Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Migraines And Gluten

elligal

By elligal
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

elligal Newbie
elligal
Posted

I'm trying a gluten and dairy-free diet in an effort to reduce my migraines, which I get as often as 3 or 4 times a week. Has anyone else had success in this approach?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Nantzie Collaborator
Nantzie
Posted

I used to get really bad headaches pretty much every day with light and sound sensitivity. Now the only time I get them is when I get glutened. It's certainly worth a shot.

Nancy

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

Many people here have found their migraines reduce after a number of weeks or months on the gluten free diet (3-4 weeks may not be enough to see anything). Not everyone finds that to be the case (I haven't, and a few others haven't), but it's worth a shot, of course. (If it doesn't help, there are daily preventatives that can be taken, but they aren't risk-free, and it's definitely worth trying the safer things first.)

happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

Dr. Green talks about migraines and Celiac/gluten in his book.

page 84: "The well defined neurological associations with celiac disease include the following:"

peripheral neuropathies, ataxia, epileptic seizures, migraines, brain atrophy and dementia.

page 89:

"A recent stuy on blood flow abnormalities in the brain showed a direct corrleation between untreated celiac disease and blood flow alterations. In this study, 4 percent of migrain patients (versus .4 percent in the control group) had celiac disease." (That is pretty significant!!!!!)

"Many patients with celiac disease complain of various degrees of headaches and migraines that improve in both severity and occurrence on a gluten free diet."

I can personally vouch that going gluten free really helped my migraines, which I have suffered from for years. It was one of the "side effects" of the diet that I didn't realize was linked until about a year after I started my diet, when I looked back and realized how much better I had done. Then six months ago, I read about migraines/celiac disease in Dr. Green's book.

Hope this information helps.

Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted

I found that my migraines were caused mostly by tomatoes (I am intolerant to the nightshades, and tomato is one of those). Gluten wasn't helpful, and since going gluten-free I get even less migraines. So, if going gluten-free won't help your migraines, you could have other food intolerances that cause them.

Also, fatigue and lack of sleep can cause migraines. I find that the only time I get migraines now are, when I allow myself to get overtired.

mythreesuns Contributor
mythreesuns
Posted

I always get a migraine after glutening, so for me I KNOW they're related. But I also get migraines from milk products and lack of sleep. It took a long time to find all these triggers, but if you pay attention you'll find them.

Keep a migraine "journal" to see if you can find a trigger/set of triggers.

Clark Bent as Stupor-Man Contributor
Clark Bent as Stupor-Man
Posted
Many people here have found their migraines reduce after a number of weeks or months on the gluten free diet (3-4 weeks may not be enough to see anything). Not everyone finds that to be the case (I haven't, and a few others haven't), but it's worth a shot, of course. (If it doesn't help, there are daily preventatives that can be taken, but they aren't risk-free, and it's definitely worth trying the safer things first.)

tiffany, if I remember correctly you took or are still taking topamax as a daily preventative, right? I am considering taking a daily preventative again and topamax is probably number 1 on my list as I've heard pretty good things about it...

what are your experiences with it? any side effects you've had or others have had that you know of? I had bad side effects, specifically fatigue, from Depakote ER when my daily dosage went above 1000 mg

how effective is it in reducing/eliminating the intensity/frequency of your migraines? I don't get migraines as frequently as I used to but I still get a headache every day... would it still be suitable for me?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted
tiffany, if I remember correctly you took or are still taking topamax as a daily preventative, right? I am considering taking a daily preventative again and topamax is probably number 1 on my list as I've heard pretty good things about it...

what are your experiences with it? any side effects you've had or others have had that you know of? I had bad side effects, specifically fatigue, from Depakote ER when my daily dosage went above 1000 mg

how effective is it in reducing/eliminating the intensity/frequency of your migraines? I don't get migraines as frequently as I used to but I still get a headache every day... would it still be suitable for me?

I'm still taking it, though I'm at 100mg/day (75mg at night, 25mg in the morning), which is one half of the 'normal' maintenance dose for migraines.

There are side effects, and it's not cheap, but when weighing it against the impact of migraines in my life, it's worth it. You can read the full PI here: Open Original Shared Link. The top side effects are paresthesia, fatigue, nausea, anorexia, and dizziness. I pretty much got all of those besides the nausea. :) But I get all sorts of side effects from almost all meds, and none of these side effects were particularly bad. The paresthesia - tingling in the extremities (fingers and toes) was the worst one for me, and if it had stayed as bad as it was the first few weeks I titered up my dose, I probably wouldn't have stayed on it. But it went almost entirely away after two months, and now I just get a tiny bit of it for half an hour or so after I take my doses. (Mmm... tingly fingers while typing leads to typos. :) ) The fatigue was resolved by working out how to take the dosing (75mg at night, only 25mg in the morning) and faded over time. And the 'anorexia' which was just a significant loss of appetite wasn't a huge issue (as I could remind myself to eat) and also faded after eight weeks or so as I titered up on dose. The dizziness was very mild and went away entirely after two weeks or so and never interfered with anything. There are other side effects, and other people had more trouble with them. It's a relatively safe anti-seizure med that happens to help prevent migraine, and it's not one you have to keep doing regular bloodwork to check on the liver, like some of the old-school meds, but I don't want to give the impression it's risk free, though I'm quite happy with it.

My migraines were coming on about every three or four days. They usually weren't as bad as the ones I had in the past (I could still talk, and walk, albeit slower, and sometimes I still was ok to drive), but they'd last three or four days, so it seemed like a constant state. They were definitely non-typical migraines. (Which leads me to suggest that you take a look at those 'headaches' and try to evaluate if those are non-typical migraines. I didn't think much about mine until I went in and realized that it was just that my migraine pattern had significantly shifted.) These days, I may get one somewhere around once or twice a month - so far while on this med. And the severity is much less, never getting to the state where I can't function reasonably, cutting the migraine disturbance in about half or so. I am curious to see how this winter goes, on the med, however, as I believe, after trying to track down my triggers, that what I'm sensitive to is some particular barometric pressure changes. I can't figure out the specifics, and I'm fairly confident on having ruled out food and other common environmental triggers. So the summer going well, if it's barometric pressure, should be little surprise, and I know that the end of last winter (when I started the Topamax) was *definitely* an improvement, but I'll be curious to see how it goes this winter too.

I don't know if it'd be suitable for you - you'd want to talk to your doctor. If you suspect that your daily headaches are atypical migraines, or if your migraines are occuring regularly enough to interfere with your life (I think the standard was >4-5 month? I don't recall), then probably, especially if the migraines last around 3 days each. Taking nearly two weeks out of a month and operating at much lowered capacity is definitely a serious quality of life issue that's worth trying to improve!

Felidae Enthusiast
Felidae
Posted

My migraines were reduced by going gluten-free. It was a definite improvement for me.

elligal Newbie
elligal
Posted
  • Author

tiffany, if I remember correctly you took or are still taking topamax as a daily preventative, right? I am considering taking a daily preventative again and topamax is probably number 1 on my list as I've heard pretty good things about it...

what are your experiences with it? any side effects you've had or others have had that you know of?

I take 50 mg of Topamax at night and 25 in the morning and it has somewhat reduced the number and strength of my migraines. As for the side effects...here goes

FATIGUE The worst is driving at night. I can't drive for long periods at night (more than 40 minutes) without falling asleep while driving. Not so noticiable during the day, and my ritalin helps conteract the fatique during the day. WEIGHT LOSS not a problem for me, as I needed to lose weight anyway. I don't feel that it supresses my appetite so much as it revs up my metabolism. When I exercise I seem to burn more calories than I would if I weren't on Topamax. LIVER DAMAGE this one is a biggie. because Topamax can be bad on your liver, your shouldn't drink alcohol, at all. Bummer. But all in all, well worth it because it helps control my migraines

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

elligal, how long have you been on the topamax? it took ... four or five months for the fatigue issues to resolve, but they did lessen for me. (of course, with winter coming up, and much shorter days, that brings it's own fatigue issues... :( ) anyway, I'm glad it's helping, even if there are annoying side effects. :(

barbara3675 Rookie
barbara3675
Posted

Topomax works for me also. I take 100 mg. once a day, but am trying to wein myself off of them so am only taking them on S-T-Th-S because of the expense. So far it is working. I get the onset of a migraine occasionally, but take Imitrex 50 mg. and it goes away. What a glorious thing compared to the day when they would come and I would know that a whole day of my life was going to be lost/I would be suffering in bed with such pain and the dry heaves until it would pass. I am 61 now and asked the neurologist if they would go away with the end of menopause and she said only if they were associated with my monthly cycle when that was. Unfortunatly that wasn't the case, so they are still around, but much less. I still have a stressful (at times)job and have to work hard. When they gets less, I think maybe the headaches will be less and less, they already are. Barbara

melie Apprentice
melie
Posted

After about 4 months being gluten free, I had the revelation that I was no longer getting migraines (mine were definitely hormone linked as well) I accidentally got glutened about two days ago, and voila got a migraine yesterday, however not as great in intensity or duration as before.

Hang in there!

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,869
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Stacy W
    Newest Member
    Stacy W
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Jmartes71
      My only proof

      By Jmartes71 · Posted

      Hello still dancing around my celiac disease and not getting medically backed up considering Ive been glutenfree since 1994.All my ailments are the core issue of my ghost disease aka celiac disease. Im angery because the "celiac specialist " basically lightly dismissed me.Im extremely angery and fighting for a new primary care physician which is hard to do in Northern Cali.So currently without and looking.Im angery that its lightly taken when its extremely serious to the one who has it.My only evidence is a brochure back in the days when I got news letters when I lived at my parents.It was published in 1998.I was diagnosed before any foods eliminated from my diet. Angery doctors don't take seriously when Im clearly speaking.I did write to the medicine of congress and have case number.
    • Scott Adams
      still struggling with cravings

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I totally get this. It's absolutely a grieving process, and it's okay to feel gutted about the loss of those simple joys, especially at 18. Your feelings are completely valid—it's not about being ungrateful for your amazing boyfriend, it's about mourning the life you thought you'd have. That "tortured by the smell" feeling is so real. It does get easier, I promise, but it's okay to sit in the sadness and just vent about how much it stings right now. Thanks for sharing that. Celiac.com has published a book on our site by Jean Duane PhD called Gluten-Centric Culture, which covers many of the social aspects of having celiac disease: This chapter in particular covers issues around eating with family and others - Gluten-Centric Culture: Chapter 5 - Grabbing A Bite Together:    
    • Scott Adams
      Oh my goodness medication causing pain !!!!

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Many of us with celiac find that the fillers in medications can cause a reaction, and sometimes our bodies just process things weirdly. That "rebound muscle pain" and "burning feet" you described sounds awful and is a huge red flag. It's frustrating enough managing the diet without medication causing setbacks. So sorry you're dealing with this, but you're definitely on the right track by connecting the dots. You can search this site for prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      Knowing what to do when feeling unwell.

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      It's so tough when you're doing everything right and still get hit with it. I'm glad you're figuring out a system that works for you—the peppermint tea and rehydration powders are smart moves. It sounds like you've really learned to listen to your body, and that's half the battle. Sticking to simple, safe food at home is the best way to build yourself back up. It's great you can take the time to rest properly. Thanks for sharing what works; it's a big help to others figuring this out too. This article, and the comments below it, may be helpful:    
    • Scott Adams
      Celiac and dermatitis herpetiformis has taken Me from Me

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I am so sorry you're going through this. It's bad enough to fight for a diagnosis and manage this disease, but to have your partner use it as a weapon against you is truly devastating. What you're describing isn't just a lack of support; it's abuse, full stop. Controlling your food and money is cruel, and his pleasure in your misery is chilling. Please hear this: the kindness from that woman at the food pantry is what you deserve. It's a glimpse of the real world, where people care. You deserve to eat, to heal, and to have peace. His actions are the biggest barrier to your health right now, and you are not broken—you are surviving in an impossible situation. Don't give up on that lifeline you've found.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.