Migraines from skipped meals or low blood sugar- advice pls

[ZiggerZag]

I have always got migraines from skipped meals or low blood sugar. I’ve been on rosuvastatin for high cholesterol (runs in my family) and I’ve started waking up at 2am with a migraine. Apparently the statin can impact your blood sugar in a way that can make this worse. I don’t want to change the statin as this is not the first one I’ve tried and it’s working.

I have been eating a pudding at dinner and I’m sure this isn’t helping. I feel a bit miserable about this as I’ve had to cut out everything sweet and I thought eating a pudding with a main meal was fine but it isn’t! I had a quick google and it suggests a snack before bed like a rough oatcake with sunflower seed butter or Fage 0% with chia seeds.

does anyone have any other suggestions? I was eating almonds but it tells me that might be making it worse because they contain tyramine which is notoriously bad for migraines (and might explain the issues!).

Trying to think of what other snacks might be good for maintaining my levels overnight (or even during the day)

I have been having some issues with waking during the night, not with migraines but other symptoms during day and night I thought were possibly connected to low blood sugar (as I take a GLP1 which can lower blood sugar). I had a Hb1ac blood test where the result was very low, 17 which I thought pointed in that direction too.

I tried a small banana and some walnuts for a few nights, but they didn't make much of a difference. Then I tried out a CGM for a couple of weeks and turns out my blood sugar is pretty stable through the night, there are slight rises, but that is possibly caused by adrenaline/hormones when I do wake causing glucose to rise slightly. So it seems less likely for my symptoms.

It would be interesting to know if you have had blood tests/tests to confirm you have an issue with low blood sugar and the underlying cause determined? There are lots of other things it could be - dehydration, sleep apnoea, teeth grinding, peri, hot bedroom etc.

Although expensive I agree that a CGM is a good idea to try, then you can see what is actually going on and whether migraine nights look the same as non-migraine nights. I have pre-diabetes and trying to avoid it turning into full diabetes so I tried one for 10 days to see what it told me. Very interesting.

in terms of snacks to keep your blood sugar stable, stuff without carbs stops it going up and then down again. Babybels or other cheese are my go-to. Though I don't eat between dinner and breakfast, so not had for supper.

Are you eating healthy stuff at dinner time? Lots of veg and protein, not vast quantities of carbs? See if you can improve that so again keep things more stable.

migraines are horrible so I hope you can find something that stops this pattern.

My kid is t1d, we just give him a bit of Nutella or peanut butter and the protein and fats keep him steady. You want a protein and fat.

Being hungry is a major migraine trigger - I put on so much weight trying to stay ahead of my migraine.

Have a look at low GI foods for keeping you fuller for longer esp overnight. Pudding is likely to be very quickly digested and not help. You don't need to cut out everything sweet, just have more fibre, protein and slow release carbs.

Are you sure it's that that is the trigger now? I had a migraine last night from the weather which is now my main trigger. If you are peri then that sets off a load of migraine if you were sorted before.

Every neurologist I've seen has been dismissive of particular foods triggering migraine beyond being hungry, changing how much caffeine you have and alcohol.

Yes I did a CGM ages ago and it showed that my blood sugar itself is fine but I have massive dips. This was before I changed my diet (for the better). My previous diet was way too high in sugar/simple carbs. It’s much better now.

I know doctors are hugely sceptical of food being the cause but if I skip a meal, my migraine will start an hour or two later like clockwork. It’s v frustrating. Like you @AnnaMagnani i put on loads of weight trying to stay ahead of it. They are coming back now as I made a concerted effort to lose the weight and unfortunately the side effect is more migraines.

Apparently 2am is classic low sugar wake up time.

ok protein and a fat - I am going to do that tonight. I really hope it works as it’s making me completely exhausted the next day and I’m in at work tomorrow argh!

thanks all

My neurologists are sceptical of specific foods being the trigger but 100% certain that being hungry is a trigger.

This tracks for me when I became more aware of the prodrome phase of migraine, that's when I have all the food cravings and am cramming chocolate like it's going out of fashion.

It's easy to think 'I ate chocolate and it triggered my migraine' but really I already had started the migraine and the chocolate eating was part of it.

Even though my migraine is much better now with Aimovig, I still need to be mindful of not having a late lunch as then a migraine is guaranteed. Migraine just likes you to have a very boring life - get up and go to bed at the same time, eat regular healthy meals, no alcohol, minimal caffeine.