ANA Discussion Forum
Post-Treatment => Headaches => Topic started by: Nickittynic on July 15, 2010, 02:05:06 am
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I went to my ENT last week and he recommended trying diet changes to see how they affect my headaches (which he is calling migraines).
I got a list like this http://www.headaches.org/education/Headache_Topic_Sheets/Diet_and_Headache_-_Foods (http://www.headaches.org/education/Headache_Topic_Sheets/Diet_and_Headache_-_Foods), which include foods like fresh bread, chocolate, caffiene, avocados, nuts, most cheeses... and some other yummy things. It's been three days and I feel so deprived (this coming from someone who voluntarily spent some time as a gluten-free, sugar-free vegan)! I don't care about the hot dogs and alcohol, but a chocolate chip cookie and a coke would be nice!
Has anyone tried this and had it work?
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I do keep away from certain foods because I've been told that they triigger migraines like Papaya. I still like to have my Chocolate and Cokes. I do take some Papaya once in a while but don't overdo it.
It goes to show that the brain is all chemically related and food is chemistry
Mei Mei
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before surgery I was given a diet to tame migraines that were to left side of head ...you could draw a line straight down my part and the right side was fine and I wished I could remove the left side of my head ... my AN was on right side and had nothing to do with those headaches ... limiting some things (nuts , processed and smoked meats ,soft drinks with caffeine , peanut butter , chocolate , soy and the list goes on) helped very little ...
what got me was that I could tame a headache if it had not gone to far with a Dr Pepper which was on the list of no no's ...but it was OK for them to prescribe pills with caffeine ... I would go for the Dr Pepper first as it tamed the headache and didn't make me jittery the way the pills did ...I seem to be ultra sensitive to medicines and it usually doesn't take much to work for me ... but I have got to have that little bit ... the drink had alot less caffeine and my PCP said he would go with the drink first then pill if the drink didn't work ...
these post surgery headaches I am fighting don't respond at all to dietary changes ...they come from movement , stress , position of head while sleeping or sitting and weather changes ... a really bad sudden headache can be triggered by a cough or sneeze or laughing hard ...being really tired can bring one on and having one can wear me out making me tired
thanks for the post ... it doesn't help me but may help others
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Nickittynic, modifying my diet didn't help me either, but it may help you and is worth a try. I know there is a headache doctor at Hopkins who has published a book and made the round of talk shows who believes that diets are the source of headaches.
Good luck with this experiment!
staypoz
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Nikii,
Sorry to hear about your headaches. Migraines may be the culprit, but most likely just post AN headaches just like all the other AN headache sufferers suffer from!
So the question is, Have your headaches gotten better in the past few days with your change in diet?
Surely the aged cheese/red wine type products may contribute. I don't suffer from headache (ok it's the one thing I don't have!)
I don't know if the ENT docs really know, since they don't follow AN patients ???
Anyway, good ole migraine excedrin, or ES excedrin with the combo of caffeine/tylenol/aspirin works- but you don't want to get addicted to that.
Have you been to a pain specialist??
Sorry not much help :-\
Maureen
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Niki,
I generally agree with all the previous posters but ... My post-AN headaches ( only after the first surgery) were not caused by any foods but the surgery itself, however, I knew that large amounts of fried foods and some aged cheeses as well as salami would cause a migraine in me even before AN surgery (and now, too). That ruled out many common foods, including French Fries, salami on sandwiches and pizza, fried chicken, etc. However, I could still eat these in small amounts, especially infrequently. With post-surgery headaches, I discovered, I had absolutely no tolerance for these foods whatsoever. In fact, I could not even smell them because they made my headache worse. Moreover, if I ate these foods even in small amounts, that would set off a really persistent and strong headache. I was constantly in pain and did not want add to the load, so I ate only raw and boiled foods.
My point is that you might want to try to figure out which foods would give you a headache and try to avoid them. You might experience an overall reduction in headaches and a decreased need for medication.
Congratulations on your face! I saw this in another post.
Take care,
Eve
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The weird thing about caffeine is--if you drink it regularly it can exacerbate your migraines, yet if you don't drink it at all and you feel a migraine coming on, a shot of caffeine can help. I don't go near caffeine at all except for this circumstance--if I am out doing errands and start feeling headachey, I'll drink a diet coke or Dr Pepper. The diet I am on (not really a diet, but the way I am eating) is geared toward fighting inflamation--gluten-free, lots of fruits and veggies, limit meat to fish and some organic chicken. I think I am doing a little better on it but it is really hard to tell if it is the Botox, Neurontin that I'm back on, or the diet. Right now I'm doing the "go to any lengths" thing.
BTW there really is not a lot of distinction in the terms "migraine" and post op headache. Migraine is a general term for a one-sided headache. If you are having a post-op headache that is one-sided, throbbing and long-lasting, you are basically having a migraine.
Capt Deb
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I tend to agree with you all. I don't really think they're "migraines" since they are *never* gone, just sometimes more tolerable than others. I think I will break down and try to get an appointment with a headache specialist - the ENT wants me to see the neurosurgeon but I think that's a waste since my last MRI was fine. I definitely will do what I've seen recommended here and do a 'headache diary' for awhile.
Four or so days into the 'diet' and all I feel is deprived. I'm sure my flip-floppy night shift worker schedule does more to aggravate things than a handful of chocolate chips or a slice of cheese here and there. The only OTC med that's worked has been Excedrin - until I started using it so much I was having rebound headaches + chest pain from the caffeine!
Staypoz - Is the dr you're speaking of Dr Carey? That is the Hopkins doc that wrote the migraine packet I was given.
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The neurosurgeon called them Cluster Headaches not migraines except for the placement that they are in the back. He gave me Verapamil ( See my post on Verapamil) Its worked for the headaches. Very few a week but bothers my sleep and makes me very itchy. I still have the pain and lumpiness in the base of the skull and the lump in the neck that the PT and acupunctureist both say iscar tissue. I wish they thought to pack it with amnion or doone sone preventititive measures for scar tissure at the surgery because that is my major problem now. As for the headaches look up Cluster Headaches and Verapamil and see what you come up with.
Mei Mei
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Mei mei, my headache specialist diagnosed me with "cluster headaches with migranous components." They gotta call it something don't they??? These days the daily headache has certainly diminished and sometimes disappears entirely. --I think that just happened with time--hopefully yours will too. I think you should see your neurosurgeon about the lump--there have been a few people here that have had what is called scar revision surgery which has helped with their chronic pain.
Eating healthy is always beneficial for people with any kind of health problem. I told my back doc that I was going gluten-free and he thought it was a good idea. He is an avid promoter of healthy diet and exercise--in his bio on the practice website, he lists cooking as one of his passions.
Capt Deb
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But doesn't scar revision cause more scars? I wonder????
Mei Mei
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No Mei Mei, I had my scar revision 2 yrs ago. It was done with a local anesthetic and has healed beautifully.
Anne Marie
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Thanks! That's encouraging!
Mei Mei
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I don't drink alot of caffeinated drinks and Coke or Pepsi will do as well as Dr Pepper , but it is my choice of poison ...I drink it when I feel a migraine coming on with the occasional one just because I want it ...but the post surgery headaches like I said are not migraine and have nothing to do with food ...
one thing that triggers a true migraine for me is raw onions ...and another is fresh homemade yeast bread ... both thing I love and have just given up all together
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After less than a week, I gave up on the diet. Massive headaches + not having the food I wanted made me tooooo grumpy, and I don't need another reason to be grumpy. :P
I think what I'll do instead is a few weeks of headache diary-ing and see if I notice any patterns. As I said, I'm sure working night shift (plus, uh, brain surgery!) has a lot more to do with it than food.
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keeping track of what you have eaten and headaches along with their severity is a good way to go if you have trouble sticking to the diet ... good luck
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Nickittynic, the doc I was thinking of at Hopkins is David Buckholtz (sp??) who wrote a book about migraines and diet.
staypoz
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I`d like to add this bit of information. As a wait+watcher I made a big change in my diet and exercise along with many supplements. I didn`t know what caused them (maybe AN?) but used to get migranes on a pretty regular basis. As of the last year my migranes are very infrequent (sometimes just an aura with very little afterwoods). Big improvement to say the least. Best Wishes, Mickey
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All I can say is "thank goodness I don't suffer from headaches"! I truly feel for you headache sufferers out there. If I had to give up chocolate, caffeine, bread, cheese, etc....I'd be more than grumpy - I'd probably be a homicidal maniac!
I hope all of you find something that works for you - and soon!
Lori
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All I can say is "thank goodness I don't suffer from headaches"! I truly feel for you headache sufferers out there. If I had to give up chocolate, caffeine, bread, cheese, etc....I'd be more than grumpy - I'd probably be a homicidal maniac!
I hope all of you find something that works for you - and soon!
Lori
I think of homicide daily but don't know the exact location of the office that houses the insurance idiots I talk to >:(... I suspect that even though it is BCBS of Tennessee that the office is in Wisconsin or Indonesia so people can't find them
since I was about 4 or 5 maybe earlier I have been able to cope with pain by closing eyes and thinking of a big hand rubbing what hurt (tummy , stubbed toe , knee etc) ...I don't know why or how it started but suspect the fact that my parents neither one had the time or maybe ability to pick up and comfort a sick or hurt child ... I never remember being held or cuddled or even hugged for that matter ...
anyway ... tooth aches and headaches I could dull but not get to ease much ... and now even less so ... I wonder if this that I now know as biofeedback would work for some of us ... I just have never had much luck with head pain but it might be something to check into or try
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If I had to give up chocolate, caffeine, bread, cheese, etc....I'd be more than grumpy - I'd probably be a homicidal maniac!
You're funny Lori, as usual.
Seriously I too feel for all you headache sufferers. I have tinnitus instead, but at least it doesn't HURT (actually sometimes it is so shrill, my left ear hurts but NOTHING like head pain or headache)
Hang in there all you headache sufferers.
Maureen
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Tinnitus can be just as annoying. It can drive you nuts.
On the other hand, diet changes can work wonders, even for tinnitus. My ENT recommended staying away from caffeine for the tinnitus. My daughter and now my grandson have been gluten free for several years now. She was having headaches and eczema and so was he. They are both much better. I am stocking up on Gluten Free pasta and Rice cakes and going forward on the Gluten free diet. Along with veggies, it's easy to follow. The products they have out there are much better than a few years ago.
Mei Mei
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My ENT recommended staying away from caffeine for the tinnitus.
NO I need my caffeine coffee! I may try it just to see what happens, but the day starts out OK and it just gets louder and louder because of the noise around me.
I'm hoping that the BAHA will help some when I get it in the fall, but at this point, kind of get tired of hoping and won't get my hopes up! ::)
Maureen
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Maureen,
I think they've said on this site that the BAHA doesn't help with Tinnitus so please don't get your hopes up. Do a search, but I do remember reading that several months ago when I was getting my hopes up.
Trying to stay cooooool,
Mei Mei
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Mei Mei,
Yep, I know about the BAHA not helping the tinnitus. This will be my second go around.
They put the original BAHA in during the initial surgery because I knew I was going to lose the hearing.
The thing wasn't working well, the tinnitus got in the way, I had skin infection at the site, and the device wasn't working properly! Even after being "fixed."
So i said i don't want it, can we get rid of it temporarily. He basically just unscrewed the abutment and that was that. It's been a couple of years, and I'm willing to try it again, because he said there is a new one they are using, which "might" help with the tinnitus, and he believes it's worth a try. I'm going to Madigan Army Med Ctr in Tacoma, and it is free (I am so blessed- don't have to haggle with the insurance). So I figure what the heck, but am definitely not getting my hope up >:(
All we can do it hope and pray, but the praying part hasn't helped!
Stay cooooool,
Maureen
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Mei Mei,
Yep, I know about the BAHA not helping the tinnitus. This will be my second go around.
They put the original BAHA in during the initial surgery because I knew I was going to lose the hearing.
The thing wasn't working well, the tinnitus got in the way, I had skin infection at the site, and the device wasn't working properly! Even after being "fixed."
So i said i don't want it, can we get rid of it temporarily. He basically just unscrewed the abutment and that was that. It's been a couple of years, and I'm willing to try it again, because he said there is a new one they are using, which "might" help with the tinnitus, and he believes it's worth a try. I'm going to Madigan Army Med Ctr in Tacoma, and it is free (I am so blessed- don't have to haggle with the insurance). So I figure what the heck, but am definitely not getting my hope up >:(
All we can do it hope and pray, but the praying part hasn't helped!
Stay cooooool,
Maureen
Hey Maureen, do you know if it is the BP 100? There was a Cochlear Rep at my demo appt. (because it was with a doctor just starting) and I asked her and she said 'some' say it may help a litt. The help part is actually probably getting some 'sound' on the SSD side helps mask the tinnitus. I also have had a couple people say they felt the same way. So, best wishes.
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Maureen, You sound like you're torturing yourself with your persistence with the BAHA. I would have given up by now with all you have been through with it. I just don't have the stomach for it: Infections, hair involvement that I've read about. It makes me nervous just reading about you having to go back and take it off. I'm gun shy. Now you want to go back for more??? I would go the non surgical route like the new Sonitus coming out in Sept and the TransEar that the users seem to like. Going back for more sounds like self torture.
Really, Maureen, Think about it...Please... I know you can make your own choices but but you explained a failure so clearly. I would be wary as good as Cochlear is, I'd hate to be cutting on my head too often. You have to be conservative at times. My only wish is that you be careful, that's all.
Mei Mei
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Hi Mei Mei and Susan,
I can't remember the name of the new BAHA, but my neurotologist said it is smaller and flatter, (and is the one they have access to at Madigan Army Med Ctr). I'll ask him next time we meet.
And Mei Mei, no worries ;) I already have the titanium implant in the skull, so basically he just has to screw the new abutment into the site, and then I think I have to wait to use it, like I did the first one. It can even be done in the clinic. I have been encouraged to try it again by 2 doctors now.
I'm a little work in progress, (very slow progress), so when i get my eye tightened up in the fall, he can screw it in at that time. Thanks for caring though! I am being tortured with the deafness and tinnitus though!
Persistence is the name of the game, and my road has been quite interesting, since all this AN stuff happened while my husband and I were geographically separated with the Navy. So my care has been in TX, WA, and multiple civilian and military hospitals.
It's all coming together (I hope) and I'm determined not to give up hope. That's what keeps me going I guess. Plus I'm a nurse, I'm a glutton for punishment!
Hope you two ladies are feeling better this week... :-*
Maureen
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woah I just realized this is a major hijack! Went from diet to baha
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Yes, stay on topic ladies!!!! This is a Headache Forum.
Mei Mei