MIGRAINE - MONSTER IN MY HEAD

Seeing strange lights anyone?

And no I’m not talking about “Stranger Things” or The Northern Lights.

Zigzag patterns, flashing lights, bright and blind spots behind the eye , Auras are one of the first few signs that most of us get letting us know that “it’s” coming. 

The “It” over here being our very own personal monster – MIGRAINE

Big, fat, squishy, funny and cuddly, this monster is not one of those cute ones from Monsters Inc.

No, Its not Good, just BAD and UGLY.

Family holidays, picnics, exams, movies, birthdays. 
How many of us have had them ruined by the migraine monster sitting in our heads?
Trampling and straining our work and our lives, they just seem to pop out of nowhere, right!

And as if the pain and the lights are not enough they then literally squeeze the shit out of us i.e. upset tummy, nausea and vomiting for the uninitiated.

In fact, so defining is the pain for us Migraine Club members that it even defines our dreams for our future. 

Flashback Dream Sequence -  I used to close my eyes when I was small and not dream of the beach but of a pitch black, cold, soundproof darkroom. I’m not into developing photographs – just was always on the lookout for relief.
Ironically I used to be petrified of the dark.

Some of us have had to endure neurological tests , brain scans etc., in our run from the monsters.
And no, hiding under the bed doesn’t help – I’ve tried that.

It  can quite feel like a rehash of Run Lola Run - where you run away, then the monster migraine catches you and then you run again, all in an endless loop.

If you are as lucky as Tom Cruise was in the Edge of Tomorrow, you will catch a break.

Very strangely I found it in the most unexpected way.

The onset of food allergies.

Yes, one ailment helped me get rid of the other, a war of the worlds if you please.
You see migraines are mostly caused by triggers – food, environmental and stress.

So when I eliminated foods and environment factors for my allergies,  I also managed to shoo away the migraine monster. 

Studies from as way back as the 1930’s have been showing a correlation between food intolerance's , allergies and migraine attacks.

So even though I tried to eliminate my triggers as I was growing up it wasn’t till my intolerance's and allergies were discovered that I sent the monster scuttling for cover and regained control of my head again.

The triggers vary from person to person but a lot are common to most.

In my case my head explosions were mostly caused by C5 – 

Cheese

Caffeine*

Chocolate

Citrus

Claret

*In some extremely rare individuals (and I know 2) caffeine doesn’t cause but instead relieves migraines.

Suzannah Oliver, Nutritional Therapist  explains  it beautifully - These C5 foods account for an “Increase in the levels of amines which seem to stimulate blood platelets in the brain to clump together, releasing a chemical messenger – serotonin – so triggering a migraine” 

Some of the other common causes are:

• MSG or Mono Sodium Glutamate – this gives me a very bad migraine in just half an hour.
• Any food you are allergic or intolerant to
• Dairy and Eggs
• High Sodium foods
• Tobacco
• Hormonal changes – yes some of us do get monthly migraines, its not a cliché.
• Alcohol
• Birth Control Pills
• Sunlight, Sunlight, Sunlight – the scourge of my head.
• Perfumes and strong odours – this includes strong disinfectants and air freshners.
• Hunger – yes low blood sugar is one of the most common causes.
• Stress – both physical and emotional.

So what’s the cure? How do we relieve it?

From 2 visits a month at least by my monster migraine that would last for days and only finding relief in 1 or 2 analgesics ( I am one of those rare individuals who get more migraines by taking Triptans and Tylenol), how did I send the monster packing?

What pushed me to go all out to find the cure?

Two words, just two words from my tummy doc – “No Medicines”
I PANICKED
How would I Survive? Could I live without tablets? 
No painkillers, no antibiotics. Nada.

All I can say is it was hard, very ,very hard.
From popping tablets at the onset of a migraine attack to spending days with no relief in sight.
But it only lasted a month or so.

As and when I took steps to eliminate my allergies and eat a healthy diet, I also eliminated nearly all my migraines.( still get the occasional sunlight ones )

Elimination Steps that I took:

• Eating Healthy (absolutely no preservatives)
• Identifying and Eliminating my Food Allergies and Intolerances.
• Multi-vitamin tablets – (they give you both magnesium and zinc which really help our nerves)
• Anti-oxidants – I take it as juices
• B Complex tablets – studies have shown that this drastically reduces recurrent migraines – so get your levels checked.
• Fish Oil Supplements
• Primrose Oil – especially useful for women as it even reduces the hormonal migraines (it worked for me)
• Environment safe – I stopped perfumes,  used mild disinfectants and stopped all air fresheners ( this has helped with both my allergies and migraines) I instead air the house and make sure there is enough cross ventilation.

A Cautionary Warning
Your monster might be more or less cunning than mine, so it is really important that as you lay your trap and try to find its weakness that you trust your gut instinct.

DISCLAIMER: This blog is about my health experiences.The words and other content provided in this blog, and in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice. If the reader or any other person has a medical concern, he or she should consult with their doctor.