Headaches after skiing

[martyg]

Yes. Obsessive about weighing.

Right on. Does it show that you are dropping mass when skiing?

I use mass readings to control cardiac drift on long training rides.

 

[palikona]

This journey of mine goes way back but I’m putting the headache pieces together after a fall of meeting with lots of docs. For years I thought these Headaches I mention above were dehydration. Then I became very good at hydrating before, during and after, including with electrolytes. But it didn’t help the headaches, which would often commonly occur a day after a big day of exercise, but sometimes the night of.

Back in August, I after getting what had to be a migraine (I’d never experienced one but this had to be on, without aura), after mountain biking, and other headaches after exercise, I went to the doc who then sent me to the cardiologist, who found through testing that I have a small PFO in my heart. It’s a hole that usually closes after birth but 25% of people’s don’t and don’t even know it. And it usually doesn't effect those who have it. The cardiologist and I decided against the simple procedure to close the hole, because he was not sure it would help the headaches. Next up: the neurologist. I got an MRI done and it came back normal, but with some small bits of white matter, which I think indicates migraine tendencies. I’ll learn more next week during a telehealth meeting but it sounds like exercise for me can trigger headaches and migraines. Does anyone else deal with this? I have no idea what the neurologist will suggest moving forward in terms of treatments, meds, etc.

FWIW, I’m 46 and up until 44, never had any issues. Very weird but maybe I was getting minor migraines and didn’t realize what they were since I always associated them with much worse debilitating symptoms.

 

[crgildart]

Frequent or chronic migraine disorders are more common than some would think. For years I chalked it up to hangovers.. until after I quit drinking. Been on Sulfa Sumatriptan (Imitrex) for decades now. Aimovig has helped quite a bit the past year. 20 years of trying other things to prevent them and everything but Aimovig failed after 4 or 5 weeks of good results. Hope you find something that works for you long term, but focus on the rescue triptan that works for you. Life's manageable when you can stop them quickly after they hit.

 

[Sibhusky]

I get headaches after intense exercise. I take Inderal, which doesn't eliminate the migraine, but makes my heart pound less and so the migraines are milder. Barometric pressure swings also bring them on. So, rapid gains or losses in altitude CAN also bring them on. Fortunately, cold usually helps, otherwise how could I ride a chairlift? And when I retire to my bed with a triptan, I wear a hat with ice in it.

I've tracked various foods for years, with little success. Red wine, beer with lots of hops, that's all that has been consistent. To really nail down triggers you've got to work at it. (Migraine Buddy, an app, can help.)

For years, people told me it was a hydration problem, but it's not. I've had migraines since my 20's and they were only diagnosed in my early 30's.

 

[palikona]

Frequent or chronic migraine disorders are more common than some would think. For years I chalked it up to hangovers.. until after I quit drinking. Been on Sulfa Sumatriptan (Imitrex) for decades now. Aimovig has helped quite a bit the past year. 20 years of trying other things to prevent them and everything but Aimovig failed after 4 or 5 weeks of good results. Hope you find something that works for you long term, but focus on the rescue triptan that works for you. Life's manageable when you can stop them quickly after they hit.

Are rescue triptans the class of migraine medicine that you take as needed when you feel one coming on? If it works, do you still need a daily med as well?

I don’t get them other than after hard exercise. Otherwise, with easier exercise, I get a headache but not as bad. For years, I’ve also often gotten bad headaches after being on the computer for work. Blue light glasses don’t seem to help and I now wonder if those are mini/minor migraines.

 

[palikona]

I get headaches after intense exercise. I take Inderal, which doesn't eliminate the migraine, but makes my heart pound less and so the migraines are milder. Barometric pressure swings also bring them on. So, rapid gains or losses in altitude CAN also bring them on. Fortunately, cold usually helps, otherwise how could I ride a chairlift? And when I retire to my bed with a triptan, I wear a hat with ice in it.

I've tracked various foods for years, with little success. Red wine, beer with lots of hops, that's all that has been consistent. To really nail down triggers you've got to work at it. (Migraine Buddy, an app, can help.)

For years, people told me it was a hydration problem, but it's not. I've had migraines since my 20's and they were only diagnosed in my early 30's.

Ive been doing some icing too. Usually the forehead, temples and back of neck.

Do you get headaches or full on migraines when drinking beer?

 

[crgildart]

Are rescue triptans the class of migraine medicine that you take as needed when you feel one coming on? If it works, do you still need a daily med as well?

For me they work as it's hitting and after it's full blown misery. Tablets take about an hour. Injections take about 10 minutes. If I'm not on an effective preventative I get them several times a week. Aimovig is a once a month injection, not daily..

 

[Heeler]

Did you have blood work done? You may have a magnesium deficiency that could be a contributing factor.

 

[crgildart]

And +1 to the barometric pressure changes and altitude changes being a big trigger.

 

[oldschoolskier]

I’ve noticed this season I’ve been getting headaches the day after skiing often. I don’t think it’s dehydration, as I drink plenty of water and electrolytes afterwards. Is it likely a result of the calorie deficit from a full day of skiing in the cold? Maybe I’m not eating enough the day after? Thoughts on how to handle this?

It is dehydration, not hydrated enough before and not hydrating during, after the fact its too late.

 

[palikona]

Did you have blood work done? You may have a magnesium deficiency that could be a contributing factor.

I did and my doc didn’t mention that. But maybe I’ll try to supplement, as I’ve heard that can help.

 

[palikona]

For me they work as it's hitting and after it's full blown misery. Tablets take about an hour. Injections take about 10 minutes. If I'm not on an effective preventative I get them several times a week. Aimovig is a once a month injection, not daily..

Do you get side effects from either the preventative or the Triptans?

 

[palikona]

Also, does excedrin help? Or the Tylenol/Advil/coffee cocktail?

 

[crgildart]

Do you get side effects from either the preventative or the Triptans?

Sumatritpan has somewhat of an amphetamine effect on me. Can keep me awake. Too much over long periods of time can cause heart damage. That's why they try so hard to find a preventative. Of the literally 3-4 dozen preventatives I've tried, some definitely had adverse and shoe stopper side effects. Lyrica was the WORST. Wild mood swings.

Also, does excedrin help? Or the Tylenol/Advil/coffee cocktail?

All those are horrible if taken daily or beyond daily dose recommendations. Excedrin Migraine is extra strength with caffiene. I used that before getting the sumatriptan. Occasionally worked well, but usually not.

 

[palikona]

Are Triptans similar to Advil/Tylenol in that it’s bad to take them too often during the week to quell episodes?

 

[Sibhusky]

Ive been doing some icing too. Usually the forehead, temples and back of neck.

Do you get headaches or full on migraines when drinking beer?

After a visit with @Fuller and his wife to a local brewery where I got one of those sampler trays and developed a headache halfway through one of the glasses which went onto be a two day affair, I looked up hops and headaches. Then I started tracking using IBU ratings as a surrogate for amount of hops and discovered that I'm sort of safe if it's in the 20's, but not higher. The doctor tells me at this point it's a well worn path that my body just responds with a migraine to any trigger. There are no headaches now that I can just pop an aspirin.

 

[Sibhusky]

Also, does excedrin help? Or the Tylenol/Advil/coffee cocktail?

Years ago it did. Like when I was in my 20's and early 30's. Then they became a joke.

 

[Sibhusky]

Are Triptans similar to Advil/Tylenol in that it’s bad to take them too often during the week to quell episodes?

All of those things can lead to Medication Overuse Headache, and you can't count them each separately. MOH can actually be worse pain than the migraine and you have to go cold turkey for a while. Write down everything and keep an eye on it.

 

[palikona]

Sounds like I’m in for a lot of trial and error this ski season?

 

[LiquidFeet]

I haven't heard anyone talking about magnesium yet. Or did I miss it?

Magnesium and Migraine | American Migraine Foundation

Learn how magnesium oxide in tablet form can be an inexpensive way to treat and prevent migraine without a prescription.

americanmigrainefoundation.org

The ideal medication for prevention and treatment of migraine would have no side effects, no risk, would be safe in pregnancy, as well as being highly effective while remaining inexpensive. Of course, no such medication exists, but magnesium comes closer than many interventions on all these fronts.
In 2012, the American Headache Society and the American Academy of Neurology reviewed the studies on medications used for migraine prevention and gave magnesium a Level B rating, that is, it is probably effective and should be considered for patients requiring migraine preventive therapy. Because of its safety profile and the lack of serious side effects, magnesium is often chosen as a preventive strategy either alone, or with other preventive medications.