How I Got Rid of Migraines Completely

The histamine connection

They say a clear conscience is the best pillow. Well, I can’t sleep another night without telling my story of how I finally kicked migraines to the curb.

I’ve suffered from debilitating migraines for 30+ years, non-stop, so I would be selfish and remiss and downright horrible to not share what I’ve finally figured out about migraines.

If you’ve tried everything short of cutting off your head to stop migraines, please keep reading.

Just to clarify, I’ve tried everything over the years, and nothing gave me permanent or significant relief. But I never gave up hope and when the migraines intensified in fury and occurrence, I clung to the belief that there was something my body was trying to tell me.

I realize that migraine is a complex and individualistic problem, so I am not sure if what I’ve found will be the ticket for you, but if you’ve tried everything and are still not getting relief, you may be dealing with histamine intolerance.

I feel your pain

Before I get to what histamine intolerance is, let me say I am not a doctor, nutritionist, naturopath, etc. I am just a woman who suffered from migraines and would do anything to find the answer to preventing them.

Over the years I’ve tried supplements such as Butterbur and Feverfew which only resulted in developing an allergic reaction to those herbs. I’ve taken magnesium and niacin without any impact.

I’ve been to physical therapy twice which did relieve neck tension and related headaches but didn’t take the edge off the migraines. I tried chiropractic more than I care to admit with no change — in fact, it may have made them worse at one point.

Pregnancy didn’t alleviate them— they were intensified and horrifying because there are no safe meds to take during pregnancy. Essential oils acted like a driver for mine — deepening the pain and intensity.

Massage triggered them as did aerobic activity, so forget the advice about exercise. We tried blood pressure meds and MRIs revealed no abnormalities that should cause them.

Basically, I was screwed and the only answer left from doctors was, “Take this pill when you get one.” The triptans worked but left me with Reynaud’s and significant circulation problems. Entering my 50’s I wondered what all these meds were doing to my heart and knowing that migraine increased my risk of stroke I became increasingly concerned. Not to mention, I was just f-ing sick of the pain! (I’m not much of a swearer but migraines are evil!)

The last hope was acupuncture

So, as I said, I had exhausted all my options except acupuncture. To shorten this I will say acupuncture helped a lot (and has aided with the circulation issue) but did not fully eradicate them. What acupuncture did for me, however, was removed most of them so I had some breathing room in between attacks. It was then that I was able to analyze when I got one and what had likely triggered it.

I began to notice clear patterns now that were directly tied to certain foods and activities: chocolate, caffeine, eggs, vinegar, Greek yogurt, fish oil, probiotics, citrus, to name a few. Getting overheated during exercise, a sauna, a hot bath, or even a walk on a hot day would also trigger one. MSG is a HUGE trigger and should be banned from all foods!

It was then that I casually mentioned my strange triggers on Facebook and a friend replied, “I think you have histamine intolerance.”

This was the first time I had heard of such a thing, but it sounded plausible since food allergies were also part of my life.

A little googling about histamine intolerance and I was convinced that I could be the poster child for it.

Histamine intolerance

The short and long of it is if one’s body has too much histamine build-up, adding any histamine in the form of food or lactic acid breakdown (from exercise) can trigger strange symptoms, migraine being one of them. In addition, it’s possible to be deficient in an enzyme, DAO, that breaks down histamine.

So, for me, perfectly good and otherwise healthy food like Greek yogurt or apple cider vinegar could trigger a migraine. It’s actually more like a tipping point; if too much histamine builds up the bowl of salsa could put me over the edge. So keeping high histamine foods out of my diet — or at a minimum — has been the ticket for me!

I began working with an integrative nutritionist who gave me resources to identify high histamine foods and suggested supplements that would bring the histamine down. My life has changed dramatically!

Now, I rarely get anything resembling a migraine, and if I do, I use my supplements, followed by one over the counter tablet for migraine (which includes caffeine) and I knock it right out.

I’ve gone from being plagued with migraines that hit me out of nowhere to feeling in control of my life.

I haven't had to take a triptan in several months and I no longer fear a migraine striking and sidelining me for the day or sending me the emergency room.

The reason I’m sharing this

Can I tell you how badly I wish someone — anyone — would have pointed me down this road years ago? When I think of all the migraines I've suffered over the years that could have been prevented…well, let’s not go there. Let’s just celebrate that I found the problem and it’s an easy fix.

If you think this might be the reason — or one of the reasons — for your migraines, here is more information. As soon as you click on that link you’ll get a free download with a list of foods ranked from low to high histamine. Try eliminating the high histamine foods on this list from your diet, see if the migraines subside, and then test some foods.

I would much rather live without some things and make substitutions in my diet than ever experience another migraine. I bet you would too!