A new study in the journal Cephalgia studied the link between migraine headaches and food allergies. The study demonstrated that allergic food elimination greatly reduced intensity, frequency, and duration of migraine headaches in patients.
The concept that food may trigger some symptoms creates an increasing pressure on the health care system to investigate possible causal relationshipsbetween food intake and specific diseases…there is a need for an individualised approach to diet to relieve migraine.
8 Responses
Migraines 3-5 days a week was the sole reason I took gluten out of my diet about five years ago! Not only did it help my migraines but I realized I had about ten other issues resolve as well (like unusally low energy, bloating after eating, severe stomach aches, mood swings, depression, skin problems… I could keep going but you get the idea…).
Kirsten,
Thanks for sharing your story. That is fantastic! Your words will hopefully encourage others who need to go gluten free.
I had headaches since 1965 and migraines since 1992 and gaining weight started in 1984 while very active in sports and all. The weight gain made no sense to family, friends and doctors I saw most of all it made no sense to me I changed nothing in my life. Thyroid problems were ruled out. After years of still gaining weight I was put on a small dose of thyroid, but it did nothing but make me gain more weight and give me a stomach aches. I didn’t eat junk food, I don’t think anyone believe me though. I had other health problems too, such as IBS etc… But today, I am happy to report after finding this site and going totally gluten free with no rice and corn included in my gluten free life style and I don’t have any more headaches, migraines, and other symptoms that I was experiencing. I now know that the gluten’s were causing my weight gain and so far I lost a little over thirty pounds, with no exercise included in losing the weight. I am very happy 🙂 and sharing my story with anyone that will listen.
Hi,
My son with Down Syndrome was diagnosed with Celiac disease because of failure to gain weight. He had almost no other symptom – maybe a larger belly than normal. So he went on the gluten free diet, and so did I.
When visiting relatives I decided to go off gluten-free, since I really had no noticed any difference while on the diet. And now for two days in a row I’ve had a migraine! For me the headaches are mild, but the initial visual disturbances are annoying. I haven’t had a migraine in a LONG time, so I really believe there is a link!
As a child I was diagnosed with ADD and have carried that through adulthood. More recent I have been treated for chronic migraines occurring every other day with rebounds intermittently for over a year and in that year I have lost my left peripheral vision twice once in September of 2011 and the other in November; each occasion for a matter of minutes. November I also went to the ER because I lost the control of my left side of my face (I looked like a stroke victim); my neurologist called it ‘droopy face’. I am on two daily medications topamax and verapamil, April 2011 I stopped drinking carbonated products and coffee, 10-08-2011 I read several articles linking Gluten to Migraines which prompted me to get with my neurologist and suggest a change to a Gluten Free Diet. I have had resistance to all medications, I feel better if I don’t eat since a few hours after I do consume food I would experience the onset of a migraine. Migraines give me nausea, I feel lethargic, wanting to crawl into a hole in the fetal position with an ice pack on the left side of my face, I get dull throbbing pain over the front of my forehead and down the left side of my face, I can typically hear my head throb, numbness and tingling in both hands intermittently, restless sleep, irritability, sensitivity to light and sounds. The Neurologist agreed to the diet change and since 10-8-11 I have only had three severe migraines and the intermittent pressure has been reduced. My ultimate goal is to be medication free.
Vertigo/ nausea X 48 hours Migraines briefly after concussion after my car was driven into while I was stopped at a stop light.
Anyone read about Gluten Ataxia? Scary thought that it destroys your brain cells. I too have suffered from migraines before going GF. But I had 5 minutes where I confused the identity of people I knew well. Brain scan later no reason for the brain glitch but evidence of migraines.
Hi Kathlyn,
I also have a gluten allergy, but I also have Lyme Disease. There over a 100 symptoms to Lyme Disease, but you may want to be tested for it. Some of your symptoms sound very similar to mine. The problem with testing for Lyme is that it is hard to test for, there is a lot of false negatives.
Best of luck with your health, & God Bless!