What is Vestibular Migraine?

What is vestibular Migraine?

So what is vestibular migraine? Is a type of migraine that mainly presents with dizziness symptoms. The duration of attacks are very variable, from seconds to months in some patients like me. They mostly occur without headaches, but sometimes starts with pain.

Who is affected?

Based on UK’s Ménière Society it affects about 10% of all migraineurs. Vestibular migraine may start at any age and has a female preponderance of about 3:1. Lastly familial occurrence is common, pointing to a genetic origin of the disorder.

My experience

It started with mild dizziness and had durations of 2 hours up to few weeks at the time. The severity was mainly driven by stress, the more stress the bigger the attack not only on severity of dizziness but also duration.

Triggers

My 5 triggers are:

1. Stress and anxiety. Which is the harder for me to control.
2. Poor sleep – specially too little!
3. Hunger and dehydration – missing meals or eating too late and not taking enough water.
4. Dietary triggers – many common foods, especially caffeine.
5. Hormonal changes – i.e. menopause symptoms in my case.

A few more potential trigger foods

According to the Cleveland Clinic, these foods are commonly reported as migraine triggers:

• avocados
• chicken livers and other organ meats
• dairy products like buttermilk, sour cream, and yogurt
• dried fruits like dates, figs, and raisins
• garlic
• most beans including lima, fava, navy, pinto, garbanzo, lentils, and snow peas
• onions
• pickled foods like olives, sauerkraut, and, of course, pickles
• potato chips
• some fresh fruits like ripe bananas, papaya, red plums, raspberries, kiwi, and pineapple
• smoked or dried fish
• tomato-based products (including pizza!)

Treatment (my personal recommendation)

I would follow this sequence:

1. Eliminate all pain medication
2. Eliminate all food triggers: Coffee, red wine, aged cheeses, chocolate, citrus fruits, artificial sweeteners, yeast, MSG, processed meats and nuts
3. Identify and remove as much as possible emotional stressors
4. Ensure you stick to an exercise routine (I would recommend Yoga)
5. Finally, establish a support system, tell your loved ones and seek support

Tips

• Highly recommend to commit to follow the steps for at least 4 weeks
• Track and measure – journaling your symptoms daily is a great option
• Review and change what is needed and repeat
• Last but not least be open for new ideas and recommendations

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