About 20 years ago when I was diagnosed with asthma (the price, I suspect, for my days as a chain-smoker), I was sent to an allergist for all the tests - both arms and shoulders, and across my back. That's when they believed that asthma was necessarily due to allergies (they know better now). Anyway, he tested me for everything he could think of, and gave me concentrated scratch tests for animals because I have cats. In the end, he seemed very put out with the fact that everything came back negative. He swore I had to be allergic to my cats, in spite of the fact that he couldn't get even a minor reaction to his scratch tests. He actually seemed quite angry about it.

>I'd like to get a full allergy test one day (the one with all of the sticks in your arms of different items so you can determine which ones your body reacts to) in order to determine what else might be a trigger. I cannot take MSG, so as much as I love chinese food, it is really difficult to find one that doesn't include it in all of the recipes and packaged products. I have to avoid mushrooms entirely and shrimp too, although I can eat (and love) crab and lobster. That's not too bad considering I have two aunts who are deadly allergic to shellfish. I love soy sauce, but the salt level is unbelievable. I'm trying to avoid all sources of salt in my diet as well and actually went on the dash diet for a few months. Salt and sugar is in just about everything though so even intentionally avoiding the substances doesn't remove it completely from your diet. I'm struggling right now because I had a household accident when I moved recently. A heavy security glass storm dorm caught on my
> ankle and required 10 stitches. Had to go back twice to the ER to repair stitches that came out. Well you know how much your ankle bends on a regular basis, so it has been difficult getting it to heal completely. I'm waiting for the day I can wear tennis shoes again and get back to exercising! As much as I detest exercising (too many years of forced exercise) I try to do it regulary because I feel so much better when I do :o)
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>>Interesting that you also identified wheat as a trigger. I even buy gluten fee soy sauce.
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>>I find I can actually get away with the occassional sandwich etc, but I make sure it is a rare thing in my diet and now I am relatively headache free ( I find exercise helps a lot too )
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>>>I had my first experience with a 'real' migraine about 2 years ago. they continued on for about 2 years until I cut out all forms of wheat that I could. There is still wheat in many products which I try to avoid if possible. I do not drink wine as well, but I do drink grape juice. Luckily, I have not had one for 3 months now (they were around 2 a month), and since you have the real thing as well, you know what a blessing that is! :o)
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>>>>That's my understanding too - something in the skins anyway - causes a histamine reaction that is a migraine trigger. (I think it is the same part of red wine that is good for your heart ) I do know I can drink it now with meals without noticing ill effect. ( as long as I avoid bread )
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>>>>But food triggers in migraine are tricky. Not the same for all people and seem to change for people over time. My wife swears hers are subject to barometric changes. A lot of correlation is anectodal since even the world class experts in migraine ( Dr. Kunkel, my doctor here at Cleveland Clinic for example) don't know much about migraines or even what they are. Fortunately, with the new triptan drugs you can actually eliminate the pain part. I have mine under control with diet and exercise and seldom need triptans now but it is nice to know they are there. Since migraines are generally preceded by all kinds of symptoms - vision weirdness, nausea, burning sensations in other nerves etc - it was pretty bad knowing that meant two or three days of the kind of pain that made heroin sound pretty good Now it is just a signal it is time to take a triptan.
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>>>>My wife and I both have had them all our lives and are amused by people who say "Oh, yes, I get terrible headaches. Sometimes I have to take 2 aspirin ! " With a real migraine you can take enough codeine that they could amputate your foot without your noticing and still feel unbearable headache pain.
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>>>>( fun fact : tincture of cannabis was sold for years as a prophylactic against migraine. )
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>>>>>I was under the impression that the tannin in red wine is a migraine trigger. No?
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>>>>>>>Charles, what about red wine? There is increasingly *very* good evidence that you'll live longer if you drink it.
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>>>>>>I used to think I had some kind of histamine reaction to red wine because it often seemed to trigger migraines ( the bullet with my name on it ) but I have come to realize it is wheat or gluten that is the culprit ( good French bread often went with good red wine ) So now I enjoy it with dinner often, albeit more when I travel than at home. My idea of eating well is pretty much Catalonia, Provence, Tuscany, Western Turkey. All of that involves wine with dinner ( or whatever is local for anisette ) But I really do drink it for the taste,not the buzz.
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>>>>>>Of course in college - when buzz was all important - since I didn't like beer I drank red wine ( jug - the wine of which the critics said "I don't see how they can make a profit on this stuff at $1.00 a gallon" ) or sometimes of the 'sparkling' variety ( some demon had unleashed something called Ripple on the world ) Bad bad hangovers. But as I said, that was the sixties so non liquid alternatives soon became available and I didn't drink for consciousness altering again for thirty years.