“Just Shoot Me Now” (aka, “Trigger-Happy”)
Migraine Awareness Month #3: “Just Shoot Me Now” (not really…)
Worst migraine trigger… hmmm… I can’t say that I have one. No, I guess I don’t have… ONE.
I have LOTS of trigger(s) – more than I can comfortably count. Here is my “list” complete with a short explanation and disclaimer:
Original (old/antique/but not out-of-date) Migraine Triggers
1) Dairy – Anything dairy: ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, milk, more
2) Chocolate (crap, I LIVE for this stuff!!!)
3) Drinking too much alcohol (but I could drink… back then – ‘nuff said)
4) Crying - Definitely off limits – then & now
5) Flying (not to be confused with trigger #3…)
6) Apparently, turning 10 ½ years old: This is where my “migraine story” all began…
And Now… The New & Improved (i.e. “Worse”) Triggers
1) Dairy – Blah, blah, blah…
2) Chocolate – Still suffering… can’t even look at the stuff now
3) Drinking ANY alcohol (oh, yeah – no THINKING about it, either!)
4) Crying (too sad to think about – don’t ask)
5) Flying (that includes airplane travel)
6) Apparently, turning into… an “older” woman (more on this later – keep watching!)
7) Hormones – this trigger has “something” to do with the one above, I swear! (My headaches are about as predictable as the hormones now… LITERALLY!)
8) Nitrates, MSG, ETC (this includes almost all the “in edibles” to be found in odd places such as drive-thru dine-OUTS – go figure!)
9) Driving (specifically on the interstate)
10) Emotions (a sub-category of #4 – or maybe the other way around???)
11) Temperature changes – Mostly too hot, too sandy, too many flip-flops, or having too much fun while being hot & wearing flip-flops.
12) Schedule changes – This includes planning a trip (even to the next town); being on a trip; and thinking of being on a trip – wonderful! “Wish you were here…”
And… not to be outdone anywhere – the major, celebrated, #1 trigger … (as well as lucky #13)
13) Fluorescent lighting – This trigger contains more sub-categories than I care to talk about: since this type of lighting is “everywhere” (coming to a home near you - wait – COMING TO YOUR HOME SOOOOOONNNNN… reminds me of a horror flick!), it is now almost impossible to BE “anywhere” without getting sick. For me, it takes less than 1 ½ hours to feel the worst effects of these lights – my head gets hot, my heart starts to skip (this almost always happens as I begin to get any migraine), and I get dizzy and flushed when I’m under the influence/direct gaze of fluorescent lighting.
******* End of List ********
Note & Disclaimer: There actually is another, 14th trigger; it is very powerful, untamed, and harder to control than the Tasmanian Devil, and it takes a strong individual to deal with it… (BE CAREFUL - NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENTS). Also, it is as yet un-named and is so mysterious it has an upcoming stint on “Unexplained Mysteries” as well as “America’s Most Wanted”. Here it is… this trigger is… Shhhhh (don’t scare it away):
14) ____________________.
National Migraine Awareness Month is initiated by the National Headache Foundation. The Blogger’s Challenge is initiated by www.FightingHeadacheDisorders.com
