Nasty, Horrible Headache -- Help!

[Sailing Girl]

I glutened myself accidentally (well, sort of) on New Year's Eve. A friend put a *huge* amount of time and effort into producing what she said was a "gluten-free" meal in her gluten-filled kitchen, even after I asked her not to do so and told her I would bring food for me and for my DD.

I knew the huge chance I was taking by eating any of it (and did check on all the ingredients), but in the end decided not to offend her and hurt her feelings. I ate very lightly and stuck to stuff like the plain broccoli and the roast. Didn't chance the gravy (which she made with rice flour), nor the dessert (said I was full and gosh that was good and thank-you-so-much-for-making-it-all-gluten-free). <sigh>

Well, the rest is predictable. Sick sick sick since about 3a that morning.

I'm mostly over it, but I can't seem to shake the headache/migraine. This is the worst one I've had since last summer (probably the worst glutening I've had since then, too). I've tried lots of caffeine, I've tried raising my blood sugar, and I don't have any meds in the house.

Does anyone have any sure-fire headache remedies to pass along? I'm desperate to shake this thing!

[ravenwoodglass]

If this is a confirmed migraine that has lasted for 3 days you may want to consider calling the doctor. Mine, thank goodness never lasted more than a day, I really feel for you. A friend used to get ones that would go on for days and often her doctor would be able to give her something that would stop the pain quickly and not have it recur on waking. I hope you get over yours soon.

[Glutenfreefamily]

I would call your dr. My dr prescribes imitrex or sometimes darvocet for migraines. I have yet to take either since my headaches only usually last a day or two and caffeine usually helps.

[GlutenWrangler]

If it gets too severe, don't hesitate to go to the ER. They'll probably give you morphine. I had an extremely bad migraine once. I couldn't even walk and my father had to wheel me in to the ER in a wheel chair. But they really helped me out, so I'm sure they can help you out too. I hope you feel better soon.

-Brian

[Sailing Girl]

Thanks for all your replies and concern!

It hasn't been severe enough to prod me into seeing an MD or going to the ER. It's just ... there, in a constant, annoying kind of way. It improved enough yesterday that I was able to ignore it (mostly), and it's *almost* gone today. But for future reference, I would dearly love to know how to knock it out before it's run its course -- the three-day marathon headache (combined with fatigue) is my worst glutening symptom.

Jane

[lizard00]

I'm mostly over it, but I can't seem to shake the headache/migraine. This is the worst one I've had since last summer (probably the worst glutening I've had since then, too). I've tried lots of caffeine, I've tried raising my blood sugar, and I don't have any meds in the house.

I get the same headache... I know exactly how horrible it is. Mine usually starts within 30 minutes to an hour. I have tried all the same things, thinking if I drink more water or eat some fruit I can flush it out faster and unfortunately, it doesn't work. I've tried all types of meds I could find... aspirin, tylenol, excedrin (pick a type) got a head/neck massage, ANYTHING. so i've decided that rather than take drugs that don't work and have to rid my body of THAT too, i just have to let it run through. it's awful though.

the headaches and my extreme exhaustion were actually the reason I went gluten-free. Both have cleared up since then.

i really hope you are feeling better!!

[hayley3]

I would do anything to never have another migraine! Mine normally lasted 3 days. Unbearable. I started noticing that my stomach was involved and figured they must be related. I just got over one.

I have tried everything. I managed to make mine shorter but I was never sure which one did it. I started keeping a headache diary. I went back and forth between a muscular reaction or swollen sinuses from an allergic reaction, and I'm still not sure which it is.

I normally do a Neti pot first, then Motrin, then Nerve Control herbs (that's what they are called by Nature's Sunshine), I double up on my magnesium/potassium pills, and drink Chamomille tea. I also rub my scalp. I used to take Petadolex by Enzymatic Therapy but it was too expensive, it relaxes your blood vessels.

When I gave up coffee, if I got a headache, I could just drink a cup of coffee. Even Dr. Weil recommends this, but since I drink coffee regularly, it doesn't work for me. The caffeine shrinks the blood vessels.

[tarnalberry]

I would do anything to never have another migraine! Mine normally lasted 3 days. Unbearable. I started noticing that my stomach was involved and figured they must be related. I just got over one.

I would also get the multi-day, sometimes incapacitating migraines. I was getting them often enough - at least once a week, often multiple times a week (which is a problem when they last 2-4 days) - that I ended up going on Topomax as a preventative. It's been quite effective, and I now get migraines on the order of a handful a year.

(I developed migraines long after going gluten free, and they became much more frequent long after going dairy free. I tested out dietary triggers and environmental triggers I could control. All with no luck. And caffeine didn't work for me either.)

[hayley3]

I think when the caffeine worked for me, I was on a very strict vegetable/fruit only diet. So maybe that's why it worked. It's interesting that you say you were still getting the headaches even though you were gluten free. Very interesting..... I just got one and traced it to consuming corn syrup. Last night I got a bad case of gerd, and I had ate some corn, and also had some peppermint candy with corn syrup. It's so hard to narrow it down unless that's all you ate, but the connection is making me wonder if it's the corn instead of the wheat. I can dream, can't I!

[tarnalberry]

I can dream, can't I!

Better than that! You can test it!

Make sure to eat foods that you *know* you're fine with for at least two or three days, then try corn, and plenty of it. (That's a quick and dirty way to test one item, anyway.)