It has worked for me...AN UPDATE

Hi Louey, I think you have something there about aspartame! I have made a concious effort to rid my diet of it and I do feel better, but cannot report a significant drop in the amount of migraines I get. Hmm migraines and control I am still waiting!! Seriously though I think aspartame plays its part. Ann

Aspartame is not a trigger for me, but I am extremely allergic to it and all artificial sweetners. I have to really watch my labels on all foods - you would never imagine how many foods have artificial sweetners. It took me 5 minutes one night to find a pack of gum at Target!

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Dx: BPII (and everything that comes along with it), Chronic Migraines
Current Rx: Lamictal, Paxil, Lyrica, Seroquel (prn), Xanax (prn), Vicoprofen (prn), NuvaRing
Past Rx: Prozac, Paxil/CR, Lexapro, Cymbalta, Ambien, Wellbutrin XL, Effexor/XR, Topamax, Neurontin, Trazadone, Klonopin, array of triptans (allergic)

Hi everyone,

I don't normally post here. I have Crohn's disease, and post in that forum from time-to-time. I wandered here into the migraine section to help out a friend.

But anyway, about non-caloric sweeteners. Are you aware of stevia? It's not artificial, it's a natural plant and there's no processing at all. Despite the claims by Splenda, it's also a chemical sweetener. I've grown stevia myself and just dried the leaves and sprinkled on whatever I want to be sweet. Most people won't grow their own, but there are plenty of commercial suppliers who sell a stevia extract. I'm not recommending any particular brand - just google if you're looking for an online supplier. Most healthfood stores carry it. I know that Wal-Mart sold it for awhile, but it disappeared from their shelves last time I looked.

Here's the Wikipedia page on stevia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia

Hope this is of interest to some of you.

best regards,
Robert

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Crohn's since 1988
3 resections

Post Edited (ozonehole) : 5/23/2009 8:46:41 PM (GMT-6)

Louey- Pregnancy tends to curb migraines in about two-thirds of women who have migraines realted to their menstrual cycle. If only we could make our bodies "think" we are pregnant all the time

Poor little guy!

I'm a little foggy headed tonight and have a thought/question but seem to be having a hard time getting it out right! ha ha

OK, I'm wondering if it is splenda/sucralose that is ALWAYS a trigger or if its in addition to other (more easily hidden) triggers. Basically each migraineur has a threshold and each trigger will add up and once we reach our threshold a migraine begins.

Let's pretend at trigger #4 you get a migraine...

DAY ONE: I wake up at 6 am without enough sleep (trigger 1-lack of sleep) I eat bacon and eggs (trigger 2-from the bacon) I am getting ready to start my menstrual cycle (trigger 2-hormones) and I EAT SPLENDA (trigger #4..........ahhhh MIGRAINE)