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Migraine triggers..

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Post  Cluelesskitty Tue 26 Apr 2011, 7:23 pm

A refresher course what Migraine TRIGGERS are.

A Migraine (M) trigger is a certain factor which, while in itself is not a direct cause of M,
it contributes to bringing on a M episode.

For example, a nice scent of a perfume is not 'the cause' of M,
but a trigger which will cause the chain reaction that ends in a M episode.


The response to any given trigger is very individual.
What may trigger M easily in me, might be of total insignificance for you.

Also, the reaction the trigger can be immediate, or delayed - up to 48hrs since the expose to the trigger,
and sometimes, it is not one but a combination of a triggers in one day that will bring the M on.


The triggers that might bring on a M episode are:

~ food and food additives
~ odors
~ light
~ sound
~ hormones
~ emotions (crying, anger)
~ weather changes
~ climate change
~ high altitude
~ oversleeping and undersleeping
~ skipping meals
~ hunger
~ stress*
~ letdown period after stress
~ exertion
~ sex
~ certain medications

* whether or not stress is a trigger is debatable.
The latest research says stress by itself is NOT a trigger but a catalyst to other triggers:

There is some controversy as to whether stress is an actual trigger. The International Headache Society has moved it from their list of triggers to their list of exacerbating factors on the premise that it doesn't by itself trigger Migraines but it does make us more susceptible to our triggers.
http://www.migrainedisease.com/2007/08/is-stress-a-mig.html

Food and food additives
The most common triggers in this group are:
~chocolate
~ cocoa
~ alcohol
~ citrus fruits
~ over ripe fruits
~ strawberries
~ melons, particularly-
~ watermelon
~ red plum
~ beans, except green string beans
~ raw garlic
~ raw onion
~ avocado
~ sauerkraut
~ pickles
~ pickled herring
~ freshly baked yeast breads and buns
~ buttermilk
~ sour cream
~ yogurt
~ cheese, esp. -
~ molded cheese like Brie, Blue, Camembert etc
~ processed meats
~ marinated meats
~ chicken liver
~ all processed stuff
~ all canned stuff containing MSG, nitrates/nitrites, sulfates, lost of salt, MSG
~ anything with aspartame and other artificial sweeteners
~ Aspartame
~ nuts
~ peanut butter
~ soy and soy products
~ drinks containing caffeine
~ artificial food dyes like red, orange, yellow
~ some spices
~ ketchup

Smells
Smells that can trigger might be nice or bad, it really doesn't matter.
What is even stranger, sometimes a bad smell is more bearable to a Migraineur than a beautiful perfume!
I'd sooner withstand a bad BO in a queue to a cash register than Opium..

The most common are:
~ Perfume
~ air freshener
~ scented candle
~ incense
~ some herbs and spices
~ some flowers
~ cigarettes
~ exhaust fumes
~ new carpet
~ new fridge
~ some plastic
~ some rubber (i.e cheap shoes smell)

Light
Light as a trigger can be very very tiresome as it is hardest to avoid.
You eventually can cover you ears, you can even pinch your nose or hold your breath but try to keep your eyes closed
most of the time - you can't! And while you sleep, the light will still bother you even if you don't know that.

Most common light triggers:
~ sun
~ fluorescent lights
~ TV glare
~ computer glare
~ any flashing lights, i/e -during a car ride, from TV,
~ strong patterns i/e black.white lines or other geometric patterns
~ neon colors

Sound
Any type of sound as long as it bothers us can be a trigger. ANY kind.
For me it's whistling - makes me go berserk!



Hormones

Approximately 3 times more women than men suffer with M because of hormones.
It is not clear what role hormones play in M, but they do.
Definitely an otherwise normal increase and decrease of hormones involved with ovulation and menstruation
is what triggers these vicious M.

Since we don't have any control over the hormones, we also don't have control over this trigger, either. Or very little.


Emotion

Most often it is crying that triggers M, less - being very angry, overwhelmed or euphoric.

Weather
Weather has quite an impact on us Migraineurs. A change in weather for some can be simply debilitating.
A rise or fall in barometric pressure, strong wind, hot temperatures, high humidity, change of season - all of this may mean
- a M episode.

High altitude
It probably has to do with less oxygen available at this height and barometric pressure?
Anyhoo, most common high altitude triggers are:
- being in the mountains, flying.

Sleep
Both sleeping too long and thus missing your regular meal in the morning which may cause drop in the blood sugar
as well as lower blood oxygen level and having too little sleep may trigger M episode.
Regular hrs, 7-8 at of sleep are best recommended. In bed no later than 11:30 PM, ideally.

Missing meals and going hungry -
it is self-explanatory, I suppose.

Stress and let-down period after stress
-

I've mentioned 'stress' earlier, as for let-down it is believed that more people get M in the let-down period than during the stress time.
Probably because during relaxation the blood vessels relax, too and thus widen and start throbbing?
Just my theory.

Exertion
Whenever you over-stress your body, you may get M.
This apply to any physical activity, pleasurable or not.
It can be shoving coal into basement, but also working out in a gym, walking up the stairs, picking up a load,
anything that requires a strength.
Sex falls under "exertion", too btw.

Sex
For some, unfortunately, it can be a serious M trigger. Sometimes called "a coital headache, coital cephalgia".
It could be due to changes in blood pressure, tensed muscled during sexual activity, the release of certain chemicals.
More men than women suffer from this 'affliction".

Certain medications
Nitroglycerin, histamine, certain blood pressure lowering drugs, certain diuretics, certain asthma drugs
and other.

Other triggers

For example, Helicobacter Pylori can be a trigger, or if you have ulcer.
If you are anemic (low blood Iron) you can have more M.
If you are dehydrated, have a sleep apnea, sinus infection - all this may worsen your M.

It is always very well worth to write a detailed journal for at least 3 months and best up
where we jot down every kind of trigger that was present every single day,
along with whether the M was present or not,
and if yes we rate it on a 1-10 scale.
This will be enormous help with finding out what our triggers are.

Look under "migraine journal template" online for help with keeping easier these notes.


Hope that help.

Risa









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Post  Migrainegirl Tue 26 Apr 2011, 8:14 pm

A great list. Thanks!
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Post  Cluelesskitty Tue 26 Apr 2011, 8:35 pm

Thank you!

My English is sure horrible in places, but I hope you peeps get the gist of it, that's what counts!

Risa
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Post  Guest Wed 27 Apr 2011, 5:55 am

You know what this means Risa.
EVERYTHING is a trigger.

Does that make sense?
I don't think it does.

How can there be so many triggers, for one illness?

I wonder if we can find any other disease that has this many potential causations?

I think this is how they get us.
We get little help.
Every day they change their minds about what does and what doesnt.

We the poor suffering patient are left to tread our way through a mine field.

Great list Risa, but, can we really believe it?
Something not right here....

pen

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Post  Enigma Wed 27 Apr 2011, 8:32 am



I just found my triggers;

Food additives and chemicals put in food

MSG
Natural flavourings
Citric Acid - Any kind of Soda!
Nitrates
Gelatin



Obvious foods

Chocolate
Wine


You know, these lists say things like 'processed meats' and "citrus fruits' but that is deceiving. It is what is IN these things that causes migraines and not the overall item itself. It needs to be more specific. It is the 'nitrates' in processed meats and the 'citric acid' in things like oranges. Those are the keys that help migrainers make decisions. If you cut out eating all that are on that insane list you are set up for failure because it is just too much to comprehend. I thinks those lists have just been added to over the years and there have been no real editor to say some things are in the wrong catagory or just too broad spectrum.
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Post  Cluelesskitty Wed 27 Apr 2011, 4:06 pm

Great list Risa, but, can we really believe it?
Something not right here....

You can believe it. And yes, everything is right :]

Well, the list is composed from anecdotal evidence, fair enough, nonetheless is still based on what
the Migraineurs themselves reported over the years to the doctors and researchers.

And indeed I remember quite a number of posters - even person from my surrounding- stating that, for example,
they noticed getting M after eating oranges, grapefruit or drinking OJ.
Same goes for eating tomatoes, strawberries.

Now, the other thing I forgot to mention - but the beauty of discussion forum is these things are to be discussed! :]
- I forgot to mention how in many instances it is not only what but also how much of a potential trigger
are we eating.
(this we will know from our journal - that's when it comes very handy)

For example, we may get away with eating half a cup of tomato and half a cup of strawberries everyday,
but not a piece more.

And may I remind you I did pointed out this list is just a general guideline what CAN BE a potential trigger in M,
but NOT necessarily absolutely everything in it is the trigger for one person, no.
No, it's just a general guideline by which any Migraineurs should know what to know of, is all.

It is what is IN these things that causes migraines and not the overall item itself. It needs to be more specific.

You are absolutely right.
Come down to it, every single food item has something inside it that is what cause a problem.
In chocolate it could be theobromine, (btw this is what make it toxic to dogs),
in cheeses, wines it could be tyramine, in processed meats- sulfates and nitrates, salt, MSG, other chemicals,
and so on.

Pickles- anything that is fermented, pickled or marinated or very salty, is bad because it contain vaso-active amines -they may cause dilatation of blood vessels, that's why generally is not recommended.

The thing is not to panic :]

Not everything from the list can possibly be YOUR trigger, that's for sure,
and one man trigger is not necessarily another man trigger Smile

Risa
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Post  Guest Wed 27 Apr 2011, 4:29 pm

Posted in error


Last edited by Pen on Thu 28 Apr 2011, 12:02 pm; edited 2 times in total

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Post  milo Wed 27 Apr 2011, 6:31 pm

Thank you very much for preparing all of this Risa. It must have been very hard work and taken a long time. If you agree to share this hard work on Fron's site, why not post a link to it directly, that way people can read our whole conversation instead. Smile
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Post  milo Wed 27 Apr 2011, 6:50 pm

Speaking of triggers....I have a raging m right now. Today was admin assistants day so we took our receptionist out for lunch. I'm pretty sure my migraine is from the MSG. I've only ever identified one single trigger..the smell of cut grass....wait a minute...

As we were walking back we ran across an area being cut, and I made comment about it triggering my head...I even said "I guess I'll find out later" after a coworker asked me if I thought I'd gotten "too much" of the air.

Then here I am writing this and ready to blame MSG...but I betcha my first born that the grass has struck again.
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Post  Cluelesskitty Wed 27 Apr 2011, 7:46 pm

Do you mind copying this to my forum as well please?
There is a discussion about additives, and this fits nicely with it.

Please, link this entire discussion, Fron!
You are most welcome to do so!

cheers

Risa
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Post  milo Thu 28 Apr 2011, 2:59 pm

I've still got my head raging. I took six t3's hoping to fall asleep and wake with it gone. The triptan I took last night still has me sick.

I went to work this morning but came home by lunch. I talked with a coworkers who suggested I do a nasal lavage next time I encounter the grass thing.

Today I'm wondering if my new hair color may be adding to the problem. I dyed my hair jet black (with blonde panels) two days ago.

I usually suspect it's a combo of things for me. Does anyone else get them with hair dye?
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Post  Cluelesskitty Thu 28 Apr 2011, 3:50 pm

The smell from hair dye, the awkward neck position for prolonged time- sure! many times!


btw- I love jet black hair! soooo cool!
perhaps a discreet piccie, Milo with a black new hair??

Migraine triggers.. Jumpin15

Risa
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Post  milo Thu 28 Apr 2011, 9:49 pm

Ahhhhh..I'm so picky about staying anon...I shall provide you one privately as soon as I have one. My hair is very short in the back and long in the front with a steep but choppy angle from front to back. I have a full layer of bright blonde panels around my entire head as well. It's a bit trendier then I usually go, but I get compliments every day so I can only assume it looks good. Smile
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Post  Cluelesskitty Thu 28 Apr 2011, 10:04 pm

I was thinking about blurring the face or putting on a huge sunglasses, or even a flower pot in front of you
to obscure the face
but sure if you want to send me one, even better ! Very Happy

By description, your hair sound very edgy! something I would totally approve!
I am very into edgy styles and so want Emo hair but so far I chickened out every time.
My dream is to go to the Chop Shop in Vancouver and have my hair done there.
http://www.chopshophair.com/

It's probably very expensive, but maybe for once in my life I would be truly happy with my hair?

Risa
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