ATTENTION CHRONIC MIGRAINE SUFFERERS......................................

I have had daily migraine for over 35 years and have tried many drugs & treatments. My sister has just suggested I might have a gluten sensativity. I was tested for celiac and was negative but from what I've read there is no test for gluten sensativity except by trying a gluten-free diet. I'd like to know if anyone has gone gluten-free and the diet has helped with migraine relief. I am very reluctant to try the strict diet without hearing that it helps migraneurs. I need feedback. Please contact me @ my email address: flo_02472@yahoo.com I will appreciate it.
Flo[b]

Hi!

I have tried the gluten-free diet three different times over the past few years. It had absolutely no effect on my migraines. It is a very hard diet to stick to and very expensive to buy gluten-free alternatives. So, I would really think about it before undertaking such a huge change.

Michelle

flo, nothing is guaranteed, but avoiding ALL DAIRY would be an easier thing to give up for a time. you'd have to be strict about it for at least a month, in order to really tell the diff.

i've done without both gluten and dairy, without a difference. with me, as you know, it's the ADDITIVES/CHEMICALS, of which i can get away with none..........dianne

I did read somewhere that a very small percentage of migraine sufferers have a gluten sensitivity. However I agree with others that if you have yet to try cutting other things out, like artificial food colorings, sodium nitrites, MSG, etc, it may be easier to try that first.

It hasn't had much of an effect on my migraines, but I feel a million times better on it and am more active. I just feel less bloated, and my digestion is much better. In my case, I have been on a paleo diet for about 2 months, which is gluten free.

I think it's worth at least trying at some point, as is going dairy free. And as others said, the first thing you should do before any of those diets is remove processed foods as completely as you can.

RE eating gluten free and costs, it's only expensive if you try to find gluten free replacements. It's much easier to just decide to remove items like bread etc. from your diet, and eat meals that don't require it. Just eat more produce etc. EG don't eat cereal in the morning...eat eggs, or fruit, or greek yogurt, or make a smoothy.

But if you really want something like gluten free pasta for example though, there are all kinds of gluten free pastas that cost no more than normal pasta (especially if you have a Bulk store that carries them). It doesn't have to cost more, you just have to do research.

If you are trying to replicate your existing diet exactly, or are buying all kinds of gluten free snacks to try to replace snack foods though, then yes it can get expensive.

flo, i think everyone forgets, including me, that one can eat cornbread on a gluten-free diet. you just can't add any other flour to make it hang together, but you can add extra eggs for that purpose.

i used to make it with corn FLOUR, not relishing the grittiness of regular cornmeal. buy in bulk from a health-food or regular food store with good quality bin items. dianne

dcook60 wrote:flo, i think everyone forgets, including me, that one can eat cornbread on a gluten-free diet. you just can't add any other flour to make it hang together, but you can add extra eggs for that purpose.

i used to make it with corn FLOUR, not relishing the grittiness of regular cornmeal. buy in bulk from a health-food or regular food store with good quality bin items. dianne

Actually, you can cook with either almost or coconut flour. Both taste great. I use almond flower to make pancakes as well, and for other baking.

yes, i love almond and coconut flours too. but almond, especially, is mighty expensive. $10 a pound where i live, unless one can find it in bulk bins.

the advantage of corn is that it's cheap. i've been on the paleolithic diet, also, but couldn't stay on it cuz i did crave at least a LITTLE grain. and one grain leads to another and another, and pretty soon i was back on grains.

but as i said above, it didn't make an iota of difference in my pain, anyway. it's likely healthier to eat few grains, especially with all the news media now focusing on the harm of, particularly, modern wheat. which isn't anything like the original wheat. dianne

dcook60 wrote:yes, i love almond and coconut flours too. but almond, especially, is mighty expensive. $10 a pound where i live, unless one can find it in bulk bins.

the advantage of corn is that it's cheap. i've been on the paleolithic diet, also, but couldn't stay on it cuz i did crave at least a LITTLE grain. and one grain leads to another and another, and pretty soon i was back on grains.

but as i said above, it didn't make an iota of difference in my pain, anyway. it's likely healthier to eat few grains, especially with all the news media now focusing on the harm of, particularly, modern wheat. which isn't anything like the original wheat. dianne

The cool thing about paleo is that it's guidelines and not really a set 'diet'. The idea is to go strict for 30 days, but a lot of people add food back in that they feel they really benefit from. EG I have added greek yogurt back into my diet. I also have a cheat night once in awhile.

Paleo by no means has cured my migraines or anything. But it makes me feel better, and allows me to work out more. When I can't work out, I get more headaches.

It's just one of those things you have nothing to lose at least trying. And it doesn't have to be paleo, just some kind of elimination diet.

I had daily migraines for years until i stopped eating gluten.

They would alway come on in the afternoons, approx 2-3 hours after i had eaten (a gluten filled) lunch. I would always eat pizza, pasta, sandwich etc, and never understood the relation.

It was also causing a lot of muscle and joint pain in my shoulders, arms and neck. Got off the gluten and all this went away in a matter of a couple days!

GLUTEN IS EVIL!

Now I never touch the stuff, and never have migraines anymore.

I have also been advised to go gluten-free because gluten is inflammatory. Honestly, it didn't seem to help my "hormonal" migraines but overall I feel a lot better when I avoid gluten. I still eat it but in very small amounts, whereas before I was a heavy bread, pizza, bagel eater.

It's a little sad for me since I love to bake and I don't find the gluten free alternatives very good in comparison.

I also tried paleo and found it difficult, but I have developed a taste for almond flour which is not too expensive at Trader Joe's if you have one near you. My husband felt a million times better on paleo.

I have tried gluten free, dairy free, soy free, and many others. It came to the point where I was on a vegetable only diet and it did nothing for my head problems.

I was also tested for celiac, as well as nutritional sensitivities. It seems even distilled water causes my symptoms, so I'm at a loss.

Ironically the best I feel is when I'm on a high-junk food diet (lots of fast food, candy, cakes, etc.) with lots of sugar. When I tend to eat healthy is when my headaches are at their worst.

As for the gluten question, I have gone 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months without it. Every time I am told "you didn't give it enough time". Do yourself a favor and don't listen to other people on this, because you'll end up like I did: wondering when it's supposed to get better.

If something works it usually works within a few days, from my personal experience, in response to migraine triggers. Don't fool yourself and take drugs or avoid foods for months at a time. If it takes that long it's more than likely something else that is causing a reduction in your symptoms.

I have to echo tdu's experience. While reducing gluten in my diet hasn't made my migraines better (or worse) my digestive system is radically better, which I think makes me better equipped to deal with the migraines.

I haven't eliminated gluten completely, but one really huge change for me has been breakfast: instead of an egg and toast, I now have oatmeal with almonds, raisins, pumpkin seeds -- whatever looks good. I have also given up my morning black tea with milk and switched to green tea. I haven't really changed anything else (I eat wheat bread later in the day, and small amounts of dairy) but the oatmeal/green tea combo makes me feel so much better.

Oatmeal was never my favorite food but I found that "thick cut oats" (not Irish oats) are not mushy or slimy, and take about 6 minutes to make. Just starting my day out a little better makes me feel like I at least have a fighting chance.


lowbrainpower you are so funny... I have to agree that if it's going to work, you'll know right away. Don't waste days or weeks on a diet if it doesn't make a difference. Last month I defiantly ate steak, chocolate and red wine and got a headache, not a migraine, that was no worse than when I was living on beans!

Hi everyone. Thank you for taking an interest in my health. If you are still following this thread I have some good/bad news:

Good:
The headache is CURED. It was a CSF leak that I must have received a long time ago.

However....

the BAD:
My cognitive decline, head pressure, dizziness, and every other symptom I have been experiencing FOR YEARS is STILL THERE. The blood patch only cured the pain, but the rest of my problems must be found elsewhere.

I now know what the cause of all my suffering is: FOOD. I do not know why this is though. After going gluten free, and even trying the gluten free diet for several months in the past, it seems that nearly every food I ingest bothers me. Fasting (no food or drink) for 48 hours still helps, and even breaking the fast with a stir fry of olive oil and zucchini, or even plain old carrots, causes all symptoms to return. How could carrots cause dizziness, extreme lethargy, and a drunk-like sensation IMMEDIATELY after eating. This isn't something that happens minutes or hours down the road, but after my second bite!

Carrots are not even on my food intolerance list, so what gives?

Food is doing something to my body but it is not a histamine reaction. I am even on an antihistamine right now and still experiencing this drunk-like symptoms. I have also had allergies in the past and the most I would get was watery eyes and some hives on occasion. Now, however, I get no itchy eyes, no hives, no itchy skin, no sneezing, etc. but all I have is cognitive decline.

Does anyone know how food could be causing my symptoms? It's almost as if when I eat someone gives me a shot of horse tranquilizer before I'm even able to swallow the second bite.

Thank you in advance, still trying to fight this thing and become healthy so I can enjoy my life for once!

Have you looked at the possibility that your body is too acidic, as described in this book: "The pH Miracle: Balance Your Diet, Reclaim Your Health?" Amazon carries the book.

Martin

First of all, thank goodness the headache is gone! That is great news. What is a CSF leak?

Now, do you suppose it's not the carrots but something ON the carrots? Pesticides, additives, or something like that?

My husband cannot eat apples -- he gets an immediate allergic reaction. Except when we go apple picking in the fall and get them straight off the tree, and the orchard guarantees no pesticides. Then he's fine. So we assume it's whatever is sprayed or coating the apples.

Could that be it, maybe?