Can the keto diet help with migraines?

After living a life dedicated to health and fitness, I never expected to be derailed by a decade of debilitating migraines. Although I had been taking medication for years, my migraines continued to get worse. I dreamt of a more natural solution.

Thankfully, I discovered the ketogenic diet. Just 18 months ago I was suffering over 15 migraines a month. Today, I am throwing away expired meds.

I never expected to be derailed by a decade of debilitating migraines. By my mid 30’s, I started to get menstrual migraines. I would end up in bed in a dark room, vomiting, intolerant to noise, light and scents. 

Soon the migraines began to worsen. I researched natural suggestions and did all of them: chiropractic, massage, supplements, acupuncture, osteopathy and food allergy testing. Nothing stopped the endless wave of migraines.
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My first visit to the neurologist was disappointing as the conversation revolved solely around the different classes of drugs I could take. I started taking triptans that week. Initially, they worked well. 
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Yet within four years of taking medication, my prescription had to be bumped up to 12 a month. My migraines doubled, then tripled in frequency. By 46, I was suffering 12-15 migraines a month, and some days, I felt like the fog and pain never really went away. I had become a daily sufferer. 
 
Soon I was prescribed a daily preventative medication: an anti-seizure medication given to epileptics. The list of side effects was horrendous so I researched natural treatments for epilepsy and came across a diet given to epileptic children with excellent results! The research cited was almost 100 years old. It was the ketogenic diet. 

That was the summer of 2017. Today, I genuinely have my life back. In the early days I was not magically migraine free but they did lessen in the first WEEK! That was motivation enough.
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Research the ketogenic diet. Talk to your doctor about reducing your medications safely. And above all else, have hope, as I feel strongly that what helped me end my decade-long battle with migraines, will very likely help you too. To learn more feel free to visit my website.

Deborah

Deborahs website: Migraine Free Day

Comment

Thank you for sharing your story Deborah! Reduced frequency or severity of migraine headaches is a very commonly reported effect on a keto diet. Here are a few of the stories that we have been sent:

Migraine success stories

Here’s more on the topic:

How to reduce migraine headaches with low carb

/ Andreas Eenfeldt, MD

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