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Q. I have had bad headaches for years and have tried just about everything from acetaminophen and ibuprofen to prescription pain relievers. They help a little but the headaches always return with a vengeance.
I was told to stay away from perfume and scented products and that helps a little. Do you have any other natural approaches to recommend?
A. Identifying headache triggers like perfume, aspartame, MSG or second-hand smoke can sometimes help. Frequent use of pain relievers may cause rebound headaches and quitting can be challenging.
Natural migraine remedies include the herbs butterbur and feverfew, B vitamins such as riboflavin and the mineral magnesium. Acupuncture and biofeedback may also help.
We are sending you our new Guide to Headaches & Migraines for more details on these nondrug approaches plus pros and cons of medications.
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A lot of headaches are diet related. 35yrs ago I was lucky to find a holistic MD, Dr Joseph Walters, who did allergy testing via blood testing. I was reacting to 56 food items, the worst were bread, the yeast was the culprit, chocolate (the fat overloaded
liver and gallbladdeer) and on and on. I had to write down everything I ate and after
a weekend of cleansing the body I did not have a headache or nausea for 3 weeks. I ate veggies and rice/millet, fish (without tripoliphosphate) from Trader Joe's, chicken and had to bake everything with rice flour. It's tedious, but it did the trick. Good luck!
I used to suffer from a dreadful migraine, it kept me in bed for up to 5 days at a time. My Doctor would give me a knock out injection for two days but no more. I then went to a naturopath who took me off all red meat, oranges & eggs. I had a headache for 10 days after I changed my eating habits but since then, I have not had another migraine and that was about 40 years ago.
Cold water or cold pack at the base of the brain seems to help many to stop a headache. Sometimes you have to leave it on for 10 minutes. One man told me he ran cold water over his head for 15 minutes to stop a migraine. ~ Cindy
When I had to stop the beta blocker Metropolol Tartrate slowly about a week later I had the worst headache of my life that was debilitating. I did suffer from menstrual migraine in the past. This headache would not go away and did not respond to most meds. I had to start the beta blocker again and still be treated for a while with headache meds. It was a nightmare. I would like to get off this beta blocker. Is there a way to prevent the rebound headache or whatever is happening? I asked the doctor and he said he thought quitting slowly like we did would have done the trick but it did not. Are the herbs mentioned above too light weight to deal with this type of headache?
Try coconut water, which is a great for hydration and seems to soothe vascular headaches.
Try Excedrin, it is a combo of Aspirin, Acetaminophen and Caffeine it is very effective for serious headaches.
I wish to add my cause and treatment of recurring headaches to your list. I suffered for many years from painful and debilitating headaches before I discovered the cause. It was an acute sensitivity to heat and cold. The cure is simple: When exposed to air conditioning, hot sun, winter chills, etc., I wear a hat. I have not had a headache in more than 10 years.
Figuring out that I have celiac's disease and quitting eating all wheat and dairy cured all my migraines and most of my regular headaches (also stomach problems, bowel problems, lack of energy, skin issues, joint problems, on and on of minor symptoms). Not easy but worth it.
Headache triggers for me also include caffeine and chocolate. Interesting, if I don't have enough caffeine in a day I'll often get a headache, but the opposite is true too - if I have three cups instead of my usual one. Add in chocolate the same day and it is almost a given. Weather changes seem also to add to this, with low pressures the main problem. Watching what I consume though usually does the trick.
I used to suffer from frequent headaches. Rather than use the prescription painkiller that my doctor suggested, I started reading all I could about headaches and, in doing so, I figured out that not only the MSG in prepared foods but also yeast extract, the nitrates (preservatives) used in cold cuts, ham, etc., and the sulfites in wine were making me sick. Now I read labels when grocery shopping and it has made a world of difference for me.
Common reason for headaches are related to your diet. Either you don't eat right or you don't eat a lot. Never skip your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And eat right food. Avoid foods that are hard to digest.
I had a migraine for almost a week off and on. I know that everything is usually diet related, so I tried to think about what changed in my diet. I think its a combination of all that I read. I usually am not a breakfast person so I eat a banana and have my coffee. For the days that I had the migraine I did not have my morning banana (magnesium not a lot but a enough to keep the headache away) and I did not as well take my D3 vitamin supplement. Today, I figured it out and ate the banana and my headache is gone.