Newbie

[amfri86]

Hi all! Im new to the group. I've suffered from migraines for the past 15 years. I've learned to identify what triggers them. One trigger is artificial sweeteners. But I'm curious if any other food items could also be a trigger for me. Anyone else know of a food item that triggered their migraines?

[catwoman56]

Hi.

Food and drink that are triggers for me are.... orange juice, oranges, ice lollys, red cheese or any blue cheeses. sweet and sour sauce, proscetto, red wine, citrus fruits.

hope this is some help to you.

Take care.

Cat x

[amfri86 in reply to catwoman56]

Thank you Cat! I know that aged cheese is a trigger for me, but only if I eat it in large amounts. I guess sulfites are a trigger for you. Thanks for you input!

[CJA2012 in reply to catwoman56]

Apple juice is a key trigger also - I try to avoid citrus juices, especially flavoured water like lemon and lime. I think it's the artificial sweetener in them.

[Qwan in reply to CJA2012]

Oh noo I love lemon juice too. ;n;

[Shellhelpme]

Cheese and chocolate some times coffee I don't drink coffee no more just tea and not to much

[Sewnsew]

Hi, I've had migraines since I was 13yrs and I'm now 57yrs. It seems everyone is different with their triggers. I knew from an early age that dark chocolate was a trigger, then also red wine, eventually any alcohol, I drank orange instead but eventually realised that was a trigger! Now it's any citrus and trying to avoid lemon juice in particular is difficult, they sneak it into lots of things, jam, mayo, all sorts of things!

Other things can trigger me like missing meals, being in a stuffy room. Eating a sugary treat/snack before bed means I will wake with migraine. I think my blood sugar drops after the initial high and it's the drop in blood sugar when I'm asleep that causes the migraine. I try to stick to a low carb low sugar diet but just can't resist sometimes!

Oh and being tired, if I can't just have a nap when I'm tired then trying to stay awake will trigger one!

I eat cheese with no probs! Strange!

I'm with you on the artificial sweeteners especially aspartame.

[CJA2012]

Hi there - I find Ricotta and Parmesan cheese is a trigger. Any other mature cheeses or aged/cured meats (like parma ham) also gives me a migraine.

I also have anaemia, panic attacks and IBS. The migraines came first aged around 17 or 18, but possibly the other illnesses came as a result of the medication I've been given for the last ten years - some were experimental from the hospital and caused me to develop other problems. I'm only 28 and life is very difficult to cope with at times. I also try to avoid cucumber, bell peppers, pulses and certain processed foods. Anything with synthetic sugar in it I try to avoid like the plague! Seems to kick off very quickly. Lemon and Peach iced tea I've found to be aggravating. I think Sorbitol is one and unfortunately found in some painkillers.

I'm actually at home today - had a thunderclap migraine yesterday so I couldn't drive to work today.

[MigraineAction1]

The common migraine triggers are often reported as chocolate, cheese and other diary products, citrus fruit and fruit juices, coffee and tea (caffeine), alcohol, pork, seafood, onions, marmite and wheat. However there are many other foods to which

people may have a sensitivity too. Not everyone with migraine will be sensitive to all or any of these foods nor will they trigger an attack every time they are eaten.

Some people tend to experience food cravings, such as a craving for cheese or chocolate, up to 48 hours before an attack (during the prodrome stage); these can be mistaken for food triggers. Eating a suspected food trigger on a migraine-free day will help you to ascertain if it is a real trigger or whether it is a food craving that acts as a warning of an impending migraine.

People have found that eliminating certain foods which they are intolerant to from their diet has helped improve their migraines. Many people with migraine do report sensitivities to food additives like monosodium glutamate, nitrates, aspartame, tyramine, and citric acid.

It is best to monitor carefully what you eat and drink, and see if you get a headache. A migraine occurring within three to six hours after having eaten is likely to be due to an offending food. Often it is not one trigger but a combination of different triggers that can cause a migraine.

If you would like more information on food and migraine we have a information booklet that can be downloaded on our website via this link migraine.org.uk/product/mig....

[B-Girl]

Hey, my migraines are caused from traumatic stress from my childhood and teenage years. I tried therapy but it seemed to make them worse. Food doesnt really effect my migraines. If I had a stressful day it triggers mine.

I am on permenant medication for mine which is amazing, and I only ever take a triptan if I have an attack that comes on.

I wonder if there are any sorts of tests you can get done for food migraine triggers??

[Qwan]

I have chronic migraines so find it hard to know food triggers. I avoid caffeine and cheese though, as they're not super great for me. Not sure if they're a trigger but I feel better with less of that.

My mom keeps saying chocolate is bad too but I live on hot chocolate. ;n;

Most of my triggers are external (light, sound, temperature, barometric changes, etc).

It'd be nice to keep a diary to try to figure out my triggers but Drs and I have concluded just about everything that can be a trigger, probably is for me, as I have *literal* chronic, none-stop migraines, so I never really have a 'start' point. Just a time were an additional one starts up on top of the base one. DX

[voley1]

Chocolate moose