled words, and they are long winded, but again, time to revise and edit just takes way too much time.

Put another way, this is the way that *I* have to write (not right). It is targeted toward a high school grad or college educated person, yes. It is complex stuff, yes. If you and others here cannot read it or dislike it, well, I guess I will just stop posting here. I have way too many other things to do as it is.

Wow, you sure took that personally. NONE of us get compensated to be here. I was simply making a suggestion to make sure people read the posts that you take the time to write. many of us CANNOT read large blocks of text because of blurred vision that accompanies our migraines. You are certainly free to ignore my request, and I will have to ignore your posts. I was trying to help and don't feel you needed to jump down my throat for a simple request.

Zomig Man, I am affraid your presumptions that we are all simple minded and cannot understand what you are saying are laughable.
I assure you that many people here have been educated to the very highest standart and are perfectly able to grasp the information you provide. You are being unnecessarily patronsing and offensive, in response to a simple and polite request.

You also show a lack of empathy and good manners, which does not go down well here, as we are all in pain and we prefer to support each other.

If you read carefully what was said, you will soon see that instead of jumping on your high horse, Brenda was only trying to be helpful to you.
It seems, that it is you, who is not able of comprhend that the term "Edit" can mean different things.

In this case no one was asking for you " to water down", or to explain better what you are saying, but simply that you should divide the text into some smaller paragraphs (which takes only a minute, or two) without altering what your text contains.This would make it possible fort more people to read what you have to say.
There was no need to be rude to Brenda who meant her remarks kindly because she is quite correct that most people with migraine cannot read large blocks of test.

I also had too give up trying to read your post, even if I wanted to, and this was not becasue I could not understand what you say, but becasue your text jumps in front of my eyes, and I soon loose track of what I am reading. This, BTW, is just one more symptom of migraine.

Mark Twain was a wise and kind man, and he had no time for arrogance, or pomposity. I am not sure how he would feel about you quoting his name in such unkind context and treating someone who is trying to help in the way you did. I think you owe Brenda an apology.

We are quite forgiving here so we hope that you will stay, becasue obviosuly you have much to contribute.

PS. And don't worry about the typos, we all do that.

you have done a terrific service to those here who want to understand what food is doing to their heads.

many thanks for all the great info. i can't read walls of text, either, so my solution is to copy and paste onto a word document, and then edit it myself. big print, lots of white space, etc.

i understand your not wanting to go to more work; what you did surely cost you an enormous amount of effort, and i appreciate you greatly. thanks again, dianne

My triggers:

Lack of sleep for 3-4 days in a row
Airplane travel & crossing time zones
Bright flashing lights or pulsating lights
Overly MSG-rich foods like Teriyaki, cured ham, sushi sauce
Vigorous aerobic exercise

I've found that if I take Treximet right when the aura starts, I can stop the migraine. Yes, finally something that works!

I've also found that if I take Indomethacin prior to aerobic exercise, I don't get the post-exercise migraine-like headache.

I forgot to mention in my previous post, that after reading your postings, I gave up tomatoes and, while the headache is still there, my stomach is now much better.

I really have to look at diet, as a means of taking care some of my health problems.

Martin

Hey there,

Just wanted to say thanks again for all the great dietary info. I am feeling really motivated to explore this further and appreciate the great suggestions. Thanks for your hard work, Zomigman.

I hope the paragraph size debate gets worked out with no hard feelings. Sometimes things can be misinterpreted when they are communicated in a written form as opposed to face-to-face.