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        Supporter's Corner >> Supporter's Corner >> What can my husband eat?
        
(Message started by: bethdawn on Aug 18^th, 2002, 11:11am)

Title: What can my husband eat?
Post by bethdawn on Aug 18^th, 2002, 11:11am

??? My husband has has cluster Headaches for years, but finally got a neurologist to diagnose them. Now we have a food restriction sheet, but I don't know what he can eat. He has O2 and is taking vermaprinil (sp). Please help

Title: Re: What can my husband eat?
Post by Svenn on Aug 18^th, 2002, 11:22am

First of all welcome to this place called Clusterville.There will always be somebody here to answer your questions.Bet you have a lot of them to.

Some neuroes says that you cant eat that or that,and another neuro say just the oposite.

My neuro tell me to eat normal food.The big question is then "What is normal food"

Think thats something that you have to find out.

See your husband is using oxygen and Verapamil.Those are great medication for some of us

Finally i will add my "miraclecure"

I just wont to add my medications for breaking out of cycle.But remember that i`m not a doc,just another clusterhead from Norway

Verapamil Retard 120mgX5-7/daily during cycle
Oxygene alone at 10ltm for 15 minutes or combined with imitrex-shots does miracles.The shots should start working in 6-9minutes.a few seconds after that you are almost painfree
Prednisolone in high doze for 10 days 80mg
then over a 3 weeks periode step down like 60-40-30-20-10-5mg /daily

Title: Re: What can my husband eat?
Post by Donna on Aug 18^th, 2002, 4:36pm

Welcome to our place, and we hope you'll stay. After you have checked out this site and the OUCH site, you will have the best education re: cluster headaches that you can find.

I was a sufferer for 28 years, but am now a supporter as I quit having the HA's in 1986. From the time that I first found this wonderful place ( 1999 ) until now, I don't think I ever heard of a doctor giving a patient a list of foods to avoid.

Is your husband allergic to any foods? Does he associate any foods as triggers? What foods does the doc say to avoid?

The one thing I am sure of from both experience and hearing it from most cluster headache sufferers is that when in cycle, alcohol will almost undoubtedly trigger an attack.

He's on the right track with Verap and O2. What is his Verap doseage?

Title: Re: What can my husband eat?
Post by Ree on Aug 19^th, 2002, 9:12am

I'd be curious to find out which foods your doctor has told your husband not to eat... My hubby is eposodic 20+ years and has never been told to avoid anything but alcohol... and not because it triggers but because the meds dont work mixed with alcohol... ree

Title: Re: What can my husband eat?
Post by Bob P on Aug 19^th, 2002, 9:56am

Last cluster I had a new neurologist. During my first visit he handed me a list of foods to avoid. These foods were of course migraine triggers (aged cheese, red wine, etc.). I pointed out to him that no foods have been identified as being cluster triggers and the list was for migraines. His response was that ch and migraines are very similar conditions. This same neuro, when the insurance company wanted to limit the amout of meds they would cover, said tough, you'll have to live with what your insurance says. He also would not let me fill a prescription for O2, which I had obtained from him a few months earlier so I would be prepared when the cluster started, until I could get in to see him again which was 2 weeks distant.

My take from all of this:

If the neuro hands you a list of food triggers for migraines and tells you to avoid them becasue of CH, go find a neuro who knows CH.

Title: Re: What can my husband eat?
Post by Ree on Aug 19^th, 2002, 2:31pm

Bob after I wrote that last response Dave said the same thing a doc that he saw when he first started his quest to find out what was wrong with him told him stay away from Chocolate... Dairy... MSG... His Neuro now says that is food isnt going to matter... I think sometimes they think these are psychosomatic,,(sp??)
If they tell you to stop eating something and they go away so be it... NOT!!!! especailly if you have CH... Ree

Title: Re: What can my husband eat?
Post by bethdawn on Aug 25^th, 2002, 9:07am

:'(Thank you all for your support. I guess I can stop the tofu and try real food again. Really, thanks for being there for all of us. I never knew you were there@----x12.

Title: Re: What can my husband eat?
Post by debbie4278 on Aug 25^th, 2002, 11:39am

No alcohol, no alcohol, no alcohol. Bummer.

But I eat everything.

Donna, are you still on meds though you are CH free???

I had a 7 yr interim at age 21, I had done food elimination for awhile. I finally swore with a passion that my headaches were from citrus, oj, lemonade, etc. I avoided them like the plague.

Must have been wrong though. I started drinking oj again one day, and no prob. But now I am episodic instead of chronic.

Deb

Title: Re: What can my husband eat?
Post by ChristineL on Aug 25^th, 2002, 11:50am

For what it's worth I eat anything and everything (especially now that I am on Pred - LOL ;D ;D)

The only thing I avoid with the plague is Alcohol because I know it is a trigger for me. I even hold my breath walking down the liquor aisle in the grocery store.

I have added more bananas and other postassium rich foods along with magnesium to my diet but that's about the only thing I have done differently over the past couple of weeks.

Chris L

Title: Re: What can my husband eat?
Post by zanychef on Aug 15^th, 2003, 6:49am

Hi there, :)
I am signed in under my b'friends name and he just told me its best to stay away from eating grapefruit whilst taking vermapimil but he doesn't know why lol ;D

Title: Re: What can my husband eat?
Post by andy on Aug 15^th, 2003, 1:00pm

Bethdawn, I am episodic and when im in cycle (which i am not now) i avoid lots of foods, I would usually only eat the same thing everyday for a week and then the next week i would eat something different for that week. I end up losing 15 or 20 pounds while in cycle. I take a daily vitamin and eat leftovers for a week. My last cycle was the easiest and shortest so far. I am med free except for 02 and imitrex injections for the bad ones. Good luck in finding PF times ...............andy

Title: Re: What can my husband eat?
Post by Margi on Aug 15^th, 2003, 1:21pm

Hi Bethdawn,

I know that migraine diet isn't going to do much for clusterheads, but I've personally witnessed my husband going through hell after eating anything with MSG in it, when he's in cycle. Chinese food is a major culprit there. Also, deli meats and seasoning salt.

Read your labels and watch out for MSG - it has been known to make things worse for a lot of people. (Notice how I didn't use the 'trigger' word??)

Also, I'm a firm believer in that old candida theory (although we are few in numbers, us believers), but it does seem to make a difference for some if they avoid dairy, sugar and yeast while in cycle. Worth a shot anyways.

So what does that leave him to eat? Veggies, whole foods, lean meats, poultry (turkey actually can help him get to sleep because of the tryptophans), fish, and of course....water, water, water!

Best of luck to you. Really good idea to keep a journal of what foods DO appear to set him off, too, so you'll know for next time.

Title: Re: What can my husband eat?
Post by BonnieW on Aug 15^th, 2003, 3:05pm

Funny you should say that Margi - we think that MSG (Chinese Food) affects Warren while he is in cycle too, so we just avoid it for a few months. Warren also suspects that eggs might affect him, so he quits eating eggs for breakfast while in cycle. Otherwise, it is just alcohol that triggers his CH.

The journal that Margi suggested is a great idea too. Good luck!

Title: Re: What can my husband eat?
Post by Jackie on Aug 15^th, 2003, 4:56pm

on 08/19/02 at 09:56:06, Bob P wrote:

If the neuro hands you a list of food triggers for migraines and tells you to avoid them becasue of CH, go find a neuro who knows CH.

I agree 100%. Diamond Headache gave Blake a "migraine diet" to follow.....what a bunch of crap. >:(

Jacks 8)

Title: Re: What can my husband eat?
Post by kim on Sep 2^nd, 2003, 7:30pm

Many neurologist s unfamiliar with ch will hand you that list of "foods to avoid"..........

Therefore, I must differ with Donna. Every doc I saw for about 15 years handed me that "foods to avoid" list.........It happens OFTEN.

Anyhow, when in a cycle, try and eat minimal meals throughout the day thereby avoiding the being full and wanting to relax and nap stage..........its not what you eat. It's how much and how often. I drink lots of coffee and eat only enough to get me by and not to "fill up".

Well wishes. Food is good. But when clustering "NOT TOO MUCH"!!!!!!!!! :)

Title: Re: What can my husband eat?
Post by vig on Sep 4^th, 2003, 4:35pm

It seems to be different for everybody, so just eat and learn. It will become clear to you, or him, what's off limits. Experiment.

Title: Re: What can my husband eat?
Post by Donna on Sep 4^th, 2003, 8:43pm

debbie-41778

I am not on any meds. I have been cluster free since 1986 after living with the Beast for 28 years.

Being one of the older people here, I was diagnosed with "histamine headches" in the '60's, and the only med offered then was Sansert. After doing a little research, I found that it was not a nice drug.......caused terrible consequences down the road......so I stopped taking it. I never realized that there was such a thing as cluster headaches until my son started having them and I looked for them on the internet......and here I am.

I ended up in the ER with some Kip 10's, but the ER docs had nothing to offer except Tylonol #3 which was a big disappointment. But when the pain is that horrible, you don't really know what you're doing and a run to the ER was a last resort cry for help. By the time I got to see the doc, the headache was on it's way out.

I am now a supporter for my 33 yr old son who has had ch since he was 17. He usually aborts his cycle with Prednisone.