Eliminating Wheat to Eliminate Migraines: Experiment

Day 1 – I ate nothing but gluten-free foods. Did not have a headache.

Day 2 – Only gluten-free foods until arriving home at 5pm. Had a minor headache. Ate leftover-pasta. Headache became very intense within five minutes of beginning to eat pasta. Headache was so painful I could not look at the computer or television. I took my usual doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen, to no avail. Headache persisted through the night into the next day.

Days 3-7 no gluten consumed, no migraines.

Day 8 – Staff “appreciation” at my middle school. I resisted all gluten-containing items for about 4 hours. I finally decided to have one brownie, about a 1.5” square. I did not get a headache.

Days 9 – 11 – Thanksgiving holiday – did not eat wheat, did not have a headache.

Day 12 –Had pie from Thanksgiving, did not have a headache right away, but later in the day I did.

Day 13 — Woke up with headache, which dissipated as the day went on.

Day 14 — Had half a small bowl of macaroni and cheese from school cafeteria. Within an hour I had a migraine that lasted until mid-day the next day.