What's your Migraine Trigger?

[Twaintime]

I have suffered with nasty migraines most of my adult life, but they have been particularly bad for the past 10 years. Sumatriptan helps with most episodes but I really hate taking it – it makes me feel so drained and weird.
Apart from alcohol – which I avoid – I have never been able to identify a definite trigger. Yes, I get a migraine if I'm very stressed or sleep-deprived – but sometimes I get an absolute horror seemingly from nowhere.
Has anyone ever discovered a migraine trigger years after onset that has really helped to eliminate them? It would be amazing to turn things round with diet for example.

Coffee. Cheese. Tomatoes.

A bugger as I really like all of these!

Orange juice is my biggest one, I can't drink it at all. Weirdly I'm absolutely fine with actual oranges.

Getting in the sauna straight after the gym without downing a litre of water first. (This ones quite avoidable)!

Walking/driving past fences that let the sun light through through the bars iyswim.

Exhaustion.

I get the occasional seemingly random one too.

@miltonj does oj make you go really sweaty too? It makes me feel most odd, family think I'm nuts

Interesting how common many of these triggers are

Hormones (didn't get any when pregnant and breastfeeding, a lovely unexpected benefit)
Overtired or too much screens
Bright overstimulating light (though usually just makes an onset worse)

Definitely lack of sleep, also, If I ever fall asleep watching tv on the sofa I know I'm doomed!

Morning Fresh Washing up liquid.

Anxiety, not drinking enough water and if I'm about to start my period are my triggers.

Have increased my daily magnesium supplement to help. Hope it does. From 250mg to 500mg.

I think some of mine are down to hormonal changes.

I have established that if I go out for a run, come back and shower and then have a glass of wine, I'll have a migraine the next day.

But last week I had an awful one which lasted the whole day (it's usually just a few hours for me) and I'd not drunk any alcohol for two nights beforehand. No idea what that one was about.

Having been to the optician today for a routine eye test the person I saw was extremely surprised I hadn't got reading glasses yet, so maybe eye strain is also triggering some of them.

@NotMushroomInHere

DH gets silent migraines, so the auras/difficulty speaking/visual disturbances but no pain. They’re always triggered by tiredness - a couple of hours in bed when an attack comes on always sorts him out.

I've had these a few times but they only last a few minutes and are always triggered by doing exercise (usually swimming so I wondered if it was something to do with the pressure of the goggles).

Stress
Dehydration
Strobing lights
Very bright light
Processed sugar like haribo, cake etc
Hayfever season

Hormones and alcohol mostly.

The latter is a total bummer, frankly.

@RestingStitchFace

Hormones and alcohol mostly.

The latter is a total bummer, frankly.

Yes, alcohol is such a bummer. I used to get away with a drink or two, but now one glass of wine can trigger the migraine from hell. It’s just not worth the risk. I used to love a few glasses of wine with friends, so bloody annoying and boring to explain too! . Chocolate and coffee are also risky… all my favourite things

I know can feel it starting after the first few mouthfuls. And causes severe abdominal issues the next day too.

I used to love going to the pub, just not the same now not drinking

@beltanelove

Sulphites ( in more than I first realised) Skipping a meal Much later night than usual Dehydration Week preceding period Too much dairy Msg Bright sunlight exposure for a few hours

I take triptans but for me i take 2 ibuprofen 2 paracetamol, water, strong coffee or cola and toast / oatcakes to try and stave one from going full blown before sometimes needing to crack open the suma triptan. Frozen Peas on the back of my neck for twenty mins were a life saver when I wasn’t taking my medication during pregnancy/ breastfeeding.

Hope some of that may help OP. They’re grim

Do you take the 2 ibuprofen and the 2 paracetamol and the coffee and the water all at the same time? I have sometimes tried the 2 ibu first to see if they might catch it in the bud. A friend once said I was a miserable thing because I wouldn't share a bottle of red wine with her. I would have loved the taste of it. I could have drunk it in my twenties but not now. It's so good to find folk who understand.

mine is cheese..... but i love cheese.

Dehydration and being hot

Hormones/light/certain perfumes/garlic/tiredness/being cold/tense/stress

Rubbish isn’t it!

For me the triggers are hormonal changes, alcohol, lack of sleep and running. When I get an attack I crave sugar which I've never understood.

Yes I take it all together and cross my fingers!
Yeah some of my friends don’t get the wine thing when I won’t split a bottle- I think they reckon I’m moaning about just a standard sore head… I have found that safe bets alcohol wise are rum and coke or shandy ( the sugar helps somehow).
It is indeed good to speak to folk who get it.

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