I have read often that it takes, on average, 3 years to internalize all the information regarding “migraineurs” - to address all the possible triggers. I may be below average. This December will be three years since I finally found the right doctor (an oto-neurologist) and a helpful diagnosis (silent migraine, as he calls it). It is only now that I am seeing weather and barometric pressure changes as possible triggers for me.
Yesterday (9-14-15) I was feeling energetic and symptom free. I decided to push the envelope and made a tuna salad for lunch. It was tuna from Trader Joe’s and the label just says “tuna” - no pyrophosphate. It is 1/2 salt. (But of course it still had been sitting in a can and changing !?!) I put it with lettuce dressed with homemade Italian dressing (clear white vinegar).
One hour later, I felt a little off balance. I had a few flurries of vertigo but they would stop. I blamed the canned tuna and wondered if I was having a histamine reaction to the fish that was aggravating my problems. I always wonder this. I eat tuna once a month, though, and I really cannot say I have had a problem before. I was completely oblivious to the clouds coming in and the prediction of up to one inch of rain tomorrow: “An unusual weather pattern for this time of year is expected as a weak cool front ----brings more rain” (LA Times).
Today I was very dizzy when I awoke early at 5:30am. It seemed dark, the rain was already noisy and the air in the house was very humid. I knew my condition was way off (ear fullness, off balance, vertigo, a little nausea, etc.) so I took one 200 mg Advil tablet right away, as well as Nasonex in my bad ear. Within 20 minutes I was better and in an hour I was fine (maybe this is the pay-off for keeping other triggers very low). Was this a reaction to the change in weather - in barometric pressure? I believe it might be.
If you want to read some of my research to support this, I will continue at “Weather As An Unavoidable Trigger” at my blog www.vertigotalesandtastes.blogspot.com