Migraines in dh - glutamates? another pathway?

[MyLittleWonders]

Ugh ... dh was getting horrible migraines when he was still a heavy-dairy person (he would drink up to 1/2 gallon of raw milk a day ). He cut all dairy a while back (at the new year) and had been doing really really well in terms of no migraines. Over the last week or so, he started getting bad headaches that would occasionally threaten to be a migraine. We had also started drinking nettle tea, so I thought there might be a connection. We dropped the nettle tea last weekend (the 5th).

Then, this past Saturday he ended up with another migraine that sent him to bed and made him very nauseous. Today he has another one. I am trying to figure out what is triggering them. He's dairy free except butter. This Saturday he had our regular smoothie (which doesn't seem to be bothering him - it's dairy free though I think Saturday I had put raw egg yolk in it; I don't always do that). It was our oldest's birthday and dh ended up eating a lot of butter (ds wanted shrimp bbq'd with a lot of garlic butter, plus we had mashed potatoes with chicken broth and a lot of butter). He also had probably 1/2 bottle of GF beer (we used it to make sauted mushrooms - oh, which means he had more butter there). Today he had a smootie (raw egg yolks again), egg salad, and Bubbie's pickles.

Could it be the eggs/egg yolks? Could it be the butter? Both? He hadn't been taking any vitamins lately (today was the first day back) and has only had magnesium the last couple nights. Any ideas on what to do? Nothing seems to make them better once he gets them except going MIA on me.

I'm trying to think of what all this has in common - I'm not sure about the nettles (I can't find any information - are they high in free glutamate?). The butter would lead me to believe there's a glutamate connection. He cannot tolerate MSG or any of it's other names at all and avoids them all. What about the eggs though. He's had no dairy at all today. But he's had a lot of egg.

[mamafish9]

I don't know why they worked, but digestive enzymes stopped my DH's migraines dead in their tracks (and he was getting 3-4 a week). In case that's easier than trying to restrict what your DH eats (I swear, they're tougher than kids!!).

[MyLittleWonders]

I'll have to try that ... it's worth a shot! Did you just use a broad-spectrum one?

[WuWei]

Apparently, bone broth simmered for a long time has more glutamates than a short simmer of 3-4 hours. Also, what about the mushrooms? Any issues with those? I assume the beer has no sulfites? What about corn in the butter, or is it grass-fed butter, ykwim. A lot of garlic could kill off some bacteria. Does he have mercury fillings? What about selenium and vit C to help the headache. And maybe an Epsom salt soak in the tub. All the eggs could be a lot of sulfur. I'm not straight on all the individual detox pathways, yet. What was in the bbq sauce. Tomatoes are high in glutamate, iirc. Any issues with the mayo in the egg salad, or the mustard (yellow food coloring?)

Pat

[mamafish9]

Originally Posted by MyLittleWonders

I'll have to try that ... it's worth a shot! Did you just use a broad-spectrum one?

Yup, he takes Digest Gold. He was SUPER sensitive to MSG, natural flavors, free glutamates, you name it. The enzymes take care of anything except actual MSG (which he avoids but got by accident last week). We know it's the enzymes - he gets a brand of cheese corn chips with natural flavors, fine with the enzymes, a migraine without them. With the enzymes, he can have beer and wine in moderation, not read all the organic labels for "natural flavors", eat what our friends put on the grill during a backyard BBQ - it's made a big difference for him. Also a major difference for me, no more DH MIA 3-4 times a week! And I got major bonus points for "solving" his migraines .

[MyLittleWonders]

Originally Posted by WuWei

Apparently, bone broth simmered for a long time has more glutamates than a short simmer of 3-4 hours. Also, what about the mushrooms? Any issues with those? I assume the beer has no sulfites? What about corn in the butter, or is it grass-fed butter, ykwim. A lot of garlic could kill off some bacteria. Does he have mercury fillings? What about selenium and vit C to help the headache. And maybe an Epsom salt soak in the tub. All the eggs could be a lot of sulfur. I'm not straight on all the individual detox pathways, yet. What was in the bbq sauce. Tomatoes are high in glutamate, iirc. Any issues with the mayo in the egg salad, or the mustard (yellow food coloring?)

Pat

Hmm ... the broth was store-bought; in the past he has never reacted to it. The butter was grassfed (Kerrygold - yummy stuff). But, I'm wondering how much of it was just too much, yk? He doesn't have any fillings. I'll have him do 1000 mg of Vit C for the rest of the day; I'll suggest a bath, though he'd probably end up with 3 smaller visitors! It seems that glutamates and/or sulfur might be the culprit(s). Oh, he has also been taking MSM lately - which could account for maybe too much sulfate, and maybe a lack of vitamins (B6, B12, magnesium) and suddenly his body couldn't handle it all. (Luckily the mustard is all natural - we are Feingold so we are very strict on that. Oh, and the mayo in the egg salad also had egg yolk ... the egg yolk seems to be a common piece of the puzzle.)

Originally Posted by mamafish9

Yup, he takes Digest Gold. He was SUPER sensitive to MSG, natural flavors, free glutamates, you name it. The enzymes take care of anything except actual MSG (which he avoids but got by accident last week). We know it's the enzymes - he gets a brand of cheese corn chips with natural flavors, fine with the enzymes, a migraine without them. With the enzymes, he can have beer and wine in moderation, not read all the organic labels for "natural flavors", eat what our friends put on the grill during a backyard BBQ - it's made a big difference for him. Also a major difference for me, no more DH MIA 3-4 times a week! And I got major bonus points for "solving" his migraines .

Your dh sounds like mine with MSG and any form of free glutamates. I pulled out the Digest Gold that we have and he's going to take 1-2 at every meal. I also said I'll keep the egg yolks out of the smoothies for him. (I've been trying to up my sulfur because of a knee injury.) I'll let him know about the success your dh has had with enzymes.

[WuWei]

What are the ingredients on the broth? Most have hydrolyzed yada yada which is another name for MSG. Let me find my list. http://www.mothering.com/discussions...g#post12919371

MSG.
http://www.essentialoilcookbook.com/...ing-braggs.htm
http://www.msgtruth.org/avoid.htm
http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/2...liquid_am.html


Pat

[MyLittleWonders]

The only questionable thing in the broth is "natural spices" or "natural flavors" - it's an organic, free-range, GF broth (it's the only one I have found that we can have). I am sure it is probable high in free glutamates - I'm wondering if he can do a small amount (basically a small amount of broth or a small amount of BBQ sauce [again, it's one that I know we can have], but if he has too much all together or too close together, maybe his system just can't deal with it.

[mamafish9]

Natural flavors were bad for my DH, even in some organic things. I hope the Digest Gold works for you, it sounds like our DH's have a lot in common. 1 Digest Gold/meal or good sized (or potentially risky) snack has worked fine here. We've also been eating lots of Bubbies pickles, and occasionally I can get him to take some kefir, but the enzymes were life changing.

[capsgirl08]

Subbing -- I'm in the 3-4 a week camp, although I've just been getting the visual disturbances/aura with a short but intense headache afterward. Bright light and smells can trigger them, but it's frustrating being so sensitive since we're in Texas and it's just so bright and hot here...

What about gluten issues? I think Kjbrown had posted a link to doctorj in which he talked about gluten being similar to glutamate? I have a very crude understanding of it all so this may be wrong.

[FireWithin]

I had problems with nettle because of the sulfur and problems with alfalfa because of the glutamates - horrible multiple migraines with both. My body just couldn't handle the extra sulfur needs (nor the glutamate.)

If it is the sulfur from the nettles (also he had a possible problem with eggs? We used to also.), you want to improve is sulfation process. I think it is the Molybdenum, folate route or is it the B12 . .. - shoot I don't remember. I do them all and it is helping. Mo is the biggie. Mo can be found plant proteins such as legumes - maybe that will help him.

I just started taking nettles again today - just a tiny bit. fingers crossed.

eta: I just read that he started taking MSM. My guess is the sulfur. I have a big bottle of it myself, but my pendulum keeps saying no. I just can't process large amounts of it (yet).

[MyLittleWonders]

Mammo2Sammo - thank you for confirming the thought of sulfur with the nettles. Now it is making must more sense. I'm still not sure how Saturday fit into the whole thing except maybe the shrimp (shellfish is high in sulfur, right?). I think maybe with the nettle tea we kept drinking until I stopped making it for him, and then the egg yolks and then the shrimp and now more egg yolks, it makes sense that his body is having a hard time with all the sulfur, especially since he hadn't been taking any vitamins with regularity (our multi has Mo in it and then there's the B-complex we take). So, I'm going to cut the egg yolks and have him stop the MSM, and make sure he's getting the multi and B-complex and hopefully his body will be able to process what's in his system now and eventually get back to equilibrium (for my sanity - I don't do well when he's not feeling well to the point that he has to go MIA and sleep).

[WuWei]

Originally Posted by MyLittleWonders

Hmm ... the broth was store-bought; in the past he has never reacted to it.

Apparently, "natural flavors" - may contain up to 20% MSG.

Maybe just a quantity (cumulative) effect.


Pat