One of our participants in our Fresh Start Detox Program developed an awful migraine and thought it might have been a detox reaction;however, I came to realize that she has been battling migraines for many years. Migraines can be a lot for anyone to deal with, especially if it is constantly. With this being said, it then comes as no surprise to find that some people may opt to use alternative products like black lime strain to help manage their headaches a lot better. It is challenging to find the root cause to a person’s migraines. Here are the most important causes of migraines, their associated symptoms, tests to help identify problems, and treatments you can start using today if you suffer from them.
Food Sensitivities/ Bowel and Gut Imbalances
• The symptoms: Fatigue, brain fog, bloating, irritable bowel syndrome, joint or muscle pain, postnasal drip and sinus congestion, and more.
• The testing: Check an IgG food allergy ( home test using just a blood spot) from Meridian labs . Also, consider a stool test to measure against gluten from Enterolabs because wheat and gluten are among the biggest causes of headaches and migraines.
• The treatment: An elimination diet – getting rid of gluten, dairy, eggs, and yeast – is a good way to start. Corn can also be a common problem. Getting the gut healthy with enzymes, probiotics, and omega-3 fats has greatly reduced the incidence of migraines in our client population.
Chemical Triggers
• The causes: A processed-food diet including aspartame, MSG (monosodium glutamate), nitrates (in deli meats), sulfites (found in wine, dried fruit, and food from salad bars) is to blame. Tyramine-containing foods like chocolate and cheese are also triggers.
• The treatment: Get rid of additives, sweeteners, sulfites, and processed food. Eat a diet rich in whole foods and phytonutrients.
Hormonal Imbalances
• The causes: Premenstrual syndrome with bloating, fluid retention, cravings, irritability, breast tenderness, menstrual cramps; use of an oral contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy; or even just being pre-menopausal, which leads to too much estrogen and not enough progesterone because of changes in ovulation.
• The testing: Blood or saliva hormone testing looks for menopausal changes or too much estrogen.
• The treatment: Eat a whole-foods, low-glycemic-load, high-phytonutrient diet with flax, soy, and cruciferous vegetables. Use herbs such as Vitex, along with magnesium and B6. Cut way down on alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and refined carbohydrates. Exercise and stress reduction also help.
Magnesium Deficiency
• The symptoms: Anything that feels tight or crampy like headaches, constipation, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, sensitivity to loud noises, muscle cramps or twitching, and palpitations.
• The testing: Check red blood cell magnesium levels. Even this can be normal in the face of total body deficiency, so treatment with magnesium based on the symptoms is the first choice.
• The treatment: Magnesium glycinate, citrate, or aspartate in doses that relieve symptoms or until you get loose bowels.
Neurotransmitter Imbalances
The symptoms: depression, brain fog, low serotonin or gaba levels
• The testing: Sanesco’s urine and saliva test to determine levels of 6 different nuerotransmitters to identify imbalances
• The treatment: Supplementation with nutrients to help heal and improve the levels
In the case of our client, we discovered through further testing that she was very low in progesterone prior to her periods and this would trigger her migraines. We started her on bio-identical progesterone and this reduced her 5-7 migraines every month down to 2 a month. Then, we had her do a stool test and this confirmed she was sensitive to gluten and gliadin- proteins found in wheat. She removed all wheat,rye and barley and oats from her diet and has eliminated her migraines to just occasional headaches that she can manage. She feels like she has got her life back!
If you feel overwhelmed by your migraines, it might be helpful to look into some of the treatments available. For example, cannabis concentrates, which you can learn more about at www.togoweed.ca, and CBD products are thought to ease the symptoms of migraines by reducing the sensations of chronic and acute pain. This can make them an appealing option for people who have not yet tried an alternative approach to managing their mental health. Cannabis products have come a long way in recent years, and as a result, in areas where cannabis has been legalized, it is easier to find these products online at an affordable price. A simple search for ‘cheap canna‘ brings up a huge choice of different dispensaries. You can even shop around to find products that meet your specific needs. Ultimately, if you are considering using CBD products to manage your pain, you might have questions such as ‘how long does cbd stay in your system?’ and ‘can I pass a drug test while using CBD?’ – take a look at the linked article for more information and remember to always speak to a medical professional before using natural remedies.
I hope this helps clarify some possible ways to address migraines for anyone else who is suffering. Stay in touch and let us know if you found this article helpful!