FOOD INTOLERANCE NETWORK
FACTSHEET
Headaches
and migraines
I myself suffered from frequent mild headaches and occasional severe migraines
for about 20 years, until my family undertook a 3 week trial of the low
chemical elimination diet for our daughter’s behaviour. I was shocked to
realise that within days my head was clear and free of pain.
Food challenges showed that my headaches occurred the same day when I
ate MSG and a day or more after I ate foods containing amines – not only well
known amine containing foods such as cheese and chocolate but also lesser known
problems such as fish that had previously been frozen and vacuum packed meats.
The bigger the dose, the more likely I was to get a severe migraine.
Everyone is different and there are many possible culprits.
Research by
According to their research, the percentage of people with headaches or
migraines who are likely to be affected by the following food chemicals is
approximately:
·
MSG, preservatives, salicylates -- 70% likely to be affected
·
colours (artificial and annatto
160b), amines -- 55% likely to be
affected
·
synthetic antioxidants (e.g. BHA
320) -- 35% likely to be
affected
From: Loblay RH and Swain AR, 'Food intolerance'. In: Wahlqvist ML and
[836] Headaches just stopped
dead after 9 years! (July 2009)
For 20 years I have suffered headaches, daily. Rarely a day goes by when
I haven’t had one, often quite severe. There's not a practitioner or therapist
that I have not seen or test that hasn't been done. Pain management is what I
accepted my life to be. I trusted that all these experts knew that there was no
identifiable cause. No one ever suggested it may be diet related!!! I didn’t
consider it either as I ate a healthy diet! Even after reading Fed Up and the
Failsafe Cookbook, I wasn't expecting my world to be turned around.
After 3 weeks failsafe: I haven't
had a headache since last Thursday. It has been nearly 9 years since I went a
whole week without a headache. Given my history, there's no way that this is
coincidental especially given that my headaches have been quite severe for a
couple of months. They didn't just lessen in severity slowly, they just stopped
dead! …Failsafe is no sacrifice. I am not missing out. For the last 20 years I
have been missing out and making sacrifices to my quality of life … almost
everyone I know now knows my brief experience and I will continue to spread the
word! I keep saying to myself if only more people knew
After 16 months failsafe …Without a doubt, food is the cause of my
headaches! I am now trying to find the main culprits and find a balance as my
tolerance threshold is very hard to determine. I completed the elimination diet
as recommended by the RPA Allergy unit. The Failsafe Cookbook and Friendly Food
cookbooks were great. For inspiration and a bit of variety, I also modified
many cookbook and magazine recipes. It took me ages to do the challenges
because I felt so good and didn’t want to upset the apple cart. I was
completely Failsafe and felt really good. One day however, I met up with an old
friend and I decided “what the heck, I’ll have that piece of chocolate cake and
wash it down with an iced chocolate!” The next day I woke up feeling sluggish
and I had a headache! I decided to do the challenges so I could determine what
the real cause was so I could resume eating anything that didn’t affect me.
Firstly, I challenged salicylates with no adverse affects. I was expecting
amines to be the culprit after what I had read and because of my chocolate cake
experience. The next challenge was amines. I indulged in large amounts of
chocolate and other amine rich foods as per the RPA diet recommendations. To my
surprise and disappointment, there was no immediate reaction. About a week or
two later, the headaches came back with a vengeance and lasted for about a
month. (Incidentally, I have always had different and worse headaches with my
periods. While Failsafe, the period headaches were minor to insignificant.)
After the amine challenge and returning to failsafe, the headaches
eventually disappeared. I reintroduced salicylate foods to my diet. I began
becoming less strict with amine rich foods as well, like the occasional use of
tomatoes in a pasta sauce with a sprinkle of cheese, eating nuts, drinking
cola, beer and champagne. The problem is that I don’t get an immediate reaction
after eating something so I don’t know exactly what or how much is too much. I
figure that I have a threshold that I can build up to. Once that threshold is
reached however, the headache can be weeks long, even though I feel that I have
just tipped the scales. The good thing is that I know I can go out and not have
to make a special off the menu order. I choose the least risky, but if it’s
going to contain amines, I just keep to low amines at home for a while to
balance things out. Chocolate, cheese and red wine seem to be definite no-nos,
but most other things I can handle in small amounts stretched over time. We
recently went on a holiday to
Now that I have control over my headaches, I have returned to study and
recently completed 80 hours of work experience as a Teacher Assistant in a
noisy classroom. I feared that the stress and noise would make my head
sensitive and more prone to headaches, but I was so surprised to reach the end
of the day and think “I didn’t have one today!”. There were only 2 afternoons
that I had to resort to pain relief. Before Failsafe, I could not have
contemplated study or work outside the home. Now I am considering going beyond
being a Teacher Assistant and returning to uni to complete a Dip Ed and teach.
– Sharyn, by email.
[672] Profound migraine,
trigeminal neuralgia and the cream cheese diet (September 2008)
I stumbled upon your web page by accident. I have lived the last 30
years with profound migraine and trigeminal neuralgia. I am on some powerful
meds and am trying to put off MVD (microvascular decompression) surgery. My
headaches are chronic and have absolutely stolen the best years of my life. I
have almost learned to expect and just deal with the incessant pain. But I
think I just may have accidentally made an odd discovery. I wanted to lose a
few pounds and I decided to do Dr. Atkins Fat Fast for a few days - which is
simply cream cheese and nothing else. Within two days my head was pain free. So
I am thinking this is very strange: is eating food giving me headaches??? I
began to research and came upon histamines. I am amazed as I have never been
‘allergic’ to anything and never had sinus problems. I did note to the doctor
that I was certain oranges had triggered migraine attacks - and wine or alcohol
and dark chocolate. He told me to stay away from them but never mentioned
histamines. I used to have friends … a life ... I have contemplated suicide
many times. I have been told to put ice packs on my head. I fantasize about
somehow being present at my own autopsy and taking a hammer and beating my own
head and face to pieces. Now I think I am on to what might have caused this
pain all these years. – by email,
[264] Migraines from MSG
(June 2003)
I am a chronic migraine sufferer. MSG is one of the big ones for me
(triggers migraines and rash) and almost every major food company feels a need
to use this in their products - Maggi is the main offender with others, eg
Trident, not lagging too far behind. Why are these in our food if they are
harmful? - John, by email
[204] 282: 282 one of main
triggers for migraine (September 2002)
I am very interested in your research re calcium propionate. I thought
that it may be of interest to you that as a migraine sufferer, I have found
that 282 is one of my main triggers for a migraine attack. I have them very
infrequently but very severely. By keeping a food diary I have been virtually
able to avoid them. Calcium propionate has been off my list for at least five
years. Thanks for drawing the attention of the world to the effects of this
preservative. - by email (Migraines were one of the first symptoms linked to
propionates in Additive Code Breaker by Maurice Hanssen, Lothian, many
editions. In my own double blind placebo controlled study of the behavioural
effects of 282 on 27 children, parents were invited to take part in the
challenges if they wished – while eating bread with 282 but unbeknown to her
until afterwards, one of the mothers in the study experienced a migraine so
severe she couldn’t go to work: Dengate & Ruben J Paediatr Child Health.
2002 - S)
[169] "I didn't think I
could do without" (September 2002)
I'm starting to get on top of this diet but it has taken ages because
I've only just got around to eliminating the things I didn't think I could do
without - like a cup of tea with breakfast. Sometimes you just can't believe
something that feels so good, so right, can be so bad - but I seem to react
(with migraines) to both salicylates and amines. I also react to milk - not
incredibly sensitive, but more than about half a cup and I'm gone - and it took
me quite a long time to admit that. - email, NSW
[522] 635: Poisoned by a
Coles hot chicken (January 2006)
I have just been "poisoned" by a Coles Hot chicken. After
eating it for lunch and dinner I got a terrible migraine with vomiting and
nausea. The migraine was terrible and lasted for 5 days. I read the bag and
found that it had it had at least 4 lots of flavour enhancers in it, including
the stuffing, marinade and seasoning. Just another thing I can't eat out in case
it came from Coles. Also Devondale now has flavour enhancer in their soft
spread. Of course I wouldn't buy it but who knows what you get when you buy a
sandwich out. Where will it end? Everyone is trying to poison me.
I was very angry at the time (and still am) that some people can poison
my food and not care that I'm extremely sick and lose 5 days out of my life
having to cancel all arrangements etc. I wrote to Coles … (and) Safeway … (and)
Devondale… I will purposely avoid all their products. I also spoke to KFC and
found there is nothing I can eat there except a dinner roll as everything has
flavour enhancer in it. It is so difficult now going out to people homes or
functions where you get served chicken and feel it's rude to ask where they
bought it from but too scared to eat it. With the Devondale spread it's even
worse; it could end up in cakes, scones, sandwiches from anywhere.
Now I have to ask “What brand of butter do you use in your cakes,
sandwich etc" before I buy it or eat it. Life is getter harder with these
additives. The food must be pretty tasteless if they have to use enhancers all
the time. – Wendy. (Devondale have since removed flavour enhancers from their
spread - S).
[400] Amine-related migraines
since the age of 3 (March 2006)
My 7 year old daughter Caitlin (not her real name) has had migraines
since she was about 3 years old. We had no idea what they were for several
years. She usually gets a fever with her migraines and because of the fever the
doctor would always put it down to a virus, prescribing painkillers. I would
often give her panadol for 4 days straight just to keep the headaches at bay.
She goes limp and listless, her eyes always droop, she lies there and sleeps
for hours until the panadol wears off and then then the pain and fever return.
Most times she will scream and cry, grabbing her forehead and pleading with me
to take the pain away, “Mummy Mummy my heads hurts, please stop it.” She has
always complained of feeling sick (nausea) when she gets them too, and ‘sore legs’.
As well, she has had problems with nasal congestion and had been using
Rhinocourt nasal spray daily. She has always been a nail biter & a teeth
grinder at night.
One year after she started getting the migraines, we were referred to a
pediatrician who could find no medical reason for them either. He thought it
may have been an attention grabber or perhaps the start of a cold. The
migraines continued on and off with no regular pattern that I could work out,
once a week, then maybe another in 6 weeks times, then 2 months. It varied
greatly.
Two years later we started taking a fish oil supplement. The migraines
became more frequent and she started throwing up with them. She would go to
sleep with a migraine and wake at
We have been eating failsafe since about March this year and have never
looked back. On day 2 of the amine challenge, Caitlin got a migraine, droopy
eyes, became listless, and a fever. School rang and asked me to collect her
again. She stayed unwell for several days with the headache.
During the challenge, she also got a blocked nose, sore tummy, sore
nose, nightmares and was badly constipated. Since the end of the amine
challenge (3 months ago) we haven’t had one migraine! No more snotty nose or
blocked nose, nasal sprays, nightmares, sore tummies, nail biting, teeth
grinding, or sore legs - her nails are growing for the 1st time in her life.
So, no more amines for Caitlin! – by email, NSW
FROM [376] One liners (July
2005) Pre-menstrual migraines
We have been on the failsafe diet for nearly three and have had
excellent results for the whole family - I have had no pre-menstrual migraines,
my 18 month old’s eczema all but disappeared and my three year old's behaviour
has changed dramatically.
[287] Dental fillings and
migraines (September 2003)
My mother was advised to have all her teeth out because her fillings
might be causing her migraines. She doesn't get migraines any more, but I'm not
convinced that fillings were the cause. She is eating a lot less salicylates
because she avoids tomatoes (the skins get stuck in her false teeth),
strawberries (seeds likewise) and apples (too difficult to bite). - by email
[042] "a few lives and a
lot of sanity" (May 2000)
I have a family, both maternally and paternally, of very happy, giving
people who are easily angered, overreactive, bored, fidgety, highly strung or
vague. I also have a history of either myself or a relative with asthma,
sinusitis, rhinitis, excess mucous, eczema, hives, itchy crawly skin,
headaches, migraines, lethargy, anxiety attacks, depression, colic, reflux,
stomach aches, bloating, wind, dyslexia, food reactions, mouth ulcers,
bedwetting and growing pains. What chance did I or my son have in missing out
on food allergies and intolerances? It is a shame that we didn't know the links
between all of these symptoms and food intolerances. There have been two
suicides and one diagnosed schizophrenic who tried many times to take his own
life. I read your book as soon as I could get my hands on it. If only my family
had been aware of these things years ago there may have been a few lives saved
as well as a lot of sanity! - Reader, NSW
[018] Additives and food
pollution (August 1999)
I finally got around to looking at your web page and decided to tell you
my story although I imagine this sort of thing is all too familiar to you by
now.
I am a middle aged male employed in a professional capacity. I have a
family. For at least 25 years of my life I suffered migraine headaches. I saw
doctors and specialists, I had CAT scans and no physical causes were found. In
1982 I was advised by a specialist to take large doses of aspirin together with
ergotamine. I hated ergotamine. I had headaches at least every second day for
many years. I took aspirin at rates of up to 2 dozen 300mg tabs a week. At one
stage my doctor said I had "mild neutropenia". In the 1990s I took
sumatriptin tablets (Imigran) which worked about as well as anything but were
very expensive.
In 1995 ... I [found out about food intolerance]. I was ready to try
anything and commenced the Elimination Diet. I had a continuous migraine for 6
days but stuck to it. I then started to improve dramatically. I have not taken
an aspirin since. I take the occasional Panadol (maybe once a month on average)
and this is almost always related to a dietary excursion (usually beer.)
Despite reading all the stuff about how I would improve and be able to
reintroduce some foods I have stuck to the elimination diet. I have no wish to
undertake challenges and no wish to start eating strongly flavoured but
poisonous foods again ... I have learned to appreciate the food I eat and find
a lot of enjoyment in subtle flavours.
Now the second part of this message. The more I read about food
intolerance the more concerned I am getting. When I read your letter contained
in Ministers.html my reaction is one of EXTREME ANGER. How can ANZFA possibly
even consider softening of labelling regulations. I have been caught myself by
ingredients lists that appear innocuous except for the word flavours or
possibly oils with undisclosed antioxidants.
I have never written to a newspaper, never written to a politician and
never even spoken to one on a serious matter except through work. However, I
now feel very strongly that there must be changes made to stop food pollution.
How can a society where people will chain themselves to construction
equipment to stop mining of toxic materials blithely tolerate the addition of
things like BHA, BHT and TBHQ to the very food we eat. Sorry, there is no point
preaching to the converted.
The point is I would like to HELP ... Of course I am very busy, but I am
becoming very passionate about food intolerance issues as I read more and more.
Please let me know what I can do. – by email, NT
FROM [012] Can a vegetable
garden really be so bad? Read the two-part story from this family of five (May
1999)
Part
1
We are finding it difficult to start on the diet properly. Our vegetable
garden at the moment is rewarding us for months of hard work by producing large
amounts of tomatoes, sweet corn, strawberries and silver beet, it is very hard
to pass all these up.
However, when we eliminated all additives - which wasn't many as we have
always tried to avoid these anyway - our three-year-old started sleeping
through the night every night for the first time - after only two days without
two glasses of cordial each day. People said he is just growing up, but when he
had commercial bread two days in a row for lunch (we usually bake our own) he
woke up in the night on those two days only.
My own experience has been really great. I have suffered from migraines
which last for two days every week for years. After five weeks of no additives
and no foods high in amines I had not had a single migraine and felt wonderful.
Then last week a friend gave us some home cured and dried beef, I couldn't
resist. Guess what, a migraine the next day. I am going back on the diet
straightaway.
Our 13 year old daughter suffers from asthma and headaches and was
becoming what we thought must be normal at her age (withdrawn and sullen). Now
she is hooked on the diet. No asthma, no headaches - she feels great and her
general attitude to life in general has improved.
My husband thought that sitting in front of a computer all day was
giving him headaches every afternoon but has now made a connection between his
headaches and chilli sauce on his sandwiches and the orange he was eating for
lunch.
Our 11 year old son was actually the one we decided to do the diet for …
Part
2 (two weeks later)
I've decided that I don't care how much our garden is producing after
having two migraines following tomatoes for dinner one night and silver beet
another. Both these left me feeling unwell and nauseous for 4 days …. – by
email
[559] ‘Ultra-healthy’ diet led
to asthma and debilitating health issues (May 2007)
My mother and I have known for years that we are allergic to aspirin. We
both react with ringing in the ears, nausea, vertigo, lethargy, and I even lost
consciousness once. I avoid salicylates in cosmetics and toiletries at all
costs, but my health has steadily declined (I am 24). My mother and I both have
had doctors mystified for years with strange and debilitating health issues.
They told my mother oh you have lupus, no you don't, yes you do, no ... so on
and so on. Now they have decided that we both have fibromyalgia. None of my
doctors have ever mentioned that salicylates are in foods. After coming across
this information I realised that almost every diet change recommended to me by
the doctors has caused my salicylate intake to be astronomical. It's no wonder
I've been in and out of emergency rooms.
Everyone made fun of me calling me a "health nut" because of
the supposedly ultra-healthy diet I was on. I was trying to follow the USDA
guidelines and eating lots of fruits and vegetables - especially citrus,
broccoli, and spinach. The heart healthy recommendations include lots of
processed tomato products and using as many different herbs as possible (to
give flavor instead of salt). I also was trying to eat as many "naturally
sweetened" things as possible. I was eating a lot of fresh oat granola,
but it was loaded with honey, almonds, and pretty much anything that comes up
high in the sals. I also was using olive oil for cooking, salad dressing, and with
herbs instead of butter on bread.
It's no wonder that I was getting worse. I was having so many migraines
that I only had about two days a month that I could function without
excruciating pain in my head, I had chronic tendonitis, chronic fatigue, if I
ever did get to sleep I felt more tired when I woke up than before I slept and
I was still gaining weight. Now that I am on the right track I have only had
two migraines in two months, and I have only had a tendon problem one day. I
was diagnosed with adult onset asthma and was using an inhaler every day and
now I only have to use it when I get exposed to salicylates. My mother and I
have both been improving so drastically that everyone is asking us what is
going on. – from the
[611] 160b: Migraine, headbanging
and violence from annatto 160b (February 2008)
Through the elimination diet and challenges we found out that annatto
160b causes a severe reaction in our 7 year old daughter. Symptoms include
migraine, loss of fine motor control, head banging, violence and aggression,
screaming and yelling, loss of rational thought and temporary memory loss,
beginning 24 hours after ingestion and gradually diminishing over two weeks.
Luckily for us (and by chance) I seldom purchased products containing annatto prior
to the challenge, I shudder to think where we would have ended up if she had
been consuming annatto regularly all her life. – reader, Qld
[447] Migraines, ‘Fear of the
dark’ really a food reaction (August 2006)
We started the diet nearly a year ago for my son, a sweet 5 year old who
would become an aggressive, extremely hyperactive and an emotional monster
nearly every day. I saw you on A Current Affair and after taking muesli bars
and sultanas (which I had thought were healthy) out of his diet I noticed most
of his aggressive behaviour disappear.
After that we started the full diet and not only did our son become an
angel, we noticed that our daughter was a very strong amine reactor, becoming
uncontrollably emotional, depressed and ‘full on’, as well as having frequent
nightmares and bedwetting. Unfortunately since we have moved 2 months ago our
son has gone backwards fast, I now think as a result of amines in meat from new
butchers. It is so upsetting to see all the progress disappear, and he has had
HUGE problems at school this term. I have traveled back to our old butchers to
stock up on meat and am started to see some improvement after one week.
The biggest shock for me however, was when I recently discovered I was a
food reactor!! I was a junk food addict and would eat about 5kg of chocolate a
week. I can’t believe now I had so many symptoms, and I never even put them
together as symptoms, let alone found the source of the problem! I was getting
migraines, I constantly had a headache behind my eyes, I felt very faint and
disoriented, had stomach pains that felt like needles - usually after eating
lollies, and I was always bloated - something which really upset me.
The weirdest thing to attribute to food however was my extreme ‘fear of
the dark’ as I called it. I would be terribly scared of the dark, I would think
that my mind thought it could see little people and things out of the corner of
my eye, even though I knew they weren’t there, I would open my eyes every 10
seconds while trying to get to sleep, just to check if there were monsters or
robbers there, and every time I closed my eyes all I could picture in my head
was horrible things that would scare me. I was a bit worried I was starting to
go crazy, then I stopped eating chocolate and didn’t even notice all these
symptoms disappeared.
It wasn’t until I splurged on a whole chocolate cake over two nights
that I discovered what had caused these problems. After eating the cake I was
completely on edge. I couldn’t sit down for ten seconds without turning around
to make sure there were no monsters or robbers behind me. Eventually I had to
sit with my back to the wall so I wouldn’t think there were things behind me.
That was the last time I ate chocolate, and the thought of ever eating it again
scares me! – by email.
FROM [437] Amines, migraines
and eczema (August 2006)
I am now 46, and have lived for most of those years with dreadful eczema
all over my body, some times much worse than others. I went to many skin
specialists, all who told me that diet was not linked, not to scratch, bathe in
the sea when possible, not to use harsh soaps and apply cortisone creams. My
eczema never got any better. I started the elimination diet a few years ago
with my daughter, who suffers migraines, and not only did her headaches
decrease, but my eczema also faded to almost nothing! Amines were the trigger
for her migraines, and with keeping off amine rich foods in our house, I have
not had any eczema problems since, and I no longer need to apply creams to any
parts of my body. What a relief!
FROM [461] Son’s migraines
caused by same chemicals daughter’s behaviour (November 2006)
My story started with an uncontrollable daughter who at 8 years of age
was already getting suspended from school and was a horrible bully. The school
wrote me a referral to a paediatrician. At the time I thought would only mean
having her medicated to control her which I was dead set against.
I have two older boys that were very well behaved so I wanted to find
the cause of the problem and not just cover it up with medication. Three days
after Christmas 2002 my daughter went off to such a degree that all I could do
was hold on to her while she bit, kicked and screamed until she was physically
exhausted. That was when I knew there was something seriously wrong so I went
to see a child psychologist who fortunately for me recommended your book Fed
Up.
Within a month I went from thinking my daughter was destined for jail to
thinking what a lovely young girl she is turning into. The results were
noticeable that quickly. And from my daughter’s point of view she felt better
within herself. She was no longer on an emotional roller coaster every day.
Because of how she felt on the diet it made it easy to keep her on it. She was
feeling a whole lot more in control of herself.
Since cleaning out our cupboards I noticed that my eldest boy no longer
suffered migraines and no longer took so long with gut aches on the toilet. So
obviously he also was affected by these chemicals but in a different manner
than my uncontrollable daughter … – by email, NT
[648] Migraines a thing of
the past (May 2008) Winner of Courage Award May 2008
I started failsafe eating a week ago in absolute desperation with my 14 year-old
son who was diagnosed with ADHD and ODD at the age of 6 years old. He
progressed well on medication until we had a car accident last year and he
suffered minor brain damage. After the accident his behaviour became worse and
he has attempted suicide several times. Last Wednesday I took him to hospital
for sedation after he broke windows and several holes in the wall with his
head. Thursday morning I searched the net for a solution and came across your
website. I started the diet that day. Today I have a son who obeys, talks to
you face to face, calmer, quieter, he smiles and has got himself a job part
time which he loves. If he is offered food at work he says no and takes his own
or waits until he gets home.
One week later ... Today is day 15 and he is still going great. We have
just had the best school holidays with our two sons playing instead of fighting
physically and verbally. At work, his boss doesn't even know he has ADHD and
ODD. He did eat a piece of chicken at work and advised me his brain felt funny
and would not eat anything that is not on the list. I'm glad he tried something
off the list in moderation and noticed the difference. Your Failsafe Cookbook
has been a great help and I do not leave the house without the list of basic
foods and list of additives. I call this my bible. Not only has his behaviour
changed but also his stomach pains and migraines are a thing of the past. The
television has gone from a volume of 60 to 15. Thank you for your website that
changed our lives and made my teenager happier. The difference has been
unbelievable. - Janelle, Qld
Our foods have changed dramatically over the last 30 years. Avoiding
well-known migraine triggers such as MSG or chocolate, cheese and wine may not
be nearly enough to find out if food affects you.
People have different reactions to various food chemicals so any or all
of the above food chemicals can cause the problem.
I do recommend my book Fed Up for a greater understanding of the chemicals
in our food, the elimination diet, support and helpful recipes.
If reducing your intake of nasty
additives doesn’t help, it may be worth doing a full elimination diet to find
the cause of the problem. You can email for our list of supportive dietitians: confoodnet@ozemail.com.au.
The information given is not intended as
medical advice. Always consult with your doctor for underlying illness. Before
beginning dietary investigation, consult a dietician with an interest in food
intolerance. You can find a supportive dietitian through the Dietitians
Association of
© Sue Dengate update July 2009
