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        New Message Board Archives >> 2005 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> sugar and more pain?
        
(Message started by: wip5150 on Jul 21^st, 2005, 9:31am)

Title: sugar and more pain?
Post by wip5150 on Jul 21^st, 2005, 9:31am

Dumb question but I figured I'd throw it out here to see if anyone had a thought or comment. I'm wondering if having a higher-than-normal amount of sugar will trigger a more painful headache. Case in point:

I've been on Verapamil (360 mg per day broken up into three 120 mg doses) for about 11 days and, since then, my headahces have really only been coming at night. During these nighttime delights, I've taken a 20mg nasal of Trex and the headache is usually gone in about 30 minutes - very manageable.

Last night, I decided to have an IBC Black Cherry Soda about two hours before bedtime - what can I say, I like the sugary stuff!!

So, after going to bed I woke up with a headache, headed downstairs to my Fortress of Solitude and took the trex. Here's the rub - the trex didn't do a damn thing for me (this happens about 30% of the time normally so maybe there's no correlation) and the headache was a bitch. Probably peaked at about a Kip 9. It finally subsided enough to where I was able to drag my sorry ass to bed about 2 hours later but when I woke up this morning I noticed I still had (and have right now) K4 and 5 shadows.

So, the question is this: Is this possibly due in some part to my overly sweet beverage indulgence last night or just the normal "you think you're almost done with me but let me zing you another time just to remind you that I'm here" part of having this shitty "disorder"?

Thanks.

Title: Re: sugar and more pain?
Post by burnt-toast on Jul 22^nd, 2005, 2:20am

This is just me but I have stopped eating sugery items in the evenings because I noticed an increase in numbers and severity of attacks.

I didn't track any of this but felt it was frequent enough to start avoiding things like mints and hard candies.

Tom

Title: Re: sugar and more pain?
Post by hdido on Jul 22^nd, 2005, 3:31am

I'm chronic and rarely use sugar or products containing it, but when I do allow myself a sugar treat it makes no difference with either the number or severity of attacks that I get.

Title: Re: sugar and more pain?
Post by Topical on Jul 22^nd, 2005, 4:41am

I haven't noticed sugar as a trigger.

I was eating some chocolate pudding last week and a HA hit me after 4 days PF. I have become addicted to the pudding and eating it was nothing new to me. I put it down to the chococate or just being unlucky.

Out of curiousity were there any other ingredients in the soda that may have caused it?

Title: Re: sugar and more pain?
Post by Sandy_C on Jul 22^nd, 2005, 8:19am

I'm not a big sweet eater/drinker, but I do like to have a piece of fudge now and then, or vanilla ice cream with hot fudge topping. During my first three cycles, this did not seem to do anything to change my CH level of activity. But, this last cycle, one little piece of fudge and I get hit one time and then - one little piece of fudge and nothing the next time! So, my thoughts are that it's not just the sugar, but possibly a combination of the sugar plus something else that's going on in your body that particular day that triggers the hit . [smiley=huh.gif]

Title: Re: sugar and more pain?
Post by wip5150 on Jul 22^nd, 2005, 9:31am

on 07/22/05 at 04:41:13, Topical wrote:

Out of curiousity were there any other ingredients in the soda that may have caused it?

Not that I'm aware of other than a crapload of sugar - it's like drinking liquid bubblegum, but I digress. Interestingly enough, I skipped any sugar or dairy yesterday and had my first night without waking up to tussle my little friend in over five weeks. Could be coincidence, but I'm avoiding that stuff along with my friend Al Cohol until I'm sure this cycle is over.

Title: Re: sugar and more pain?
Post by wip5150 on Jul 22^nd, 2005, 9:32am

on 07/22/05 at 02:20:15, burnt-toast wrote:

Toasty,

This is sorta my theory as well. I'm not a doctor and I don't even play one on TV but if I feel something is contributing to exacerbating my cycle, I cut it out faster than my kids run to watch Bob the Builder.

Title: Re: sugar and more pain?
Post by Redd715 on Jul 22^nd, 2005, 9:46am

I rarely consume sugar. Dt. sodas, artificial sweetners for my coffee. Rare occasions I'll eat any candy of any kind.

Strange how the beast effects each of us differently.

Title: Re: sugar and more pain?
Post by wip5150 on Jul 22^nd, 2005, 9:50am

on 07/22/05 at 09:46:13, Redd715 wrote:

I rarely consume sugar. Dt. sodas, artificial sweetners for my coffee. Rare occasions I'll eat any candy of any kind.

Strange how the beast effects each of us differently.

It is indeed. I have long sworn that artifical sweetners would contribute to triggering a cycle so I no longer drink Diet Dr. Pepper. hell, I think we all get so desperate, we'll read into just about anything to find some relief. I know I do.

Title: Re: sugar and more pain?
Post by Kevin_M on Jul 22^nd, 2005, 10:03am

on 07/21/05 at 09:31:22, wip5150 wrote:

I've been on Verapamil (360 mg per day broken up into three 120 mg doses) for about 11 days and, since then, my headahces have really only been coming at night.

At 360mg, try maybe taking 240mg before bed and 120mg in the morning, being that we seem more suseptable at night, kind of a pulsing method. If no change, see what the doc says about 480mg. Prevention is best, especially with the trex n/s. Thirty minute abort time can get to be pretty, um... difficult if the frequency picks up. I'm familiar with it.
Don't know about sugar, but some things CAN make it more difficult, CH will find any excuse to surface sometimes.

Kevin M

Title: Re: sugar and more pain?
Post by BMoneeTheMoneeMan on Jul 22^nd, 2005, 4:53pm

I eat TONS of sugar. All day, all night. I have a big bowl of ice cream and wash it down with a root beer float. Never seems to make any difference.
I am the sugar king, I consume more sugar then any 3 people you know. As a matter of fact, i lost 20 pounds on the donut and milkshake diet 2 months ago. Seriously, 2 or 3 donuts for breakfast, and a huge milkshake for lunch, then i skip dinner so any meds i take will be absorbed quickly and completely.
PF wishes
BMonee

Title: Re: sugar and more pain?
Post by paul_pero on Jul 23^rd, 2005, 8:36am

Sugar is not a trigger for me. The only trigger seems to be alcohol.
Paul