Migraine/vegan connection?
I met a woman last night that has terrible migraines, and she has basically tried everything possible to get rid of them. She's now had so many Imitrex IVs that she has heart damage, and she's desperate for relief. I recommended that she try a vegan diet, just because it's basically the only thing she's yet to try. I told her I'd send her some information to get her going, and I wanted to ask the opinion of VW.
What book should I recommend that explains veganism (she didn't know that grains were vegan) and why we do it?
Is there a book that makes any connection between veganism and helping migraines?
Any good beginner cookbooks to recommend? She needs really quick and easy things or meals she can make ahead of time.
She seems so willing--I want to steer her in the right direction! This is such a good opportunity.
I don't think there's any mention of migraines, but The China Study is great for the link between health and a plant based diet.
Sorry, I know that you were looking for suggestions on vegan methods to help headaches, but has your friend tried feverfew? My dad gets terrible migraines and it has really helped him. The only downer is that it can be harder (but not impossible, especially with some research) to find the good quality pills, since only part of the plant is effective and some brands are a mix of all parts, and also I know that you can only be on it for about 6 weeks and then your body gets used to it, and then you have to go off for 6 weeks before starting again.
And, for books explaining veganism, I have read both "Becoming Vegan" and also "This Crazy Vegan Life" and both would be very good I think for beginners.
I will recommend the feverfew. I don't know what all she's tried. She has tried acupuncture, so I know she's up for alternative methods. She's tired of the Western medicine approach of pumping her full of dozens of medicines and just waiting to see what works.
Basically, any run-of-the mill headache article/book is going to tell you cheese, RED wine (tannins, not sulfites) and caffeine are the 3 big dietary triggers for migraines.
I would suggest looking at the Firehouse Diet (I think that is what it is called), about a group of firefighters who went vegan for health purposes....with documentation and I think recipes.....and is smaller than the China Study....
When I am not doped up on meds myself, I will give this more thought.
One medicine that has been out for 7 years or so, but very few know about it still is called Frova, it is a Triptan (same family as Imitrex, so it may not be an option for her anymore) and lasts 24-36 hrs in relief....all the other triptans only last 4-6, so this is a boon in any migraine sufferer's arsenal.
http://www.frova.com
Hopefully, she is keeping/has kept a food journal to help identify triggers. This will also help with a transition into veganism, writing down what she's eating/how she's feeling, and then going back looking on it. She should recognized how going vegan has helped her feel better all around, the journal will help verify/make it more real.
I think she needs to have a cat scan or MRI to first rule out any cysts or tumors in the brain.
I think she needs to have a cat scan or MRI to first rule out any cysts or tumors in the brain.
She had an MRI, and they found a cyst in her sinus. The doctors told her they didn't think it was causing the migraine and they weren't going to remove it. I recommended she try another doctor!
I meant to reply to this yesterday, but forgot...oops. Anyway, I don't have any book recommendations, but I can give you personal experience. I've had migraines since I was 9 years old and the frequency and duration dramatically decreased when I went vegan. Like hanashi mentioned, I'm pretty sure cheese was a huge factor. Even more than that though, I think it was processed food. When I'm eating whole foods, I rarely get migraines...only when I'm really super stressed or severely sleep deprived. I have noticed they seem to come on if I eat a large volume of pre-packaged stuff...like veggie burgers or canned soup for a couple days in a row. I wonder if soy protein isolate or hydrolyzed soy is a culprit...since that seems to be in most processed veggie stuff. Oh, also MSG. Every now and then I crave oriental flavor ramen noodles and nearly every time I eat them, I have a migraine the next day. I used to notice the same thing when I ate chinese food out.
I don't know if any of this is any help, but long story short, eating a vegan diet and avoiding processed food as much as possible has really helped my migraines. I still get 'em, but not nearly as often and they don't seem to last as long.
And yes, this...
Hopefully, she is keeping/has kept a food journal to help identify triggers. This will also help with a transition into veganism, writing down what she's eating/how she's feeling, and then going back looking on it. She should recognized how going vegan has helped her feel better all around, the journal will help verify/make it more real.
I think she needs to have a cat scan or MRI to first rule out any cysts or tumors in the brain.
She had an MRI, and they found a cyst in her sinus. The doctors told her they didn't think it was causing the migraine and they weren't going to remove it. I recommended she try another doctor!
Tell her to get the medical name of the cyst and then to look it up on the internet and see if it's associated with migraines. Even if they say it's not see if other people have reported such symptoms.