please help

Hi.  I am not sure that I can be much help except to say that our stories are similar in the fact that I never had a migraine until this past summer.  Since then, I am having them very frequently; however, not all the time like it sounds like you have them.  My suggestion would be to find a good neurologist (maybe even one who specializes in headaches) and go from there.  I am so fortunate in the fact that my neurologist works with me and is very compassionate.  We have changed meds several times.  I am on trileptal now (2 pills in the morning and 3 pills at night) and also on Verapamil.  I am not sure if it helps (how can you tell - if I wasn't on the meds, would I be having more headaches?) but at least, my doctor is willing to keep trying. 

Hello baseballmom,
I had the same experience with my doctor, kept dismissing me after MRI, spinal tap, all that fancy medical stuff. I got so disgusted and fed up. All he wanted to do was prescribe me pills and be gone with me. So I asked around and a family friend nodded me towards alternative therapies and total wellness approach to my problem.

I changed my diet, started an exercise regimen (when my head wasn't pounding!) and started taking supplements for vitamins and minerals that my body was lacking...

Dietary recommendations for migraines:

* Supplement your diet with magnesium. Up to 50% of patients experiencing an acute migraine attack have lowered levels of ionized magnesium. Because of its safety profile, oral magnesium supplementation can be recommended to a majority of migraine sufferers. One study showed that migraine attack frequency was reduced by 41.6% in those who participated in regular magnesium supplementation.1,2 Learn more about magnesium deficiency.
* Take 5-HTP in the morning. 5-HTP is the precursor to serotonin. Migraines are caused in part by low serotonin. When serotonin levels are low, blood vessels dilate. Therefore, increasing serotonin may be helpful in preventing migraine occurrences.3
* Supplement with CoQ10. In one particular key trial, 61.3% of migraineurs who supplemented with CoQ10 during a four-month trial period reduced their occurrence of migraine attacks by at least 50%.4
* Add ground flax seed to your diet since it contains healthy dietary fiber and omega-3 essential fatty acids.
* Add virgin coconut oil to your diet to benefit from plant-based healthy saturated fat.
* Add foods rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids to your diet in the form of fish oil, wild-caught salmon, and minimal-mercury albacore tuna.
* Eat plenty of unrefined low-glycemic carbohydrates (brown rice, sprouted grains, winter squash).
* Limit intake of fruits that have a high glycemic index such as apricots, raisins, banana, papaya, and mango.
* Eat plenty of vegetables and vegetable juices (kelp, sprouts, green and black olives, peppers, spinach, chard, celery, zucchini).
* Drink purified water throughout the day.

Certain types of foods can trigger migraines. Foods to AVOID include:

* Foods that contain the amino acid tyramine found in red wine, aged cheese, smoked fish, chicken livers, figs, and some beans
* Trigger foods such as chocolate, nuts, peanut butter, some fruits (like avocado, banana, and citrus), onions, dairy products
* All foods containing refined sugar or artificial sugar-substitutes such as aspartame, Splenda®, etc. Choose a natural sweetener like Xylosweet instead.
* All simple or refined carbohydrates (white bread, pasta, cookies, cakes, crackers, etc.). Read more about good carbs and bad carbs.
* Sweetened fruit juices that spike blood sugar levels too rapidly
* Carbonated soft drinks that alter pH levels, making the blood more acidic
* Pickled or smoked foods
* Bottom crawlers such as oysters, clams, and lobster that may contain toxic levels of mercury
* Deep-sea fish such as tuna, mackerel, and swordfish that may contain toxic levels of mercury. Choose minimal-mercury albacore tuna instead.
* Farm-raised fish that contain PCBs and not enough omega-3 essential fatty acids, due to their land-based diets. Choose wild-caught salmon instead.
* Sodium nitrates found in processed foods such as hot dogs, lunch meats, and bacon
* Monosodium glutamate (MSG) found in many foods as a flavor enhancer
* Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils/trans fats found in many processed foods, deep-fried food, fast food, and junk food. Read more about good fats and bad fats.

I started taking Magnesium

I never had a clue that Magnesium was so prevalent to so many body functions. Its all interesting stuff, great information, they have products as well, but check it out for the info.

GOOD LUCK!!!