Q. Every few months I wake up with a headache that makes me ill for about five days. The headache gets progressively worse and by the third day there is no comfortable position. I have to sit in a hot shower. Nothing relieves the pain, although cold medicines help me sleep despite the nagging headache in the background.
Last week, I woke up with the headache. On the second day I suddenly craved some ice cream cones called “Drumsticks.” I bought a box of them and the second I bit into the ice cream, my headache went away. I was afraid the relief might be temporary, but it never came back. I did not progress through the usual illness.
My personal theory is it is the cold that works. I am going to try just plain ice on the roof of my mouth the next time I get one of these headaches, but I’ll gladly eat ice cream if ice alone doesn’t work.
A. We have heard from a number of readers that ice cream or frozen drinks like slushies or Frappuccinos can interrupt a migraine headache. As with other migraine treatments, the earlier the “brain-freeze” remedy is employed, the better it seems to work.
As far as we can tell, though, there is no scientific evidence to support this “treatment.” On the other hand, it is an inexpensive and tasty way to short-circuit a prolonged headache.
