I think a Miracle has happened

Brain and nerves
1

Just wanted to share a little of my story and hopefully the miracle that seems to have occurred, it's still early days but I'm keeping everything crossed and hopefully can give all you sufferers an alternative.

I'm 51 and have suffered headaches/migraines for about 40 years. I have tried numerous preventative drugs, none of which have worked and various complimentary procedures with the same results.  Have paid privately for the last 4 years to see a neurologist and still no results.  I was getting on average about 10 attacks a month and I think in the end a lot of them were re-bound because of the amount of triptans I was taking, nothing else worked.

At the beginning of the year I just became desperate because there was nothing else I could do, even the triptans have caused permanent side effects by having tinnitus in both ears.  I never knew what triggered them so was always at the mercy of them.

In the end I thought I would look at my diet, I bought a couple of books by migraine specialists and took their advice.  Initially I cut out gluten, chocolate, alcohol and reduced my carbs and sugar.  Within about a month I had halved my attacks, but I still wasn't happy with the result, so I tweaked it a bit more and removed bananas, citrus fruits, cheese and nuts.

My last migraine was 36 days ago and my last headache was 15 days ago.  I actually feel like a different person, as though this big black cloud has lifted from me and given me a new lease of life and of course as a bonus I have lost a bit of weight aswell, around a stone.

I'm not saying this will work for everyone, but even though it's a really drastic diet, isn't it worth it to get your life back??  To be honest the "Free From" choices you have nowadays are so good that you hardly notice any difference, I'm even feeding my husband with some of the alternatives and he hasn't even noticed smile

I think unless you can find a really good doctor or consultant that actually cares, all they want to do is pump you with drugs when there are so many other alternatives out there.  I just wish I had tried this years ago and I wouldn’t' have lost so much of my life.  I don’t think I’m going to be totally free of them, but I can cope with the odd one now and hopefully I have kicked the re-bound effect.

2

Glad you have found some relief.I also find bananas a trigger for migraine and raisins

3

Thank you Fiona, I never suspected bananas at all, but I used to eat at least 2 a day, so it may be them after all.

4

So glad your changes helped you, but I have to ask, what did you eat?

Lane

5

Hi there

This is really interesting.  About six weeks ago feeling desperate like yourself, I cut out cheese, chocolate and caffeine altogether and now only drink limited alcohol when on holiday.  I have recently read Michael Moseley's book  "The Blood Sugar Diet" and Dr C Foster's book "Migraine -Your Questions Answered".  Both books give guidance on cutting down on carbs and obviously sugar.  Like you I am so much better.  I am on preventative drugs but am really hoping that my life is beginning to improve!  So glad you are also feeling so much better.

Chris

6

Sorry, me again.  In Dr Foster's book she outlines the foods that raise your blood sugar rapidly which may cause migraine.  Bananas are one of these foods.

Chris

7

I’ve just had a lightbulb moment reading this thread, I believe bananas could be a trigger for me too! Strangely, once my attack subsides I crave coffe and chocolate! 

I have just starting another post regarding weight loss as a side effect of Topiramate and whether anyone has experienced this. I had been on Topiramate about 12 years ago when it had to been under the supervision of a hospital consultant, but certainly can’t remember losing weight then I am currently weaning off propranolol and due to start Topiramate on Sunday, as it’s no longer working for me. 

I would be interested to hear experiences of Topiramate. 

8

Hi Lane

What did I eat??...................I ate a similar diet to everyone else and now I have stopped everything I mentioned above and replaced with alternatives, which really isn't that difficult when your motives are as great as ours.  I eat tonnes of blueberries as a snack and also apples.

9

Hi Chris

I don't drink traditional tea, only herbal teas which don't contain caffeine and I hate coffee, so that wasn't too difficult for me.  I have now replaced chocolate with white chocolate, not a massive eater of cheese so it's been quite easy to stop that.  The bananas was the hardest tbh.

Not read Michael Moseley's book, but he does talk a lot of sense.

I hope you continue to do well, stick at it and fingers crossed you'll be free or a whole lot nearer to being free.

10

I started eating bananas a few weeks back daily from never eating them, and ended up off work for a week with my first hemiplegic migraine in six months after getting them weekly so pleased I have read this thread, am staying off them now, am wondering if its the sugar content.

11

Hi Julie

My experience of topirimate is not a good one and I have written about it many times on here.  I was on it 3 years ago, the weight loss was great and it did reduce the attacks, but that is all.  I had serious side effects starting about 2 months in, but didn't associate them with the drug at first and 3 GPs fobbed me off. I went back to my private neuro who prescribed them and he took me off them immediately to go cold turkey, which is not recommended.

He thought I was suffering from Stephen Johnston Syndrome and had to go through loads of blood tests and was given the all clear after 3 months.

A lot of people do not react well to it, memory loss and absent mindedness is a common one, also hair loss.  Weight loss is also a common but more welcome side effect,

If you try it PLEASE monitor any changes to your normal self, or maybe do a little more research.  I know we are all desperate to get rid of these migraines but please be careful.

Good luck and let us know how you get on

12

Isn't it strange that such a nice and healthy food product can be so lethal, we need to spread the word

13

I also forgot to mention I am taking ginger as a supplement aswell, it's supposed to act as an anti-infammatory.

14

Stress and the weather contribute to my headaches a lot.  I'm on Nortriptyline 10 mg, 2 at night. I can fluctuate between 2 and 4 depending on what's happening with me but I can't take 3 for more than 3 days because I start to feel zonky.  Now the weather has been humid, rainy and damp for 3 days and I've had a headache for those 3 days.  I eat a lot of dark chocolate, milk, ice cream and cookies.  Haven't seen any correlation with them.  I know I eat a terrible diet.  My high cholesterol shows it.  I'm probably going to have to get those 2 books you mentioned.

15

It could have been my tapering off amitryptyline, still not eating anymore bananas.

16

Hi Yayasister,

The book I got was The Migraine Miracle by Dr Josh Turknett, you can get it from Amazon and is a really good read, not just for the diet but he also talks about migraines and how they form etc...  I would certainly steer clear of the chocolate though.

Sorry you're feeling rubbish in this weather, it often makes me feel bad aswell, I also suffer stress from running my own business and that's not going to alter until I retire, this is why I had to look elsewhere.

17

Hi Chris

Can you please share the foods that can cause migraines that are listed in your book?

thank you!

Wendy

18

Hello YorkshireLass

how are you doing with change of diet now?   I hope you are continuing to do well.

thank you!

Wendy

19

Hi Wendy

I'm doing really well thanks and I still haven't had a headache/migraine since April.  This is by far the longest I have ever gone.

My life has transformed 

20

Hi Yorkshire lass, are you still taking triptans, and do you still suffer with Tinnitus? I am taking citalorapram and amitrytyline and have developed tinnitus amongst what feels like a mass of other symptoms.