Hi,
As it was assumed I suffered from migraines and really susceptible to pain I was advised to avoid coffee, chocolate and cheese. Are they likely to trigger CHs?

Tony

CH triggers are much more individualized then with migrain. The most common ones people write about here being alcohol and strong solvent smells. That being said, people have posted on this board that alcohol doesn't trigger an attack for them in cycle.

Stress is another wobbler, for some, sustained stress will bring on an attack, for others, they try and stay stressed up, because as soon as they relax, they get slammed.

In 32 years I've identified my triggers, I appear to only have 4. Sustained stress, alcohol, significant sleep cycle disruptions, and allowing myself to get really hungry.

Coffee is a great prevent AND abortive for me, chocolate and cheese do not affect my CH at all. Just takes a lot of trial and error while in cycle to pin down the culprits.

Joe

Over the years we have discussed this question a number of times. Foods don't seem to bother CH demons but there is broad agreement on: alcohol as a trigger WHEN in an active cycle; related are solvents as in cleaners, paints, etc.

Even the alcohol thing is broken down (via a good study from Europe) which said that white wine was safe, red a trigger along with spirits of all kinds.

Starting from this limited list you will use your personal experience as a guide.

Great response, Joe. Like you, coffee, chocolate, and cheese cause me no grief at all.

I find my triggers to be: allowing myself to get overly hungry and some smells will do it, but that seems to be it. Alcohol was a trigger for me in the beginning, but not anymore.

Alcohol was a trigger for me in the beginning, but not anymore.

Okay, now I just don't like you! ;D Lordy I miss my micro brews and blended bourbons while on cycle. :'(

Joe

A couple of things I can also relate to there. Alcohol, now that I missed the most, it would trigger an attack after just one mouthful, a night of drinking also brings on a short cycle that lasts a couple of days, so unfair for me as I used to live to DJ and party. Stress also causes horrible attacks unless I can get angry.

Tony

Red wine a definite, as well as stress.
chocolate, definitely.  and bananas!! that's bananas. (sad for my oatmeal).

Beer doesn't seem to trigger a CH even in the cycle. but I steer clear of it regardless.  No need to even slightly nudge the demon.

I've tried to isolate any triggers I might have had over the years.  Nothing stands out, other than alcohol (a swallow will do it). 

And sleep, unfortunately.  I haven't found a way to avoid sleeping yet, but by the end of the cycle, I dread it.  Falling asleep is like playing Russian Roulette.

Best,

George      

Guiseppi wrote on Nov 24^th, 2010 at 9:31am:

Alcohol was a trigger for me in the beginning, but not anymore. Okay, now I just don't like you! ;D Lordy I miss my micro brews and blended bourbons while on cycle. :'( Joe

Joe  ;D

In cycle ONE beer will kill me..No other real triggers for me.

Well, in cycle nothing triggers my headaches except sleep it seems and sometimes just laying down.  I tried to have a glass of wine during a previous cycle and thought brought one on too.  .

chocolate is a definite trigger for me. i have used coffee as an abortive but i have found if i ovr do it it looses its effectiveness

cheese doesnt effect me either way

-johnny- wrote on Nov 27^th, 2010 at 9:10am:

cheese doesnt effect me either way

Then you'd fit right in here in Wisconsin.

Brew wrote on Nov 27^th, 2010 at 9:14am:

-johnny- wrote on Nov 27th, 2010 at 9:10am: cheese doesnt effect me either way Then you'd fit right in here in Wisconsin.

;) ;D i like it up there

This evening I had a large helping of an extra sharp Tomme Savoie cheese that had such an aroma that my wife and daughter were about gagging.  Even the aftertaste was good! ;D  No CH from it.  You may feel free to send me all your cheese.  There are only a couple of varieties I've tried that I have not enjoyed.  Some more than others, but I'll rarely turn one down.

Jerry

Callico wrote on Nov 27^th, 2010 at 10:46pm:

You may feel free to send me all your cheese.

For cheese like you describe I'm more than willing to trade cheese for chocolate. All in the name of research of course.

Layla328 wrote on Nov 24^th, 2010 at 9:48pm:

Well, in cycle nothing triggers my headaches except sleep it seems and sometimes just laying down.  I tried to have a glass of wine during a previous cycle and thought brought one on too.

Sleep, extended rest, extended exertion, and alchohol. Sucks, huh?

Bob, just wondering something here. I notice solvents show up a lot as triggers, I'm assuming it's the smell? About a year ago I had a fairly comprehensive set of allergy tests, and really the only thing that came back was some solvent chemicals...none of which I much have around. I know there isn't a correlation generally between allergies and chs, but just curious...could one's allergies somehow set off a kind of sympathetic reaction and trigger a ch? lance