While not new to CH, 40 year sufferer, I am new to this site. I wish I had found it many years ago. While reading many entries from newer sufferers, I did not see much about CH trigger foods. Maybe in another area I have not gotten to. Nonetheless, new or previously not properly diagnosed folks need to take heed of the many food triggers that will cause a headache to start.

I cannot touch alcohol (beer, wine, whiskey), even when used in food prep/cooking. Also for me MSG, monosodium glutamate is a immediate trigger within 30 minutesof ingesting. So much foods, gravies, flavored chips, soups, other canned foods contain MSG, and of course Chinese food. Chocolates, aged cheeses, fermented food products, lunch meats with nitrates/nitrites, and most citrus fruits (lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit) although seeming very natural, could be a trigger for different folks.

So while we all look to a medical remedy for relief, I have found adhereing and eliminating my trigger foods from my diet can tremendously reduce the frequency of CH attack. Any sausage almost always has MSG in it. So, those brats, breakfast patties, and othe popular grilled items could be a trigger. Thinking I had a sinus headache years ago, I drank tons of OJ only to find it could be contributing to the cycles.

Maybe someone with more site experience can comment if such information is elsewhere.  THX  Bruce-Ohio

Triggers get talked about a lot, specifically food and drink triggers. Sadly, like everything else about this damned malady, there doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason! :) Some can drink beer but not wine, for some alcohol in moderation doesn't bother them, for some ANY alcohol is a recipe for an almost immediate attack.

I'm lucky in that MSG is not a trigger for me, but is for many on the board. We encourage headache diaries, especially for the newer sufferers, to try and identify any potential triggers. Mine are alcohol, sustained stress, getting really really hungry, or screwing up sleep cycles. Worth the effort to identify your triggers, while it will by no means eliminates your attacks, it can sure cut down on the number of them. Great post.

Joe

Welcome to the Board! And I agree with Joe...keep a headache diary. You'll find some discussion on food triggers as well as some others in the links on allergies. Prayin' for a pain free day for all of us! lance

Years ago, when this site was first gearing up, food triggers were a recurring question.

Believe we concluded that this is much more an issue for migraine than for CH, with the exception of alcohol and solvents but, even then, only when we are in an active cycle. Individual exceptions always find a place in at least one person' life....

But, for fun, went to PubMed and did a search. Out of 22 hits by the time I got down to #17 I was in 1983 (results listed from latest down to oldest). Which is to say, no interest in the question.