migraines

[NUATDIS]

hi, i suffer from migraines and they gave me a list of things u shouldnt eat but i wanna know does anyone else get headaches or migraines when they drink soda i hadnt had any in a while but i drank some coca colas about 3days in a row and it seem like on the 3rd day everytime i would drink some soda i would get a headache and today i drank a sprite and i got another one does this happen to anyone else because i really think thats what keeps giving me the headaches is this soda ive been drinking for about a week thanks for your time.

[RockyMD]

Carbonation, Caffeine, HFCS (Excessive Sugar in general) = Nightmare for me. JMO. To each his/her own though.

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
If the soda says caffeine-free, it may be that the trigger is also caused by certain ingredients or it may contain minimal amounts of caffeine as well. Identifying migraine triggers may really take a while because of the variety and uniqueness for each patient. I recommend that you have a headache journal. This will help you and your doctor as well  in determining your triggers. Write anything you do before and during your migraine attacks and see the possible triggers in your activities or food you eat. Take care and do keep us posted.

[NUATDIS]

thanx for all the info but what i wanna know is the soda that ive been drinking says caffeine free so thats why im looking into it more because thats a least one of my triggers that i now know of also and so many other triggers ive yet to find but i hope i do because these things are terrible.

[flob]

there are sooooo many things that can trigger migraines and it's different for each person. as stated above, knowing your triggers is a great thing, because then you can avoid them. i have 2 big triggers...#1 is barometric pressure changes. particularly, the day prior to a storm tends to gaurentee a migraine. #2 is alcohol...i simply can't drink even the slightest bit of alcohol or it turns into a migraine.

other triggers for me can include chocolate or cheese, but not often....so luckily i can still eat them and not always suffer for it. but my 2 main triggers...well in the spring and fall, i'm miserable....BUT at least i can always avoid alcohol, so it never becomes a trigger for me anymore

knowing a trigger is always better than not knowing. now you just have to avoid it. and yes caffeine can cause rebound headaches, etc....but it could be more to it than just that. perhaps an ingredient? i don't know. last year, i noticed i got a migraine every time i ate turkey. now this was very odd....but there are certain things in turkey that aren't in other things, so was this a migraine trigger? over these past holidays i didn't have the same problem....so maybe last year it was just coincidence. who knows. but the point is that if you have a good understanding of your triggers, you're much better off.

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How are you? Headaches are also associated with caffeine intake such those found in soda or coffee. It is good that you have identified this trigger so you can avoid soft drinks and soda in the future. This will help prevent your headaches. Intake of caffeine after taking your headache medicines will also lead to rebound headaches. It is best that you avoid them altogether. Take care and best regards.