Some of you have followed my posts on the effects of a low arterial pH on cluster headaches.  The data I've collected indicate a direct correlation between a low arterial pH and an increase in the frequency and intensity of my cluster headaches.  I've found that every time I go into a high cycle (3 to 4 hits a day), my saliva pH is lower than my daily average during a low cycle (3 to 4 hits a week).

If you followed these posts, you've also read where I use calcium citrate tablets with vitamin D, magnesium and zinc washed down with a couple glasses of homemade lemonade to elevate my arterial pH back up and push me back into a low cycle.

Alcohol (ETOH) is normally not a trigger for me and even if it was, I've got high flow rate oxygen inhalation therapy at the ready so I'll be darned if I'm going to let the beast deprive me of my nightly libation of rum & diet coke. 

Having said that, under low arterial pH conditions there can be an up-tic in the frequency of my cluster headaches, but these usually occur several hours after the libations, hitting most often during sleep.

With over a week of 95º degree plus temperatures (104º Monday through Wednesday), a couple of Joyce's superb Margaritas with dinner have been the libation of choice.

Now for the kicker…  I've had no (zero) hits after a week of two margaritas a day…

I'm inclined to attribute the complete absence of cluster headaches to the limejuice and citric acid additive used in José Cuervo Margarita mix. 

I've been in a low cycle for the last two months and haven't been taking the mineral supplements, so the only other possible contributing factor might be the extra vitamin D3 my skin generates from a couple hours of ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from direct sun while watering the garden and lawn. 

As the skin produces approximately 10,000 IU of vitamin D in response 20–30 minutes summer sun exposure (50 times more than the US government's recommendation of 200 IU per day), I figure I'm generating 30,000 to 40,000 IU of Vitamin D3.

Whatever the reason…  2 margarita's a day, 2 hours direct sun light a day, or both…  I'm loving it. 

Take care,

V/R, Batch

Donna Mae,

I take the Kirkland™ brand calcium citrate tablets that also contain vitamin D, magnesium and zinc all in one tablet.  I get them at Costco...  If you can't get to Costco, you can get the same basic formula by taking Citracal Plus Bone Density Builder™ tablets.  Most food stores carry them.

Dennis, you're quite correct and your chemistry is spot on.  The calcium citrate mineral supplements combined with the citric acid in lemonade (and lime juice) act as a buffer on the stomach's gastric juices (hydrochloric acid) that have a normal pH range of 1 to 2.5.  That's a very acidic solution... 

The calcium citrate and lemonade (citric acid) combination acts as a buffer on the stomach contents and elevates it up to a pH of 4.0 and maintains this pH level for up to 5 hours.  That's still acidic but no where near the normal level of stomach content acidity.  See the link at:  bja.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/77/5/642.pdf for more details.

Under normal conditions, the small intestine requires the stomach contents (chyme) to be pH neutral (7.4) so chemo receptors in the upper part of the small intestine signal the pancreas to dump a bicarbonate solution into the small intestine to neutralize the acidity and elevate the chyme up to pH 7.4.  If you want more information on this process, see the following link at:

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

The trick here is the stomach effluents (chyme) that have been buffered up to a pH of 4.0 still look acidic to the chemo receptors in the small intestine.  When the pancreas dumps in the same amount of bicarbonate to elevate the chyme's pH of 1 to 2.5, there's an overshoot...  and the contents of the small intestine are pushed above a pH of 7.4 making the chyme in the small intestine more alkaline.

Here's the payoff...  As the arteries and capillaries in the small intestine pull nutrients from its contents...  and the contents have an elevated pH above 7.4 by virtue of the pancreatic reaction to the mineral supplements and citric acid buffer, the pH of the bloodstream elevates to more alkaline levels above a pH of 7.4 and this sets off another chain reaction.

The body regulates arterial pH through a number of homeostatic processes...  When it senses the elevated pH >7.4, it interprets this as not enough carbon dioxide.  As a first and most rapid reaction, the elevated pH triggers a reduction in the respiration rate and vasoconstriction to slow the loss of CO2 from the lungs.  This happens in a matter of a few minutes and with a little luck, the vasoconstriction resulting from the mineral supplement and lemonade buffer, prevents the cluster headache triggering mechanism from triggering an attack. 

The second reaction to the elevated arterial pH takes much longer (several hours) as the kidneys start retaining the H⁺ ion and slowing its passing into the urine to increase the acidity of the bloodstream back towards the neutral pH of 7.4.  If you want to read more on homeostasis and blood pH see the following link at:

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

The bottom line is better living through chemistry...  and a couple margaritas a day can keep the beast away...

Take care,

V/R, Batch