Vestibular migraine

[rsarahj]

Almost 45 and Just been diagnosed after 7 weeks off work and 6 of those weeks with constant headache earache dizziness and pressure in my ears!

I suffered with migraines before I had my hysterectomy almost 2 years ago and had nothing since... until now! Anyone else out there with this as I don't yet know what my triggers are as it's been so constant! Need some help

[Cara_amy]

I'm exactly the same as you. I'm 23 and I get headaches, dizziness, ear ache, sensitivity to sound and light and aches on the left side of my body ! This is all connected to migraines apparently. I don't know what my triggers are either and I don't have a pattern. I quit caffeine as I thought that was a trigger but I'm still no better ! Do you have any medication that helps ?

[creativeK in reply to Cara_amy]

I have vestibular migraine with BPPV and was really lucky to see a physio a couple of years ago who recommended a migraine prevention diet. Having had it for 13 years (3 years of a constant vestibular migraine before diagnosis) I am so much better now. Here's what you do:

For 3 months (that's how long it takes to clear your system) completely avoid the following things:

Caffeine (tea. Coffee.)

Chocolate

Tannins (tea, red wine)

Cheese

Citrus

MSG including strongly flavoured crisps.

What you eat could give you a migraine up to 10 days later, so after 3 months reintroduce these foods one at a time, eating them on the same day once a week for 3 weeks and look to see if you get 3 matching migraines (a pattern on the same day three times) eg eat chocolate on Weds get migraine on the following Sunday 3 weeks running shows these migraines are caused by chocolate. It's a slow process but for me so worthwhile. My triggers are caffeine, chocolate, lemon juice (not sure about orange juice - haven't retested), and having loved red wine i now no longer want it, so don't know if that was a trigger. I'm very lucky to be ok with cheese as that's what I really missed when excluding everything.

Other environmental triggers i have learned to manage by shutting my eyes or looking away at key points: scrolling screens (especially unexpected or other people's ) or website animated adverts, walking next to moving things e.g. the sea, blowing grass, trains. Take care with (e.g. slow down when passing) vertical stripes e.e fences, which appear to shimmer or flicker as i pass them, and busy colourful shelves e.g supermarkets/toys r us. Too much visual info = migraine. The exclusion diet was joyless but i would now much rather avoid my triggers and not have the migraines. In the last 5 weeks I have had one bad migraine and a few episodes of feeling rough after a trigger e.g screen-related/ lack of sleep which passed after a few hours.

Sleep is the other thing - regular patterns of going to bed and getting up, and try to be in bed by 10.30.

Final advice: a teaspoon of grated ginger in a mug of boiling water instead of medication sometimes works (worth a try), and to drink a big glass of water and eat a rich tea biscuit at the first sign of migraine.

I also had acupuncture and think it helped. Best of luck.

[Batty1290 in reply to creativeK]

Huge thanks for this post, creativeK. I haven't spotted a food trigger, but then I didn't know the migraine can appear 10 days after the trigger! I see I need to do a serious complex diary.

Would you also know if some foods only trigger an attack if combined with another trigger?

[creativeK in reply to Batty1290]

Sorry, I don't know. I guess the only way to find out is by keeping notes and looking for patterns. I hope you're able to identify some triggers as my life is so much better now I know what to avoid.

[Batty1290 in reply to creativeK]

Thanks.

[Batty1290]

This is interesting as a friend had similar symptoms, and was eventually diagnosed as having shingles. Apparently you don't always have a rash with it, and you can get it if you had chicken pox.