The FastDay Forum

I'm a migraine sufferer although happily, in the last few months, my migraines have disappeared.
Except on fast days. I have had two successful fast days where I was headache free (though grouchy!) and three others when I got fearsome migraines and had to go to bed!
Any ideas?
I have tried a few food combinations.
The most successful is having a small bowl of porridge at lunch time (I don't get hungry in the mornings anyway) and then something simple with wholewheat pasta in the evening. I think low glycaemic index foods might be key for me. But yesterday, it really didn't work and I had an awful migraine. I can't keep it up if I keep getting the migraines but I really want to give it a go!
All advice gratefully received.
There must be someone else out there who is a migraine sufferer but doing the 5:2 diet?

[Moogie]

Welcome to the forums Jen, sorry to hear you've been suffering on your fast days. I'm not a migraine sufferer so I can't offer any feedback on that front I'm afraid - but hopefully someone here can. Are you drinking plenty of water on your fasts?

Loads of tea - decaffeinated - so I don't think it was an issue with dehydration! It's a blood sugar thing I think!
I'm sure if I experiment, I'll find a solution eventually!

Hi JenP
I took manuka honey umf 15, a third of a teaspoon three times a day when I fasted and my headaches went. Now I only get the odd headache and it goes when I take manuka. I'm not sure if the antibacterial / viral properties help with any toxins which are released when fasting? but it works for me (it has to be umf 15 not active 15)

Do you usually drink decaffeinated tea? I get terrible migraines as a result of caffeine withdrawal. Just wondering if you should try having drinks with caffeine in on your fast days initially to rule that out.

I am a migraine sufferer and have had no problems. I have continued drinking black tea on fast days so perhaps this has helped?

I've stuck with tea and a small dash of milk because I could quite easily live on tea

I have feverfew tea as well and it does help a little.

I can't do without tea and it's part of my routine for taking my medication for migraines ... two brews in a morning, anti epilepsy tablets and propanolol.

I'd be lost without tea

Hi Jen

My wife has the same problem, she says her migraines effect her less when she spreads the calorie allowance out over the day. Also when she first started, she increased the calorie allowance to 600-650, then gradually reduced it back to 500 over a few weeks. She has managed to almost use the 500 calories for just 3 meals a day on fast days now, with only the occasional snack when she feels the onset of a migraine.

Steve.

Hi JenP and everyone else!

I have the same problem when I fast all day. I have found if I fast from 2pm to 2pm it doesnt happen, but obviously it's not quite as long a fast. I can easily fast all day when it comes to not eating but by the evening have killer headaches which makes it hard.

I drink more than normal and dont cut out my caffine either so am a little flummoxed.

Thanks for all the replies. It isn't caffeine withdrawal. I have very limited caffeine anyway.
I'll give the honey a try though!
Steve, I am curious about how your wife manages 3 meals a day on 500 calories. I've had two today!
So far so good! NO HEADACHE! Hurrah!

Good luck with the honey, I hope it works, it definitely works for me. I make a huge pot of soup with low calorie veg and have 4 meals over the day including porridge for breakfast. After nearly 5 months of 5:2 I can exercise and have loads of energy on my fast days. The first time I fasted I felt ill and exhausted and though things got better I had little energy on fast days for a couple of months. let us know how you get on!

Jen

A typical fast day when she first started would be something like,

Breakfast, about 7:30, Med Banana, Tea with skimmed milk, (90 + 25 calories)

Lunch, about 12:30, Weight watchers Tomato soup, 1 slice brown bread (76 + 96)

Dinner, 6:30 Salmon with veg or salad (200 + 50)

Black decaf tea or water to drink (0)

This would normally come to around 550 calories, she would then allow herself about another 100 calories to eat if and when she needed it, EG between meals or later in the evening. Over about a month she gradually reduce the calories back to a max 500.

She was still losing weight even when eating 650.

Good luck, hope you manage to keep the headaches away.

I found your open question when searching for the 5:2 diet and migrene, as I have had some remarkable changes happening with regard to migrene. I´ve been doing the 5:2 diet for almost a year, and my weekly - monthly migrene attacks are almost completely gone! For me this is very difficult to explain, as I´ve heard very little written about the diet having an effect on migrene attacks. But I´ve heard from others doing the 5:2 diet with similar migrene problems that they have experienced significant reduction in the number of attacks. I would really like to hear more about others that have experienced the same.

With regard to your problem of headache during the fasting days, I would strongly recommend drinking more water (or tea) to stay properly hydrated. That took away that problem for me.

[Tracieknits]

I found your open question when searching for the 5:2 diet and migrene, as I have had some remarkable changes happening with regard to migrene. I´ve been doing the 5:2 diet for almost a year, and my weekly - monthly migrene attacks are almost completely gone! For me this is very difficult to explain, as I´ve heard very little written about the diet having an effect on migrene attacks. But I´ve heard from others doing the 5:2 diet with similar migrene problems that they have experienced significant reduction in the number of attacks. I would really like to hear more about others that have experienced the same.

With regard to your problem of headache during the fasting days, I would strongly recommend drinking more water (or tea) to stay properly hydrated. That took away that problem for me.

Welcome to the forum, KLu!

I'd like to invite you over to the "Introduce Yourself" area of the forum, so people can welcome you properly
introduce-yourself-f1/

Welcome, KLu. It's lucky 5:2 helped your migraines! I don't suffer from them, but I do get regular headaches a lot. I think they've gone down since I started IF. When I do get one, I suspect, as you say, hydration is the problem.