The Headache Experiment

Dear reader, I have had quite the breakthrough in my search for relief from my migraines!  I've been so excited to share it with you, but I wanted to wait until I had time to share all the details.  So, here it is!

First, some history.  My migraines started when I was 20 years old, so this aggravating issue has been hovering over me for almost *cough* twelve years.  Over the last dozen years, I have literally done everything in my power to try to both eliminate the pain and try to find the source.  I've been to two neurologists, had several scans of my brain, undergone allergy testing, visited an Ear Nose and Throat doctor, and sought treatment from the only MD acupuncturist in the area.  My final medical attempt was visiting a Pain Management doctor, where I endured several painful procedures - injections into my neck and the base of my skull - only to be in more pain after the numbing medication wore off.

To say that I felt defeated, is a huge understatement.

Doctors have put me on every type of abortive migraine medication there is, including muscle relaxants and various kinds of painkillers.  These medications work, but can lead to rebound headaches, causing you to end up in more pain than where you started.  The problem stemmed from the frequency that I had to take them - because over the years my occasional migraine turned into chronic daily headaches.  So I was put on every type of preventative migraine medication there is:  beta-blockers, anti-depressant meds, anti-seizure meds, and tried all the natural supplements I could research.  The results were fair at best, but then I had to deal with crazy side effects from the medication, and was left constantly questioning which was worse.

To say that I felt exhausted, is a huge understatement.

I did get some relief during some of my pregnancies, but not consistently.  And although several doctors attempted to pinpoint my triggers, that is near impossible to do when you're in pain almost everyday.  Because I would usually wake up - first thing in the morning- with pain, I also attempted to try out different pillows, purchased a better mattress, and even got fitted for a mouth guard to deal with my TMJ and teeth-grinding habit.  As always, most helped, but nothing was the cure.

Are you getting the picture??

My final straw was realizing I was doing internal damage due to the frequency of OVER THE COUNTER medication I was taking.  Yup.  Not street drugs.  Not even prescription meds.  But ibuprofen. 

I decided to visit my amazing chiropractor, Dr. Marc Gamerman again.  Years ago, he was the only doctor to ever explain all my scans to me.  He was also the only doctor to explain that I was probably getting headaches from both environmental causes (think: allergies, change in seasons, chemicals in the home like paint and cleaners, air quality, bright lights, etc.) as well as physical (looking down to read a book, turning your head while you sit at your computer, etc.)  Recently he told me I needed to make sure I was getting all the vitamins and nutrients as possible and recommended a great multivitamin.  For convenience, he has the pills at his office to sell to his patients, but to my surprise - he's charging the same price as amazon.com.  (I HIGHLY recommend them.)

While his gentle adjustments helped my sore muscles and the tension in my neck and shoulders, and his vitamins brought back my energy and zest for life, (as much as I didn't want to admit it) I was still in pain.

And then, the miracle occurred.  Over the course of about a week, everywhere I turned, people were talking about a gluten-free diet.  It's a diet for those with Celiac Disease, but it's helping people with arthritis, digestive issues, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and.... migraine headaches.  Of all the things I had tried in the past, I have never modified my diet.  Eliminating EVERYTHING that COULD cause headaches seemed like too big of a mountain to climb.  Plus, with pain almost daily, it was really difficult to pinpoint my trigger food.  Or so I thought.

I decided to start researching it and immediately realized how doable it was.  Speaking from someone who did South Beach (low carb) for months before my wedding, this is seriously not as intense!  Gluten is simply a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley.  So, what can you have?  Vegetables, fruits, lean meats, dairy, and carb-filled favorites like rice, corn and potatoes!  And while many people are doing this new diet craze to help them lose weight, I quickly learned that there is plenty of "junk" free of gluten:  Chocolate, marshmallows, and Cheetos, haha.  I have since stocked up on healthier snacks like veggies, hummus, popcorn and rice cakes - both sweet and savory.

And you can have wine.  WINE.

I read that you shouldn't go out and spend a ton of money trying to replace all your favorite foods with their gluten-free counterpart.  First, try to eliminate those types of foods altogether, especially until you can see a difference to know if it's even worth it.  And this isn't as hard as you'd think, mostly because now almost everything packaged will indicate whether it's "Gluten-free,"  just like items that are marked "contains nuts."  Thank you FDA for doing something right!  And then, here's the great news - there are a TON of gluten-free varieties of your beloved pasta, brownies, and muffins.

So, if you are thinking about trying this lifestyle adjustment out, let me direct you to a few websites to start your reading: Mayo Clinic Research, WebMD, and Gluten Free Living.  You can also hop on Pinterest and discover other blogs about this topic and tons of yummy recipes. 

After starting the diet, I was headache free for a number of days in a row.  So, I decided to "test" the gluten-triggered theory by indulging in brownies and mere croutons on my salad.  I had a headache the next day, people.

In summation, I think this is working.  It's been twelve days.  And all the adjustments to my food intake have been easy because I'm looking at this as a lifestyle change and not a fad diet.  Was I sad that I wasn't able to ingest my mother-in-law's ahhhmazing cake at a birthday party over the weekend?  Sure.  Was eating a piece worth having a headache?  No.


So if you've been wondering if this could work for you, just TRY IT.  You have NOTHING to lose.

12/30/13 - UPDATE to this blog.  I have been eating gluten-free for almost 12 weeks.  I feel it is safe to say that it has been the miracle I've prayed so long for.  I am clearly a person with a gluten sensitivity.  I am very sure that I was ingesting far too much of it (a life of cereal for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, and spaghetti for dinner), and now that it's been eliminated I am no longer suffering on a daily basis.  It's pretty crazy, and really amazing.  I made a few mistakes in the beginning - It's hard when you go out to eat, dine at someone's home, or any other situation where you're not sure of a complete list of ingredients.  I also have gotten a headache from too much wine (don't judge me), but it was different than my daily pain.  Just yesterday I took a chance on some chinese food.  I'm not sure what exactly it was that triggered my headache, but one appeared a few hours later.  It was really odd to feel that headache begin to erupt and realize that it was the same specific pain I used to have everyday.  My prayer is that this blog, this simply suggestion, this diet modification - would be a blessing to you...