Spring Migraines

Even without aspartame, I've been getting migraines again. I'm blaming allergies and stress (see my other blog). Another fun effect I've been getting with them is vertigo. I feel like Lucille 2 sometimes- driving is a real problem when I have that. Thankfully it hasn't been too frequent, but still a new symptom. The pain hasn't been too bad and I can usually get by with ibuprofen. I'd still rather NOT get them at all.

Migraine Update!

Shortly after my last post, I realized that the mints I'd been buying contained Aspartame- once I stopped eating those- the migraines also went away. Evil toxic stuff!! I've been avoiding diet soda for years, but didn't check the label on those mints. Mystery solved!

I'm blaming the weird weather...

Since my last post, I lost my 18-year-old cat, so things have been extra stressful. I had a migraine last Monday (2/20) with no aura. It wasn't particularly bad, but did make work difficult and exhausting that day. Then today, I was working at home when I realized I was having trouble seeing things on the computer screen- kind of like when you see spots after flash bulbs or looking at something bright- in the middle of the my field of vision. Of course, it continued expanding and I realized it was a migraine aura with the pulsating flashing zigzags expanding from a small point near the center of my vision to form a 'C' shape to the left and finally out of the my field of vision. Today's was really more square than rounded, but tell-tale nonetheless. I checked the time when I first noticed it and again after it was gone to determine it was about 30 minutes- the headache and dizziness started as the zigzags got toward the edge of my vision. I can't think of anything unusual I've done today- I walked at work yesterday (at lunch), walked on the treadmill at home this morning. The weather is unusually warm- it has been all winter- and the pressure was high this morning. I don't know if there's a connection, but there you go. Another blog friend (in the area) mentioned having a migraine, too, so there must be something strange going on. Hopefully, I will be fine for work tomorrow...

Hoping NOT to be back here!

Shortly after waking up this morning, I started with an aura. It's been so long it took me a few minutes to realize what was going on. I took some ibuprofen after breakfast to hopefully head off the headache, but the times I had auras in the past the headaches weren't that bad. I'm glad I came to check this blog, because I hadn't remembered having an aura in 2006- I thought it was only the first time I was diagnosed with migraine. I haven't had them in a long time- the last bad migraine was in 2007 (my last post!) I recently started eating only vegan and exercising a lot more (I'm doing Couch to 5K), so I feel good over all. Our weather is strange (unseasonable warm), so my sinuses are probably not happy and I slept a long time last night. Hopefully, this isn't the start of a busy migraine time. I don't have a prescription for Imitrex any more (and I don't want to take it because it makes me feel weird), so hopefully this won't be an issue...

Summertime is Migrainetime...

After a long hiatus from migraines, I had a killer one yesterday. I can only guess it was a combination of lack of sleep (D woke me up at 3:45 AM and I never slept well after that), allergies (mine have been terrible), heat (it was in the 80s and REALLY muggy yesterday), and overly ambitious exercise (I walked 3 miles at 6:00 am- outside). I was really tired when I took MM (my visiting mother-in-law) shopping yesterday afternoon. We went to Costco for her eye exam, got some glasses, then did a little shopping before heading home. It was on the drive home that my head starting really hurting. I had Imitrex with me, but couldn't easily access it in my purse, so I waited until we got home to take it. I went straight to bed, but was in so much agony that I couldn't sleep. It was almost two hours of suffering like that. I finally took a second Imitrex, despite feeling nauseous. I drank a diet coke on the drive home and I think that was a mistake. It didn't stay with me long, but after getting sick, I was finally able to sleep. I spent some time lying on the bathroom floor because it was only dark place in our room (no windows). I have never had a migraine like that. The pain was just excruciating and I so nauseous. I can only hope it doesn't happen again. Next time, I will pull over and take a pill!

Migraine:1, Me: 0

For the first time in MONTHS, I had a migraine today. And not just any ol' migraine, but one complete with auras. I was seeing the C-shaped pulsating rainbow zigzags, so I immediately took an Imitrex and came home. I slept for a couple hours- the headache never got too painful, but I was wiped out. I'll probably be up half the night, since I took that nap, too. By biggest dilemma is figuring out what triggered it. I've been eating pretty healthy lately and sticking to a mostly vegan diet. I ate a good amount of cheese yesterday- which I haven't been doing lately. And today had another sandwich with Provolone. It's hard to say if that was what did it, but you can be sure I'll be avoiding cheese more carefully than I have been (it's not vegan, anyway!)

No Migraines!

I haven't had a migraine since those two flight back in April. I started taking this supplement a couple of months ago and I'm wondering if that is helping. I know that Candida overgrowth in the body can be linked to LOTS of health problems- including migraines (see this and this). Come to think of it, I haven't had many non-migraine headaches lately either. I went off my sugar-moratorium, but am still trying to eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. I strayed from this on our family vacation, but still no migraines. I'll be curious to see if this pattern continues. Here's what I've been eating lately.

On a good day, I eat:
breakfast: smoothie (frozen blueberries, banana, flax meal, stevia, cinnamon, fiber supplement, soymilk), decaf coffee
lunch: a BIG salad first (various veggies, sometimes beans, sunflower seeds, homemade dressing), then smaller serving of other foods (tofu, whole-grain wrap, or leftovers)
dinner: various things, but mostly homemade with lots of vegetables.

I left out any snacks, but I recently discovered this and this. They're so good, I keep checking the label to see that they really don't have dairy in them!