Migraine Basics: What Are Your Triggers?
We want to get to know you! Our Migraine Basics forum series features different questions for our community to learn more about each other's lives and journeys with migraine.
What are your migraine triggers? Have you discovered any recent migraine triggers that surprised you? How do you manage them?
One of my less common triggers is when my husband sautés sliced sausages like kielbasa, rope sausages, etc. It’s weird, at first I my throat gets scratchy and I cough then I start getting a migraine. I can eat them no problem, but it’s just the chemical smells or something from sautéing them. I have to go in my room and close the door when he cooks them.
Your trigger is just like my allergy to cashews and walnuts. Nothing seems to be able to interrupt/break the migraine.
Do you find this as well?
Are you saying when this particular food triggers you, the migraine attack that results is particularly stubborn and nonresponsive to treatments that usually work for you? That is most fascinating. In my experience, one of my triggers (hormones) seems to bring on the most severe and intractable kinds of attacks that will not respond to my normal course of treatment. I hadn't really thought about it until you brought it up- why would it be that certain triggers cause more intense attacks than others? Thank you so much for raising this. I'll be interested to hear what folks have to say on this topic. Warmly - Holly (team member)
Nope, that’s the only thing. I do have some smell triggers, but that’s the only cooking related one.
I find that interesting as I react somewhat similar to pork. It does not cause my throat to itch, but it does cause me to get sick to my stomach first. I will end of vomiting and then the full-blown migraine. After it happening once, I told my now adult children, they could no longer cook pork sausage on the stove. It does not happen when it is the microwavable kind though. When it goes throughout the whole house, it bothers me. Thank you for sharing this with us all!! (Tonya, team member).
Hi, my triggers are many types of men’s colognes, especially Old Spice, perfumes as well. Many types of alcohol, especially white wines, vodka, too many to mention, really not worth me drinking at all, it will typically always lead into a migraine. I’ve been on so many preventatives and nothing seems to works. Emgality, topamax, Botox just to name a few. My dr suggested Ketamine, has anyone tried this?
My Dr. Also wants to try Ketamine infusions. I don’t know of anyone who has tried this yet. Nothing else seems to work. The weather plays a big part in my migraines.
Hi there- I'm so sorry to hear your migraine attacks are not responding well to treatments you've tried. I'm glad, though, to share with you that we have some good resources from our community members re: ketamine infusions for you to review here. I hope those prove useful in helping you learn more about this option.
Regarding the weather, I wanted to share this resource on how to manage barometric pressure triggers. Please take a look at the comment section as our community members were wonderful to share some great insights and helpful tips.
Once you've had a chance to review this information, please let us know what other questions or thoughts you have. We are so glad you're with us. We are here for you. Warmly - Holly (team member)
Yes, women’s perfume will trigger me as well. Weather also, rainy days, cigarette smoke. I’m very sensitive to smell.
the rainy day/weather trigger was new to me when I met my partner. Low pressure systems set his pain off and I'd never heard of that before! I suppose that's one very tricky one to work with if they reliably provoke you - no place is without rain....My biggest triggers are also smells - cigarette smoke is a big one! Best, Tracy (Team Member)
