Topic says it all, really.
Since migraine triggers seem to vary between people, the list of stuff to avoid is just ridiculously large!
Has anybody had success with it? If so, how much? Some seem to claim that their (headache) migraines virtually disappeared from diet alone, but I’m not so sure to be honest.
Also, if you’ve had success, please post what you’ve found works to eat and what doesn’t!
Edit: I should probably mention that my MAV (if that’s what I have!) isn’t periodic, I have the godawful “dizziness” every second of every day, which kind of leads me to believe that either diet won’t help, OR, my diet is so bad (from a migraine perspective) that I feel bad constantly because of it. :?
I’ve had success with the Migraine Diet. Through it, I discovered MSG was a BIG trigger for me. Unfortunately, its in just about everything we eat. Over the last year or so, I have changed my diet dramatically. It hasn’t cured me, of course, but it definitely has made a difference. As much trouble as its been, for me it has been well worth it.
My migraines were constant - 24/7 also, so in my opinion, if diet were going to be helpful to you, it would probably be something like the msg (which we all consume daily), and probably not just something like red wine, or aged cheese, etc…
Nice, thanks
How long did it take before you noticed a difference with MSG? I think I’ve noticed after just a day or two without - and it was in both my lunch and dinner today, and I’ve felt a bit worse again. Might be placebo, but maybe not.
Tranquility, to be honest, I noticed a slight difference immediately, but very slight. Just enough to tell me there was more to it. There were times in the beginning when I said “No way”, but it was a gut instinct that told me to stick to it. It was very, very hard because everytime I turned around I was finding it in something else I always ate.
Here’s a good website if you are interested: msgtruth.org/
Tranquility…i know that cutting way back on coffee has helped. I use to consume 4 cups per day…now i only allow myself 1/2 cup and that is 1/2 caff Folgers. Plus…i also cut back on cokes w/caffeine. Alcohol also increases the Motion so i rarely drink anymore. Chocolate is another trigger…although i was never a big chocohalic but i keep candy bars to a minium or chocolate cake, etc. I keep the Stress to a minimum too…and try and get 7.5-8 hrs asleep per night.
Ugh, I’ve been looking a bit, and it seems finding MSG-free foods even for a short trial is going to be hard!
How small amounts of MSG matter, so to speak? Heck, removing all seems nearly impossible. Avoiding the majority would be a lot easier.
Heal Your Headaches was very helpful to me in finding hidden sources of MSG. The latest one I’ve realized is that it’s in any capsule supplements I take - it’s in the gelatin. I take fish oil capsules, i have to cut them open and dump the oil out in order to take them.
You’re right - MSG is EVERYWHERE.
I’ve been on the diet, strictly, for about 4 months. I’ve had a lot of improvement, but I’m also on meds, so I have no idea whether it’s the Zoloft/Neurontin, or the bananas
I forgot to mention - I know people who suffer with migraine headache attacks, not the 24/7 dizziness we suffer with. Once they found their food triggers and avoided them, they quit suffering migraines.
I have had some success with the diet, but not enough to help with the vertigo. What it did help me with was finding my triggers and bringing this thing down to a level that I could manage it with medication. I do mostly OK now, the main time I have problems is when I accidently eat the wrong food or push myself to hard.
To those of you who have found your food triggers:
What do you eat when trying to find them? It seems there are so many things that can act as a trigger, so I just feel overwhelmed even thinking about leaving everything out of my diet. Are there any foods that are completely safe? I have the headaches and the dizziness 24/7, so it’s difficult to know what might be affecting it.
Right know I am trying not to eat sugar, and I also try to stay away from chocolate and msg (but msg is everywhere, so I must admit I’m not completely avoiding it). I don’t know if it’s helping.
The best way to find your food triggers is to eliminate everything listed in the diet for about a month or so. I know, it leaves you with a bland diet with not many choices for food. If things get better for you, start cheating on the diet, but only one thing at a time. The hard part is that some things won’t act as triggers, but in combination with other foods they may act ast the needle that broke the camels back. The easy triggers to find will give you some type of reaction anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. Some foods or additives may take up to a day. Some may have to build up in your system before you get a reaction.
For me, what I have found is foods containing large amounts of MSG and smoked meats can make the room start rocking within about 15 minutes. Aspertame, an artificial sweetner in most diet foods takes a couple of weeks to build up to the point of causing me problems, where as Splenda will mess with my hearing in less than a half hour. Caffiene can cause me problems the next day if I have to much in one day.
