Years ago this used to be a big topic of discussion here but there seems to be scant evidence that this is a common problem with CH--migraine, yes.

I suspect you will get the greatest agreement around alcohol and various solvents.

The only food sensitivity I've encountered is lack of! If I let myself get really hungry, it acts as a trigger when I'm on cycle. I'm a big fan of oriental food, which I've been told is awash in Msg's, and fortunately it's never caused attacks for me, on or off cycle.

Joe

Guiseppi wrote on Feb 28^th, 2010 at 5:35pm:
I think Joe nailed this one.  Keeping the tummy full is key.

2 benefits to being in cycle are i drop a few pounds because i also have a loss of appetite and i also make sure ill never be an alcoholic as of course i cant have any booze. i think i also drop a few pounds due to the no booze/beer/wine, etc. i used to think there were food triggers as well. i still think dairy for me can be an issue, but for the most part i agree that in my 20 years with CH all the food triggers, peanuts, msg, etc have been debunked. i try to stay away from msg just for good health, but u are right it shows up in so many different ways.

i gotta laugh about the "natural flavor" thing. isnt natural flavor in any food? i guess natural flavor is better than unnatural flavor. the food industry is a bit scary.

i do know someone bought me a bread machine once and the smell of the yeast, bread making smelled great but gave me the worst CH ever. I got rid of that thing immediately.

I’m finding it hard to believe that more people aren’t having this problem. Maybe it’s because so many of you have not tried an elimination diet, to feel the difference?

So the good news is I’m at the end of this cycle. I had three nights in a row without o2. So the other night we were having fish and chips and I had about 2 tablespoons of tarter sauce and the potatoes. I knew I was taking a chance but I was feeling good.  That night I got maybe three hours sleep and had to hit the o2 three times.

Last night I was back to fried rice(home made) and I had a good night. Today I had very little shadow, nothing a cup of coffee couldn’t clear up.

When I’m in cycle it’s not that I don’t’ get hit. I just don’t get hit so hard.

It may be worth you checking out what foods contain Tyromines and hidden MSG.

Ya, and what's with "natural flavor" I scares the sh-t out of me. So many foods list it as an ingredient. They are adding this stuff to our food. Look up MSG and see how many names it goes by. They’re coming up with new names all the time.

Peace, Hickory

Over the years my triggers have changed.

I developed a full blown allergy to wheat about a year ago, since then when I eat anything made from wheat at all (including the caramel food coloring in pepsi, or anything with flour or modified food starch) I'm screwed. Huge trigger.  Other things I'm allergic to (certain antibiotics, etc) also seem to be triggers.

Before I developed a wheat allergy I could eat anything I wanted except wine.

My guess is that your triggers aren't the foods specifically, but your mild allergy to the foods. 

Everyone's triggers are different though, and the longer you have this the more they seem to morph. Even which medications work/don't work changes.

Katy

Shaggy the crumudgeon would say something like, "just get used to the crazy food triggers and adjust with each cycle"!

Sensitive Shaggy would maybe say the same thing, but food really does trigger and I think the triggers can change over time.  My last small cycle I wouldn't really touch apples, but oranges were very soothing.  The smell of catnip started a cycle once, but I don't avoid it now.  Eating chocolate before an attack has made me hurl during the attack.  It all changes for me.

Lately I have noticed that a small sip of water during my cycle will trigger an attack just like it did years ago in school.  I usually drink a lot of water, but during my cycle when drinking water I drink a lot at one time.  Add that to the list of strange triggers.  All very mysterious. 

The Oregonian (newspaper) came out with an article claiming that Oregon Myrtle triggers attacks.  I love that smell and smell it every chance I can when in its habitat.

The moral of the story is find what is your trigger and avoid.  If it changes then adjust with it. 

--Shaggy

It's kinda funny. I was told for over 15 years that what I had were migraines because my HA had so many traits of migraine like the food sensitivity, nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, no droopy eye or runny nose. When I read about a study of 30 people who were tested for their food sensitivity and how it affects their migraines I have to take it with a grain of salt. How many of those people are misdiagnosed clusterheads. Many of us were told the same thing for years, that what we got were migraines. It wasn’t until I found this site that I found people who were experiencing the type of pain I was.

It seems hard to tell the difference between Migraines and Clusters. When I started with this pain almost twenty years ago I would kip 5-6 most times, sometimes 7. They wouldn’t wake me up at night. If I got one and was able to get to sleep it would go away. I would only get them while I was awake, mostly triggered by smells or just life. As time went on they changed. They started waking me up and would kip 9+. Now my cycle lasts 4-10 weeks with up to 6 hits a day. The pain is the same just more intense.

"A Rose is still a Rose by any other name."

As for the food problem as long as I avoid foods high in tyromines, or that contain any form of MSG the hits aren’t as bad. At least that’s how it woks for me now. Peace, Hickory.

I had my first reaction to MSG about 18 years ago, and I bloated up like a stuck pig. None of my clothes would fit and I found out that I had gained about 20 pounds within 36 hours. It didn't trigger a CH. So far I still stay away from MSG as best as possible. Even had Campbell Soups send me a list of their products with it (a lot, sadly). One of my triggers, like the gentleman above, is getting hungry. So I keep my mint oreos and generic frosted flakes in my car. Plus having them out there keeps me from bingeing, as I am also a diagnosed bulimic (since I was an early teen). I only allow myself 3 of those oreos a day and a little bit of the FF. Just enough to take away the hunger a bit. (I still have regular small meals thruout the day, fyi). Everyone needs to have about 6 small meals a day, according to most doctors. Good advice I guess. I even gave up all carbonated sodas last June (09) and about 99% of pasta. That didn't help the CH. Just my waistline (down 2 pant sizes). But for the past 2 years have had CHs last up to 2 months continously. Average is 1 month. then a week break then another month on. fun isn't it?