Q. I suffered from migraine headaches for nearly 27 years. I would have one or two a week this entire time, sometimes more. The longest I ever went without one was about two weeks.
They were usually so bad that all I could do was go to bed. In addition to the horrible head pain, I would vomit. I felt depressed because I never knew when the next one might come and disrupt my plans.
I went to many doctors and tried everything I could, from powerful drugs to biofeedback. Nothing helped. Then I looked into the causes of migraines and altered my diet accordingly. I eliminated all trigger foods, including aged foods (cheese, salami, etc.), beans, tea, MSG, sulfites, chocolate, red wine, alcohol, oranges and red meat. I switched to omega 3-containing foods like salmon and simple fresh vegetables.
If I feel as if I might get a headache I eat some hot Mexican food, which seems to stop it. I also get acupuncture regularly. I get about one migraine a month now and they aren’t as severe. I hope this helps someone else.
A. Thanks for sharing your success story. We too hope this helps someone else. There are more than 300 possible headache triggers, from perfume and second-hand smoke to sour cream and potato chips. People who would like to learn more about possible triggers and treatments for migraine may wish to request our Guide to Headaches and Migraines, with many natural approaches.
Your comment about Mexican food intrigues us. We have heard from other readers who are able to abort a migraine by eating hot spicy soup such as Chinese hot and sour soup or shrimp gumbo.
