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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> food allergy?
        
(Message started by: kaj_ducker on Feb 29^th, 2008, 5:23am)

Title: food allergy?
Post by kaj_ducker on Feb 29^th, 2008, 5:23am

hello, im new to this forum, but definitly not new to CH. I have had CH since 1998, with three or four cluster periods with varying intensity every year. But the last two years i have been completely cluster-free, and that was after going on a gluten and milk - free diet, not because of CH, but because of suspicion of allergy in general. Not only did my gut stabilize, i was starting to wonder when i was going to get a new CH period.

SO, anyway, two years without a single attack, and last week it struck back. I was completely convinced it was the milk or wheat, but now i was in doubt. Then my girlfriend made a comment on a pesto i had bought, that it was very good, and when i read the ingredients list i saw that it contained cheese(yes i know pesto contains cheese, but this was a smaller version of a vegan pesto with no dairy, and the etikette was identical exept the little word in the ingredients list, so it was very inintentionally.)

So im wondering, does anyone have a similar experience with milk and wheat and the likes? Gluten and casein in wheat and milk are known allergens so it wouldnt be unreasonable to think it has something to do with CH. I still have attacks even now after discovered the milk containing pesto, but they say proteins can stay in the system for quite some time after being consumed. Or maybe it just triggered the CH period and ill just have to live through it. I had almost forgotten how excrutiatingly painfull this was, now its back to the coffee and O2... By the way, i also tried something new during an attack, Cloves, oil from cloves, it worked to ease the pain after a wisdomtooth-removal, and i thought, if i'd sniff it after have a couple of drops in hot boiling water. And it actually worked, not a miraclecure, and not an attack-stopper, but it took the edge of the worst pain - levels for a short period of time(5 min or so) nice to have SOMETHING to do during an attack.

my deepest empaties
Kaj ducker

Title: Re: food allergy?
Post by BarbaraD on Feb 29^th, 2008, 6:54am

Kaj,

We've gone thru the alergy thing and come to no real conclusions. Some people can't get near MSG and some think this that or the other triggers CH. For some of us nothing in particular triggers them that we can pinpoint (unlike migraines). We're all different.

I've been the route with the oils and like you said, it gives you something to do. I usually put them in a hot tub of water (whirlpool usually) and sucked on O2 while I was in the tub.

You might try Red Bull at the first sign of CH - chug-a-lug a can and see if that helps some. It does for a lot of us.

Melatonin at night helps some of us (12-15mg) get thru the REM sleep and avoid the night hits.

Wishing you a short cycle and years in between.

Hugs BD

Title: Re: food allergy?
Post by Kaib on Feb 29^th, 2008, 9:23am

Hi Kaj,

Everything I've read suggests no positive correlation btw. food alergies and CH. Here's hoping for a short cycle for you.

I'm a Kaj also - Dad's a Dane; I was born in Virginia and the folks gave me the American "Kai" - but I adopted the "Kaj" after seeing the spelling of Kaj Hansen, a soccer player, way back in 1967 or so.

best to ya...

Title: Re: food allergy?
Post by monty on Feb 29^th, 2008, 10:15am

Not sure about the cheese - I read one person's report here that beer itself wasn't a trigger (they were chronic, I think) but combining beer and cheese did trigger. Their theory was that the cheese had lots of histamine, and that alcohol increased the absorption of histamine (I think - my memory may be off in some details, but I do remember the histamine and cheese part).

What about the basil in pesto? It has lots of aromatic compounds. Many people report getting triggered by petrol, cleaning fluids, perfume, and other strongly scented compounds.

Title: Re: food allergy?
Post by Ghost on Feb 29^th, 2008, 1:09pm

on 02/29/08 at 06:54:11, BarbaraD wrote:

I've been the route with the oils and like you said, it gives you something to do. I usually put them in a hot tub of water (whirlpool usually) and sucked on O2 while I was in the tub.

Hugs BD

I think I had a dream last night that was kinda like that! :o :o :o

Sounds like fun too!

Seriously Kaj listen to these great folks here and go get some o2 and high volume regulator, and a good non-rebreather mask with a large bag. ooohhh the miracles of o2.

Mike

Title: Re: food allergy?
Post by kaj_ducker on Feb 29^th, 2008, 11:12pm

thank you all for youre replys. Ive ordered three new flasks for my o2 suicase that has been stacked away in the cellar for two years.. damn, i was hoping id never have to see that suitcase again but now i guess its my best friend again.

but i still cant convince myself its all just a random cycle of periods. I just think its a little to coinsidential considering that ive been eight years with 3-4 periods each year, and to have 2 year period completely CH-free, coisidentially in the same time-frame where i never touched gluten and milk, only to get my next attack at the first glitch in the food-regime.. Of course it could be a coinsidence, but still very valid facts to at least consider the possability... well i guess ill find out during the year.. and yes we are all different, so there is probably no magic ingredient common to all.

Just had an attack now, did all i could(probably too much), bad ass -coffee, liquer(maybe not a good idea), clove-oil sniffing, walking back and fourth for hours, praying to god allmighty(im really an agnostic bordering ateist). Is it just me or are the nightly CH's far worse than the morning CH's?

thanks for being here, though i wish none of us had to.

kaj

Title: Re: food allergy?
Post by kcopelin on Feb 29^th, 2008, 11:25pm

Kaj,
I find the night time hits the worst, especially if I'm dreaming that I'm getting hit-by the time I break through to awake the CH is full blown and responds to nothing but time-though I do suck O2, grab the frozen peas and pace a rut in my floor.

Maybe the food allegrgies were a contributing factor, who knows? You know your body better than anyone, so if gluten and dairy cause problems-avoid them as you have been.

Hope this is a very short cycle for you!

PFDAN
kathy

Title: Re: food allergy?
Post by DragonSlayer on Mar 1^st, 2008, 12:59am

The night time hits are usually the worst of the bunch for me also. Very possible just as Kathy described, too far into it before I wake up.

I don't remember who said it but here is a quote from WWII:
"There are no athiests in fox holes." referring to prayer in the middle of a battle. We each have our own beliefs and when fighting this beast we need to reach for each and every tool that works for us.
As far as triggers, avoid the ones you know about and keep a lookout for new ones. Just as the beast morphs our triggers change over time and each of us will have different reactions to them.

Title: Re: food allergy?
Post by kaj_ducker on Mar 15^th, 2008, 12:25pm

Now i have had five attack free days, and it seems like the cycle is over, im thinking perhaps the cheese fragments are out of my system, and this is the end of the cycle.

how is it like for you guys after cycle. when do you start thinking the cycle is come to an end?

i get this feeling that its over when its over, like an itch no longer craving to be scratched...