Dietary Triggers

Food triggers do not necessarily contribute to migraines in all individuals, and particular foods may trigger attacks in certain people only on occasion. Be your own expert by keeping a journal of foods you have eaten before a migraine attack and see whether the removal or reduction of certain foods from your diet improves your headaches.

Skipping meals, fasting, and low blood sugar can also trigger migraines. If you’re unable to follow a normal eating schedule, pack snacks.

Have you found any foods which are your triggers?

EXAMPLES

Beverages
Chocolate and cocoa. Alcoholic beverages (especially red wine, beer, and sherry). Caffeine (even in small amounts) may be a trigger for some people.

Fruits
Figs, raisins, papayas, avocados (especially if overripe), red plums, overripe bananas.

Vegetables
Beans such as broad, fava, garbanzo, Italian, lima, navy, pinto, pole. Sauerkraut, string beans, raw garlic, snow peas, olives, pickles, onions (except for flavouring)

Bread & Grains
Freshly baked yeast bread. Fresh yeast coffee cake, doughnuts, sourdough bread. Breads and crackers containing cheese, including pizza. Any product containing chocolate or nuts.

Dairy Products
Cultured dairy products (buttermilk, sour cream). Chocolate milk. Cheese: blue, brick (natural), Gouda, Gruyere, mozzarella, Parmesan, provolone, romano, Roquefort, cheddar, Swiss (emmentaler), Stilton, Brie types and Camembert types.

Meat, fish, poultry
Aged, canned, cured or processed meat, including ham or game, pickled herring, salted dried fish, sardines, anchovies, chicken livers, sausage, bologna, pepperoni, salami, summer sausage, hot dogs, pâté, caviar. Any food prepared with meat tenderizer, soy sauce or brewer’s yeast. Any food containing nitrates, nitrites, or tyramine.

Soups
Canned soup, soup or bouillon cubes, soup base with autolytic yeast or MSG. Read labels.

Desserts
Chocolate ice cream, pudding, cookies, cakes, or pies. Mincemeat pie. Nuts. Any yeast-containing doughs and pastries.

Miscellaneous
Nutrasweet, monosodium glutamate (MSG), yeast/yeast extract, meat tenderizer (Accent), seasoned salt, mixed dishes, pizza, cheese sauce, macaroni and cheese, beef stroganoff, cheese blintzes, lasagna, frozen TV dinners, chocolate. Nuts and nut butters. Pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds. Anything fermented, pickled or marinated. Some aspirin medications that contain caffeine. Excessive amounts of Niacin (Niacinamide is fine). Excessive Vitamin A (over 25,000 I.U. daily).

I've engaged the services of a nutritionist, only £35, and have started a restrictive diet based on her analysis for a month, plus taking high quantities of "good" bacteria. All feels very positive so far.

Great - do let us know how you get on

When I read this list, I feel a panic attack coming! I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian, and I cook about 70% of my meals and eat the rest at good quality restaurants. My main trigger are high levels of preservatives and aged cheeses. I can get with small levels of preservatives and a nibble of an aged cheese (by accident, let's say).

Interesting - preservatives and nitraites are a big no no in a lotof mig people............ how do you get on with the vegetable triggers.


TIM - How did you get on with the diet?

Well, I think that like with all my triggers, it is something that builds up. I like Dr. Pav's analogy of a cup filling up with fluid to the overflowing point. If I am "nearly empty", a tiny amount of preservatives won't make me sick, but if I am already at the tipping point, I can't eat anything with preservatives.
I have never noticed a migraine after eating vegetables... with the exception of green olives. When I was a kid, green olives had sodium caseinate, which is a cow milk derivative and therefore a huge no no for me. I guess I have always assumed that vegetables are natural and fresh, so there should be no problems! I am doing a food diary right now alongside my migraine diary. I hope nothing in my diet is a trigger, but we'll see!

Do let us know if you find anything