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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> Coumarin/Bergapten - triggers?
        
(Message started by: peep_nugget on Mar 28^th, 2006, 1:33pm)

Title: Coumarin/Bergapten - triggers?
Post by peep_nugget on Mar 28^th, 2006, 1:33pm

after recently experiencing a couple of breakthrough hits, i decided to have a really good look at what i had eaten which might precipitate an attack.

a couple of hours before both HAs, I had eaten celery.

celery, you say? how benign!

ok, it wasn't like i had eaten 15 pounds of it...but it still intrigued me.

in the course of doing some research, I discovered that celery contains bergapten. Bergapten is also commonly found in citrus species, which i have long suspected to be a trigger during my CH "season".

Although high in vitamin C, as many people know, citrus fruits also contain coumarins such as bergapten which make the skin sensitive to sunlight.

from wikipedia:
Coumarin is a chemical compound found in many plants, notably in high concentration in the tonka bean, woodruff, and bison grass. It has a sweet scent, readily recognised as the scent of newly-mown grass. It has clinical value as the precursor for several anticoagulants, notably warfarin.

warfarin may be familiar to some as a rodent poison - the animals effectively bleed internally to death.

-does anyone else have any thoughts on this?

-anyone seen studies relating to coumarins/bergaptens and CH?

-anyone currently conducting studies on this?

-anyone had a similar experience?

anyone? anyone?

Title: Re: Coumarin/Bergapten - triggers?
Post by Kris_in_SJ on Mar 28^th, 2006, 8:24pm

New one on me!

Flo? Anything you know?

Kris

Title: Re: Coumarin/Bergapten - triggers?
Post by floridian on Mar 28^th, 2006, 9:12pm

There is some evidence that anti-coagulants may reduce CH activity - by improving the circulation or some other mechanism. But any food could be a trigger for some people. Listen to your body - maybe keep a headache/food diary. Will check into it more - seems like bergapten has an effect on ion channels, that could influence CH.

http://www.med-owl.com/clusterheadaches/tiki-index.php?page=Anticoagulants

Title: Re: Coumarin/Bergapten - triggers?
Post by marlinsfan on Apr 2^nd, 2006, 12:51pm

You referred me here from Sanna's red-bull thread. This is very interesting, and starts to put some facts around my belief that all citrus and foods/drinks with citric acid are triggers for me.
Thank you,
Jose