Migraine triggers - what are yours?

[EnchantedPrincess]

My dh had very frequent migraines years ago...he gets them almost everyday, and he would be so miserable. At first, he thought it was just stress from his very demanding schedule...but one day, we went out to eat at a Thai buffet, and within couple hours, he started getting a really bad migraine...so we started keeping track of what he ate, and when he got them...and finally figured out that it was MSG that was causing his migraine! No wonder he was getting them almost everyday...I used chinese/asian seasoning in cooking and a lot of them has msg in them, and he also loves those seasoned potato chips and they have msg in them as well! I have two kids with food allergies and a husband who can't have msg, so I spend a lot of time reading labels...but it has really helped him! He very rarely gets a migraine headache.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

Caffeine is my number one trigger, coffee or even Coca Cola early in the day and I will almost always end up with a migraine. I rarely drink coffee or soda. I can drink tea fine. Also chocolate early in the day or a lot of sugar, so I try to eat sparingly. Also not getting enough sleep. I get the migraines where you have an aura of squiggly lines for about half an hour and then it feels like someone hit you in the head with a bat, lol, not funny tho. I try to eat healthy, try to also avoid chemical preservatives which I think can also cause a problem for me also. Also second not eating, if I wait to long in between meals, I am a grazing type eater, I eat more smaller meals. I have to say that also keeps my weight healthy, I am not overweight. I also have to second the glare of light can cause it like another mentions above, I also wear sunglasses even if it's cloudy out. There is a supermarket by me that I always avoid bc of the high intensity lighting and reflective "decor" in the supermarket. I also think that dehydration and hormones contribute.

 

[mill4023]

Thanks for all the input, everyone.
For those of you who know some of your triggers(especially foods) and haven't already mentioned it, could you tell me how long it is between the trigger and the start of the migraine?

I've got about 20 bottles of red wine in my house and I'm trying to decide if I should take the chance of drinking it or just give it away to friends. Last migraine I had was about 20 hours after having 2 glasses of red wine. But as I said, I also had bacon for breakfast about 4 hours before the migraine started. And of course, it could be any number of other things too.

My migraines are preceded by the visual aura symptoms. In some ways, that's a good thing because I get a little warning before the pain comes, so I can go home if I'm at work, take my Imitrex, and lay down.

 

[Katieinwonderland]

Caffeine is my number one trigger, coffee or even Coca Cola early in the day and I will almost always end up with a migraine. I rarely drink coffee or soda. I can drink tea fine. Also chocolate early in the day or a lot of sugar, so I try to eat sparingly. Also not getting enough sleep. I get the migraines where you have an aura of squiggly lines for about half an hour and then it feels like someone hit you in the head with a bat, lol, not funny tho. I try to eat healthy, try to also avoid chemical preservatives which I think can also cause a problem for me also. Also second not eating, if I wait to long in between meals, I am a grazing type eater, I eat more smaller meals. I have to say that also keeps my weight healthy, I am not overweight. I also have to second the glare of light can cause it like another mentions above, I also wear sunglasses even if it's cloudy out. There is a supermarket by me that I always avoid bc of the high intensity lighting and reflective "decor" in the supermarket. I also think that dehydration and hormones contribute.

That's funny because caffeine makes my migraines much better! If I don't have something like Excedrin on me, I can have a diet coke or, even better, an espresso, and I feel better almost immediately. I do know a lot of people who have it as a trigger though!

My biggest trigger is being tired - if I don't get enough sleep, I'll have a migraine no doubt. I also have some triggers like red wine, chocolate and cheese but I love all those things so I try to have them in moderation and just put up with the migraines.

My migraines are also hereditory (sp?) - my grandma and my mom both have them, and with all three of us they have gradually got easier as we get older.

 

[1stluvispooh]

I've had migraines my whole life. Here are my triggers:
aspartame -this is the worst it feels like someone is trying to pull out my brain stem!

Yogurt
Aged cheese
Red Wine

Sorry to say red wine is a biggy for me. At one point I was able to drink a half a glass and not get a migraine then I got greedy one night and had 2 whole glasses. The next day I came home in tears because my migraine was so bad.

Keep a food journal and write what and when you eat and what time your migranes start. Food can trigger a migraine anywhere between 2-24hours.

Also for those ladies who have migraines around your period start taking some vitamiin B-6 It helped me tremendously!

 

[Floridagal23]

red wine - i get migraines almost instantly.

 

[Disney-Kim]

Sour dough bread (which I love and just have to have on occasion)

My period (nothing to be done about that one)I take my BC pill continuously (NO PERIODS) and that got rid of the monthly migraines I got every period

Not enough sleepme too !!

I highly recommend Relpax. The pills are pricey - about 10 bucks apiece but when I have a migraine they are SO worth it! Relpax enhances my symptoms so much before they get better that I actually don't like to take it any more. The nauseau is the worst

My period was a monthly migraine..but those are no more but I still have migraines...
biggest triggers for me:

interrupted sleep
sleeping on different pillow
cheese, nuts, and too much chocolate
I am pretty sure Aspartame is a cause for me, and msg for sure..watch out for soups
PERFUME ...oh gosh and
cleaning products/chemicals

 

[Kathi OD]

I started getting migraines about 3 or 4 years ago. They aren't very frequent, which I'm obviously thankful for, but it also means I haven't really nailed down any triggers.

I cut out Splenda about a year ago and it does seem like the frequency has gone down, but I'm not sure.

Last week, I had red wine in the evening and bacon the next morning, and had a migraine that afternoon. I know these are both possible triggers, but I guess there's really no way to tell if one or both of these caused the migraine. So I thought I'd seek the collective knowledge of the DIS.

For those of you who have migraines,
Have you determined any of your triggers?
If so, how did you determine them?
How soon after eating or drinking something would your migraine start? I've heard that it is normally very soon, but I'm not sure if a food or drink from the previous day could trigger a migraine.

Thanks

diet soda was a trigger for me when they used saccharin. Now that the formula has changed and the companies use different low-cal sweetners, I'm not bothered as much.

DS gets migraines. His triggers are nitrates and caffeine, and something in cheese. Plus, he has to eat the foods in combination. Hot dogs alone won't trigger a migraine, but a hot dog and caffeinated drink will.

 

[C.Ann]

I used to get them all the time, but once I went through menopause they really dropped off dramatically.. My triggers have changed, but here's the list of "were" and "are":

"Were":

The week leading up to - and - the week of my monthly.
Anything mint flavored.
Any aged cheese.
Certain perfumes.
Cigar smoke.
The smell of burned popcorn.
The changes in barometric pressure and/or storms.
Humidity.

"Were and still Are":

"Most" mint flavors.
Certain perfumes.
Cigar smoke.
The smell of burned popcorn.
Changes in the barometric pressure.

I've also heard that a big trigger is wine - but since I don't drink, I wouldn't know..

I very, very rarely get a full blown migraine now.. Yay!!! I think the biggest trigger of all was hormones.. Most of the triggers I still have are easily avoided - except the weather conditions..

For me - with exception of the weather triggers - the migraine would occur immediately upon exposure or ingestion..

If you google migraines, you might find a list of common triggers that could help you to isolate exactly which ones might be causing your headaches..

Good luck with your search.. They are a terrible thing to have to deal with..

 

[Maleficient]

Thanks for all the input, everyone.
For those of you who know some of your triggers(especially foods) and haven't already mentioned it, could you tell me how long it is between the trigger and the start of the migraine?

I've got about 20 bottles of red wine in my house and I'm trying to decide if I should take the chance of drinking it or just give it away to friends. Last migraine I had was about 20 hours after having 2 glasses of red wine. But as I said, I also had bacon for breakfast about 4 hours before the migraine started. And of course, it could be any number of other things too.

My migraines are preceded by the visual aura symptoms. In some ways, that's a good thing because I get a little warning before the pain comes, so I can go home if I'm at work, take my Imitrex, and lay down.

Red wine is one of my biggest culprits, so, unless you're willing to experiment and pay the price, I might be gifting those bottles.....I finally found a good pinot noir that I can drink 1-2 glasses safely. If you have an aura, thats good in order to take the triptan before the pain, as you are doing. As far as how long before the pain after the trigger, it depends on the trigger. For me, most of mine are sinus related triggered by pressure/weather changes, so the pain is there when I wake up. With the aura, you've got a good running start on the migraine, so I'd keep my med with me! Good luck!

 

[beattyfamily]

I get Ocular migraines where I see a zig zag line right before the migraine hits me, maybe 15 minutes. Not fun if driving. Thankfully, I'm 'usually' at home.

My triggers are contrasting light. Being in a very dark room with it very bright out. Looking at the bright computer or TV in a dark room. Going from a dark area to bright sunlight. Bright day with snow on the ground.

But I feel my migraines are tied to my periods.

I have an interesting story....recently I had a very new experience. I dreamed about having a migraine trigged by light and had the zig zag line in my dream and in the morning I woke up with a migraine headache! That has never happened before or since.

 

[ashleybea]

I had my first migraine in November. I was playing the piano in a private practice room. The piano was pretty loud, and the noise seemed to bounce off the walls of the room. About 15 mintues after I stopped playing I had a terrible migraine. Needless to say I don't play in that room anymore.

 

[pigletliz]

My migraine triggers:

Most Bath and Body Works products (within an hour)
Certain Perfumes or aftershaves (within an hour)
Too much sleep/ Too little sleep
Exhaustion
MSG
Cheese

I used to get migraines all the time, but they have decreased since I have gotten older. I am guessing because I try to avoid the triggers at all cost. Unfortunately, some migraines are unavoidable because I have walked by someone who has bathed in an entire bottle of perfume or aftershave

 

[brasswillow]

I've had migraines since I was 5 years old. It only took 19 years to figure out my food triggers.

Vitamin C (I can't take a multivitamin because of that) [Before I figured this out I had really bad ocular migraines, with auras and floating lights in my line of vision every day for nearly 3 years.]
Dark chocolate (but I still eat it in small amounts)
Hot dogs (don't care for them much anyway)
Apple juice (I can drink it in small amounts)

As mentioned by a previous poster the strobe effect of lights and a fan is a big one. Sun light flashing off another car. And strong smells (perfume, cigarette smoke). With these it usually happens instantly or within 15 minutes.

With foods it usually happens within 20 to 30 minutes, although I can feel it coming on as I'm eating the food.

I used to take a prescription that cost $20 a pill. I switched to Excedrin migraine, and as long as I catch it soon enough it zaps the headache before it gets too bad.

 

[Sparx]

stress.
strong perfume. (or bad smells in general)
too little sleep.
flonaze. (immediately after dosage, but not lasting very long. it feels like i got hit by a truck for 10-15 minutes. but if i don't take it, i suffer horrible allergies)
flashing lights.
being on a computer too long.


but stress is definitely my number one.

i take 10 mg of this drug if i feel like i'll be having one that day. if i'm already having the migraine, it takes awhile to kick in, but it has definitely helped me a lot.

 

[mill4023]

I get them every time I eat at a chinese restaurant or eat stuff high in MSG's

If you're ok with fast food style chinese, Panda Express says they don't add MSG, so maybe a good option if you're craving it.

That's funny because caffeine makes my migraines much better! If I don't have something like Excedrin on me, I can have a diet coke or, even better, an espresso, and I feel better almost immediately. I do know a lot of people who have it as a trigger though!

Caffeine is generally recommended for migraines because it constricts the blood vessels. Since I drink a lot of coffee, I wonder if ups and downs in caffeine levels can cause a migraine.

Sorry to say red wine is a biggy for me. At one point I was able to drink a half a glass and not get a migraine then I got greedy one night and had 2 whole glasses. The next day I came home in tears because my migraine was so bad.

Keep a food journal and write what and when you eat and what time your migranes start. Food can trigger a migraine anywhere between 2-24hours.

Seems like most people have said their triggers cause a migraine very quickly. I wonder how common it is for a food to take 24 hours to affect you. It seems like it would be really hard to narrow down a trigger if you have to look at everything you were exposed to in a 24 hour period.

Red wine is one of my biggest culprits, so, unless you're willing to experiment and pay the price, I might be gifting those bottles.....I finally found a good pinot noir that I can drink 1-2 glasses safely. If you have an aura, thats good in order to take the triptan before the pain, as you are doing. As far as how long before the pain after the trigger, it depends on the trigger. For me, most of mine are sinus related triggered by pressure/weather changes, so the pain is there when I wake up. With the aura, you've got a good running start on the migraine, so I'd keep my med with me! Good luck!

I hate the idea of experimenting on myself, but I would also feel dumb if I gave up red wine forever and it turned out that it wasn't actually causing my migraines.

Yeah, I feel a little lucky that I get about 45 minutes warning before the pain hits. I've had 3 migraines since I first got my Imitrex subscription. The first 2 times, it helped a lot. But last time, it didn't seem to make any difference at all. Excedrin Migraine does nothing for me.