Dealing With Headaches

Since migraines can last for several hours or several days (my longest was two weeks), you eventually need to eat. But how can you eat when you are hypersensitive and queasy? Very carefully.

The following is in no way meant to substitutes for a doctor’s advice. This is just the compilation of the menu I have when I’m clobbered by a migraine (or a bad headache).

A Nice Cuppa Tea And A Sit Down

The main trigger for my migraines is caffeine withdrawal, which I’ll explore in a future post here on Dealing With Headaches. Although I have sucessfully managed to cut down my caffeine consumption over the years, I still am caffeine dependant and need the equivelent of six cups of black tea per 24 hours in order to prevent a migraine. So, if I feel a migraine start, I have a tendency to automatically make a cuppa whenever possible. When a cuppa is not possible, I settle for taking one Excedrin Migraine pill (which contains caffeine). Black tea and green tea contain caffeine — black tea the most. Decaffienated tea tends to have traces of caffeine in it, but not enough to make any difference to my migraines.

Yogurt

Most of the time I get a migraine, I also get hypersensitive to light, sound and taste. This means that I have to avoid chewing as much as possible. Yogurt, without any bits or chunks in it, can be swallowed without having to chew. It also is very gentle to the digestive system. If you can’t tolerate yogurt, perhaps you could eat pudding, instead.

A Plain Piece of Bread

A slice of soft bread can be stuck in the mouth and sucked on, then worked around the top of the mouth without actually having to do a lot of chewing. This takes a long time to eat — even longer when your stomach is upset — but gives your body something to work with.

Overcooked Macaroni & Cheese

So I don’t have to chew too much, the macaroni is overcooked so it not al dente, but really soft. It also tastes better when my Mom cooks it, for some reason, even if it’s only from a blue box. Perhaps the Mom Mojo adds just a touch of comfort aching heads need.

Whatever you eat, take your time. You might want to take one swallow, see if it stays down for ten minutes, then take another swallow. Try not to lie flat between swallows, but still sit up.

Hope this helps.