Headaches? - North Reading,MA

I have an allergy to artificial sweetners - a small amount of aspertame or sucralose, etc. will give me a headache (NOT a myth) while larger amounts need a trip to the hospital. As another mom pointed out, you may have a mild allergy to something or suffering from dehydration. It is not uncommon for alleriges to sulfides/nitrates to cause headaches and these are found in a variety of foods. You should consider seeing a doctor for an allergy test or try a diet diary or an elimination diet.
Good luck,
C.

I found out a little over a year ago that I am gluten intolerant so no wheat, bread, pasta, crackers etc (unless they are gluten free). I never thought in a million years it would be my "go-to" food when I was feeling sick but it was actually making me sicker. I had a blood test done through Meridian Valley Labs and since I have been following my new diet, I feel soooo much better- no more headaches/migraines and almost all my stomach issues have gone away too! I am also allergic to rye, spelt, egg whites (but not the yolks) and certain beans. Also if I eat anything "light" or "diet" that is sweetened with the aspartame I get horrible headaches that last for days! Good luck, I know it can be very frustrating trying to get to the root cause of headaches!

MSG and processed foods/cheeses, sugary foods. I started years ago keeping a food diary that helped me eliminate certain products from my diet, that were causing me daily headaches. Try a diary - you have to write down everything you put into your mouth so you can then eliminate what you think might be the triggers for your headaches. (It is also a good way to curb eating those extra calories that add up to extra pounds! ha!) Certain smells - perfume, onions, paint, household cleaners... also give me the "aura" headaches. I use unscented products as much as possible, and read the labels on all my food before buying. Try drinking 1-2 cups of coffee or caffeine a day, then water the rest of the day. Too much caffeine can give you headaches as well. I have noticed a tremendous difference since keeping the diary. I've suffered from migraines since a child and they are so debilitating. Good luck!

could also be the heat on, cleaners you use in your home or low magnesium. Any food could cause a headache if you are allergic.

try keeping a log of what you eat, when you clean, etc...

do you take any extra magnesium?

Studies have shown it's more about adding things than eliminating. I think it's more important to take a comprehensive liquid nutritional supplement (not pre-mixed - a powder you mix yourself) like Reliv - you don't have to avoid all those foods! You just need to give your body the nutrition it needs. I have gotten rid of my headaches without eliminating anything, also I no longer have allergies (which caused congestion but also headaches and sinus infections). My life has totally changed.

Gas and bloating can also lead to some very nasty headaches that will not go away with coffee or meds. Are you prone to stomach issues? I have IBS and sometimes get very bad headaches because I'm gassy. Dairy and some veggies can really blow you up. I hope you feel better soon! :)

Headaches can be hard to figure out. Besides sinuses, vision issues, ear issues, teeth issues, jaw alignment (TMJ), etc certain foods can be triggers and they can vary a lot from person to person. Sometimes a combination of sinuses and big weather changes in the spring/fall will have me laying down with a heating pad over my face for a day.
When I was in collage I could drink anything and it didn't bother me. Now I find that anything other than wine, brandy or hard cider will give me horrible headaches the next day. No more mixed drinks or beer for me. I've been told sulfides might be the problem, but wine never bothers me. Anything with vodka, rum, etc or even 1 bottle of beer (makes no difference which brand) and I'll have a headache for a day or two.
I don't drink a lot of caffeine (1 cup of coffee in the morning) because if I have any after noon I'll be up all night. Sometimes I find that one cup of coffee will head off a headache for me, but it's not caffeine withdrawal.
Some people have trouble with MSG. Eating at a Chinese restaurant or some salad bars will cause them pain. MSG has never bothered me.

I quit using Splenda in my coffee every morning and that has helped my headaches (and cleared my breakouts!), good luck!

anything with MSG, foods containing nitrates/nitrites, aged cheeses and meats, overly salty foods, foods that contain preservatives in general!

I avoid wine, beer, msg, and all processed food ingredients like msg (http://www.msgmyth.com/hidename.htm), sulfides/sulfates, nitrates/nitrites. Some foods are natural headache causers and I try to not eat much: cooked tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, fancy cheeses. A lot of meats have nitrates in them. Other meats are injected with sulfates (brands of chicken). It's frustrating and a pain to avoid these foods but it's worth it bc it really works! Read the msg myth websites carefully. I basically follow what they say and I have been pretty much headache free for 4 years now! Yay!

you got a lot of good suggestions, I know I get really bad headaches when I do not dring enough water during the day. The next morning I wake up sluggish and with a really nasty headache (almost feels like a hangover but without drinking the night before) I also got headaches from caffine withdrawal - went from drinking 2-3 soda's a day and then went to drinking just water and it took about 2 weeks for the headaches to stop. same thing happened when I stopped drinking 1 cup of coffee a day. I try to stay away from caffine as much as possible now.

Stay away from MSG (monosodium glutamate)! It is awful and causes major headaches!

I was getting headaches every day & finally realized it was dark diet sodas. I was getting the headaches regardless of if it had caffine or was caffine-free. I initially thought it was the aspertame but I don't have the same problem with diet sprite. I'm thinking the artifical color was causing the problem. Good luck solving your mystery!

A rotation diet might help you figure out what is causing headaches. Gluten can cause migrane in some people

For my dad's migranes - it's cheese. If you are having frequent headaches, you might want to go in for an allergy/food intolerance test. My dad did and it helped alot.

More importantly, are you hydrated and are you eating every 3 hours? Dehydration and low blood sugar can cause headaches.

Coffee. Anything with caffeine. Lots of sugar.

how much caffeine do you drink?
too much can cause your blood vessels to constrict which causes headaches. Also, the opposite is true that if you don't drink ANY then on the onset of a headache a soda + ibuprofren helps bc the caffeine opens the hemogloben in the blood.

other than that, food doesnt really CAUSE headaches. that is kind of a myth.

alcohol and caffeine, sure.
but not food really. (unless you are gluten intolerant???? have you tried going GF for a week to see if that could be the issue?)