Migraines?

[erica]

Anyone else have migraines that stopped once you went gluten-free. Is Celiac related to migraines?

[Guest jhmom]

I have heard that migraines are related to Celiac Disease. I have been gluten free 4 months TODAY (YIPEE!!!) and still have headaches on and off. I am sure they will go away completely after being gluten-free for a little while longer.

Hope this helps, good luck to you

[Connie R-E]

In my opinion, migraines are related to food intollerences/allergies--not just celiac!

I get a horrible migraine from Honey (of all things)!

It starts 24 hours after I eat it, and lasts for 48 hours....Boy, was it was difficult to track down!

Connie

[midnightjewel40]

OH yes i had them before and then when i went gluten-free i havent had one since abot 14 months now it is linked or so they say hope this helps you

jacque

[seeking-wholeness]

I cut caffeine completely out of my diet (even decaf coffee and tea) and noticed a dramatic reduction in my migraine frequency and intensity. Now the only times I have gotten them are when I have a gluten accident. Someday, after I have gone awhile with no accidents, I plan to test caffeine again to see whether it is a separate problem for me or whether all of the caffeinated products I was using happened to be carriers of gluten as well. Looking back on it, I actually can't be sure (which is pretty scary)! Oh, how I hope I can someday have green tea again--and chocolate!

I hope this helps!

[midnightjewel40]

i am finding that coffee make me double up with pain and i have cut down on tea might get some decafe tea has anyone had decafe tea and does it make a difference

[seeking-wholeness]

Jacque,

Even decaf coffee and tea still contain a significant amount of caffeine, so if you are extremely caffeine-sensitive it might NOT make a difference. The only way to know is to try it, though. Another avenue of inquiry I would suggest is switching to organic coffee and tea. I can't remember who it was, but someone here on the board reported that organic coffee didn't cause the unpleasant side effects that conventional coffee did for him/her.

I hope you find a drink that works for you!

[midnightjewel40]

Thanks sarah i will try that i just remembered a nurse i know drinks decafe so i will give it a go thanks you for your input

[Guest jhmom]

I found this article regarding Migraines linked to celiac disease:

Migraine Linked to Celiac Disease

Laurie Barclay, MD

March 25, 2003

[ms-sillyak-screwed]

Good article. Thanx for posting it.

I've suffered with them my entire life. They started with the cycle of my periods as a teen. Mine have all the classic triggers.

HORMONE (I got a migraine every-month-with-out-fail before, durning or after my period.)

STRESS or NERVES

FOODs - coffee, tea, chocolate & nuts.

LACK of SLEEP

ENVIRONMENT smoky room, dust, mole, meldew, CATS.

intensely blindingly GLARE in my eyes.

What has made the most difference in the frequency is [getting OFF of HRT] (hormone replacement) slowed them down a little enough to notice. Which tends to make me think mine are hormonal. Over all, I will say in the last 5 years my migraine frequency has changed only a bit, at best.

[flagbabyds]

I get migraines whenever I get gluten.

[tarnalberry]

I have/had migraines. Didn't get them very often at all until recently - I went gluten free two and a half years ago, and dairy free a year and a half ago. I tried eliminating a number of common (and uncommon) triggers (sleep, foods, caffeine, scents, light, temperature, exercise, etc.); I tried natural remedies (except the icy cold shower method, research shows it works, but I'm a chicken) and homeopathic remedies and prescription stuff.

Not much made a big difference, and it got the point where I was getting migraines about twice a week and they'd last five days - meaning, constant migraine. They weren't severe enough that I couldn't function at all during that time, but I couldn't function well... it definitely impacted my work and home life significantly.

I finally had to go on preventative medication, Topamax, an anti-epileptic. I generally get side-effects from drugs very easily, and this one is no exception; at one quarter of the standard maintenance dose, I am getting a bit of tingling in my feet/hands, a little bit of fatigue, and a little loss of appetite (except during my period, still ravenous then!), but even that dose has managed to knock them back to one every other week at most so far, and they are milder and shorter in duration (four days or so).

A number of people have found that the gluten-free diet, or another dietary trigger elimination, has made a big difference for them, and eliminated their migraines, and I hope that works for you! But if it doesn't, don't give up hope, and keep working with your doctor (or find one who will work with you) to get them under control if they are causing significant impact to your life.

(My current guess on my trigger? Weather pattern change. I could be off on this one, and need to collect data, if I can on the meds. But with the move to the PacNorthWest, that could have been all my poor little brain could stand, with the weather swinging wildly every other day around here.)

[Guest mmc]

I get migraines like crazy. I suffer from at least 6 per month that last anywhere from 2 to 7 days. Normal pain medications, natural remedies, showers, ect do not help at all. I am completely unable to function during them, cannot even step foot in a room with a light on. The only thing that has relieved the pain for me is a shot of hardcore pain medicine at the hospital after 4 or so days. And that is all but pleasant. I'm hoping that going gluten-free (after the blood tests ect) will help with them.

[ms-sillyak-screwed]

tarnalberry -- "(except the icy cold shower method, research shows it works, but I'm a chicken) "

I'll share my secret. -- At my house we call it a 'brain-freeze' ice packs forehead and neck, but take it a step further... your cold shower concept works.

What I do run a warm bath, use a few drops of lavender fragant oils (if you can tolerate it) and get in the tub and relax put the 'brain-free' on your head. Relax... and the difference in the the tub temp and the ice on your head, you won't feel cold. It works for me at times... try it