I began suffering from migraines at the age of 11. It was only after the birth of my second child however, at the age of 34, that they became chronic. Over the course of perhaps three years they went from once or twice a week to almost daily. Soon it was unusual for me not to be in some kind of physical pain although the severity varied. There was the odd day when I felt like my old self but these occasions only served to remind me of how unwell I had become. My quality of life was minimal and every aspect was affected. I felt as though I was just getting by; as a mother, partner and in my workplace.
What I tried
I had tried everything from chiropractic treatment to any known medication that might help. Over the past seven years I have spent thousands of dollars going down paths that led no where.
Nutritional Ketosis : a different way of eating
It was recommended that I consider a ketogenic diet. Initially I dismissed this idea. It was only in the days that followed this suggestion that I gave it any consideration. I turned to Dr Google for further information. It sounded crazy – eating fat to make myself feel better? Unlikely. But I was desperate – and I’d been on diets that were a great deal more restrictive! So I gave it a go. That was seven months ago.
Progress
I would like to say that I haven’t had a bad day since but this is not the case. I still get migraines and still suffer from pain. But not every day. In fact, not even most days. The times I do suffer, I have generally dropped out of ketosis and need to address my diet.
Ketosis is a complex metabolic process that I won’t even begin to explain – I am not a scientist. Nor will I go into what is involved in being on this high fat low carb diet. What I will say though, is as bizarre as the diet might sound (it goes against every notion we’ve been taught about fat) it has worked for someone who was facing a life of intractable chronic pain…. So it might work for you too.
I will finish with one main idea about Ketosis: It is not a diet that addresses the cause of migraine. No one knows what causes migraines (closely related to fibromyalgia). This diet is a treatment. So you must adhere to it for it to work. Cheating is not an option; if you stray even slightly it will set you back days. Therefore, if you try the diet, do it properly. And do it for months before you decide it’s not for you. But trust me – if it works – it’s worth it.
Zoe.