Maybe this could be a thread where this stuff is discussed, just to streamline the subject. If not, that's ok.
So, some bummer things about the MAV (migraine associated vertigo) diet I'm recently on. I love citrus. I've got lemon and orange trees. Now I can't use them. I love the bitterness of grapefruit. Grapefruit is super healthy. Low sugar for a fruit. And good for fiber. I like mixing chunks of it with bitter Greek yogurt. But I can't have either now. Oh well. Also, I used to be a vodka man or woman. Since my VNS surgery I've gotten off it, and switched to beer. Which is a good thing for me since I sip beer slowly and don't drink much of it. Beer has cut my alcohol intake by a huge margin. But in comes MAV diet to tell me beer is out, and I've got to go back to the hard stuff. I'll try not to. Maybe just one or two beers a night is ok with mean Mr. Mav diet. ??
If you think yours might be viral related, get rid of high-arginine foods. They will feed the virus and counter your lysine intake. Avoid wine because of the sulfates. Avoid beer. I only drink whiskey and scotch, so it's not an issue for me.
I have a friend who thought he had MM but it turned out to be basilar migraines. He eliminated chocolate , cheese, wine and beer. He switched to cider when he wanted a drink. Took him awhile to get used to it but he is controlling the vertigo with diet, no meds and living a full life. Keep in mind that not everyone will have the same MAV triggers. Also keep in mind the threshold aspect so maybe you can have some citrus. You won’t know til you eliminate then reintroduce.
Don't look at the raw numbers. Look at the ratio. Chicken has a 1.3 ratio of lysine to arginine. Lysine counters arginine. https://hsvblog.org/herpes-blog/diet-lifestyle-tips/chart-of-lysine-vs-arginine-in-common-foods/
Mel, you mean he switched to hard cider? Scott. Ratios, ok, that's a relief. Studying the MAV diet and low arginine diet this morning I pictured myself starving.
Pupper, it's not quite so bad. Not everyone with migraines has the same triggers. You could eliminate them all for a while to experiment, but you can try bringing them back later. You may come to have a sense for which are the problems. I have MAV, and I do fine having yogurt every day, but a salad that is super vinegary can set me off. I have citrus in moderation. I do avoid caffeine.
Well, I'm sorry to say that I had a larger serving of yogurt than I usually do this morning and now I have some migraine symptoms--not vertigo, thank goodness, but a mild migraine headache and some nausea. So I guess moderation is the key for me for that one.
I've had MM since probably 2003. I never really gave diet much thought until recently when my attacks and general systems ramped up viciously. I have been a heart transplant recipient since 1993, having a second surgery in 2015. A low sodium diet has been a part of my life since I can remember. One of my first symptoms was tinnitus and fullness after drinking beer. This was long before diagnosis, but it bothered me enough that I never really became a drinker at all. Coffee was another story. I was a big time drinker for the last 10 years, I would drink all day and sleep great at night. I gave up coffee this spring, again when out of nowhere MM decided it was moving into my life for real. Now, even a couple sips of hot chocolate will send my anxiety through the roof, hyper sensitive I guess. I miss it, especially since the weather is cooling off. I've switched to herbal teas, but strangely they seem to be a burden on my anxiety as well. Reading this post and others I've become aware of the lysine/argenine factors. I haven't been able to enjoy grapefruit in years since my transplant meds prohibit it, but I will miss the oranges and citrus. I do enjoy seafood and yogurt quite a bit, so that's not an issue. Probably the thing I miss the most, and still indulge in occasionally, is Vietnamese food. So good, but generally very salty.
I've found that if I drink coconut water (high in potassium) before having salty meals, I am less bothered. I learned about this here. Something about the high potassium counteracts the high sodium in the salt. I now regularly drink coconut water and have a lysine before going out to dinner. A lot of restaurant food is salty, and you never know what arginine things will come up. Also about the yogurt--I wonder if it's easier on me (in moderation as I learned this morning) because yogurt is high lysine/low arginine. I'm mixing migraine and MM issues here, which is my reality, but not everyone's.
I was this big wine fanatic. I learned a lot about them. I drank a lot of them too......... I gave up the reds first and just recently the whites. It sucks but I think they are to much to handle for my Menieres. I'm drinking beer and Vodka (in the weekends) now. I feel like I can tolerate lagers very well and vodka that it's NOT distilled with wheat which many are. My system does better with vodka's distilled with potatoes, corn, or grapes. But beer has wheat right? so I don't understand LOL
Hahahaha! I'm sure I'll think of that now. Thank you. ("I'll have side of humor with my cumbersome disease, thanks.")
ByetheBay, I'm in the same boat as you, not knowing if viral or MAV, and trying to balance both diets. Thanks for the heads-up on coconut water. I'll pick some up. I had to give up my Claussen Kosher Dill pickles for my MAV diet. Such a tasty and otherwise harmless food that I loved. Hopefully I can go back to them, or slice a few thin chips of them on my burger. But for now, totally out. MBG, that was really funny.
Can anyone recommend chips that are migraine safe? I don't care how bad they taste, I'm just looking for something crunchy beside celery.