Migraine - Triggers and Diary

What are migraine triggers?

Most migraine attacks occur for no apparent reason. However, something may trigger migraine attacks in some people. Triggers can be all sorts of things including:

• Diet and foods. For example: dieting too fast, cheese, chocolate, red wines, citrus fruits, and foods containing tyramine (a food additive).
• Environmental. For example: smoking and smoky rooms, glaring light, VDU screens or flickering TV sets, loud noises, strong smells, hot weather.
• Psychological. For example: depression, anxiety, anger, tiredness. In some people migraines occur when relaxing after periods of stress. For example, weekends or holidays.
• Medicines. For example: hormone replacement therapy (HRT), some sleeping tablets, and the contraceptive pill.
• Change in habits. For example: a change in sleep patterns (missing sleep, lying in, etc), missing meals, long distance travel, jet lag, etc.
• Other. Periods (menstruation), shift work, the menopause.

Some notes about migraine and triggers

It may help to keep a migraine diary. A pattern may emerge, and it may be possible to avoid one or more things that may trigger your migraine attacks. (But note: too much effort trying to identify triggers may cause anxiety. In some people it may do more harm than good to search for triggers, especially if no trigger is found - which is common.)

Many people blame foods as triggers. However, foods are not thought to be common triggers. Suspect a food as a trigger if a migraine occurs within six hours of eating the suspected food and cutting out the food reduces the number of migraine attacks.

Some people need a combination of triggers to trigger a migraine. For example, some women may only get a migraine if they drink red wine and are having a period. Another example is that a food trigger may only trigger a migraine if you are also over-tired.

Migraine diary

An example of a migraine diary is provided below. It may help to fill it in over 3-4 months so that you and your doctor develop a better understanding of your migraines.

Firstly, fill in the calender part. This gives an overall picture of when the migraines occur.

• Fill in the days of the week.
• Mark when you have an 'attack'. Note: people with migraine can also have common tension-type headaches. So, in the 'attack' column, indicate when you have a migraine, or a tension-type headache, or if you are not sure.
• If you are a woman and have periods, put a B in the period column on the days you are bleeding.

Migraine / Headache Diary

Further sources of help and information

Migraine Action

27 East Street, Leicester, LE1 6NB
Tel: 0116 275 8317 Web: www.migraine.org.uk

Migraine Trust

2nd Floor, 55-56 Russell Square, London, WC1B 4HP
Tel: 020 7462 6601 Web: www.migrainetrust.org