I can usually knock it out by eating KFC’s mashed potatoes. I know that sounds weird, but it works for me, and it’s the only thing that seems to work.
Here’s the problem. I have hypoglycemia and was recently put on a REALLY strict diet… no starches, no sugars, etc… (It’s almost a variant of the Atkins diet… but it’s a little different.)
So, I was wondering if anyone has any clue what might be in the mashed potatoes (it’s ONLY the KFC ones that work) that gets rid of my migraines… and is it something I can find in another food that I might be able to eat?
Just wanted to extend my sympathies on the migraines. I’ve had them my whole life and they really suck. I have lots of triggers, one of which was blood sugar crashes. Since I adopted a low carb eating program (Atkins, as a matter of fact), I don’t get blood sugar crash migraines any more. Of course, I still get them from lots of other things (changes in barometric pressure, damn hormones, hot weather, etc).
Anyway, my point is that once your blood sugar stabilizes, you may find that you don’t get as many migraines.
No idea what’s in KFCs potatoes. Here’s their nutrition info, but it’s not too useful.
Hypoglycemics and diabetics can experience headaches as part of the symptoms of the condition. Maybe there’s something in the potatoes that’s giving you the ‘fix’ you need?
-Ashley
(I’m just taking wild guesses here…I’m not a doctor–yet. Why doncha go see one? Take care!)
that my healt insurance lets me go to… none of them believe that hypoglycemia even exists. So much for the lab work/blood tests that the insurance company paid for.
Thanks for the help.
I only get them about 3 times a year. No clue what triggers them…
I’m going to go find a dark room to hide in for a while… staring at the monitor definitely is not helping.
I have a LONG association with migraines. The first thing you have to remember is that there is no sure- fire cure. Believe me, if there was we would know by now.
There are things you can do to reduce the occurances.
1.Track your triggers religiously!
2. Drink plenty of water.
3. Reduce stress. (See if you can get your insurance to go for massage therapy) Another GREAT way to reduce stress and stop migraines is bio-feedback! Cheap way - progressive relaxation tapes.(let me know if you can’t find good ones)
4. Use ‘Afrin’ during barametric changes.
5. Avoid alcohol. If you must drink, drink only white wine made with no sulphides (sp?). NO RED!
6. Avoid chocolate
Are you sure you have HG? Some panic disorders have the exact same symtoms as HG. Did you have the ‘drip test’? I’m way out on a limb here (I’m not a Dr.) but if you have constant low level stress, it could cause a panic/ stress disorder and migraines. I do have personal experence with this.
For masking the pain try:
Excedrin Migrain formula, it’s the caffine that constricts the flow of blood to your head. Conversly, although a hot bath or shower relaxes your muscles it also opens up blood flow (bad). Try taking a hot shower (to relax) followed by running water as cold as you can stand over your head and neck.
DON’T take asprin.
For something a little stronger try ‘Hydrocodone/apap’. It’s like extra-strength Vicodin. (Requires a RX. If your Dr. won’t prescribe it, go to one who will.)
I tried ‘Imitrex’. Did not work for me and it’s WAY, WAY too dangerous.
Finally, if you have a killer migraine go to the emergency room at your local hospital and get a shot of Demerol. It’s expensive, but 100 mg’s later you will be absolutely cured. Works everytime!
Don’t take asprin? I have my bottle in front of me and Excedrin Migraine contains asprin.
As far as my migraines go, if I catch them in the begining a few asprin and a cup of coffee or can of coke usually does the trick. Same principle as the Excedrin but actually drinking something with caffine seems to make me feel better too.
If I don’t catch it early Imitrex works for me like a magic pill. However, I don’t really like to take it because of the possible side effect so I usually only take about one a year after the headache has gotten so bad that I don’t care about side effects.
Another migraineur checking in…
You have my sincere sympathy.
I agree with most of what’s been posted. The Percogesic works pretty well for an OTC drug. The “migraine” versions of Excedrin and Advil, etc. are not any different from the regular versions, just different packaging. Read the labels sometime…when you don’t have a migraine, that is.
My doctor said when I feel one coming on, I should take 4 gel-tab Advils, to get 800 mgs. into my system quickly. That seems to work pretty well for the not-too-bad migraines, the minor ones I sometimes get that hang on for days.
I also take 150 mgs of Atenolol (a beta blocker) and 50 mgs of Verapamil (a calcium channel blocker) everyday, to reduce and/or prevent migraines.
I also use the Imitrex nasal spray, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. I also have pills with butabital, aspirin, caffeine and codiene. They help a lot with the pain!
As for why KFC mashed potatoes helps, I have no idea. Some of mine are definately food-triggered, and root veggies are on my no-no list, along with sourdough bread, red wine and peanuts. I can eat instant mashed potatoes, since they are so highly processed, but “real” mashed potatoes are out. Too much refined sugar is also a migraine trigger.
As kasuo said, get plenty of sleep and water. I have found if I don’t drink a lot of water, I get those all-day minor headaches that nothing will get rid of.
In college, I used to get this stuff at the Health Center called Migrainex, which contained caffeine, ibuprofen, & ephedrine sulfate. Worked like a voodoo charm…I’d just take two & in fifteen minutes, I’d be good as new.
Since college, though, I haven’t had much luck in tracking this stuff down. My migraines aren’t generally too severe, so I can usually make them go away with just 800 mg of ibuprofen & a caffeinated beverage, but I still get very sleepy as the headache recedes, & I do have trouble with photosensitivity.
It took Dr’s 12 years to finally diagnose me with “atypical migraines” because while I get the whole migraine “aura”, I don’t get headaches. I never get headaches; even the plain ones. I was told it was hypoglycemia, allergies, heart murmur, incorrect breathing habits (I kid you not!) and mental illness. Finally, a neurologist referred me to the chairman of the neurology department at University of Miami who after EXTENSIVE tests, said migraines without the headache part. Many drug attempts later, we found one that worked: 50mg. of zoloft daily. While this is normaly an anti-depressant, it also has the side effect of preventing migraines. Took 3 months for it to finally have any effect but now it has been a godsend. I went from daily migraines to now only one week out of six. And the ones I do get are less severe.
zoloft is perscription only and does have the side effect of reducing sex drive.
Asprin alone is a vascular dilator (that’s why they suggest taking it during a heart attack). That makes it worse for sufferers. The caffine is imperative if taking asprin as a pain killer.
I’ve gotten the aura of migraines (not the pain) when starting running too fast at a beginning of a run. Most unusal aura: a pac-man colored a bright orange-yellow or gold, sometimes two or more pac-men. The first time I got it, about 10 years ago, it covered my whole field of vision, but it was beautiful. It was like seeing a sun or two.
Two opthalmologists, two internists, and a neurologist all said it wss a migraine without the pain. (I’m not so sure. I think it’s due to the fact that I haven’t yet increased my cardiac rate so that enough blood is getting into that part of the brain that interprets vision.) One offered medicine, but I don’t mind them. Actually, I kind of enjoy them.
Anyway, I read recently of a new theory of migraine cause. The aura is caused by a contraction of the blood vessels in the head, and the ensuing headache is caused by the ensuing dilation. Hence, those that offer caffeine make good sense, since caffeine will contract the vessels and tend to counteract the dilation. Caveat: I’m not a doctor, either. But to answer the q. of kfc potatoes, I also don’t know. Sorry.
My doctor told me there is a new theory that migraines are associated with the serotonin level in the brain and that is why antidepressants are being used to control them.
Out of curiosity, how many of you out there that get migraines more than 6 times a month feel depressed or are depressed?
I can safely say that although somtimes I get more than six a month, I ma not depressed. When I was suffering from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and on Serzone I still got migraines.
I’m a fellow migraine sufferer and I have reactive hypoglycemia, so you definitely have my sympathies.
I get headaches frequently. Many times I think they’re triggered by my blood sugar, because if I eat something they usually go away within a half hour. Unfortunately this doesn’t always work. Tylenol helps sometimes, but it rarely gets rid of all of the pain.
I started getting migraines when I was about 12 or 13. For years I went to all kinds of doctors and no of them could figure out what was wrong. One neurologist had me on painkillers and blood thinners for over two years – I took them around the clock whether I had a headache or not. The pills still didn’t get rid of all the pain, though.
Then a few years ago I went to see a chiropractor about a back problem. When I mentioned my frequent migraines she decided to X-ray my neck. It turned out that the vertebrae in my neck were twisted and tilted to one side, possibly pressing on a nerve. Once she did a few adjustments I started to feel better. It hasn’t gotten rid of all of the headaches (there may be other causes, too), but it got rid of the hiding-in-a-dark-room crying-in-pain migraines that I used to get in college. This may not work for all migraine sufferers, but it might be worth a shot if nothing else has worked.
