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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> Does exercise and healthy diet help?
        
(Message started by: drkern on Oct 3^rd, 2006, 7:16am)

Title: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by drkern on Oct 3^rd, 2006, 7:16am

Has exercise and a change in diet helped anyone? (I have become much too sedentary during this two-year ordeal.)

Just curious.

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by Trond on Oct 3^rd, 2006, 8:11am

Sorry, but no.

Trond

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by Charlotte on Oct 3^rd, 2006, 8:14am

For some of us, exercise helps a lot, and for others, it seems to be a trigger.

Exercise helps me, up to a point.

Also, exercise will make you feel better generally, and anything that helps you is good. Some of the meds pack on the weight and the exercise helps battle that.

Charlotte

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by Trond on Oct 3^rd, 2006, 8:28am

"Also, exercise will make you feel better generally, and anything that helps you is good."

Thanks Charlotte
Of course I will agree with you in that, but in my case it didnt do anything for the cluster.
As acupunture, sone teraphi, healing, ciroprator, homeopath medicine(this list could go on) didnt help my headaches either.

It is worth a try, tough, and it could be helpful to others.

Trond

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by Charlotte on Oct 3^rd, 2006, 8:32am

Exercise helps me, up to a point.

Diet doesn't seem to affect my headache. It sems more like a side effect. I don't really have a good diet but I try. I keep V8, Orange juice, and a variety of "instant" nutrition around as emergency rations. Sometimes I can't stop eating and sometimes I just cant handle eating and get the dried fruit from the baby food aisle.

Charlotte

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by kcopelin on Oct 3^rd, 2006, 8:38am

Exercise and diet helped me drop 25 pounds. Unfortunately, my Ch didn't live in those particular 25 pounds. Didn't help my CH-though a really brisk walk in cold night time air seems to help the nightime hits-I think its the cold fresh air and deep breathing that does it.
Some people really work themselves into a tumultous sweat when getting hit-and swear it works-but I'm not one of them.
PFDAN y'all
kathy

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by BB on Oct 3^rd, 2006, 10:01am

Talk about diet, didnt someone say that appetite goes out the window during a cycle ?

My DH 's appetite has been definitely weird, some day he would eat a lot but mostly he couldnt stomach much food. He had to force himself to eat mostly.

Annette

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by Margi on Oct 3^rd, 2006, 10:05am

yes, Annette - Mike usually loses about 10 pounds while in cycle. His appetite is almost non-existent then.

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by Bob P on Oct 3^rd, 2006, 10:16am

I usually take cafergot tabs for my attacks. I keep my stomach empty so the tabs work faster. So I lose weight during an episode (it's nothing that a little prednisone won't take care of though).

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by clusterwife on Oct 3^rd, 2006, 10:35am

I'd have to say yes. My hubby gets hit when he is resting. He gets home from work and works in the yard until night, comes in and helps around the house until he falls asleep on the couch. He has cut way down on salt and fried foods too. I wonder what's worse, the headaches or the over-working?

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by seasonalboomer on Oct 3^rd, 2006, 10:52am

I can only speak for myself but I believe that staying in excellent physical condition and eating right is a positive factor in my cluster headache. While intense cardio exercise combined with heat is trigger for me in cycle I stay in good enough shape to run 2 marathons a year and try to eat well to suport that kind of regime.

My cycles still come and go but I rarely get hit unless I trigger from running, alcohol and the occasional night time hit. I find them easier to deal with when I feel like I'm physically and mentally prepared. That may be just a wierd neurotic thing for me however.

As for appetite. I always gain weight in cycle. Feeling hungry sometimes gives me shadows so I eat and eat to avoid it. Lots of snacks add up.

Scott

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by Melissa on Oct 3^rd, 2006, 11:08am

I'm a sensible, lower carb eater while out of cycle.

Just before my cycle begins, I carb load like nuts! Not only that, I crave hot spicy foods.

In cycle there are certain foods I avoid that I would normally eat because just the thought of them makes me want to hurl.

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by MJ on Oct 3^rd, 2006, 11:11am

on 10/03/06 at 10:52:40, seasonalboomer wrote:

I find them easier to deal with when I feel like I'm physically and mentally prepared.

Scott

Ditto to what Boomer says.

Excersize and diet for me is extremely important during a cycle.
Repetitive excersize is my first line of defense, Diet is right up there as well.

I am usually in my best physical condition a few weeks into a cycle.

Liike Scott does, with CH we are running a marathon most every day and its tougher if you are not physically prepared.

It also helps the attitude or mental state if nothing else.

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by georgej on Oct 3^rd, 2006, 11:36am

on 10/03/06 at 11:11:55, MJ wrote:

Liike Scott does, with CH we are running a marathon most every day and its tougher if you are not physically prepared.

It also helps the attitude or mental state if nothing else.

And ditto to MJ. Moderate exercise, and particularly a healthy diet heavy in fruits and vegetables helps to keep my endurance and attitude at a higher level when I'm in cycle. I need it when I'm not getting much sleep and I'm getting hammered.

I'm cautious with exercise, because I've found that (for me) vigorous exercise can trigger an attack when I'm in cycle.

Best,

George

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by Guiseppi on Oct 3^rd, 2006, 5:55pm

I went from rail thin in the 80's, to pot bellied and out of shape in the 90's to a health nut and gym rat in the new millenium. The only constant throughout has been CH. I haven't noted any significant parrallels between my overall health, and CH frequency or intensity.

Guiseppi

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by pattik on Oct 3^rd, 2006, 6:12pm

Ditto to Boomer, MJ, and George. Battling CH goes better physically and mentally if you're in fairly good shape. The sleep deprivation alone can wear you out, so it's helpful to take care of yourself as much as possible.

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by Phil L on Oct 3^rd, 2006, 7:03pm

I stay in pretty good shape and work out on a regular basis, even though excersise has in the past been a trigger. Everything is a trade off and the excersise helps me stay in balance and do better mentally. As far as diet goes when in cycle it's protean shakes, meds and whatever else I can slam down. I'll usually lose 5 to 8 pounds and I'm thin to begin with.

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by drkern on Oct 5^th, 2006, 3:03am

Thanks for all the good info. I have noticed sometimes that bending over to pick something up or reaching high starts an event.

I think my wife will be asking me to eat more healthy to see if that helps. I'll give it a try. After all, I've never seen the headline: "Killer vegetables? Brussell Sprout Kills Man After Consumption, Cauliflower Maims Tourist In New York"
[smiley=laugh.gif]

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by drivin_blind on Oct 6^th, 2006, 3:59pm

on 10/03/06 at 17:55:29, Guiseppi wrote:

Same here. Military Basic Training, Police Academy, Now I am a semi-professional T.V. remote control operator. I think excersise and healthy life styles just tend to make you look a lot better when you die. Ok, I'm just a bit cynical. CH has been my "Buddie" throughout. About the only healthy thing it's done is control my intake of alcoholic beverages. NONE. Dick

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by Sandy_C on Oct 6^th, 2006, 4:57pm

Really vigorous exercise is an instant trigger for me during cycle. The minute my body gets heated up - BINGO! So, while in cycle, I'm a couch potato. But, also while in cycle, I am not as hungry as usual, and since I typically get a lovely hit right during my dinner hour, I've missed a lot of great meals that I've slaved over the stove preparing. Last cycle, I lost 10 pounds, which, when cycle was over, I've sadly gained back, and then some. And, it's a hell of a way to lose weight!

Keeping physically fit while out of cycle, or in cycle, is something we should all try to achieve if at all possible. Obviously a healthy diet won't hurt either, at any time.

Neither, though - in my personal experience - has made one bit of difference in my CH cycles. I get them whether I exercise/don't exercise, eat healthy foods/eat junk food. I still get the cycles.

Sandy

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by vig on Oct 16^th, 2006, 6:10pm

yes, it helps, it helps you to have the strength and composure to cope....

but does it have any direct impact on minimizing CH's?
none that I found.

my $.02

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by Turts on Oct 17^th, 2006, 10:16pm

i found that it depends on several things

how bad a cycle usually stops me dead in my tracks, even during hits, i guess i am too exhausted.

some meds i have taken like prednisone, increase my appetite (nearly double) but also make me lazy

i have also found that exercise works as a relief, however if my heartrate rises too much i feel the pressure in the views in front of my ears and i get whacked with a HA.

this cycle though, no prednisone, i am going to use increased hunger to help loose the kgs from other cycles and us exercise as a means to keep body and mind motivated and positive.

Turts

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by MJ on Oct 20^th, 2006, 11:37pm

Overall no doubt excersize is good.

When used as an aide or sometimes an abort for CH vigorous repetitive excersize must be done at the first sighn of an attack and continue as long as one can.

Not between the hits or after but immediately at the first sign of a hit.

The sudden surge of whatever chemicals are involved (ie:dopamines, adrenaline, or) in the excersize of choice is what I believe helps the attacks.

If this works for you, you may find the hits aborted on occasion, shorter in length, less intense and easier to deal with.

Its pushups for me. Others use leg bends/squats, running in place, running outside, calisthenics, whatever.

edit to add: if excersize is triggering an attack then the timing is wrong see above.

Title: Re: Does exercise and healthy diet help?
Post by cuzzykins on Oct 23^rd, 2006, 11:10pm

After just attempting to begin a very basic exercise routine with stretching and some light aerobics i was immediately hit with a 10.. hadnt had any hits in 3 days and was feeling really great.. started the nutrisystem program 3 days ago and had some energy to burn so thought i would give it a shot.. bad mistake i guess.. wont be doing this again until out of my cycle.. hopefully soon!