If you haven’t read the excellent comments on Wheat/Gluten- and Dairy-Free for Migraine & Headache, please do. Responses are mixed. Not a shocker.
What about you? Have you tried a wheat- or gluten-free diet? Was it useful?
seeking joy in a life with chronic migraine, chronic daily headache and chronic illness
I have gluten allergy since childhood. I am always on a Gluten Free diet and i use guar gum in some of may baked foods.
I was diagnosed with cluster headaches and have yet to cut out wheat/gluten from my diet.
Funny, because the only thing that made me think I MIGHT have a wheat allergy was my immediate onset of a headache after drinking beer. It never even occurred to me that wheat might be the problem when I WASN’T drinking beer!
Keeping my fingers crossed – PRAYING for success, as this pain is unmanageable.
Yvonne, thanks for responding to my question. Were your headaches an every day chronic pain and then went away after discontinuing gluten? The diet hasn’t helped me yet, but I wondered if it took a long time before I would see any difference?
Well I can tell you that for me, a sufferer of migraines since the age of 3 years old and hospitalized several times without resolution, eating wheat is like a ticking bomb for me. Depending on how much I eat I will get a migraine EVERY time. Like clockwork. However if I don’t eat it I NEVER have migraines.
How long does it take before you know if going gluten free works for headaches. I suffer from headaches everyday and was diagnosed as gluten intolerant. I have been on the diet for 3 months, but have seen no change – does this mean it won’t work or do I need to stay on it longer to see any difference?
I tested for wheat sensitivity a year ago and have been off wheat ever since. I have not had a single migraine since that time. Though being on a wheat-free diet is challenging, it is worth it to not have to live with migraines, hives, facial flushing, and upset stomach. I have energy now and feel great! One side-note is that I have lost 20 pounds on a wheat-free diet. I now weigh 102 pounds, which is a bit too small, but for the person who wouldn’t mind a side benefit of weight-loss, a wheat-free diet will certainly aid in that area.
Great idea to work with a nutritionist. Interesting about the stool culture. I hadn’t heard of that before.
I wish you the best of luck. Let us know how it goes.
Kerrie
I’m at about week 6 of a gluten free diet but don’t expect to really know for sure if there has been any long term benefit in terms of migraine prevention short of 6 mos. I’m working with a nutritionist, have been tested as gluten sensitive through a stool culture which is kind of a new test. We’ll see.