Migraine Triggers: Your Personal Checklist
Migraine triggers can include foods, beverages, activities and exercise, medications, stress, sleep deprivation, hunger, odors, hormones, and other changes.
To help determine what triggers your migraines, print the list below. Then check the list for potential migraine triggers when you get the first signs of an attack. After a few weeks or month, review the checklist to see if you can find a pattern for your migraine triggers. While triggers can be tricky to determine, chances are that the items that get the most checks may be your key personal triggers.
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After you've narrowed down migraine triggers that may affect you, take the checklist to your next doctor's visit and discuss these triggers. Your doctor can give you additional medical advice about how to prevent migraines by avoiding migraine triggers and taking necessary preventative migraine treatment.
The Migraine Trigger Checklist
_____ Aged cheeses
_____ Alcohol (red wine, beer, whiskey, champagne)
_____ Caffeine (excess intake or withdrawal)
_____ Chocolate
_____ Citrus fruits
_____ Cured meats
_____ Dehydration
_____ Depression
_____ Diet (skipping meals or fasting)
_____ Dried fish
_____ Dried fruits
_____ Exercise (excessive)
_____ Eyestrain or other visual triggers
_____ Fatigue (extreme)
_____ Food additives (nitrites, nitrates, MSG)
_____ Lights (bright or flickering; sunlight)
_____ Lunchmeats
_____ Menstrual periods
_____ Medications
_____ MSG
_____ Noise (excessive)
_____ NutraSweet®
_____ Nuts
_____ Odors
_____ Onions
_____ Salty foods
_____ Sleep (too much, too little, other changes)
_____ Skipped meals
_____ Stress
_____ Television or movie viewing
_____ Weather (changing conditions)
_____ Wine (red)
_____ Others
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