Low Histamine Diet

Wondering if it will help

The "old" name for cluster headache was histamine headache, because it was felt that histamine release had a causal relationship. I found lots of research that indicates a link between histamine release and nitrous oxide and headache pain, whether migraine headache, or other headaches, and other studies that seem to discredit this link. Who knows which is correct. Pubmed, while helpful in research, can be contradictory. No wonder busy physicians have trouble keeping up with the latest studies!

I found an abstract that describes why indomethacin works well for certain types of headache. It inhibits both the dilation of dural meningeal blood vessels and the neurogenic activation that causes this dilation. Sumatriptan showed the same qualities as indomethacin, which may be why I had limited success with a triptan for The Headache (never stopped it but would decrease the pain for about four hours) and indomethacin helped the most.

Since I know I have problems with histamine and mast cell activation (I am stuck in a cycle where I am allergic to my antibodies which then causes my body to release more antibodies which then aggravates my allergy and starts the whole circle again) I wonder if there are just too many histamines in my body and that could be aggravating The Headache. I am taking several types of histamine reducers (the combo of vistaryl or benedryl and phenergan which are all histamine blockers helps The Headache pain somewhat) and have found a Histamine Restricted Diet at the Internation Chronic Urticaria Society website that I'm going to try.

Many of the items on this diet are substances that were migraine triggers for me - chocolate, red wine, aged cheese, chemically preserved meats - that I quit trying to consume years ago. A lot of the others I already don't eat because they give me hives, but the hardest to restrict will be TOMATOES. But you know, the last few weeks was the peak of tomato season and my tomato consumption and The Headache was much worse. Maybe that's why its been especially bad in the middle/end of the summer???

One interesting fact is that leftover cooked meat has more histamine than freshly cooked meat, and the histamine levels increase with time. Explains that after Thanksgiviing migraine I always had the next week after eating left over turkey! I always blamed the stress of the holiday!

I'm going to try the four week elimination diet. The hardest for me will be tea, as I drink a couple of cups of white tea a day. We'll see if it works. Another diet on the site I may try also is the salicylate free diet, but only after I have tried histamine restriction first. In my self-experimentation I don't want to mix results!

I have hives behind my knees and in my ears and on my stomach this morning. I'm not ever going to poke on one of my brown spots like they did. The aftermath is not worth it! I'm going to give the histamine free diet a try, and see if there is any improvement. Today The Headache is already going strong - started acting up at about 5 AM....perhaps I have too much free histamine floating around due to the hives....??

"You Look Like Hell"

How Do You Respond?

Another partial day of work. I am trying to make do with as little medication as possible, hoping that the occipital stimulator is doing its thing (or is it?) and will keep The Headache at bay. Less medication should equal more hours at work, but it isn't working out too well this week.

I took a short walk outside late afternoon, and on coming back one of my co-workers said "You look like Hell". What can you say when the inside of your head feels even worse than your outside appearance is showing? I said "Well, that's where I live almost every day since The Headache came to stay" and went back to my office. I know they don't understand what The Headache is like, and I don't want anyone to ever be in the place where they would have to learn.

In August last year The Headache was terrible. Maybe there is a seasonality to The Headache. One set of physicians thought I was having cluster headaches intermixed with hemicrania continua. I think I am just on the severe side of the spectrum of pain that comes with HC. I wasn't on indomethacin last August either, just like this August. Ahhhh, lovely indomethacin that helped my pain but put my pancreas into paroxysms, I miss you!

I am going to see if I can get The Headache under control in the next couple of days. I have another trip to Kansas City next week to see about my hives, but I would like to try to ramp up to 8 hour work days again to see if I can do it. I am feeling impatient, and I wish the two month wait until my "real" stimulator programming kicks in was over. And I can't mess around too much with my pain treatment as part of the study parameters. Sigh.....

Bad Headache Day 29 2009

I wish I was a Steam Whistle

My blood pressure is through the roof and my head is ready to explode. I'm wish I was a steam whistle, and by pulling a cord all the pressure could just spew out of my head through my mouth as a great big WAHHH WAAAAAH. It works in cartoons!

I was able to work a couple of hours today, and actually got several things accomplished before The Headache interfered and I went home early. I've taken enough medication to normally knock me out for a few hours, but the pain was already high enough they aren't really working. I'm so used to my daily pain levels that sometimes the only way I can tell the pain is getting worse is by taking my blood pressure. It was plenty high, although I know I still have a way to go before I become the total quivering pile of jello that means a trip to the ER again. Hopefully I will get The Headache stopped before it gets to that point tonight.

This has been a bad week. I had forgotten what my life was like last year before I took indomethacin. If The Belly would just get with the program I might try taking daily indomethacin again. That's a pretty big if because The Belly is mad tonight: I ate some real food today and I didn't have my pancreatic enzymes with me. Silly Belly!

Bad Headache Day 28 2009

Another Lost Day

I think I'm going to have to try to start the indomethacin again. The constant pain is getting worse each day I am off the indomethacin, and the pain exacerbations are hitting harder and longer, and the benedryl/phenergan/trammadol combination has quit doing much of anything for the nausea or the pain.

I am sitting here blogging in the middle of the night, with a heating pad across my shoulders and neck, just waiting to see if the pain will let me sleep tonight. I have had only a few hours of sleep each night this week, and its catching up to me.

The Headache vs. The Belly - who is going to win this time? I chose medicating The Headache over The Belly before and ended up with a pretty bad bout of pancreatitis.

I have taken a couple of pills of indomethacin the last couple of weeks, but the stomach pain is so bad I don't think I will be able to tolerate it. Still haven't heard from the Cleveland Clinic as to when I will be scheduled for surgery. They have to get a predetermination from my insurance company before the study sponsor will OK paying for the surgery. *sigh*

I have an appointment next Wednesday with the oncologist to discuss my test results and what I need to do for the ongoing problem I have with pelvic pain. I had to call their office and ask what I needed to do to follow up, as they had told me in March that I would be told either to followup with my gynecologist concerning that or with the oncologist. Instead of getting instructions they just set up another appointment for me.

Whoopdido, yet another hurdle to jump through! I feel like a grand champion race horse at this point - going round and round and round the track on a never ending journey from test to test, doctor appointment to doctor appointment. I hope I am in the home stretch, I plan to win by a nose!

Itchy and Scratchy- That's Me!

Hives are no fun

Bad day, bad night. It seems that removing the stimulator and healing is causing some awful burning at the back of my neck and head. The Headache just continues unabated.

I slept most of Friday away. My mother told me she called into work for me (Yeah Mom!). For me the day is a pain filled sleepy headed blur. In addition to The Headache, The Belly is trying to get riled up probably because I have eaten some real food in the last week. I am broken out in fine hives in various spots from head to toe so I'm itchy and scatchy too!

Not sure what is causing the hives. It could be the trammadol or it could be the clindomycin I am taking/finishing up because of the implant trial. I hive pretty easily and carry an epipen with me because I have anaphylactic reactions at times. Hoping these go away in a few days since I have had some bouts last months and months.

I am going to have to start taking the indomethacin again as the pain just keeps growing and growing. I wish there was some kind of alternative effective medication. I've been taking the megadoses of B12 vitamins again. Those did help just a tad last summer but haven't noticed a difference yet.

We have some new birds coming to our yard birdfeeder. A flock of goldfinches has been stopping by, and a rose breasted grosbeak is snacking on the sunflower seeds. We have some indigo buntings and of course mamma and pappa cardinals. It's a colorful bunch this year!

The squirrels have been sneaking bites at the feeder when the birds let them. I prefer the smaller grey squirrels but the red ones are sassier. My fierce dogs try to chase one up a tree now and then, just for appearences sake, but the squirrels aren't very scared. I also have a flock of cottontail bunnies that are wanting to eat the garden up. My outdoor dog Bingo has been herding them away every morning.

Just a few miles away is Marrionville the town that has a bunch of white squirrels. The white squirrels pretty well just stay in town getting lots of treats from the residences. I have been to Marysville Kansas and they baby their pretty black squirrels just as much as Marrionville does their white squirrels!

The Belly Burns

Drops of Acidic Pain in my Stomach

The Ensure diet is not working so well. Shards of pain are piercing The Belly, and the pain meds are not keeping up. Not sure what to do. Pancreatitis leaves you feeling exhausted and The Headache is making me even more nauseous. I think I will just curl up in a ball and sleep some more thinking positive thoughts. Maybe I will heal myself! Too much sleep and The Headache will come calling so I will have to balance The Belly against The Headache.

Another Lost Day

Rain Rain Go Away!

Today is another lost day. Medication I took to abate both The Headache and The Belly kept me asleep all day - I woke up briefly a couple of times, but that was it. I don't remember even calling in to work! I hope I did, but today is a blur.

The Belly is having a fit this evening with spasms of pain despite the trammadol. If it keeps up I may have to go have my enzymes checked. It is trumping The Headache this evening. I am afraid the indomethacin should be discontinued, but I haven't any alternatives at this time. Wishing my headache trial was at the occipital stimulator implant stage. I'm not sure if I can hang on taking the indomethacin until then, and I'm not ready to relive the hell my life was last year before the indomethacin.

My Easter company has left, and I don't even know when. I didn't even get to enjoy seeing them. I guess I'm just feeling down this evening. Maybe its just the weather that is getting me down. I have to trust that tomorrow will be a better day!

The Belly Revolts

A Long Day

Today The Belly has trumped The Headache. I have been so nauseated the last few days that I haven't been able to eat with the indomethacin to protect The Belly. It feels like my pancreatitis has decided to flare up again. The pain has been bad, but I have company so I am just medicating at this point. I feel like the guy in the first Alien movie when the thing pops out of his stomach - only the pain just goes on and nothing pops out!

The Headache is not so good this evening. I tried to lighten up the indomethacin to keep The Belly in check (I really don't want another hospitalization for pancreatitis) and don't think I have taken enough to keep The Headache from thumping up to another level. Sigh.

Cleveland Clinic Appointment Confirmed

Spring has Sprung & I'm Psychologically Sound

Got voice mail today that verified I passed the psychiatric exam and my appointment for this Thursday in Cleveland is confirmed. I have mixed emotions - glad that I am eligible, but dreading the next month because until I meet the documentation and frequency guidelines I won't be eligible for the trial occipital stimulator. A month can be a long time with The Headache bopping around.

Sigh...I am facing more travel - this will be the first airplane trip I have taken since The Headache took hold. I hope it will behave on the flights. I have a fear of being in a situation where I cannot get privacy and being in terrible pain. It has happened to me several times in the last year especially prior to receiving indomethacin. I wish that The Belly liked the indomethacin, life would be so much easier.

I have my PET scan tomorrow. I'm trying to remain upbeat but today has been a shadow of yesterday - much nausea and dizziness. Hoping tomorrow will be better! And hoping The Headache behaves because my understanding is that I have to remain still while allowing the dispensation of the nuclear tinged glucose in my system, and to remain still during the scan.

My forsythia bushes are blooming, there are robins everywhere, and the neighbor's jonquils and daffodils are blooming. I believe spring has arrived!

Headache Hammers

Jackhammers of DOOM

I don't know if a change is coming in the weather, or I was just a little too active this evening. The Headache started getting more insistent about 7:00 PM. It's one of those nights where it lurches and reaches a level then lurches again. I think I have the jackhammers of doom pounding at my head!

I'm gonna reup my indomethacin to another 50 mg and if that doesn't do it another 50 in a couple of hours, back to the 200 mg per day. I was hoping to be able to decrease this as The Belly isn't happy at all. I guess I will quit eating instead of quit taking the indomethacin - it hurts a lot less!

A strange happening - my blog posting date and time has been stuck this last week. I just noticed (I will blame my laxity on the Jackhammers of DOOM run by OompaLoompas) and have had to go back and guestimate time and date. I wonder what could have done that???

Taking Indomethacin Again

Coconut Monkey???!

I was able to go 24 hours without Indomethacin and without The Headache escalating into a tornado of pain. There was a steady dribble of increased pain during this 24 hour period, so if I had waited another day, I might have been in trouble. I started out at a 4 and ended up at about a 7 in a day. The Belly is grateful for the vacation.

I was starting to get the pain jitters - where you just can't keep your arms and legs still. I am getting so used to The Headache, that I have to clue in on other signs to tell if The Headache is trying to attack.

I took 50mg of Indomethacin about 30 minutes ago and can feel the cooling relief where it is destroying the burning ouchiness that is The Headache. I am extremely tired for no real reason. I think The Headache has been hurting more than I want to admit.

I had another weird dream last night. We were living in a coconut jungle with coconut monkeys and had concocted some kind of Rube Goldberg contraption using bamboo, vines and rolling coconuts to wake us up in the morning. The monkeys had constructed it for me, but had shorted us on vine material so some of the bamboo sections weren't dropping in correct sequence. We were trying to "unstring" the thing, and it was becoming a big mess, and the monkeys were very irritated because we were changing their setup. Everything was kind of that dried out brown color of dead vegetation (or mature bamboo) except for the luxurious brown fur of the coconut monkeys and thier shaggy brown coconuts. The dream ended when I was down on the coconut jungle floor surrounded by coconut monkeys conducting a meeting on how to correctly fix the coconut contraption. Not sure what a coconut monkey is but they looked like a cross between a lemur and a chimpanzee, and were quite bright. The coconut jungle was quite dry, not a tropical rainforest at all, but the coconut monkeys felt quite at home.

Indomethacin Free??

Try Try Again!

I tried yesterday to quit the indomethacin. Not a great idea, The Headache came back, but in altered glory, and I ended up taking indomethacin again in the evening. The pain is still different.

It's bizarre. I was dreaming that night of a green glow around the back left side of my head where the pain seems to begin and a grinding noise like sand underfoot. Maybe I just biofedback myself into being better?? I have constant pain, but it is indescribably different. It's like someone picked my head up and put it on my spine in a different manner. Some of the neck and shoulder pain is less also. I think contemplating the stimulator surgery has scared the bejeezus out of my headache. Good, at least something does!

I am going to try again today to go off the indomethacin. It's noon now, and I haven't had any since last night. I'm about at a level 4 or 5 on my personal pain scale but it doesn't have that "scaling up" feeling. I'll see how long I can go without any medication. God is Good and hope is not dead. I'm gonna try to do some housework - physical activity has been a significant trigger for me - hopefully that will be different too!

O Pancreas O Pancreas

The Belly is in Charge

My pancreas today was lumping around in my belly like a bucking bronco. I ate some meat protein last night and The Belly didn't like it. I don't know what there is about protein that sets it off, but it sure is gripey today.

The Headache is behaving itself today after a very bad night last night, but it just may be that I am so medicated because of The Belly pain so I'm not noticing. If it keeps up tomorrow I may give up and see a doc about it, but I'm hoping a day of rest and relaxation will get The Belly back to tip top shape. Sometimes the doctors insist you go to the hospital and I don't really want to go.

I got about an hour of sleep last night and finally had to give up and take The Belly painkiller because The Headache was not cooperating and The Belly was lumping. Sometimes when The Belly lumps The Headache jumps. I'm not sure why.

I tried sleeping sitting up in the living room on my sectional, and after taking The Belly painkiller (just trammadol nothing terribly strong) I halfway dosed off. I kept waking from dreams thinking this dream looks just like my living room. Duh! I was looking at my living room! I took my morning bath and got ready to go to work, and sat down on the couch and the next thing I know its almost two o'clock in the afternoon and The Belly was trying to tie itself in knots.

I guess this just isn't my year to earn money. No work today! All I've eaten today are some grapes, and my medication. Not eating anything makes The Belly gripe about the indomethacin. I have cut down on the liquids because anything in The Belly is irritating it. There is no winning for losing here. I'm taking phenergan but the nausea is building and I may have to switch over to reglan. Hopefully tomorrow The Belly will be better and today will just be a distant memory. The Belly has won this round today.

I hope I qualify for the occipital stimulator study, because I am going to have to quit taking this indomethacin fairly soon if The Belly has anything to say about it. I'm just glad I have the best boss in the world. He's trying very hard to work with me to get me back to work full time!