Diabetes and migraine auras

[Tansolo]

I was diagnosed t2 a few years ago and have been eating low carb to bring my sugar levels down

I recently had a hba1c and my levels are now down to 47.

This week I have had 4 times where I’ve eaten more carbs than normal (crisps, bread etc) and each time, I have had a migraine an hour or 2 later.

Is this something anyone else has experienced. I used to be able to eat carbs and not get migraines.

Could it be because my levels are generally lower now they have more impact?

 

[MrsA2]

Yes I find this. Overall I get fewer migraines since going low carb, but I do still get some. I find too many carbs or even sweeteners can trigger them. Carbs can now also set off indigestion, bloating and nausea. They didn't used to.

2 things that helps is to increase water intake and increase salt. Salt is in processed foods such as crisps and bread so on a low carb real food diet it can mean your body needs more salt. I now add salt to my food and even take a pinch of salt under my tongue if I feel a migraine coming. It often stops it.

Btw I'm also triggerd by lights and by posture so not everything can be blamed on diabetes/blood sugars

 

[Antje77]

This week I have had 4 times where I’ve eaten more carbs than normal (crisps, bread etc) and each time, I have had a migraine an hour or 2 later.

Could it be because my levels are generally lower now they have more impact?

If your body has gotten used to more healthy levels, having your blood glucose go higher than usual can definitely trigger symptoms.
Do you test your BG at home to dee if your symptoms correspond with higher (or even lower) levels?

 

[Tansolo]

Yes I find this. Overall I get fewer migraines since going low carb, but I do still get some. I find too many carbs or even sweeteners can trigger them. Carbs can now also set off indigestion, bloating and nausea. They didn't used to.

2 things that helps is to increase water intake and increase salt. Salt is in processed foods such as crisps and bread so on a low carb real food diet it can mean your body needs more salt. I now add salt to my food and even take a pinch of salt under my tongue if I feel a migraine coming. It often stops it.

Btw I'm also triggerd by lights and by posture so not everything can be blamed on diabetes/blood sugars

Thankyou

I have been adding salt as well. It’s just the frequency that has me this week. A couple of weeks ago I had burger and chips and no migraine!!

 

[Tansolo]

If your body has gotten used to more healthy levels, having your blood glucose go higher than usual can definitely trigger symptoms.
Do you test your BG at home to dee if your symptoms correspond with higher (or even lower) levels?

Hi, yes I do measure at home. It usually around 6.5 but after some bread yesterday it was 9 when I had the migraine eyes.

 

[TerryMiller]

have u tried tracking ur carb intake and seeing if there's a pattern? Maybe certain types of carbs are more likely to cause migraines for you.

 

[Chris24Main]

There is a connection between insulin resistance and migraine events. I can't draw on personal experience, but in a general sense, @MrsA2's experience should be what you would expect - (and this is a generality not a diagnosis) - severity and likelihood of migraines may go down as you reduce carbs, so less often having raised insulin.

but (and here I can draw on personal experience) - if you are over time, lowering your insulin resistance, you are becoming more sensitive.. so you should expect to find some things will affect you faster than you are used to; at least until your body finds a new balance..

it's a paradox, but then so much of T2 (insulin high but less effective) is a paradox -

 

[Outlier]

I'll mention this in case it helps - I never had migraines, but when I first started reducing my blood glucose, I started to have intermittent flashing in my peripheral vision. Even though I have been in non-diabetic readings for quite some time now, I still occasionally get this, but these days not often.

 

[MrsA2]

Thankyou

I have been adding salt as well. It’s just the frequency that has me this week. A couple of weeks ago I had burger and chips and no migraine!!

I rarely have just one trigger. Often it's 2 or 3 in combination. Say thunder, 2 pieces of dark chocolate and too many carbs. Or bright light, sweetners and too little salt.
Trouble is there's so many triggers the combinations are endless. Plus with me it can be a build up, for example (in the old days) an orange juice at breakfast wouldn't trigger me, but 5 days in a row would.

Add this to the oddities of bg and it all seems too complicated, but longer term my migraines have decreased, and if I do get one I can often stop it or minimise effect early on. Hope you start to see this too. I am convinced low carb helps.

 

[Tansolo]

have u tried tracking ur carb intake and seeing if there's a pattern? Maybe certain types of carbs are more likely to cause migraines for you.

Up until this week, the last one I had was about 8 months ago. That’s what’s so weird.

 

[Tansolo]

I rarely have just one trigger. Often it's 2 or 3 in combination. Say thunder, 2 pieces of dark chocolate and too many carbs. Or bright light, sweetners and too little salt.
Trouble is there's so many triggers the combinations are endless. Plus with me it can be a build up, for example (in the old days) an orange juice at breakfast wouldn't trigger me, but 5 days in a row would.

Add this to the oddities of bg and it all seems too complicated, but longer term my migraines have decreased, and if I do get one I can often stop it or minimise effect early on. Hope you start to see this too. I am convinced low carb helps.

They were a lot less up till this week. Let’s hope it’s a temporary adjustment!

Thankyou for the words. It reassures me.