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Rira82
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Re: Food Triggers???
« Reply #25 on: Apr 25th, 2008, 11:25am »
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I've been suffering from CH for about 15 years and caffeine is the only thing that can control my headaches.  I've tried anti-inflammatory meds, anti-seizuremeds and nothing has been able to eliminate the episodes.
 
I discovered that caffeine worked for me during college when all I had around to drink was Pepsi.  Now after 6 years instead of drinking Pepsi at the first signs of a CH, I take 3 excedrine migraine pills, which are loaded with caffeine, and it stops the CH in it's tracks.
 
Also, I've kept track of when i get a CH and what foods I've eaten before hand.  I cannot link my CHs to an exact food, but I have been able to link them to alcohol, specifically wine.  I find if i cut out red and white wine, i get fewer episodes a week.  I wonder if any of you have discovered the same kind of link?
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Re: Food Triggers???
« Reply #26 on: Apr 25th, 2008, 11:56am »
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Excedrin ES Migraine has 65mg caffeine.  If you take two tabs that would be about the same caffeine as a strong cup of coffee or two.
 
Excedrin ES Migraine also has 250mg each of Acetaminophen and Aspirin which have little effect on CH although some report relief from a shadow.  
Again I drink strong coffee or an energy drink with good results rather than excedrin.
over use of Acetaminophen and Aspirin may cause tinnitus (annoying ringing in your ears), stomach problems, rebound HAs along with other unpleasant side effects.
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Re: Food Triggers???
« Reply #27 on: Apr 25th, 2008, 10:34pm »
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Hi there,
 
My most favorite thing in the world is a huge trigger for me, and it is chocolate. Of course I am bumming. I do indulge once in a while and I do have tp expect he worst after. But once in a while it is worth it. Grin
 
Pat
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Re: Food Triggers???
« Reply #28 on: Apr 26th, 2008, 7:52am »
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rira
 
I have not really been able to link food to much-  because of other posts- i have avoided any alcohol - but i don't drink much or often anyway-  I have found though that if I drink a very cold fruit juice in the morning to wash down the am meds ( like a capri sun- kids kind of drinks) my head hurts a little
 
Otherwise i've eaten spicy, salads, all kind of dressings , chocolate, indian , mexican , pizza  etc etc  and haven't noticed a difference-  
 
But I am on Verapamil 660 mg and only use a triptan now about 1x a week for a longer lasting shadow-  So that may have something to do with it
 
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Re: Food Triggers???
« Reply #29 on: Apr 28th, 2008, 5:47pm »
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So far this episode, every time I eat anything I can expect to see the beast {which has absolutely nothing to do with "seeing the elephant"}.  Even if I just nible on some seseme sticks and cashews or something.  I'm thinking about going on a fast.  I did go and pick up an "H" bottle of O2 today.  $65.  Heck, I spend that on beer and whisky in a week when I'm pf.  I did give 'em my insurance to see if it would cover though.  
« Last Edit: Apr 28th, 2008, 5:49pm by jjslugdog » IP Logged

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Re: Food Triggers???
« Reply #30 on: Apr 28th, 2008, 8:02pm »
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on Apr 28th, 2008, 5:47pm, jjslugdog wrote:
So far this episode, every time I eat anything I can expect to see the beast {which has absolutely nothing to do with "seeing the elephant"}.  Even if I just nible on some seseme sticks and cashews or something.  I'm thinking about going on a fast.  I did go and pick up an "H" bottle of O2 today.  $65.  Heck, I spend that on beer and whisky in a week when I'm pf.  I did give 'em my insurance to see if it would cover though.  

 
jj look at my other post of finally a little better today....
maybe try a TAURINE suplement when you eat to help you digest.  the last few  days rick has been taking a 1000 mg Taurine with every meal and no meal related HA.  when he starts shadowing,  he takes a taurine and a cup of coffee and also keeps the beast at bay.
 
cashews are a no no.  try to eat healthy natural foods with no msg, no preservatives,  no processed lunch meats, no aged cheese.  
 
think like, turkey burger, salads, eggs, chicken, tuna sandwich,  avoid sugars too.
 
good luck,  hope you feel better soon.
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Re: Food Triggers???
« Reply #31 on: May 25th, 2008, 8:07am »
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yesterday I had the experience of a severe hit towards the end of a meal (thought i'd put the fork in my eye instead of my mouth Undecided). food trigger crossed my mind briefly, but the headache appeared literally minutes after ingesting (triptan tabs should surely work a lot better in that case).  
 
i wonder whether a lot of the CHs we perceive as being triggered by food are not in fact rather triggered by the mere act of eating (connection with digestion / vagus nerve activation). this could also lend credibility to some of the ideas on fasting and detoxing as preventatives.
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Re: Food Triggers???
« Reply #32 on: May 25th, 2008, 4:26pm »
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I think each individual will be different as for triggers. For some people chocolate, wine, MSG, nuts, and cheese are going to be a trigger while for others there may not be any trigger foods or maybe only one trigger food. Hell, most lists include caffeine when caffeine helps 50% of people! And yes, caffeine can trigger headache in some people, but I know many people (myself included) that caffeine can be one of the best meds for any kind of headache. And alcohol is going to be a trigger for a lot of people because it is a vasodilator. But some may be able to drink it without a problem.  
 
For me alcohol is the only trigger. I can normally drink it, but now since I've just started having the clusters again, it brings them on. Once I am over them, I will probably be able to drink again. But otherwise, chocolate, cheese, stuff with MSG, nuts, and any other food are fine.
 
As for having the pain right after a meal. When this happens do you typically eat at or around the same time every day? If so it might have nothing to do with food or eating. As you all know CH often happens around the same time each day. If you eat at 6:00 and you get a headache at 7:00, its probably not the food, you could probably skip that meal and still have a headache at 7.  
 
I mean, see the hot seeker/cold seeker topic. Everyone varies for what helps and what doesn't. The best thing to do is maybe keep a "food diary" and see if anything correlates to the headaches.  
 
Sorry if I sound bitchy or am stating the obvious. I just hate to see it when people automatically state "don't eat that food it will cause a problem!" when it may only cause a problem in a few people. Then others with less knowledge come along and read it and go "Oh, that can cause a problem? I better not eat it!" (And trust me, there are people that will believe anything they read or hear, just because its a popularly held belief. For example "don't swim after you eat", so many people read that and believe it even though its not true)
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Re: Food Triggers???
« Reply #33 on: May 25th, 2008, 4:54pm »
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on May 25th, 2008, 4:26pm, Cynthia wrote:
For example "don't swim after you eat", so many people read that and believe it even though its not true)

What?
 
You are shattering my world.
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Re: Food Triggers???
« Reply #34 on: May 25th, 2008, 8:18pm »
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on May 25th, 2008, 4:26pm, Cynthia wrote:

As for having the pain right after a meal. When this happens do you typically eat at or around the same time every day? If so it might have nothing to do with food or eating. As you all know CH often happens around the same time each day. If you eat at 6:00 and you get a headache at 7:00, its probably not the food, you could probably skip that meal and still have a headache at 7.

 
i think you may have misread my post. what i'm suggesting is that digestion itself may at times trigger CH rather than any particular foodstuff. in 20 odd years the only 2 surefire triggers i've been able to pinpoint for myself when in cycle are alcohol and strenuous exercise. a number of times i've experienced shadowing after eating, and being hit right after a meal (outside my regular appointments with the beast) subsequently leads me to consider possibilities other than direct food triggers.
 
 
 
 
 
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Re: Food Triggers???
« Reply #35 on: May 25th, 2008, 10:52pm »
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    Alcohol is probably the only universal trigger that is recognized.
 
    SO.....how many of you who seem to think that eating a cashew, or chocolate or asparagus or pineapple,  have ever considered the fact that maybe just maybe,  none of these are triggers and you got "hit" just because it was time for your dodgey Hypothalmus to say it was.
 
I've been chronic for 21 loooong years.  What I ate never made one whit of differance.  If I didn't eat anything for days...I still got hit.  If I ate pasta., brocolli, chocolate or califlower..I still got hit...
 
    Roll Eyes
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Re: Food Triggers???
« Reply #36 on: May 25th, 2008, 11:03pm »
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I'm with Linda.  
Food has never been a trigger for me. My understanding is that food is a trigger for migraines not CH.
 
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Re: Food Triggers???
« Reply #37 on: May 25th, 2008, 11:04pm »
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I'm chronic & while in low cycle I can drink drink Stout, white wine & scotch but if I have 1 Beer I will shadow heavily within 20 minutes; all of these are alcohol but why is it that only the beer rattles the beast's cage.
 Go figure cos I cant.
 
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Re: Food Triggers???
« Reply #38 on: May 25th, 2008, 11:15pm »
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  Quote:
food is a trigger for migraines not CH.  

 
and that is what I believe also.
 
 
Barry, correct me if I am wrong but isn't Stout...BEER?
 
   Linda who hates any type of beer..
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Re: Food Triggers???
« Reply #39 on: May 26th, 2008, 12:04am »
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on May 25th, 2008, 11:15pm, Linda_Howell wrote:

 
 
and that is what I believe also.
 
 
Barry, correct me if I am wrong but isn't Stout...BEER?
 
   Linda who hates any type of beer..

Linda you are right; Stout is a beer with the only general difference being the colour & body & thats why I'm baffled as to why I can drink that & not have it effect me but try a beer, Ale or Lager & I shadow.
The brewing methods are generally the same with slight differences in the malts and or yeasts.
That being said they are all still alcohol so I have to assume that it's not the alcohol that effects me.
 
Still confused
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Re: Food Triggers???
« Reply #40 on: May 26th, 2008, 1:56am »
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on May 25th, 2008, 10:52pm, Linda_Howell wrote:

 
    Alcohol is probably the only universal trigger that is recognized.
 
    SO.....how many of you who seem to think that eating a cashew, or chocolate or asparagus or pineapple,  have ever considered the fact that maybe just maybe,  none of these are triggers and you got "hit" just because it was time for your dodgey Hypothalmus to say it was.
 
I've been chronic for 21 loooong years.  What I ate never made one whit of differance.  If I didn't eat anything for days...I still got hit.  If I ate pasta., brocolli, chocolate or califlower..I still got hit...
 
    Roll Eyes

 
Yeah, thats basically what I was trying to say. You just summed it up...and probably said it more nicely than I did. Smiley
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Re: Food Triggers???
« Reply #41 on: May 26th, 2008, 6:34am »
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You couldn't have convinced me otherwise that it wasn't different foods triggering, when I thought different foods were triggering. But that was also when I wasn't making use of the abortives that are available to us. So, as Stevie Wonder said:
 
"When you believe in things that you dont understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition aint the way"
 
Every hit was hell and to be endured completely, so yes, I used to get freaked out about everything that preceeded a hit. Life is better now that I've got O2, Red Bull and Imitrex as I can live my life fully knowing that if I get hit, it happens and I take care of it.
 
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