Q. I appreciate what people have shared about their tricks for relieving headaches and migraines. I was especially intrigued by reports that provoking brain freeze with ice cream might stop a migraine in its tracks. Trouble is, I get too nauseated when a migraine is setting in. What else can I do for these terrible headaches?
A. Researchers have shown that quickly drinking something cold constricts blood vessels in the roof of the mouth, causing “brain freeze.” Some report that this effect stops a migraine. If you are not too nauseated to drink ice water, that could help. The sooner such a remedy is implemented in the development of a migraine, the better it seems to work.
One reader had good results with a serendipitous discovery:
“I happened upon this accidentally. I had a migraine and drank a fruit, soy milk, ice chip smoothie. I think holding the cold smoothie in my mouth near the back/roof of my mouth made my migraine go away within about 10 minutes.
“I want to mention is that some foods, such as corn or yeast, bring on migraines for me. Some kinds of coffee can make my headaches worse. So, if you suffer with migraines often, you might consider food allergies or sensitivities. Additionally, ragweed season is always the worst for me.”
Not everyone finds that inducing brain freeze is a magical answer for migraines. Dunn reported:
“I have chronic migraines. Almost every day I suffer unbearably through work or at home with my 5 month old son. I have heard about the brain freeze remedy before and tried it.
“Apparently, I am one of the very unlucky people, as this caused my migraines to get worse quickly. They also would not go away and caused my entire skull to ache. Since trying it, I can no longer eat or drink anything cold without it causing a horrible headache that lasts for days. I just have to bear it any way I can since I’m still breastfeeding and cant take any meds.”
You may find our Guide to Headaches and Migraines is helpful with its suggestions on non-drug approaches including riboflavin, feverfew, ginger, butterbur, melatonin and acupuncture.
If natural remedies fail, triptan medications such as Amerge, Imitrex or Maxalt may help. Anti-seizure drugs like topiramate can sometimes prevent attacks. Although these options aren’t viable for Dunn, they may help others.
