Migraines w/ Weight Loss...

ChefChiTown

ChefChiTown

New member
I have suffered from hardcore migraines since I have been a young kid. At first, I would have a migraine about once every 3 or 4 days, but the pain wasn't all that intense. At the time, the pain would be around a 4/10. Then, as I got a little older, my frequency decreased (about once a week), but my pain increased (about a 6/10). Now, as a 27 year old, I get a migraine about once every 2 or 3 weeks and the pain is a 10/10 kind of situation. It has been that way for about 3 or 4 years.

Now, since I have started exercising, eating right and losing weight, I have noticed that I am now getting migraines much more frequently than usual and I was wondering if anybody had any insight as to if my weight loss and/or exercise has anything to do with that.

I have done some research on the internet, but couldn't find anything very valuable, as far as information goes. I also did a search, but couldn't find a thread that already existed like this, so I figured I would ask away.

So, does anybody have any information in regards to migraines and their connection to weight loss (in the sense of frequency)?
 
I'm in the same boat as you, I've been getting migraines since I was a kid, but mine were always very painful and would last weeks. As I got older and started eating right and drinking LOTS of water, my migraines decreased, not pain wise, but in how many I got a month/week/etc. If I eat an influx of sugar or decrease my water intake I subject myself to horrible migraines. [I also get all three kinds for three different reasons]

HOWEVER, are you getting lots of water?
Is there a new food you eat now that you haven't before? Even good foods can triger migraines.
It could be your body adjusting, just hitting your head late. I suffered through a period of migraines due to exercise when I started exercising every.single.day and it lasted quite awhile until I had to add even MORE water.

Best bet? Play around with your foods and water intake.

Also..not enough sleep + exercise can lead to migraines because your body needs an outlit to burn out. You can try catching up on sleep, if you're lacking also.
 
Well, a frequency in migraines would probably be best linked to strenuous activity. So are you lifting weights in addition to cardio?
Maybe you've started off lifting too much weight? Too much weight puts a lot of strain on your brain, particularly around the eyeballs, as well as around the abdomen area, which is often times the cause of hernias (intestines pushing through muscles in the abdomen).
Also, when your body starts to do something that it isn't accustomed to, you can suffer painful side-effects for a short period of time. When I first started working out I was getting some serious stomach aches shortly after my workouts, and eventually they went away as I continued my exercise.

My guess would be that your body isn't used to the exercise, and the rush of blood to the head that your brain isn't used to getting, is what may be causing more frequent migraines. I would say that as you continue to work out and your fitness increases, your migraines will become less frequent and possibly less painful.

I have a friend who has a condition since we were in high school, he has a migraine 24/7, it never goes away, and working out makes his migraine more intense for a short bit, but makes them less painful for longer periods of time.

But, as I usually say, I'm no professional, and this information is only based off what I know and have observed. You try going to a doctor yet about it?
 
I don't know ANYTHING about headaches and I certinally don't claim to! I hardly ever have any--and I think I've only had a migraine once? Who knows.

With that aside, is it possible that you're getting them through stress? Since you're putting your body through so much work all of a sudden, it's gotta be stressful (at least on your body).

I have no clue if that would cause migraines or not, but it sounds reasonable to me :D

As for fixing it, I don't know. My boyfriend says sugar helps him, but I don't believe it because when he says "sugar," he specifically means "soda".
 
I had very bad migraines as a child too (to the point that the only things I could do to survive them were throw up, pass out in a cold darkened room with a wet rag over my face, and/or cry) and I have definitely noticed that I have had an increase in bad headaches since I started working out strenuously, especially if I skip a meal or eat a meal later than my body is used to.

They're not quite migraine-level, but they're definitely the closest thing I've experienced since I was a kid. So I would be interested to see if anyone has an answer to this question as well...
 
That's a toughie.

I too had migraines from age 12 until age 30, whereupon they tapered off gradually and now I am pain-free. They went away when I moved away from Vancouver, to a smaller town in the BC interior. I'm pretty sure it was the altitude change that did it (I'm now almost 3000ft higher than I was then).

But when I did get them (and especially through high school) they were very bad, as bad a maverick describes, 4-5 days per week. And in between the pain was a _constant_ 4/10. So I feel for you.

Most migraines are vascular, meaning they are caused by dilation of the blood vessels in the brain. I could easily see strenuous exercise causing this.
However, you don't say anything about a direct correlation to your migraines and your workouts, so I'm not sure.

My best guess (and it is only a guess) is that it is dietary. For instance, did you consume a lot of caffeine before, but don't now? Since caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, its absence could indeed lead to increased headaches.

(Vulpix, when your friend says sugar and means soada, does he really mean 'cola'? Cause that is what I always drank to blunt the headaches - it's the caffeine that helps, not the sugar)

There may be some other change in your diet since you began your new lifestyle.

I say, ask your doctor.
 
I used to have really bad migraine attacks when I was younger, but over the years they have gotten less intense. Now it's is down to 'just' having a headache, but since I started this weight loss thing, the headaches are pretty much constant.

Not horrible headaches, but it definitely hurts. Gets worse after workouts, and painkillers don't help. I used to be addicted to coffee, so once I stopped drinking it, my head was killing me for a few weeks. Then it settled back down to just a dull pain.

I found that drinking more doesn't help me, unless I throw a cup of coffee in every now and again. Not a lot, just a cup a day. Even tea does the same trick. Usually drink it about half an hour before workouts. As the others said, could be the caffeine....not sure about you, but it works for me.

And yes, I would suggest seing a doctor, especially with the pain level you describe. At the very least he/she could find you a painkiller that helps you until you have figured out what works best for you.
 
fatshowdown said:
Well, a frequency in migraines would probably be best linked to strenuous activity. So are you lifting weights in addition to cardio?
Click to expand...

The strenuous activity makes sense. Umm, yes, I'm lifting weights too.

fatshowdown said:
Maybe you've started off lifting too much weight? Too much weight puts a lot of strain on your brain, particularly around the eyeballs, as well as around the abdomen area, which is often times the cause of hernias (intestines pushing through muscles in the abdomen).
Click to expand...

I'm lifting 5 days a week, but I'm only concentrating on one part of the body per day. Also, I purposely started off with using a low amount of weight, as I didn't want to burn myself out, so to speak. Honestly, I'm not using all that much weight. For instance, when I bench press to work out my chest, I'm only using 150 lbs at the moment. I know I can easily do more, but I don't want to strain myself and get discouraged.

Cord the Seeker said:
That's a toughie.

I too had migraines from age 12 until age 30, whereupon they tapered off gradually and now I am pain-free. They went away when I moved away from Vancouver, to a smaller town in the BC interior. I'm pretty sure it was the altitude change that did it (I'm now almost 3000ft higher than I was then).
Click to expand...

Hmm, location? I just moved from Chicago to Cleveland a few weeks ago. Maybe the environment is playing a role in this too. Hmm, I'll have to look into that.

San said:
I found that drinking more doesn't help me, unless I throw a cup of coffee in every now and again. Not a lot, just a cup a day. Even tea does the same trick. Usually drink it about half an hour before workouts. As the others said, could be the caffeine....not sure about you, but it works for me.

And yes, I would suggest seing a doctor, especially with the pain level you describe. At the very least he/she could find you a painkiller that helps you until you have figured out what works best for you.
Click to expand...

Yeah, drinking more (as in water) doesn't help with anything. I've tried that and my problem isn't a form of dehydration. Actually, I've tried just about everything. I've been to almost 2 dozen doctors and specialists that have all come to find absolutely no way to help me relieve my migraines. Nobody can find out "why" I get them, so nobody can help me get rid of them. I've tried dozens of different medications, dozens of different therapeutic techniques and dozens of different diets...none of which have worked.

It just seems as if my migraines are getting more frequent again and I'm afraid that's connected to my workouts (which would SUCK).
 
heya chef,
sorry to hear your suffering from migraines. i've had headaches pretty much all my life and the last 10yrs or so graduated to migraines that i'd get for anywhere between 2-4days continuously everyweek...i've been living on painkillers for as long as i can remember.

interestingly enough ever since i started my health eating (in feb) and exercising (in march), the migraines have completely vanished! i've only had 2 headaches since and one was just 2 days ago (stomach bug related), and the other was when i was PMS'ing (which i'm sure is a problem you don't have...lol!)

otherwise i'm headache free now and thank everyday for it. i should however point out that when i first started health eating strictly, the first 3-4 days i had one long straight bada$$ migraine, i read up alot about it and in my case i think what i found on google was what some guy had called a 'healing crisis'...according to him he said when the body's been fed with bad foods for years and years then all of a sudden is being fed strictly with good stuff only, the body goes through an adjustment period whereby the toxins start to accumulate in readiness to be expelled from the body....and hence can bring side effects such as headaches, nauseau and various mild ailments....but thereafter the body adjusts after a few days and everything's fine after that.

sorry for the long winded explanation just thought it was worth a mention since you'd asked. i really hope your migraines go away...i know what a downer they can be.
 
With migraines it's pretty hard to say for sure if something you're doing it is triggering it. According to my doctor, sometimes migraine patterns just change as you age. (Which really sucks when they become more frequent).

I've recently gone through an increase in them and here are some of the things I've looked into:

1) "TMJ" issues - I discovered that my joint definitely doesn't work quite right and that can contribute to the migraines. I've ended up with a custom fit dental guard which I wear to prevent jaw clenching (especially in my sleep).
2) Food allergies - I'm doing an allergy elimination diet right now to see I have an allergies or intolerances which might contribute.
3) Trigger point therapy - I picked up the Trigger Point Therapy Workbook - one of the claims is that muscle trigger points can be part of a migraine trigger. I've had the book for less than a week, so I can't say whether or not it makes difference.
4) Physical therapy - I had neck/shoulder issues and got about 3 weeks of physical therapy to work on some imbalances. I also still try to do exercises on the areas they highlighted. That was back in February - the first week I had 3 migraines, but following that I've only had one. Which compared to 2 a week is a big improvement.

I don't know how much of this could help you, but it's at least something to check out!
 
Wild Vulpix said:
As for fixing it, I don't know. My boyfriend says sugar helps him, but I don't believe it because when he says "sugar," he specifically means "soda".
Click to expand...

As a side note - caffeine is well known for lessening migraine pain. In fact, Excedrin migraine is really just Tylenol + caffeine ;)
 
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