Headaches and general health

[Symzie]

Hello folks, this is my first post. :)

Here’s the problem. I’m getting worried about my girlfriend. She’s 42. She gets bad headaches and sometimes migraines; one seems to follow the other. She’s painfully thin, about 100-110Ibs and 5’ 7”. The things she complains of are, besides the pain, lethargy - especially after eating pasta (I’ve told her why that is), clammy skin, dry hair and depression. She also gets very hot while she’s asleep and is sometimes drenched in sweat. I don’t know if it’s relevant but she had a hysterectomy about 10 years ago.

I’ve never suggested she changes anything because she’s an adult and I don’t like imposing my views on other people especially if they seem happy. Now however, she’s becoming miserable. She is also complaining that she’s putting on weight which made me worry more. She is getting a bit of fat around her stomach but she is too thin, she’s all ribs and bones with fat on top and no muscle. She’s definitely not anorexic or anything like that.

I’m wondering if there is anyone here who used to get headaches and migraines and made a change that solved the problem. I think if I could give her a reason like not having headaches anymore she would become more proactive and eat a more healthy diet.

She doesn’t like meat or fish and this, along with having to cook meals for her vegetarian daughter, means that her diet looks like what you’d expect from someone who was so thin: toast, sandwiches, pasta, soup, cereal and sweets. I know these things aren’t great for good health but is there a connection with the headaches?

Maybe it’s not diet and you have other suggestions?

Thanks for any help
Paul

[Mitra]

Welcome, Paul.

There are many things that could cause the headaches - grain intolerance is one possibility. I used to live on toast and pasta, too. While I wasn't painfully thin (at 5'2 I crept up towards 10 1/2 stones and am now back down to about 8) I found that eating that way did give me energy crashes and depression (not all the time, just if I didn't get another meal on time). I have heard people say that changing their diet cures headaches, but, of course it would depend what's causing them.

About the weight, one of the low carb books I'm very enthusiastic about is Life Without Bread, by Lutz and Allen. They describe a case of a young man who was very thin and built up to a normal weight after adopting a low carb diet (theirs is 72g per day). But if she's complaining about gaining weight at under 8 stones, she may not be happy about that.

I wonder if the sweats in the night might be menopause-related?

The bottom line for all of it, though, is that she is the one who needs to want to do something. It's painful to watch someone we care about suffer, but we can't do it for them.

Sorry I don't have a magic wand for you - maybe others will have some helpful suggestions. I hope the two of you can find some solutions.

[Gaelen]

Here’s the problem. I’m getting worried about my girlfriend. She’s 42. She gets bad headaches and sometimes migraines; one seems to follow the other. She’s painfully thin, about 100-110Ibs and 5’ 7”. The things she complains of are, besides the pain, lethargy - especially after eating pasta (I’ve told her why that is), clammy skin, dry hair and depression. She also gets very hot while she’s asleep and is sometimes drenched in sweat. I don’t know if it’s relevant but she had a hysterectomy about 10 years ago.

Well, my first guess is that yes, it's relevant--her hormone levels have apparently gotten to menopausal levels. Usually, this would happen sooner following a hysterectomy, but I have known women who don't experience things like night sweats or hot flashes or mid-body weight gain for years (although they are menopausal or peri-menopausal) and then one day, it just kicks in.

I’m wondering if there is anyone here who used to get headaches and migraines and made a change that solved the problem. I think if I could give her a reason like not having headaches anymore she would become more proactive and eat a more healthy diet.

I used to have regular migraines every 2-4 weeks; eating low carb basically made my migraines go away. However, I started Protein Power as a Hedonist. I didn't eliminate dairy or grains or soy...all I did was greatly reduce/control sugar and carb intake, and that alone seemed to 86 my headaches. But that was my experience and your girlfriend's mileage may vary.

She doesn’t like meat or fish and this, along with having to cook meals for her vegetarian daughter, means that her diet looks like what you’d expect from someone who was so thin: toast, sandwiches, pasta, soup, cereal and sweets. I know these things aren’t great for good health but is there a connection with the headaches?

First, it is completely possible to low carb as a vegetarian, or even as a vegan. People do Atkins as a vegan...and Protein Power gives you twice as many carbs in your daily consumable allowance. If your girlfriend eats dairy, eggs, soy products, nuts and seeds, and is willing to supplement appropriately, she never has to touch meat or fish unless she wants to. She may not have a very good diet right now, but the words low-carb and vegetarian aren't mutually exclusive. She just needs to figure out how to control her carb intake and get adequate protein.

Second, a LOT of medical conditions can cause migraines. Before you lay this all on what you perceive to be her inadequate diet, have those medical conditions been investigated and ruled out? Headaches are a stroke symptom, a sign of eye strain, a symptom of stress...there are a lot of things that could be causing them. Those things need to be ruled out, too.

Hope this helps.

[Relief]

good advice so far, and while dietarian changes are certainly warrented and would help enormously, I do want to add that ALL the symptoms you related--dry hair, clammy skin, weight gain, depression and night sweats are typical symptoms of thyroid and hormone imbalances. Your friend seriously needs to be evaluated by a competant health professional.

My personal advice would be to find someone familiar with saliva testing and evaluation and bio-identical hormones. In my opinion and experience this type of holistic professional ,whether an MD or ND, or as in my case a Nurse practitioner working under an MD--can be more helpful than a more traditional MD. YMMV.

At the very least she should get her thyroid checked--those symptoms are CLASSIC low thyroid symptoms.

[laughingW]

This is ringing my bells for malnutrition - good fats and proteins in particular. She can't make hormones or have a healthy brain, energy and mood without them.

Maybe not anorexia but 10% under the minimum "acceptable" weight is a medical red flag and you say it looks like her body has consumed its muscle, maybe trying to get protein?

[Symzie]

Thanks everyone for your advice, you've given us some things to think about. She did have an eye test a couple of months ago so we can rule that out. As for seing a Dr, she's been to see her Dr and just gets given pain killers so I'm looking for a different angle. An ND sounds like a good idea. I'm going to give her the PPLP book and see what she decides to do.

Thanks again
Paul

[bluefish]

hello everyone i am 26 and 6month pregnant waiting for my little baby doll... Just recently, i got to sudenly have a series on very painful and incessant headaches .. and that was really tiring so i went to see my doctor. He told me to take amerge (http://www.bbonlinepharmacy.com/product/226/amerge-naratryptan-naramig/) and indeed that was a recomfort to my head annnd life.. pfffff...
but now i am thinking if that kind of medication fo headache would not be harmful for my baby... anyone could give me suggestions???

[Gaelen]

but now i am thinking if that kind of medication fo headache would not be harmful for my baby... anyone could give me suggestions???

Bluefish, you're pregnant, and you're having headaches. You need to speak to your ob/gyn, midwife or the medical professional overseeing your care who gave you the meds originally. We are a knowlegeable and supportive community, but most of us aren't doctors or nurses. Those who are medical professionals can't legally or ethically give you specific medical/treatment advice over the internet or without seeing you in person as a patient. Please go see your doctor with this question.

[bluefish]

i talked to my doctor and he said to that he is been taking the fact that i was pregnant that i should not to much worry and that amerge (http://www.bbonlinepharmacy.com/product/226/amerge-naratryptan-naramig/)is no great problem. I insisted with him to put on a further diagnostic from your reccomendation, untill my next consultation in two days i told me toput me on paracetamol (http://www.drugdelivery.ca/s31035-s-PARACETAMOL-PARACARE.aspx).
I will be telling what is going on and if everything goes correctly.

[labuchanan]

About 4 years ago, I did PPLP and lost 25 lbs and 2 clothing sizes. The thing that blew it was when I started taking Amerge for headaches. I started ballooning.

I have found that Imitrex works well and doesn't cause the weight gain for me.