Mumsnet Talk

Tiredness/stress - although I usually get the migraine just after the stress lifts, it's like a delayed reaction.

They have improved loads since my first pregnancy, I get them less often and less badly (no longer need a day or two in a dark room, I can talk and I don't see pretty patterns).

Another major improvement was getting anti-nausea tablets from GP. If I missed the warning signs then any pain killer was useless, but the anti nausea tablets meant I could then take migraleive (or generic equivalent) which would actually work. I think they were called buccastem, but am going on rather vague memories!

Have never linked them to any trigger foods/particular cycle time.

Tyramine is a big trigger for me - its occurs naturally in aged foods like mature cheese, dried meats, mould rind or blue cheese, processed meats , and in a lot of normal food when they start to get a bit "past it" in terms of freshness - pre made orange juice is not all that fresh for example!

Lots of people never work out that its the tyramine that is the cause, because your sensitivity to tryamine can be very variable, so a lump of blue cheese might only trigger a migraine if you are stressed or at a certain point in your cycle, or if you have eaten some other high tyramine foods in the day or two proceeding.

I only worked it was a trigger for me after I started eating paleo - no grain, no cheese, no processed foods, I had a big reduction in migraine frequency and it became a lot more obvious that if I cheated on my diet by eating blue cheese or marmite or other high tyramine foods, I'd get an aura starting anything between 15 mins (the marmite!) to about 18 hrs later.

Prior to going on the paleo diet I had so many migraines it was difficult to actually see any pattern of cause because I had so many of them - often several a week.

It might be worth all you frequent sufferers reading up on tyramine foods and cutting them out for a couple of months - with a bit of experimentation people usually find they are fine with a certain amount (I'm ok with coffee and tomatoes, cured meats as long as I don't overdo it), but there may be some things you need to avoid long term - likely to be blue, mouldy and aged cheeses, an sadly, marmite (I love the stuff, but it doesn't love me !)

All of my triggers have already been mentioned but I also hate the low winter sun shining in my eyes as it sometimes triggers an attack.

stress, lack of sleep, crying (could be linked to stress but will always get one the day after I've cried without fail), too much sugar, possibly gluten.

Yes Foggles, low winter sun also triggers me - especially if I'm driving , I'm short so the sun visor is useless at shielding me - am thinking of getting prescription Polaroid glasses for driving - I tried a relatives pair a few weeks ago and was amazed at how the glare just vanishes, not like normal sunglasses at all.

Probably worth investing in SCOTCH. I don't drive but have had to resort to wearing sunglasses out in winter. I feel a bit foolish but I don't care!

I got LOADS as a teenager/early 20s, caused by stress/tiredness/dehydration. Then they pretty much stopped until I was pregnant with DS2, when I got them every bloody day from about 3mo onwards. Then they went away again but came back about 18m ago, this time triggered by caffeine. So I have had to go completely decaf <sob> but thankfully have only had one since giving up caffeine.

Mine are

hunger
too little/irregular sleep
stress

Caffeine seems to be the opposite of a trigger for me. If I have had coffee before the aura starts, the headache tends not to be as bad.

Very interesting about tyramine - will look that up

Lack of sleep and stress. I don't get auras, but it affects my eyesight. I know when one can start by pain behind my right eye

Chocolate and caffeine, alcohol (even if it was poured on my clothes) - perfume, mouthwash (with alcohol) ,too much cheese, and any amount of mozarella. Also stress, hormones, too much sunlight if i dont have sunglasses.

Its the chocolate that upsets me the most. havent had any for over 20 years!