Triggers

Specific Illnesses & Conditions VM/MAV
1

I have kept a diary over the last 20 years and have noted some definite trigger to he bad vertigo attacks and migraines, I know we are all different, but thought if we listed the definite triggers, we all might gain a bit of info, so from my diary here are some of mine:

Vertigo attacks: Two hrs after eating a lot of spinach
After getting exhausted cleaning
When I had the ECOG test (worse vertigo attack ever, was hospitalized with it)
When my neck was stretched up and to the right by physio
Laying on right side and turning onto back
After using Tranvasin cream
While taking doxycycline antibiotics, several attacks
Two hours after taking diflucan tablet
After a lot of onions in a stew

And the flashing light migraines (the worse ones)
Anti histamines, next day fl light migraine
After neck bent over, sewing
After taking manganese, chromium and selenium
Continuous while on prozac (supposed to help the mig)
Afer chicken in red wine with mushrooms
After gloss painting
After flagyl
Day before an operation (stress)
Day flew back from a stressful holiday
Some chemical hairstuff I put on my hair

These are the worse ones, the daily stuff, cant always work out.

There are, on top of these, the bad ones caused by food, but that is probably another topic.

Be interesting to see what triggers others have.

Christine

2

Come on folks, somebody must have some ideas of what has triggered their worse migraines or worse vertigo attacks?? :mrgreen:

3

Well I have just found another one, Christmas! :lol:

4

Christine,
Very interesting post!!!

I am one who has not been able to find what my triggers for vertigo are. I wish I could come up with a list like your so I would know what to avoid. I’ve had, I think, 6 vertigo attacks and there is nothing that I can come up with that would have caused them. The next to the last one I had, I had put salt on my supper about two hours earlier (after being on a low sodium diet). I don’t know if that caused the attack or not but it scared me so that I haven’t put salt on anything since then. (I should note that previously when I put salt on food it did not lead to an attack.)

As far as the daily motion sick feeling I have, my trigges for that are any kind of head movement, flashing/flickering lights, candle smells, unexpected movement from others, watching things spin, being in a car, oh so many, most all have to do with movement and/or visual thingies.

BW

5

Any kind of passive motion was my worst trigger.

Any movement on the bed while I’m lying on it.
Passenger in a car.

You get the picture.

Julie

6

Hi BW,

Yes, I know how difficult it is to spot the triggers. I used to seem to get a reaction from something one time and then not another (the threshold thing). Its probably because I kept a diary for so long that I eventually saw some things happening again and again, for instance, it was only when reading back through the diaries I saw that every time I was on diuretics I was getting severe migraine every day from the moment I started it until I stopped and it happened with several different diuretics before I saw what was happening. I was on these and a low salt diet like you, because of the menieres (endolymphatic hydrops) then diagnosed at the time. The spinach and the diflucan were really obvious, because I was relatively normal one minute and 2 hours after taking them, really bad. I checked the difulcan out a couple of times and the reaction was the same.

I am just trying Vitamin D and waking more sluggish and dizzy in the morning, this is a milder reaction so I am not sure, this is when it is difficult to spot.

Like most people on this board, I feel rotton most of the time, what on earth is causing that I dont know, because I can keep the diet really clean and still feel like that.
I am still considering trying the topamax after Christmas, it is still on the sideboard looking at me.
Best Wishes
Christine

7

Here’s the triggers Jason and I have noticed, what makes it so hard is sometimes it seems to be a trigger and other times he’s fine.

Coffee in the afternoon (sometimes both decaf and regular sometimes only regular affects him…maybe something in his creamer?)
Riding passenger (he has to drive or he gets sick, sometimes its mild car sickness other times it’ll last for days)
Kids moving around in the back seat while he’s driving
Using varnishes/thinners/paint etc (he veneers and builds his own speakers…refuses to wear a mask…but the last time I think he realized it does affect him!)
Not eating regularly/or too much sugar/not enough protein (I’ve noticed with our schedule (we don’t eat til about 8 pm or so) he starts getting sick around 4 PM, but feels better usually after he eats) Course when he’s already dizzy he doesn’t feel like eating
Beer (sometimes/sometimes not)
Stress!!!
Lots of visual motion ie, movie theater screen, “visually busy” movies (usually action, or any movies in which the camera moves around fast or the subject is spinning or swinging) strangely Cloverfield made me feel motion sick slightly but Jason was fine…
Commotion, ie family get to-gethers, people moving around, lots of conversation etc.
Turning his head fast or prolonging a “turn”
Sleeping wrong ( i think it is also having his head turned to the right, but he generally sleeps on his back, sometimes he has to sleep on his wedge or recliner because of back problems, sometimes this causes the headache sometimes it relieves it)
Putting away Laundry!!! (LOL this I can actually say, is legit…not an excuse to get out of helping me…its the turning around, up, down, stretching…every time it’ll set him off but is usually mild)
Driving for more then a couple hours (again I’m guessing it the visual motion and literal motion)
Heat, heat, heat!! Summer (of course its 110 here 6 months out of the year…hate Tucson) is way worse then winter or cool days. Swamp cooled house vs AC cooled house made it worse too.
Video games (he used be an avid computer gamer, Counterstrike was his passion, now a half hour can set him off for a couple days)
Scrolling up/down reading lots on email, websites etc.

and every now and then I think he is just allergic to me :slight_smile:

8

The only trigger that can actually start a dizzy spell directly is food. I am not organized enough to keep an diary to isolate it down, but I know that for the most part it is foods that have been over processed with to many artificial ingredients.

The list of things that just slowly make my day worse are:
Stress
Getting off of my sleep schedule or disturbed in the middle of the night
Things that involve to much motion in general
Eye scanning, such as looking up and down the shelves when shopping
To much head turning
Winter weather

9

Hi Cm41,

Well Jason could be my clone, it was like reading about myself. I can identify with every single one of those, except the coffee and beer.

All varnishes etc. I find set me off, I have recently started painting pictures with acrylics (had a vertigo attack, put it down to my neck being twisted a bit but I think it was the paint).

I have proven reactive hypoglycemia, which means my blood sugar drops too quickly after eating, so I have to keep my sugar intake balanced with protein.

Visual stimulation, dreadful! I have been to the cinema twice in the last 10 years because when I got up to walk out I was so dizzy.

People and conversations, bobbing heads, ugh, cant wait to get away

I sleep on my back on 3 pillows originally because of a lower back problem, but find it helps the dizzies and have oddly, just purchased a wedge.

Had severe vertigo attack after pushing through a bad migraine on a hot sunny day because I wanted the day out.

Scrolling up and down, ugh, feel sick thinking about it.

Jason may be just allergic to you, I think I am allergic to life!

Best Wishes
Christine

10

well the hardest part identifying Jason’s food triggers is that we don’t tend to eat highly processed food…usually anyway. I generally cook our meals at home, once a week at the most will he eat fast food, we usually don’t have much cola or other soda around the house, the only processed food we eat is frozen microwave meals for lunch (that’s probably part of it) we do eat alot of cheese, and he does lattes, so lots of milk in his coffee. I think that might be part of why he never really bothered to identify anything, because it was like, well those are all “triggers” and I eat all those things so oh well. LOL.
He doesn’t do much chocolate or even a lot of sugar. His blood sugar every time they’ve tested it has been fine…but I still think his diet is missing something.

11

— Begin quote from “C4M1”

…He doesn’t do much chocolate or even a lot of sugar. His blood sugar every time they’ve tested it has been fine…but I still think his diet is missing something.

— End quote

If you are not diebetic, your body will maintain a stable blood sugar when it gets low by increasing adrenaline output, causing your body to feed off of itself. It is this adrenaline that can cause problems when you have gone to far between meals, but still have normal blood sugar levels. Adrenaline not being used correctly is another migraine trigger, that is why stress and hunger can cause us problems. Excessive amounts of sweets can also cause the same problem as they can put you on an insuline/adrenaline roller coaster.

Now, don’t get me wrong, adrenaline being used properly for things like excersise is a good thing. My point is, this is why it is so important to watch things like how regularly you eat, sleep, and other stress factors in life closely.

Brian

12

Thanks, I’ll let him know. Of course, I’ve tried to get him to keep his meals/schedules regular, but since I work and am not around during the day he’s one of those guys that won’t eat unless he can get something simple made. When he was really ill it was hardest because even if I left him something made or a frozen meal, he didn’t feel like eating anyway. I think this is usually why he’s worse in the afternoon and will often feel better after dinner, at least for a little bit. Luckily he is not big on sweets, but when he does indulge…he really indulges LOL (like he’ll clear a half gallon of icecream, mostly by himself in about 5 bowls…). Unfortunately my work schedule is late right now (which means dinner is at 8 or later), but I have finally got him to eat something, even if its just an english muffin or bagel for breakfast most days, and I really think that’s helped his morning headaches he used to get. I tend to be a little more careful with my diet because although young, I have hypoglycemia and gall bladder issues in my family, so sugar and fat are not something we eat alot of, since my mom had all her issues discovered a little older then me.

13

Here’s a list that was provided to me:

chocolate
cocoa
red wine
port
sherry
scotch
bourbon
gin
canned, cured, aged or processed meats
pickled herring
dried fish
chicken liver
bologna
fermented sausage
anything prepared with meat tenderizer
soy sauce
brewer’s yeast
foods containing nitrates or tyramine (smoked meats like bacon, sausage, ham, salami, pepperoni, hot dogs)
buttermilk
sour cream
chocolate milk
Cheeses: stilton, bleu,cheddar,mozzarella,cheese spread,roquefort, provolone, gruyere, muenster, feta, parmesan, emmenthal, brie, brick, camembert types, cheddar, gouda, romano
yeast bread, yeast coffee cake, doughnuts, sourdough bread
nuts
Beans: broad, lima, italian, fava navy, pinto, garbanzo. Snow peas, pea pods, sauerkraut, onions, olives, pickles
Avocados, figs, raisin, papaya, passion fruit, red plums
Canned soups, bouillon cubes, soup base with yeast or MSG (labels)
pizza, cheese sauce, MSG, seasoned salt, mixed dishes like macaroni & cheese, beef stroganoff, lasagna, frozen TV dinners.
All non-white vinegars.
Anything pickled, fermented, or marinated.

14

I know all the foods on the above list and I have alleviated all of them.

But my worst trigger is perfume and chemical smells of any kind. My step daughter came over today and was wearing something liked she had bathed in it and I have been in the basement all night and wearing a mask when I go upstairs to keep from smelling it. You know I am not sure what about this they just do not get but I am sure if she comes over here again with it on her father will ask her to leave. I know that sounds harsh but we have told all the kids that we cannot have it in the house.

The weather is a trigger along with lights and loud sounds.

Being on the computer too long also seems to aggrevate it also.

15

— Begin quote from “Timeless”

I know all the foods on the above list and I have alleviated all of them.

But my worst trigger is perfume and chemical smells of any kind. My step daughter came over today and was wearing something liked she had bathed in it and I have been in the basement all night and wearing a mask when I go upstairs to keep from smelling it. You know I am not sure what about this they just do not get but I am sure if she comes over here again with it on her father will ask her to leave. I know that sounds harsh but we have told all the kids that we cannot have it in the house.

The weather is a trigger along with lights and loud sounds.

Being on the computer too long also seems to aggrevate it also.

— End quote

Perfume is a big time trigger for MAV, but for some reason, it’s never bothered me.

Weather is definitely a huge trigger. I usually get hit around late October/early November. The transition (20-25 degree drop) in temperature sets it off. Much less this year than in years past. Doing unusually well right now.

Sounds and lights have not bothered me, but I know it’s a big problem for many.

Computer…was a significant problem early on when this hit me a few years ago. It’s become less over time.

It’s staggering when you add up the whole list of things that can set off MAV. A co-worker, who didn’t know I was sick, once asked me why I eat so healthy at lunch during work. I vaguely mentioned a migraine problem without mentioning the vertigo and disequilibrium component(s), and went into some of the foods that set it off. She sat there with a look of shock on her face, saying (paraphrase): "How do you live?

16

— Begin quote from “MSDXD”

— Begin quote from “Timeless”

I know all the foods on the above list and I have alleviated all of them.

But my worst trigger is perfume and chemical smells of any kind. My step daughter came over today and was wearing something liked she had bathed in it and I have been in the basement all night and wearing a mask when I go upstairs to keep from smelling it. You know I am not sure what about this they just do not get but I am sure if she comes over here again with it on her father will ask her to leave. I know that sounds harsh but we have told all the kids that we cannot have it in the house.

The weather is a trigger along with lights and loud sounds.

Being on the computer too long also seems to aggrevate it also.

— End quote

Perfume is a big time trigger for MAV, but for some reason, it’s never bothered me.

Weather is definitely a huge trigger. I usually get hit around late October/early November. The transition (20-25 degree drop) in temperature sets it off. Much less this year than in years past. Doing unusually well right now.

Sounds and lights have not bothered me, but I know it’s a big problem for many.

Computer…was a significant problem early on when this hit me a few years ago. It’s become less over time.

It’s staggering when you add up the whole list of things that can set off MAV. A co-worker, who didn’t know I was sick, once asked me why I eat so healthy at lunch during work. I vaguely mentioned a migraine problem without mentioning the vertigo and disequilibrium component(s), and went into some of the foods that set it off. She sat there with a look of shock on her face, saying (paraphrase): "How do you live?

— End quote

I love that "How do you live? , question if they only knew that is the only way some of us can live is to eat right and reduce our triggers to a minimal.

My husband and I were talking this morning because I woke up with a huge headache this morning something I have not had in months and I started looking back in my diary to find out what was different.

I noticed three things, one the weather has been yucky, two I had a cup of deccaf coffee and cream yesterday and I ate some rolls over the last few days and they have a high yeast content in them, and I normally do not eat anything like that.

Plus the exposure to the perfume.

So it is like he told me , honey you are going to have to stay within the box in order to not have these symptoms effect you this way.

I am sure with all this I crossed my threshold and it just manifested into a full blown headache. I am trying to not take my old migraine medication (Relplax) and just use a cold press and took an aspirin to see if that will ease the pain.

Funny thing is it is on the right side and I never have had headaches on that side before, they are always on the left side. This disease is very strange sometimes…

17

ironically, Jason wears cologne everyday. I think smells actually bother me more then they do him (I don’t even wear perfume…half because I work in an office with mostly men… and half because I have this fear of being that one person with too much perfume on LOL). however fumes definitely bother him, like enamels and stains (for wood) as every time he’s sick the next day.

18

For me the things that I am certain make my head worse than usual:
lights that are too bright, like in a grocery store
certain dim lighting can mess me up too
watching tv in the dark
too many different noises going on, like tv and radio and people talking , sensory/audio overload
being in crowded places where there are lots of people milling about
driving more than an hour
flying in airplane
pistachio nuts
lack of sleep
more stress than usual
extreme bowling
traveling to higher elevations
MRI scan
getting dental work performed
playing Guitar Hero
alcohol (quite the tragedy for me…)

If I experience too much of the above… it’s guaranteed I’ll be laid out for a couple of hours.

19

My triggers in order of strength:

  1. Emotional stress

  2. Excessive exercise

  3. Lack of sleep/ sleep disruption

  4. Certain foods

Scott 8)

20

My triggers are:

Diet (caffeine, msg, alcohol, chocolate, too much sugar)

excess of emotional stress

lack of sleep/sleep disruption

intense crowds

noisy office

also if i’m driving with someone (i’m the passenger)and the driver uses the BRAKE alot…that can bring on alot of motion for me.

talking with people nodding my head up and down and right and left…can sometimes aggravate the motion

If i know that i will be getting on a plane soon sometimes that can aggravate. Anything with too much stimula does it in for me.

Joe