Not sure where to park this:
https://www.theguardian.com/science...ood-trigger-study-suggests?CMP=share_btn_link
https://www.theguardian.com/science...ood-trigger-study-suggests?CMP=share_btn_link
Guardian: Migraines could be caused by gut bacteria, study suggests
- Thread starter Sasha
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They left out how the are produced in these cases -histamines which are a problem for people intolerant of histamines. I recently figured this out after listening to lectures at the IACFSME conference and I took an antihistamine instead of a migraine pill and aborted the migraine. Chemical smells can cause the body to produce histamines.
I have very recently realised that it is histamine that has been affecting me for years. I have food intolerances and worked out a diet for myself which I now realise is low histamine, and the foods that upset me most are high histamine.
I have had increasing issues with mighraine aura, so am now trying harder to keep my diet low histamine and see what happens. I will try taking an anti histamine though next time - that's a good idea! Of course there are other sources of increased histamine in the body, apart from food and chemical smells - there is stress and it's hard to avoid that at all times.
I've noticed that "anti-histamine" diets rarely mention refined cane sugar. My feeling, after looking at a lot of studies and hearing many lectures, is that the human body has a hard time processing anything synthetic, to a greater or less degree for every individual and even for different times for the same individual. Even folic acid, which some people can't tolerate, is the synthetic form of folate. Some naturopaths research the gut microbiome and have good success with individuals diet regimes for individuals according to their clients gut bacteria. Trick is finding a reputable, knowledgeable naturopath who looks at the individual, not a one size fits all approach.
Interesting stuff - and part way through the comments there is a reference to an Italian study linking a ketogenic diet to reduction in migraines - https://www.researchgate.net/blog/post/less-carbs-more-fat-ketogenic-diet-treats-migraine-patients. I haven't found any common link that triggers my migraines (though I maybe need to keep track better of what I'm eating/breathing in etc etc...) I often wake with them in the morning and wonder if it's the combination of sleep meds? Sometimes they (or is it a bad headache?) wake me in the middle of the night...
ryan31337
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Hi @Hilary,
For what its worth a ketogenic diet has stopped my frequent migraines & made me feel so, so much better. It appears for me that the migraine 'trigger' was often post-prandial/reactive hypoglycemia, which ties in with what Di Lorenzo is saying in that article re abnormal BG/insulin response to sugar intake.
I was lucky that I saw an Endo familiar with POTS/OI, he appreciated that the cardiovascular stuff in combination with the rapid onset sleepiness, sweats, migraine, numbness etc. could all point to reactive hypoglycemia. It's pretty clear to me now looking back over the years that my ME/CFS & migraine pattern (over long and short term) has fluctuating reactive hypoglycemia as a major component. Give Atkins a try!
For what its worth a ketogenic diet has stopped my frequent migraines & made me feel so, so much better. It appears for me that the migraine 'trigger' was often post-prandial/reactive hypoglycemia, which ties in with what Di Lorenzo is saying in that article re abnormal BG/insulin response to sugar intake.
I was lucky that I saw an Endo familiar with POTS/OI, he appreciated that the cardiovascular stuff in combination with the rapid onset sleepiness, sweats, migraine, numbness etc. could all point to reactive hypoglycemia. It's pretty clear to me now looking back over the years that my ME/CFS & migraine pattern (over long and short term) has fluctuating reactive hypoglycemia as a major component. Give Atkins a try!
Hi @ryan31337 that's really helpful thank you. As you'll know, the headaches and migraines are so disabling so I will give this a try. Apart from having the mitochondrial tests done through Biolab, I've been tested for very little so don't really know what's going on, even after 22 years..
I did try tweaking my diet earlier in the year to cut right down on carbs but my digestion reacted quite badly at the time. However, I think that was mostly due to taking very high dose probiotics for a month or two which seemed to make it hugely sensitive to any changes. Much more settled again now I've left the probiotics alone, so I think it's time to give it another try and I do know of others who have done very well on Atkins type diet. Thank you for responding
I did try tweaking my diet earlier in the year to cut right down on carbs but my digestion reacted quite badly at the time. However, I think that was mostly due to taking very high dose probiotics for a month or two which seemed to make it hugely sensitive to any changes. Much more settled again now I've left the probiotics alone, so I think it's time to give it another try and I do know of others who have done very well on Atkins type diet. Thank you for responding
@Hilary I did read on one of the UK migraine charity sites that having a migraine first thing in the morning was almost always due to blood sugar issues.
I have never felt able to face the ketogenic diet and find that maybe with being hypothyroid that I feel better with some carbs. They do suggest on that site to make sure you eat something last thing and though I still get migraines, I don't get them so often first thing now!
I have never felt able to face the ketogenic diet and find that maybe with being hypothyroid that I feel better with some carbs. They do suggest on that site to make sure you eat something last thing and though I still get migraines, I don't get them so often first thing now!
ryan31337
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No problem @Hilary, I hope it works for you. Assuming you don't have kidney troubles it seems like such a no-brainer for people to try, its easy and we can do it ourselves
Re the waking up in the middle of the night (and early morning) with headaches...this was commonplace for me too. I would wake up wide-awake with an adrenaline rush and hunger pangs, but if I ignored it and stayed in bed eventually both would go away. Now I understand that this was probably adrenergic counter-regulation of insulin taking place and waking me, looking back I realise it would happen more frequently when I had a carb-heavy snack just before bed (banana, cake etc.) but not so much when I had more protein & fat (eggs, left overs etc.).
Re the waking up in the middle of the night (and early morning) with headaches...this was commonplace for me too. I would wake up wide-awake with an adrenaline rush and hunger pangs, but if I ignored it and stayed in bed eventually both would go away. Now I understand that this was probably adrenergic counter-regulation of insulin taking place and waking me, looking back I realise it would happen more frequently when I had a carb-heavy snack just before bed (banana, cake etc.) but not so much when I had more protein & fat (eggs, left overs etc.).
ryan31337
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@mermaid, whilst hunting for a cause of my reactive hypoglycemia (still unknown) I learned that being hypothyroid can supposedly trigger it - have no idea if ketogenic diet would help in that situation though.
Thanks @ryan31337 I think I would find the ketogenic diet difficult on various levels. As I know I have gallstones, I would struggle with a lot of fat for a start!
ryan31337
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That's a shame @mermaid, the amount of fat you have to eat is pretty bonkers. I hope you can find some other relief, I took pizotifen as migraine prophylaxis for many years with quite a lot of success. Interestingly it also has anti-histamine properties, just to bring the discussion full circle back to @L Y's comment. And of course my take on the keto diet is inherently low histamine, which is also no doubt helping.
Thanks @ryan31337 and @mermaid - I think I'm going to start by making a note of what I eat particularly in the evenings and see if I can find any common factors linking poor night and early headaches with food.. I need to read up on this when my brain is a bit clearer - really foggy at the moment...
That's interesting re the Pizotifen @ryan31337 that it has the antihistamine properties. I have a friend who takes a migraine prophylaxis - had never heard of the idea before her, so am wondering if she takes this.
Last time I had a migraine (about a week ago) I did take an antihistamine immediately to see if it made any difference to how I felt. It was a bit difficult to know as I was fighting off a cold, so feeling bad anyway. However I only got the one (aura) whereas sometimes I get another, so definitely worth me trying that out again.
Good luck Hilary. It would be interesting if it turned out that the meals you had just eaten were higher in histamine, or maybe you have a sensitivity to histamine that you didn't know about that has built up. That said, there seem to be SO many different migraine triggers so it may be something quite different.