Denver Headache Clinic
We went to the Denver Headache Clinic specialist today. The doctor interviewed Cody and asked very specific questions about the types of headaches he has and pretty much determined that he has classic migraines that just happen to exclude nausea/vomiting. She was also intrigued that when his eyes go bloodshot, it is the opposite eye as the side of the head that aches. She thought that the ringing in his hears might be related to problems with clenching his teeth. Interesting things to think about.
Next she gave us the list of foods that he needs to eliminate from his diet. We are going to need some serious help with this. Here is the list:
Aged Cheeses: Cheddar, brick, mozzarella, Gruyere, Stilton, Brie, Camembert, Boursault. American, cottage and Velveeta okay.
Alcohol: Beer, wine (especially red), liquor
Beans of any sort including navy, lima, pinto, etc
Caffeine: Coffee, tea, cola, certain over-the-counter analgesics and other medications
Chocolate: Sweets, Chocolate foods, drinks
Concentrated Sugar: Sweets, cookies, cake
Dairy products: Ice cream, yogurt, cream, cheeses (aged), real sour cream
Fermented/pickled: Herring, sour cream, yogurt, vinegar, marinated meats, deli meats, preserved meats (even chicken and turkey). Fresh meat okay
Fruits: Bananas, plantain, avocado, figs, passion fruit, raisins, pineapple, oranges, and most citrus
Meats with Nitrites: Bologna, hot dogs, pepperoni, salami, pastrami, bacon, sausages, canned ham, corned beef, smoked fish
MSG Chinese food, Accent, Lawry’s seasoned salt, instant foods like canned soup, TV dinners, processed meats, roasted nuts, potato chips, “natural flavoring” = MSG
Nuts No nuts, not even peanut butter
Nutrasweet/saccharin Soft drinks, diet foods
Salt On an empty stomach: popcorn with salt, peanuts, etc
Sulfites Salad bars, shrimp, soft drinks, certain wines
Vegetables: Onions, pods of broad beans (lima, navy), pea pods, nuts, peanuts, corn
Yeast products: Fresh Breads, Yeast extract, raised coffee cakes, doughnuts
Please help!! I need recipes that don’t include these things. Fresh beef, chicken, turkey and fish, rice and pasta, are all good, but we are really going to struggle through this process of determining what foods are safe for him.
She also prescribed some new medications and changed some of what he is taking. The clinic doesn’t take any health insurance. Hopefully Kaiser will work with us on the medications, but we could use prayer for that. It has been a lot to take in at once and we’re pretty overwhelmed. Well, here’s to a new start.