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This forum is for questions and support regarding migraine and headache issues such as: abdominal migraines, headaches caused by allergies, cluster headaches, headaches, headaches in children, migraine headaches, sinus headaches, tension headaches, visual disturbances.

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sara12345

Nov 25, 2012

To: Motozona

Yes, I have finally found that acceptance of myself and my very limited life with daily headaches has been the key to not having severe depression. And I have learned to not focus on my all over body pain from fibromyalgia, daily headaches and all the other sources of pain. But I can hardly say "F*** you to my migraines, or I can easily land in the hospital for not treating them early on. (I only go when I can only vomit and have gotten severely dehydrated.) I need to pay close attention to developing more severe migraines and treat them with RESPECT or I can get into far more trouble. Thanks for your positive message.

Mark46

Nov 26, 2012

To: All

   Given that this thread has been going on for around four years now (is this any kind of record?), it seems logical to suspect that we're all simply going to have to bide our time until someone in the medical community decides to get involved to a decent degree.  In the interim, we simply DO have to get on with it, don't we?
   However, maybe something else worthy of thought:-  I have suffered two blackouts in the past six months and, despite exhaustive testing on just about everything in my local hospital, no real cause for them has been identified.
   They have looked at my blood pressure medication (Losartan) and an increased dose in 2010 possibly causing a low blood pressure reaction - such as postular hypotension (dizziness on getting up suddenly) but that didn't appear likely.
   But, now, maybe something new to consider:-  I am one of those people who always believed that I only needed to drink when I felt thirsty.  However, my lady doctor is of the opinion thaat it may be worth now looking at dehydration as a basic cause of a few of my symptoms including the blackouts and headaches.
   So...I am on a month's trial of consciously downing two litres of liquid per-day (NOT tea, coffee or alcohol unfortunately!) in an effort to increase my body's hydration and see what effect that may have on everything.
   Some of you may laugh at this suggestion, but, apart from the fact that I believe there are a lot of sufferers in this thread whose symptoms are probably caused by something entirely different, I think the only way we're going to crack this is by trying everything ...no matter how unlikely it may seem ...?

sara12345

Nov 26, 2012

To: Mark46

You are definately right about the water.  My neurologist has told me several times to drink at lot of water to help my migraines.

But I did pass out one time after getting up in the night, going to the toilet, then on the way back I passed out and then hit the wood floor with such force that my chin left a dent in the floor.  Obviously I had to go to the ER right away--bleeding and in tremendous pain.  So it wasn't from getting up suddenly.  And I thought that it was after taking pain killers which I thought had dehydrated me.  (The doctors were all excited thinking that I may have had another stroke, which was not the case.)

So yes, yours is a great suggestion!!  But it is a trial to drink as much as you are drinking.  Good luck with it.

Buzi_Blu

Nov 27, 2012

To: all

Thirst is a poor indicator of dehydration. My advice is to monitor pee colour - too yellow then drink more. If not going often enough then definitely drink more.

With alcohol induced migraines, the only sure-fire way of avoiding them I have found is to drink regularly. If there is a gap of 3 days or more then I am highly likely to get a migraine. Has anybody else experienced this? To me, that implies some tolerance issue.

Kram44

Dec 07, 2012

To: Mark46

After dealing with the issue of headaches after a couple of beers for 20+ years, I am experimenting with 5htp (100 mg. 3 or 4 times per day). I have had success for the past week. Last night I put it to the test by having a beer right before going to bed. That has been a huge headache trigger in the past. I woke up without a hint of pain. My headaches typically start in the back of my neck and work their way around to my eye. The 5htp seems to be relaxing the back of my neck and providing a shield against the headaches. I have been fooled into thinking other things were working so I am not yet sold. I'll let you know.

Mark46

Dec 08, 2012

To: Kram44

  Have to concede that I knew nothing about 5htp - so for the uninitiated, I got this from 5htp.com:-
   "5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an amino acid that is the intermediate step between tryptophan and the important brain chemical serotonin. There is a massive amount of evidence that suggests that low serotonin levels are a common consequence of modern living. The lifestyle and dietary practices of many people living in this stress-filled era results in lowered levels of serotonin within the brain. As a result, many people are overweight, crave sugar and other carbohydrates, experience bouts of depression, get frequent headaches, and have vague muscle aches and pain. All of these maladies are correctable by raising brain serotonin levels."
   So...one that hasn't been listed before and it will be interesting to hear what happens .....

sugar_blues

Dec 19, 2012

To: Mark46

Here's an article, for whatever its worth:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324677204578185404253745608.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsForth

Mark46

Dec 20, 2012

To: All

  Interesting article - although I think this sort of assessment of food and other allergies has been around for years with 'scratch tests', etc., etc.
  Overall, I liken this to traversing an orbital road around a city, looking for signs about where to dive in and find the place you've been looking for.  I'm absolutely certain that we've been circling around the solution and it's only a matter of time.
  Having said that, I think there's a very good point in this article about the possible effect of current medications - such as anti-depressants - on systems already weakened by latter-day environmental concerns such as pollution, food additives, etc.
  It would also account for the seeming fact that this 'affliction' has not reared its head in previous generations...or (generally-speaking, but not exclusively) on older people?
  As (personally), I'm a bit of a mobile pill-box, maybe I could make a start by mentioning my own medication(s) in an effort to see if we can then discount/confirm any possible links:-
  So:- a statin (Atorvastatin);  a beta-blocker (heart) - Bisoprolol;  an 'angiotensin II receptor antagonist' (blood pressure) - Losartan;  a proton-pump inhibitor (heartburn) - Omeprazole;  type-2 diabetes (Metformin) and last, but by no means least, an anti-depressant (Citalopram).
  (Apart from this lot, I'm really quite a useful and fit citizen).

MickB4

Dec 23, 2012

About a week or so ago I started getting immediate headache from a couple fingers of fine old port, 16yr aged in oak - 20% alc, hmmm.

I am not a heavy drinker, once was, and nothing for many years until a few months ago when I gave up giving up, as is my way. Saying never is its own problem I won't go into here.

To the chase; I read here about tyramine being a trigger and being present especially in older preserved food and drink and using epsom salts/magnesium sulfate to neutralise it. So, because I used to find water drunk after alcohol to head off a hangover I started drinking more than usual (living in Aus and it's hot too) and included one teaspoon of epsom salts dissolved and drunk in the morn and evening. This has given me the runs at times, which may not be a bad thing, and tonight after five days of the regime I had two glasses of port and enjoyed it and no headache 2 - 3 hours after - at all.

So far so good.

Mark46

Dec 24, 2012

To: MickB4

   If your 'trial' continues to have that sort of success Mick, let us know.
  Going back to my collation of everyone's temporary fixes on here last year, it seemed most of them involved the sort of things you wouldn't want to take on a regular basis.
  Things like Epsom Salts, I would have thought, wouldn't do much harm (unless you have something like IBS in the first place)...and it would be great as a more 'permanent' temporary 'cure'.
   In the meantime, a very merry Christmas to all our readers!!!

Kram44

Dec 28, 2012

To: Mark46

I think I have landed on something that works.  I posted about 5-htp about a week ago.  I have added help seed oil supplements (found at a health food store).  The holidays have put this combination to the test.  I have been able to drink in combination with trigger foods.  I have been headache free.  Yesterday, I went on a brewery tour and sampled 5 or 6 different beers.  In the past, pain would have started in the back of my head before the end of the evening and certainly by the next morning.  I woke up headache free.  Very unusual.
I take 3-100 mg of 5-htp spread throughout the day (morning, late afternoon, and late evening.  I buy the 5-htp with NO supplements added (vitamin b and valerian). I take three hemp seed oil supplements three times a day on days that I have a couple drinks. I take the last dose late in the evening.   I take it twice a day on days with no alcohol.
I am cautiously optimistic.  I wanted to put this out there for the community before New Years.  It might be worth putting to the test over the weekend.  Also, it might take a few days to work its way into your system.

MickB4

Dec 29, 2012

I have, since yesterday, reduced the intake of Epsom Salts/Magnesium Sulfate to one teaspoon in the morning and still no headache from alcohol (3 glasses of port last night) - it was xmas after all.

Mark46

Dec 29, 2012

To: MickB4

This is certainly a global problem. Maybe our correspondents from Oz and the good ol' US of A will ensure we all have a chance of being seen in those New Year's Eve celebration telecasts on New Year's Day! Thanks for being guinea pigs for the rest of us guys.
Joking apart, really good news that these particular 'remedies' don't involve prescription meds of any kind. We maybe now have to hope that 'working backwards' from remedies can eventually lead us to the reason for this affliction.

LeoVF

Jan 02, 2013

To: Mark46

THE MIRACLE DRUG

Same symptoms here too.
I don't know if it will help you guys, but for me...
I have found the miracle drug. Naramig.

The 5-HT1 receptor is responsible for the dilatation and contraction of veins in our brains. This drug acts on it and ONLY on it. RESULT?

No more horrible migraines after two glasses of wine. I have talked to my neurologist and he told me It was safe to use this drug during moderate sessions of drinking. No harm done to my liver and no side-effects.

Wish you all the best.
Happy 2013

Leo

ice_nyne

Jan 02, 2013

So glad I found this board! I have been experiencing the same issues many of you have described...headache a few hours after having 2-3 drinks of beer, wine, or hard alcohol (though a few times it has happened after only 1), persistent pain on the left side of my head, in the cheekbone and behind the left eye. I have been treating with Imitrex and Zomig before that. Recently I have been popping an Allegra-D 12 hour tablet about an hour before I start drinking. It's been hit and miss.

I will definitely try some of the solutions posed here. Hope I am on the road to getting some relief!

LeoVF

Jan 05, 2013

To: Kram44

Alcohool and 5-HTP... Not so good for you after a quick research.
Apparently we are not supposed to mix them.

There are people having seizures with this combo.
Kinda afraid now I was just starting to test it. 100 mg at night.

Apparently triptans and alcohol not so good too...

WTF can we do now?
:-(

Kram44

Jan 05, 2013

To: LeoVF

Thanks for the information. I have also seen something about 5htp and heart valves. Back to the drawing board.

LeoVF

Jan 05, 2013

To: Kram44

Yes, I read about it too.
But there is a website were a medic says that they have no reason to believe 5-HTP does any harm to heart valves. There is no substantial proof of that. Says he anyways...

I will continue to have the 5-htp because I wanna try and raise serotonin levels. So 100 mg at night before sleep. When I drink, I won't take any.
And will take a triptan on the weekends to have a withe wine.
F*** it.

LeoVF

Jan 06, 2013

To: LeoVF

GREAT... For two days in a row my 5 HTP pills caused me migraines two hours after I take 100mg.
Interesting.

Mark46

Jan 07, 2013

To: All

   Great shame about the 5-HTP at first sight.
   The only thing I can maybe contribute here is a revisit to the precis I compiled a year ago to help everyone start again.  I have not added anything from the 2012 posts yet:-

Specific pre-existing or present causal suspicions (where any were suggested) taken from all posts:-

Back/Neck/Posture problems -17;  Nasal blockage—14;  Reflux—9;  Blood vessel dilation—7;  Liver disorder/damage—6;  TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder) - 6;  Aspartame—5;  Tyramine— 5;  Aluminum poisoning - 4;  Sulfites—4;  Fluoride—3;  HPV—3;  MSG—3;  Mixed moulds/yeast—3;  Nausea—2;  Spicy food - 2;  Thyroid (hypo.) problems—2;  Acetaldehyde poisoning—1;  Benign Hypercranial Hypertension—1;  Bottled water (plastic leeching) - 1;  Ear problems - 1;  Food triggers—1;  Genetic causes—1;  H.Pylori—1;  HMT - 1;  Mycoplasma—1;  Palpitations—1;

Reported temporary ‘cures’ or aids:-

Sumatriptan or Maxalt (Rizatriptan Benzoate) —20;  Ibuprofen—(generally one before drinking and one afterwards) - 19;  Excedrin—(generally one before drinking and one afterwards) - 14;  Water—13;  Exercise (fairly strenuous) - 11;  Sinus full-strength—10;  Magnesium Hydroxide—9;  Anti-histamine—6;  Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) —5;  Massage of Pressure points (i.e. neck) - 5;  Vitamin B or B12—5;  Amitryptyline—4;  Aspirin—4;  Coffee—4;  Calan/Verelan/Isoptin/Covera (Verapamil) - 4;  Feverfew—4;  High-carb food (before drinking) - 3;  Sugar water—3;  Paracetamol—3;  Topical Analgesics (Head-On, 4-Head, etc.) - 3;  Desloratadine—2;  Tylenol (Acetimenophen) - 2;

Finally, with one recommendation each:-  Beta-blockers;  Black Tea (strong);  Botox;  Deltasone (prednisone);  Omega 3;  Organ-Cleansing/Detox;  Probiotics;  Sausages & Beans;  Symmetrel (Amantadine Hydrochloride);  Synthroid (Levothyroxine Sodium); Vitamin C;  Whole Wheat Bread;  Yoghurt (before drinking);  Zinc;

mrphilips

Jan 08, 2013

hi everyone.
when i found this message board, i was happy to know i was not alone! i tried everything, but my struggle is over... i found a solution: maxalt.

i did not typically suffer from traditional migraines...
i got migraine-like headaches after certain (most) alchohol. stella artois from a bottle or can and some valpolicellas seemed fine, but nothing draft, most wines, beers (the darker the worser) and then eventually all scotch and liquor.
i would also get a "migraine" when refused sleep (less than 4 hours or so, depending on who much i got across the week), but that was usually because i couldn't sleep through the headache.
these big headaches lasted me usually about 18 hours or more.

finally my doctor suggested i try "maxalt" (rizatriptan), a migraine medication that constricts the veins in your head, next time i get a migraine. it took about an hour, maybe 40 minutes, and the migraine vanished.

i live in canada where we get free health care covered in our taxes, so it doesn't cost me more than the dispencing fee, but i understand that it is expensive otherwise - but you may find even that well worth it, considering i have no side effects, no longer have to resort to pain killers and as far as i can tell, this is much better for your poor liver than the other meds.

percocet used to numb the pain, but i still walked around in a stooper, clearly suffering from a less visible headache... this releves the cause and therefore all symptoms vanish.

also there seems to be some cumulative effect... i took it frequently the first two weeks, now less and less... either i'm "curing" or it lasts much longer than the 24 hours indicated. but that's just my experience.

i was happy to find this forum and now i am happy to do my duty - try maxalt, or maybe another vascual constrictor and see what happens for you.

good luck to you, sufferers! i felt your pain and now i'm enjoying craft beers, scotch and local wines again. hopefully i will see you out doing the same!

jlc113

Jan 08, 2013

I too have suffered headaches from drinking (migraines) and it has greatly effected me. It is quite embarrassing to be almost bedridden after a social night out at a restaurant with a few drinks (I'm talking literally only 2 will do it). This can be especially frustrating around the holidays and at weddings, the drinks look so tempting and refreshing and the price I have to pay for just 1 is crazy. Of course I tend to give in to temptation more often than not then always promise to NEVER DRINK again!!
I have seen a neurologist for my headaches, read the 1-2-3 heal your headache book (which makes great points) and have been tested for allergies. I must admit that although some prescriptions work sometimes they usually only put a small dent in the really bad headaches only time and lots of sleep will heal these pounders. I have been put on a daily med of nortriptyline but gave up early due to it making me feel like a zombie and just don't like the idea of a daily med. I am currently trying migrelief which is a homeopathic pill containing magnesium and feverfew. I am also trying to cut out caffeine. I will let you all know if I have success. This problem has seriously been in issue for me since I had my first drop of alcohol I think my friends all think I'm crazy to be so sick, almost flu like symptoms after a night of drinking. I am 32 and this has happened since I was 18!! I am now a mother so I barely ever take the risk any more I just can't afford the down time.

LeoVF

Jan 09, 2013

To: All

Guys, maybe some of you will find this helpful.
I was diagnosed yesterday with CLUSTER HEADACHES.

Alcohol is a fatal trigger for the attacks. But I am having those headaches every day and I have been away from alcohol for 3 weeks now.

It differs from a Migraine because it happens like clockwork (mostly during the night), they last from 30 minutes to 2 hours. That is why I thought the 5-HTP I took at night caused me migraines. It wasn't this at all. It was the CH attacks.

The pain is 10x stronger, and most of the Neurologists diagnose you wrongly as a migraineur. Nothing appears in my CT scan or MRI.

It took a simple question from the third Neurologist I have seen to get a right diagnoses:

- When the headache starts, do you keep still in the dark unable to move your head and body without causing more pain, or do you move forwards and backwards and feel restless and agitated during the attack? I pace and move about and I feel like hitting my head on the wall when it is happening. That is a BIG BIG clue for differential diagnosis.

Treatment for when it starts to hit is Zolmitriptan 5mg and 100% Oxygen 12 litters per minute. It makes it go away in 15 minutes. Prophylactic treatment it is still being discussed. Since this bouts of headaches happen during the course of 8 weeks or more if it is not chronic, then will go away for a year or so and then come back. If it is chronic, it lasts the whole time.

I am kind scared really, they are horrible, debilitating pains.

LeoVF

Jan 09, 2013

To: All

Another thing I forgot.

When you have a Migraine, you can lay down and it wont make the pain worst. But with Cluster Headache it does.

Buzi_Blu

Jan 10, 2013

To: LeoVF

Hmmm, good info there. I'd definitely fall into the cluster headaches, with the pacing around, agitated arms etc. Interesting too about the 100% oxygen. I don't know if others have tried this, but when I feel a migraine type headache coming on, particularly an exercise induced one, I spend a few minutes breathing deeply to hyper-ventilate. This makes me light-headed at first, but seems to help a little.

I have read that as many as 25% of migraine (or cluster headache) sufferers could have a hole in the heart (the small hole that exists in premature babies that links the chambers, but normally should close up). This allows de-oxygenated blood to mix with oxygenated blood. Maybe that is relevant here.

MickB4

Jan 15, 2013

To: LeoVF +

I have had only the one severe headache that lasted four days and got a remedy very fast, mentioned her as Epsom salts, for me, so my experience is limited except for early years of mental pain, I'm 56 now.

It was recently suggested to me by my Doc the alcohol headaches may be due to hypertension, and high blood pressure. Makes some sense as both might have vase-constriction (in a way) in common and one may potentiate the other to create an extraordinary effect.

Just something else from an amateur at this

LeoVF; I wholeheartedly agree controlled and (what is called the 'complete Breath' in yoga, especially) has a significant effect on the state of mind, and no less the headaches - which might suggest a lack of oxygen may be a contributing factor? What do you think? If so what causes the lack of oxygen?

PS I for one used this breathing technique for a long time to calm my mind.

MickB4

Jan 15, 2013

To: mrphilips

After a little research I found Alcohol is both a vaso -constrictor and dilator at different concentrations. Could it be possible for some it is a constrictor at low amounts for some and so inhibits the delivery of oxygen to the brain with attendant consequences?

Which might be induced by other factors such as meds or foods. Just an idea

MickB4

Jan 15, 2013

I tried valium taken 1/2 hour before a drink. I know, mixing drugs, but aren't you all? But after stopping the Epsom salts I found it worked effectively.

Discipline is required if there is ant tendency to escapism.

MickB4

Jan 15, 2013

PS I haven't had a headache since, nor have I done much more than tend the garden - on those accassions. And aged, 16yo Port oak barrel aged with 20% alc, is my preference, no more than a 373ml bottle at most at one time over a 5-6hr span. Just for info.

cbcooler1

Jan 17, 2013

Have any of you ever taken an antibiotic? My intolerance started after taking a fluorquinolone Cipro, headaches come on a few hours and last 18 hours post consuming. Just curious on antibiotic, screwed my drinking...,

cbcooler1

Jan 17, 2013

To: cbcooler1

Forgot to mention, lots of drugs contain fluoride compounds, these compromise your stomach, aka or ruin it, the stomach is where you absorb most/all of serotonin. We all know that low serotonin causes headaches. Not sure where alcohol factors into this, but I know for a fact that I didn't get these stupid headaches until I got "floxed" by Cipro. It ruined my stomach for a few weeks, hurt like hell after just eating. After stomach is comprimised, you cant absorb serotonin. I have stopped drinking for up to 2 weeks and feel remarkable, comparatively. if I have a couple drinks, same ole thing. Social drinking bites me, but I to strive for answers and look for a day I can enjoy a beer and not worry about the headache.

I want to increase serotonin levels naturally and see how/if that helps.

carlyfinn

Jan 17, 2013

To: all

I'm 47 years old, and for 20 years I drank 8-12 drinks a week, usually beer or wine. A few years a go I cut back to maybe 2 a week for about two years. For the past three years I get horrible headaches with nausea, sometimes vomiting, in the sinus area, about once a month if I drank more than three beers or wine. Lasts up to two days. It has become worse, now even one beer or glass of wine and I get an immediate headache, when it used to come on the next day. And now it is every time I drink, and I tried all the different types of alcohol. I took a tyrosine one day and that brought on a terrible headache. I ate two candy bars the other day and that brought one on too in the middle of the night. I am going to try the salt water inhalation, the probiotics, cut sugar and wheat(which is very hard to do long term for me), as well as the b and c vitamins, evening primrose oil and fish oil and inositol powder. I think the post on love and self-acceptance is key and also exercise. I do think this is sinus related as well as low seratonin, and I think for nordic people the evening primrose oil is very good, must be taken consistently, as it raises the levels of prostaglandin E, I believe. In the past I took the inositol powder at night in water, it tastes mildly sweet, and it gives a relaxed happy feeling. I will post my progress, but I must say, I have never heard of anyone having this problem and I would like to be able to drink at least once a month which I find spiritually beneficial haha without being ill for two days.

carlyfinn

Jan 17, 2013

To: all

I thought the eye sight post interesting. I am nearsighted and often go without my glasses. I also am at the computer all day, I wonder if that has something to do with it. Maybe one of those shields?

cbcooler1

Jan 18, 2013

To: carlyfinn

The eye sight thing for me is a moot point. I went 32 years without glasses and had these headaches all the time. My mother told me the same thing, now with glasses and 4 months later, I see much clearer, but with same headaches. Glasses are not the cause

Throbb

Jan 18, 2013

To: all

Just signed up after coming home with a headache after one pint of Kilkenney. Used to be able to drink beer with no problem, but there were always some that gave headaches right away: Kirin, Sapporo, Ebisu, whereas Asahi didn't (though it does now).

I lived in Japan and now in Singapore. Can't drink Tiger, ALWAYS get "Tiger Head", but could usually drink English and Irish beer.

There are so many comments it will take time to go through them all, it's just good to know I'm not alone as I'm tired of being the Not Fun Guy when going out.

Am still in search of the magical drink that doesn't result in either an instant or delayed headache. I don't drink much, maybe one beer or wine a week, maybe two if I'm indulging, but even this results in a headache 80% of the time.

Interesting point: Whenever I go to Thailand I drink Singha, and more than one, and rarely get headaches. This is a beer many claim gives them headaches, there's even an Urban Myth about formaldehyde as a preservative in it.

I'm 50-something now, about 6-7 years ago I started drinking more than I did prior, because I had just moved to Singapore and was still single, and went out a lot drinking with friends. But for the past 5-6 years went back to being a teetotaler.

During that time I'd drink wine, 1-3 glasses a night, and always had a glass of water with me. I almost never got headaches.

I know everyone knows about water and rehydrating, and I don't think it works for me when drinking beer. partly because beer has so much volume its hard to drink so much water with it.

So I'm searching for the ultimate drink and ultimate headache prophylactic.

My headaches are usually at the top of the neck.

Other things to consider (that may have been already mentioned):
- eyesight
- clenching

I got a mouthguard after waking up with headaches (nothing to do with drinking, would happen any time). It helps.

Throbb

Jan 18, 2013

To: Mark46

Maybe I should have posted "To" Mark46 so it gets flagged.

One other consideration might be to have a list of all the common symptoms, triggers, and which drinks people seem ok with. Of course not all things will / won't work for all people, but there must be some common ground somewhere.

I had farewell drinks for a friend last night and wanted to drink more than one and not be a wet towel; I have a social event today and will 'need' to drink. Fortunately, after taking my strong headache medicine (Arcoxia) at bedtime I feel ok now, but that does not always work.

The best thing is prevention upfront. I will try ibuprofen before drinks today, hydrate, and stay away from beer. I'll continue reading the comments for ideas on what to drink.

spoilher101

Jan 20, 2013

To: heed15

BANG! Your 4am headaches, same time everyday, can only be 1 thing, & that is, what is known as a cluster headache. I started getting them over 30 years ago. BUT, YOUR HEADACHES, should also be so severe, that they usually will start in ur jaw, & very quickly rise to the ear, then to the back of ur eyeball. The pain should resemble something like a hot pick like someone is sticking it thru ur eyeball. If the pain isnt that bad, then it probably isnt cluster headaches. Cluster headackes usually come at the same time like clock work. Mine would always come after a hard days labor, & as i would start to fall asleep, or in my sleep this is when they would come. They say these headackes last between 1-3 hours. Mine were worse, & unfortunately would last 8-10 hours, twice a day. I would get them even if i didnt drink, but alcohol, & cigarettes r good triggers. Mine were first brought on by carbon monoxide poisoning(someone had their car running, in his garage, & never told me, & i was wondering why i kept getting dizzy, & sick? then he told me) Well, it took another year before i actually started getting the headackes. Also, please note, i worked with notious fumes, plus highly toxix paints all my life. Supposedly no cure for them, but if u want a preventative med, verapamil, & predizone therapy, along with high doses of oxygyn. I found out i could change the time of day, with ritalin also. Told my neurolist, & he said, thats funny, they r doing tests on that! Also, if u live in the UK, sancert will off set them. It is banned, now in the USA. Sancert is a sister drug to LSD, plus u will have to have ur bloodwork checked twice a year. I could go on, & on with diffent info. To date, no one has died from this disease. I suggest, if urs were as bad as mine, to first get a good neurolist. Second, go on line, & purchase a Medifocus Guide, on cluster headaches. Once u purchace it, u will have free acses to all their newist updates for the rest of ur life. My last bout, with these headackes were like urs, but mine were everyday, at 6 am. I thought it was strange cas this bout i was lucky enough to puke after an hour, which reduced the swelling in my ankles? So, i brought my brother up from 3000 miles away, so he could witness my death.(thats how bad my pain was, & i handle pain quite well, n never panic. It is a good thing i did so, cas i woke him up while i ws having 1 in my sleep. Turned out, blood was also coming out of my eye, n nose. It was same severe pain, but the blood was new. Turned out it was cluster headackes, BUT, same time, it was also a brain blead. Im still alive. Usually for NMS, the life span is 1 month. Next, is an anorism of the brain, where ur lucky u might go a year. Ive noticed, simple task, like adding, spelling , uncontrolled amounts of sleep, n so on. If i do die, soon, then i guess, i will be the first person, ever to die from cluster headackes! I suggest u first get a good neuolist. If he is stupid, he will try to put u on possibly anti-psycotic drugs, which caused me distonia, brain blead, cateracts, glacoma, & an enlarge prostate. GOOD LUCK!

Xienen

Jan 28, 2013

Good news everybody, I've found relief without having to take something before/after I drink!  Unfortunately, there are 2 possible fixes here and I don't have any solid evidence that it's one versus the other, just a hunch.  The 2 things that may have helped are seeing a chiropractor(for stress relief) and killing off some of the excess candida(yeast) in my gut.  I believe it's candida, but I'm not 100% sure.  Also, I should note that I stopped taking Kudzu Root as I found I had withdrawal symptoms if I forgot to take it, which I took as a very bad sign.

When I finally visited a chiropractor for the first time in my life in an attempt to help with headaches that were starting to happen daily unrelated to drinking, they told me that I had 3400% pressure in the muscles in my neck when the normal range is 20% to 30%.  This could be a stress or posture problem, but my posture is decent; not perfect, but not 3400% wrong.  After a couple of adjustments, within the first week, the daily headaches were gone.  Unfortunately, I wasn't drinking during this time as I had started taking Candex, which helps kill off candida, and probiotics.

Now, I've done a ton of research on candida, but long story short, it is yeast that exists naturally in your body and is usually kept in check by healthy bacteria.  If, however, you feed the yeast too often(by eating high carb foods most meals and/or drinking a lot of alcohol, especially beer) and/or have low counts of healthy bacteria, then the yeast can grow out of control.  There are a number of symptoms of this when it gets really bad, which is when the yeast outgrows the gut and reaches other organs, but I believe that I only have a mild case at this point, thankfully.  In addition to taking Candex(or some other candida killer) and probiotics, it is suggested that one changes their diet to not feed the yeast; The Candida Diet(http://www.thecandidadiet.com) has a solid guideline.  You're supposed to strictly follow the diet for a month or more, but unless you have a really bad case of it, I've found that you can cheat every few days without much backlash.

As I said, I'm not sure which really helped...and maybe both did to some extent, but I believe candida is the main issue because I had headaches for 2 days after starting Candex(a well known sign that it's killing off the yeast). Then after taking Candex for a week without changing my diet I was able to drink 1 day without issue, but not 2 in a row. And after changing my diet for 1 week along with taking Candex, I was able to drink 1-3 beers for a week straight without issue(while not taking Candex nor probiotics), but on day 8, after 1 beer I started to get a slight headache 30 minutes later.

Regardless of which one fixed it, I'm going to continue with both of them for the foreseeable future.  If there's anything more to report, I shall return, but if anyone has questions, feel free to e-mail me: ***@****

Best of Luck,
Dayle

Xienen

Jan 28, 2013

Err, it bleeped out my e-mail address: xierosoldja at hotmail *******

myndibc

Jan 29, 2013

To: Xienen

Hi Dayle...while my migraines can occur anytime, they often occur most aggressively after drinking alcohol. Many times in my life I have thought I may have candida overgrowth due to taking a lot of antibiotics for acne control in my youth. Did you go through the whole candida diet process? I have tried and failed so many times, but I'm about to get married and I really want to start off my married life migraine free! You mention taking candex. After doing some research, I am going to try Syntol. I figure I have nothing to lose.

Xienen

Jan 30, 2013

To: myndibc

I have only gone through the diet process for about 10 days and I cheated minimally on 1 meal every 3 days or so(for example, I had a banana one day). Luckily, my case was only mild, so I was able to get a lot of relief with a not so strict regimen. From my understanding, though, when the overgrowth is more severe, the diet needs to be followed longer and more strictly to get relief. I have also heard that candida can be the cause of daily migraines, so if candida is the cause then I would assume you have a more severe case than I do. My suggestion would be to take the candida killer; stay away from eating breads and sugars at all costs; also stay away from fruits and starchy vegetables as much as possible; and lastly, be sure to get plenty of probiotics each day(pills, greek yogurt, cultured coconut milk, etc.). Also, be sure to not to ingest the probiotics within 2 hours before or after taking the candida killer.

Even if you cheat every few days, don't get discouraged, that's perfectly natural. Just stick to it to the best of your ability for at least 10 days and see if you get any relief. If it helps you at all, the migraine relief alone might be enough to encourage you to stick to the diet better and longer.

myndibc

Feb 25, 2013

To: Xienen

Thank you Dayle! I cannot believe the change in my system after taking Syntol AMD for about 2 weeks now. I've also been seeing my chiropractor regularly. My migraines have decreased to a tenth of what I was experiencing before. I cannot believe that between all my clinical and homeopathic doctors none of them ever brought up candida as being a factor. Even in NAET testing, I've been told to steer clear of gluten, but they never brought up candida. Anyway, so far so good with bi-weekly chiro treatments and Syntol AMD 3x a day between meals. I'm not following a candida diet but do limit breads and starches to a minimum.

Xienen

Apr 12, 2013

To: myndibc

So glad to hear it's working well for you! I can now report that this has definitely been helping me! I'm still trying to stick with the diet to some extent; regularly eating greek yogurt and plenty of vegetables, while avoiding bread, beer, and sugary foods for the most part. In the past 2 weeks, I've drank varying amounts of alcohol each night and the only sort of headache I've gotten was the normal dehydration based hangover the next morning if I failed to drink a few glasses of water that night. Extremely mild compared to the horrendous pounding migraine I used to get 30 minutes to an hour after drinking. If you guys haven't tried this, yet, you owe it to yourself to at least see if candida is the cause of your ails.

Mark46

Apr 13, 2013

To: Xienen ...

   This is an interesting departure from our previous posts.
   I have to say that, since starting this in 2008, I think we've all gradually run out of steam, having seemingly exhausted all pills, potions and posture theories.  Personally, I have around a dozen or so now-discarded 'miracle cures as we've all tried to search a cure for this.
   I really do think, after those five years of trawling, collating and postings though that a large part of our problem has been that some of us are 'simply' suffering from pure migraine or cluster headache problems - which I am starting to believe do not have any common relevance apart from being exacerbated by alcohol.
   For myself, I am pretty much convinced now that the posture you mention in one of your posts is the root cause of my problems - once again, accentuated by alcohol in some way.
   I have been diagnosed with the same sort of cervical degeneration I suppose we all start to suffer from as we get older (in my case, C2).  It seems to be accepted that one of the most common referral pain patterns from the upper cervical facet joints is pain going into the head. Typically, this pain begins at the base of the skull and radiates up the skull and sometimes to the eye.  Familiar?
   I also have Type 2 diabetes and am still not convinced that varying blood sugar levels don't play a part somewhere in the equation either.
   But this is where I think we can all fall into the trap of just lumping all headaches together maybe?  There are many different causes for them...it's just unfortunate for all of us that booze makes 'em worse!

Snowinsummer

Apr 20, 2013

To: Mark46

For the past 5 years I've suffered from debilitating migraines after drinking any amount of alcohol ( usually wine).  It didn't happen every time, but enough that I would only have a drink on a very special occasion. I also got migraines from rapid swings in barometric pressure... I always thought  there was some connection between weather and alcohol triggering the pain.  I recently switched  to a gluten free diet and my migraines COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED!  In hindsight it was never the alcohol, but the bread, pizza, pasta, pastries etc. that all contained gluten that were causing my migraines.

I can drink wine now without any repercussions!  Obviously beer is out of the question because of the gluten (barley).

If you haven't already tried eliminating gluten from your diet, give it a try for a few  weeks and see how it goes!

Mark46

Apr 21, 2013

To: Snowinsummer

That's yet another suggestion we haven't seen before - and therefore just as interesting to see just how many of our sufferers benefit from going 'gluten-free'.
Keep it all coming - we WILL succeed people! Who needs medics?

lemajo

May 16, 2013

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/2322/The-Sinus-Flush

This is the answer to sinus headache caused by drinking.

Buzi_Blu

May 17, 2013

To: lemajo

Last night I was just beginning to think that sinuses seem to play a part. I had just been cycling, which is another trigger for my migraines, and as I was cooling off I clamped my hands around my neck to stop the pressure. As I did so I could feel pressure in my sinuses.

The link looks informative, some handy tips in there. This is definitely a line worth pursuing. Thanks for the info.

Mark46

May 18, 2013

To: Lemajo / All

   This is really interesting from the point of view that sinus/nasal congestion has always come in at #2 in our 'causal' chart (republished below), although I haven't had the time to update this for a while.
   And the references to pressure on the back of the neck at the onset of 'The Feeling' rings true in a lot of our posts as well Buzi_blu.
   Having said that, I don't think we're looking at a 'cure-all' here because there are too many variables - although I think this nasal thing looks a likely source for an awful lot of us sufferers.

Buzi_Blu

May 18, 2013

To: Mark46

Just a quick edit: when I restricted the blood in my neck, the pressure was immediately felt in my nose and eyes, an effect that doesn't normally happen if I feel fine (now for example) and came as quite a surprise.

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