Hi! I'm hoping I can get a little info on the possibility of certain foods causing headaches. I woke up Sunday morning with a slight one, but now it's Tuesday, and I'm still feeling it. I was getting them alot before changing my eating, that's why I think it has something to do with food. The only thing different I have eaten in the last few days is potato chips. Is this a food that would do this? I just want to add, I drink coffee, so I don't think it's caffeine related. Any input would be appreciated...thank you.

Chocolate, processed lunch meats like salami and bologna, red wine, and MSG are all triggers for headaches for me.

Hope you are feeling better soon.
ThinLynn

I Know what you are going through I have migranes, they stink. I get them if I don't drink enough water or eat every 3 hour. The things you wrote about don't help either. Mine are mostly from stress. Eating a healthy diet seems to have helped me good luck angelmom http://cwm.ragesofsanity.com/otn/angels/littleangel.gif

I get BAD headaches if I eat anything that is highly salted.

:rose:

Thank you all so much. When you mentioned the salt, that rang a bell. Besides the potato chips I had, I also had some chinese Friday night. I think I overdid it with the salt, thats for sure! I just hate waking up with a headache that lasts this long. I'll be staying away from the salty foods again to see if that was it. Thanks again!

i was having a lot of headaches, to the point where i thought i had a problem, anyway i had just come off holiday from hong kong and thialand, where i had constant headache- i was convinced i had a brain tumor, then i saw an advert for allergy testing in a heath food shop (to all uk people holland and barratt) and had an allergy test, it showed chicken as the main problem,(ate tons of it on holiday) along with tomatoes , coffee (which i dont drink, but did consume great quantities of tia maria while away)plus a few other things,but only mildly sensitive to, i also found that when i had a cuuy from the indian i would get headache,(thought it was the colouring they use) started to have prawn curry , no problems , also cut out all the things that could give me a problem , and ive had no headaches , its great, if i do eat chicken though i do get headache , also turkey but not duck thank goodness , the allergy test was the best £30 ive spent , here is a list of my results
very sensitive;
chicken
salmon (dont like it anyway)
coffee (but my tia maria)
tomato (only eat now in small amounts and i seem to be ok, but bad if i eat alot)
moderate sensitive;
wheat (dont eat a lot of bread and things)
beef (i do get h/a if i eat a lot)
tuna (ok if i eat a same amount)
lemon ( h/a even with lemonade)
peppers ( yes h/a again)
from jenny

Henner - Chinese food is LOADED with MSG, which is one of the main triggers for headache. Could be a combination MSG/salt?

If you like Chinese, there are alot of Chinese restaurants that are advertising that they no longer use MSG. Ask when you go there or look for an advertisment at their restaurant when you go in.

Also, Aspartme (nutrasweet) is a major cause of headaches in people who have allergies to that substance. Do you drink or eat a lot of sugar free products that have nutrasweet? That always produces headaches for me.....

Hope you get to feeling better real soon!

MSG is evil stuff....it is in quite a bit of chinese food. I am really sensitive to it, but I don't just get a headache, I also get intestinal issues too (ugh). But it's true that a lot of chinese places are starting to advertise that they do not use MSG. The other thing I do is call a place first and ask them. If you do wind up somewhere that does use MSG, you can order your food without the MSG, but only the stuff they make for you...things like appetizers that are pre-made can't have the MSG omitted. Be sure you repeat the "NO MSG" thing a few times though so they get the point. I also make a point of saying "No MSG, I am allergic." I think they get afraid of being sued so they are sure to put the order in correctly.

Just some pointers!
J.

I love chinese! But it doesn't like me...I always wake up the next morning with swollen fingers! I just thought I'd have a nice treat seeing I haven't had it for awhile. By the way, what is MSG? Is it additives that are put in the food? And I wanted to add, my headache finally left! Thank you all for the kind words and well wishes!

MSG is the sodium salt of the amino acid glutamic acid and a form of glutamate. It is sold as a fine white crystal substance, similar in appearance to salt or sugar. It does not have a distinct taste of its own, and how it adds flavor to other foods is not fully understood. Many scientists believe that MSG stimulates glutamate receptors in the tongue to augment meat-like flavors.
Asians originally used a seaweed broth to obtain the flavor- enhancing effects of MSG, but today MSG is made by a fermenting process using starch, sugar beets, sugar cane, or molasses.

Glutamate itself is in many living things: It is found naturally in our bodies and in protein-containing foods, such as cheese, milk, meat, peas, and mushrooms.

Some glutamate is in foods in a "free" form. It is only in this free form that glutamate can enhance a food's flavor. Part of the flavor-enhancing effect of tomatoes, certain cheeses, and fermented or hydrolyzed protein products (such as soy sauce) is due to the presence of free glutamate.

Hydrolyzed proteins, or protein hydrolysates, are acid- treated or enzymatically treated proteins from certain foods. They contain salts of free amino acids, such as glutamate, at levels of 5 to 20 percent. Hydrolyzed proteins are used in the same manner as MSG in many foods, such as canned vegetables, soups, and processed meats.

(Taken from the FDA website)

-Kristin

Here's a website I found relating to MSG and migranes. It isn't very scientific, but it might have some useful information
http://www.magicnet.net/~btnature/

-Kristin again

Kristin-

What a great site for those of us who suffer from MSG-induced migraine headaches. Thanks for this link!

ThinLynn

Thanks Kristin! I found that site very helpful. Besides the everlasting headaches, it might of been the cause for my night sweats! I would sleep with the fan on me in the winter because I would wake up with my head soaked. Boy did I hate that. I thought I was going through "the change" early, I'm only 42. Now I know the reason!

MSG in Chinese foods gives me trouble with my asthma & headaches everytime I eat it. At our favorite restaurant, I asked for my food to be made without it, & they told me it couldn't be done. I then realized that it was because they had all the food pre-made in a steam table in the back...no special orders for them! When I asked the waitress if this was the case she admitted it was. I left & found a more allergy -friendly restaurant!
Dolci

Henner I can identify with the headaches..I know MSG is my worst culprit...Or not eating enough can trigger headaches as well..Or it can just be the weather...I always know when we are going to have a weather change when I get a nasty headache which I can't overcome. We aren't doctors here but I would discuss this with your family doctor..It could be a simple little thing such as minor allergies as well..hope you find out the reason..