Keeping an accurate diary of the frequency of headaches as well as a food diary is pretty much standard in accurately assessing and treating migraine headaches. The newer therapies such as Botox and the CGRP therapies such as Aimovig have been helpful for many. For others it is a manner of managing psychological stress. The older drugs such as Elavil help many as well.

Perhaps the most important is to see a neurologist with a subspecialty in headache medicine. They are typically located in major medical centers such as Duke University, UT etc. The waitlist is often six months or more. Needless to say differential diagnosis is essential. For example the treatment for vascular headache is different than the treatment protocol for pure migraine.

Thanks everyone, I’ve been to a neuro for the stroke I had and they had me chart my food and lack of sleep and stuff when I mentioned the migraines.

I’ve narrowed it down to the new to me whiskey and the smoked pork.

Tomorrow is the day I subject myself to the pork again and see how it goes...then I guess Wednesday is double whiskey day (for science reasons)

quote:

Originally posted by dfens:
With sumatriptan even a mild headache is gone. Wish I new about it much sooner, only thing is you can't take them daily or too often or it can cause headaches. But when you have a bad one they are god send. Luckily I don't suffer from any symtons when taking one but it's best to take it before it's full blown for it to work faster.

Sumatriptan does nothing but make me sick to my stomach when I’ve got a migraine. Aimovig did nothing (I actually got a migraine about a week after taking it) and I’ve got a Emgality to try.

Not able to add much to discussion of food/drinks as triggers, but I’m here to commiserate. I have had conversations with folks who have chocolate as the trigger.
I have been triggered by bright glare or glint, and a lot by when my eyes, inner ear, and stomach are not on the same page(also susceptible to motion sickness). Being triggered by light is a mystery since my whole work life has been around weld shops. I presume where the glare/glint is on the spectrum has something to do with it.
I also had a mild stroke in 2007, after that one of my doctors recommended not using the Imitrex type migraine drugs, they constrict blood vessels like a stroke would. I now use the generic versions of Fiornal and Phenergan.

someone mentioned a lot of salt and I was discussing this thread with Mrs. Mike and we found that the pork was soaked in "Dales" which turns out to be about a ten day worth of salt and soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce and MSG....I wonder if that might be part of the issue? as this is one piece of meat i soaked over 24 hours in it and it was really really salty...I wonder if the MSG might be a trigger.....what else has MSG in it?

just googled it and the MSG is linked to migraines....and this dose was more than I'd normally get in panda express that I get once a month...I bet that's it. MSG

the pursuit continues

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
I really really don’t think it’s the smoked pork,as I eat smoked meats often.

Most people put different rubs on different smoked meats, and of course every restaurant and commercial rub has ingredients that make them unique. It could be as simple as one rub has more nitrates than anything else you eat and it triggers. I saw your later post on salt and massive amounts of salt could trigger too.

Here is a link to the American Migraine Foundation's page on migraine and diet.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
Since my stroke I can’t take Zomig, which really worked for me- like, feel a migraine coming, take one tablet, thirty minutes later, back to life. I mean that stuff really worked, but it increases my BP so I can’t take it and now have to either knock myself out, or suffer thru one until I can’t see in one eye and can’t stand to hear even myself breathing...until I throw up and pass out until my brain rewires itself

I just switched from Zomig to GammaCore in June. It's not pharmaceutical, but instead it's a durable medical equipment (i.e. still need a prescription) that treats migraines and was approved by the FDA in 2018. It stimulates tha vagus nerve, and I've gotten rid of growing migraine in 4 minutes and a full-blown whopper of a migraine in 28 minutes. I have no idea of its compatibility with someone recovering from a stroke so you'd have to talk to your neurologist.

I got an incredible migraine variant the morning after a double pour of a bottle of Jura scotch (Fairly heavy peat and phenols)

Horrendous vertigo.


Wasn't sure that it was the case and had a small pour weeks later, a very similar though less extreme instance occurred.

I thought that I might've had a bad bottle, but my buddy convinced me that he'd take it off my hands. He enjoyed the bottle and had no ill effects (that he or I am aware of).

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
Thanks power surge, I already take magnesium at night on the recommendation of my new primary physician. It has significantly reduced my migraines to maybe one a month..which is why two in successive weekends is disconcerting. The only other thing the same was the smoked meats we had on both weekends. Dunno. Just trying to figure it out.

The best form is Magnesium L-Threonate.

I realize this may be ill received in this forum, but my wife (chronic migraine sufferer, some last for weeks) really has gotten great benefit from getting botox injections. She first got the word from her neurologist, but since starting on them rarely has one unless it's been over 6 months since her last shot. No idea if it matters where you get it, but of course she makes sure hers also double as a cosmetic aid for wrinkles....

Tried the JD last night and no ill effects.

Thanks guys for helping me figure this out. ( bet it’s the msg in the dales sauce)

I would go and read the articles at LEF search and see if any of them apply to you.

https://www.lifeextension.com/...category=[Magazines]

quote:

Originally posted by slabsides45:
I realize this may be ill received in this forum, but my wife (chronic migraine sufferer, some last for weeks) really has gotten great benefit from getting botox injections. She first got the word from her neurologist, but since starting on them rarely has one unless it's been over 6 months since her last shot. No idea if it matters where you get it, but of course she makes sure hers also double as a cosmetic aid for wrinkles....

I had 2 rounds of Botox for migraines. First round was great and went 7 weeks between migraines but then it seemed to wear off prior to 2nd round at 12 weeks. Second round is cumulative and hypothetically the cumulative should have made the Botox efficacy last longer than 7 weeks. However, what happened for me was the cumulative gave me the severe neck stiffness side effect which lead to more migraines than without botox. 3 rounds of trigger point injections provided minimal relief and muscle relaxers finally provided relief to get me beyond the 12 weeks of botox efficacy. However, the muscle relaxers (Lorzone 750) tried to shutdown my liver, I wound up hospitalized for 3 days (all indications of no permanent damage), and I’m on a 5-month liver protocol to allow full healing.

My wife has had migraine issues most of her life. They’ve tapered off since her doctor got her on a different form of birth control. Before that she had good results from an anti seizure medication called Topomax.