You are the winner of the giveaway in honor of National Migraine Awareness Month! Please send me your contact info ASAP so you can get your goodies right away!
And thank you to everyone else that entered and be sure to give the My Migraine Triggers app so you can start discovering the triggers of your migraines and in turn moving you closer to a pain free life!
June is National Migraine Awareness Month- a time to inform and increase awareness of Migraine and Headache Disorders. Roughly 36 million people in the United States suffer from migraines , and three out of every four migraine sufferers are women typically ages 18 through 35. I turn 35 this year so this means I will magically stop getting them soon, right?! Haha. Don't I wish it was that simple! The pain of a migraine is some of the most severe and debilitating there is, and yet I find it amazing that there isn't more known about this disease- yep, that's right. Migraine is a disease, not just a headache. Symptoms can include an intense pounding or throbbing; without any bit of exaggerating, I can describe the pain as feeling like my brain is swelling up so large it is going to make my skull explode. Gross visual I know, but it is true. In the midst of a migraine, I am not only in pain but honestly am afraid that major damage is being done to my head- even though I know it isn't the case, it truly feels like it. Migraines are typically associated with nausea and sensitivity to light and sound and the pain is usually felt on one side of the head.
While fatigue and stress can trigger headaches in some people, migraines also have additional unique triggers:
Diet: Certain chemicals in food and beverages can cause migraines. Eating more fresh and fewer processed foods can also help rid your body of toxins or chemicals that could be causing your headaches.
Hydration: Dehydration can lead to migraines. Drinking plenty of water can help prevent this, and also helps rid your body of chemicals and toxins.
Weather changes: Changes in weather or barometric pressure can trigger migraines.
Menstrual cycle: Women with a history of migraines often report headaches immediately before or during their periods, when they have a drop in estrogen.
I am lucky enough that I can eat or drink what I want and not be affected by migraines. Foods are not one of my triggers. But really I wish they were! My own personal triggers are weather changes (hello storm- hello headache!) and my menstrual cycle. Without fail, I get at least a migraine a month due to my cycle. Unfortunately I can't control the weather or the fact that I was born a woman! So it looks like my migraines are here to stay.
As there are numerous potential migraine triggers, and these triggers vary from person to person, tracking these potential migraine triggers is key for helping to manage migraines. In fact, a recent survey conducted by Novartis Consumer Health, Inc., the makers of Excedrin® Migraine found that an overwhelming majority of female migraine sufferers (93%) wish they knew more about their migraine triggers, while only 11 percent of women who suffer from migraines track their triggers regularly.
I've told you about the FREE My Migraine Triggers iPhone App before and if you aren't using it yet, go download it now!! (it is available for android as well as iPhone). It is an invaluable resource in discovering what it is that is your own personal trigger. It can be anything from chocolate, red wine, the smell of cologne, MSG, flashing or florescent lights, weather, and hormones... the list goes on and on! It isn't the same for any two people, so seeing what causes you pain can help you steer clear of those things and stop a future migraine attack from starting.
With the use of this app, I was able to discover that birth control pills were actually contributing to my migraines! I stopped taking them in January, and guess what- my migraines have reduced enormously! At first I didn't put two and two together, but the app helps keep track of everything you can think of and helps to discover the common denominator to the problem. And as I look back into my medical history, I can see that yep, the times when I was Birth Control free I had much fewer migraines.
I am over the moon that I have paired up with Excedrin Migraine and get to work as an Ambassador, spreading awareness and offering information to all of my fellow sufferers. If I help one person, I did my job! Another lucky perk is I get to host yet another Giveaway!
One lucky winner will receive A Prize Package to help you relax, hydrate and stop a migraine before it starts!
Aero Snooze:
Three-piece set includes TSA-compliant carrying pouch with soft nylon eye mask and foam earplugs to help travelers drift off to sleep.
Memory Foam Travel Neck Pillow:
This u-shaped travel pillow is made of memory foam to provide support that correctly aligns your neck and spine, while supporting your head in sumptuously soft comfort.
Tritan from Eastman Water Bottle W/ Straw:
This 25 oz. bottle is made of durable Tritan material, BPA free and meets FDA requirements. This bottle is impact and shatter resistant and does not retain odor and/or taste.
Congratulations Jacqui Roberts and Laura Finlay Adkins who were my two winners for the Excedrin Migraine Giveaway!!
Please message me ASAP with your addresses so you can get your goodies right away! Thank you everyone else that entered and stay tuned for future giveaways on the horizon... there are quite a few on the way!!
There are countless things that can trigger a persons migraines. Not enough sleep, barometric pressure or changes in the weather, particular smells like perfume or cologne, and most common are different foods and alcohol. There are many foods that can potentially trigger migraines and for those who suffer, it’s extremely important to identify those trigger foods. By knowing what they are – and avoiding them – migraine sufferers can help reduce the frequency of their migraines.
My migraines are most often triggered by barometric pressure and lack of sleep. But so many of my friends have food and especially red wine triggers. Having a night out full of Chinese food and a bottle of wine could leave them crippled in bed with a raging migraine. So awful!!
I talked to you guys previously about The My Migraine Triggers™ iPhone developed by the makers of Excedrin®. It is an app that allows migraine sufferers to track the causes of their migraines. Well it also has a place to track food and drink as well! It then gathers this data into reports and charts that can easily be shared with your doctor. This app is so, so easy to use- you don't need to be tech savvy to figure it out. It just walks you step by step through the triggers, you check them off and the app does the rest for you. After you are done you can easily see what needs to be avoided in your life or your diet to keep yourself migraine free. It is a Godsend!
Registered dietitian Keri Gans offers valuable information about potential migraine trigger foods that every sufferer should know:
There are many foods and drinks that can trigger migraines, like citrus fruits, nuts, and foods that contain MSG. It’s important for folks to determine which foods are potential migraine triggers for them. By tracking their triggers, people can avoid them in the future, to help prevent or minimizing migraine attacks.
Tyramine: Tyramine is a substance found naturally in some foods, like aged cheese and red wine. It’s formed from the breakdown of protein as foods age. A good rule of thumb is that the longer a high-protein food ages, the higher the tyramine content. Some common foods that contain tyramine include: aged cheeses, red wine, alcoholic beverages and some processed meats.
Alcohol: Alcohol increases blood flow to your brain, which can cause migraines and headaches. Red wine, beer, whiskey and champagne are the most common culprits.
Other potential migraine triggers include: artificial sweeteners (such as aspartame), chocolate, citrus fruits, coffee or tea, tannins, (like red-skinned apples or pears) caffeinated soda, foods that contain MSG, and nuts or nut butters.
Food For the Brain: There is emerging science that suggests foods rich in magnesium, such as kale and broccoli, support healthy brain function. Try swapping kale for romaine in your salad at lunch to increase your magnesium intake.
And of course, don't forget to keep on hand a bottle of Excedrin® Migraine for those moments that a migraine does spring on you! It is the #1 neurologist recommended over-the-counter brand for migraine relief. It offers convenient and effective relief for migraines and was the first non-prescription medicine approved by the FDA to treat all the symptoms of a migraine.
Be sure to follow Excedrin on Facebook and on Twitter to stay up to date on their latest news and promotions!
To learn more about Excedrin Migraine, please visit www.Excedrin.com
As an Excedrin Migraine Ambassador I am lucky to host another awesome Giveaway for all of my readers! As a way of keeping us forward thinking on food recipes and eating healthy for our bodies and our brains to keep migraines at bay I am giving away some awesome kitchen items! Being that cooking is one of my most favorite hobbies, I am super excited about this giveaway!!
TWO Lucky Winners Are Going to Win ALL of These Goodies!!
The Veggie-Peel - This innovative fruit and vegetable peeler features a patented, built-in chamber that retains peels during use. Scraps are held in the durable, thermo-plastic chamber, eliminating messy peelings and clogged sinks. The double sided stainless steel blade allows for both right and left handed use.
Harold Import Company Avo Saver - Avo Saver is easy to use and will reduce a cut avocado’s exposure to air, greatly slowing the destructive oxidization process.
Dressing Emulsifier - The Emulsifier is an innovative way to mix up and store delicious salad dressings. It's very easy to use; simply remove the top of the Emulsifier, fill with oil, vinegar and herb replace lid and squeeze the handle to blend.
Emson Two Tier Microwave Steamer Food Cooker – This microwave steamer retains more vitamins & nutrients than other means of cooking vegetables, perfect for healthy cooking. It allows you to cook/steam two dishes at once, fits in most microwave ovens and is dishwasher safe.
Simply enter by using the Rafflecopter form below! Good luck!
Disclosure: I am an Excedrin® Migraine brand ambassador. Compensation was provided by Novartis Consumer Health, Inc., the makers of Excedrin® Migraine; my journey for a migraine-free experience is my own.
Have you heard about these things? Baltic amber is a natural resin. When worn against the skin the warmth of your body releases the natural healing oils called succinic acid while naturally relieving pain associated with headaches, TMJ, neck and shoulder pain, migraines, and teething (they have them for babies too). When worn on the wrist it can heal pain associated to carpel tunnel, RA, arthritis, and so much more. Truly a remarkable way to heal naturally!
I didn't learn about these necklaces while my children were still teething. But I did get one for myself- as you all know about my complex neurological condition, Occipital Neuralgia, that gives me Chronic Daily Headaches and Migraine disease. It's debilitating. I have been taking the highest dosage of anti- seizure meds and an antianxiety pill to balance me out and make my days livable. It helped with my headpain immensely. BUT I had no short-term memory. I lost words (would totally forget what a rock was called while I was looking at it, for example). These meds are also hard on a woman's bones, so long term use is not ideal.
We decided a few months ago to start trying for another baby and along with this decision I had to go off everything- they were all Class D drugs. Needless to say I was terrified of going back to debilitating pain. I did some research and discovered the amber necklaces. I bought it 2 months ago, only take it off to shower and I am PROUD to say I have only had a itty bitty handful of minor headaches since (I have had them everyday, all day for the past 6 years). If a person needs medication I believe in it 100%!!! There is no reason to suffer. A person needs to be able to live a good quality of life!! BUT if you can find something that works just as great, AND has no side effects- well obviously that is a huge win!!The necklaces work amazing and love the fact that I no longer have to be on ANY MEDICATION!! They were a life changer for me. I have my life back, and my memory too.
There are many, many places online that you can buy these necklaces (and bracelets) at. But please be careful because there are many fakes out there. Finding a reputable seller is key. As far as online retailers go, I would recommend Inspired By Finn, amber24 and Hazelaid. I bought mine at a local natural parenting store here in Ohio, The Breastfeeding Center, LLC.
I just checked out amber24 and I can't get over how beautiful some of the adult necklaces are!! Considering I never take mine off, I would love to have some variety! The designs are just stunning. I am going to have to stock up....Now how on earth am I going to decide on a fun new one- I want them all!! lol
I am so sorry to have to do this, but I need to choose another winner. I never heard from you Bulldoghiker, and according to the rules your win no longer counts. The good news for the rest of you I want everyone to have another chance! I ran the random number generator one more time (removing my previous two numbers) and Lucky Number 6 is my winner!
RANDOM NUMBERS
Random number between 1 and 11
6
Congratulations Crystal @EatDrinkClev!! Crystal please send me your mailing address so I can have this awesome Migraine Relief Kit sent your way asap!
Back in November I was invited to New York City to attend a truly special Media Event put on by Excedrin® Migraine. This was the very first media event that I have ever attended and holy moly was it incredible! Right from the get go they told me that they wanted this trip to be "As Headache Free as Possible". And from being picked up at my door, driven to the airport, picked up at the NYC airport and driven to my hotel I was off to an amazing start! Door to door service is not something that I am used to but goodness, I could sure get used to it quick! Lol. After checking into the hotel I was then treated to an amazing Swedish Massage at the beautiful Oasis Day Spa inside the Affinia Dumont Hotel.
a relaxed and happy Amie after my massage
After a quick shower our entire Blogging Ambassador group plus the PR crew and the people of Excedrin Migraine went out for dinner and a meet and greet. It was so much fun getting to know all of the other people in our team!
a few of the new friends I met on my trip
After dinner a few of us weren't quite ready for the night to end so we headed off to Times Square to play around and have some fun!
Can you believe I also actually randomly ran into my brother-in-law in the middle of Times Square who was also visiting for business? What a small world!
Then it was off to bed, we had a big day tomorrow! Normally I have a difficult time sleeping alone. But this bed had to have been the best night of sleep I have ever had in my entire life! I even got to sleep-in and ordered my first room service. Great start to my day for sure.
11:00 it was time to meet with our group and head over to Harold's Square for the Excedrin® Migraine Media Event. It was a gorgeous day- very cold, but the sun was shining and not a rain cloud in the sky!
From Top to Bottom, Left to Right: Our entire Excedrin Migraine Ambassador Blogging Team,
Sign welcoming us to the media tent, the huge area set up with complimentary massages and one of the massagers, beautiful downtown NYC with Macy's very perfect slogan "Believe", and me with a well know Internist Dr. Peterson who also is a migraine sufferer making her thrilled to be working alongside Excedrin Migraine.
And now for the best part... The very special guest for this event was none other then the singer, actress and Broadway performer, Jordan Sparks! Jordan's mother is a chronic migraineur and much of Jordan's childhood memories are of her mother ill in bed, surrounded in darkness and taking medication in hopes to ease her painful migraines. Migraine disease is a genetic disorder and unfortunately Jordan has begun experiencing migraines the past few years herself. When she was approached to join the Excedrin® Migraine team she jumped at the opportunity. It is something she very strongly stands behind and hopes that there will one day be a cure for al of us sufferers.
yes that's right, as you can see, me and Jordan are BFF's now
Jordan was an absolute delight! It is no wonder that her talents have gotten her so far in her young life. She was not so caught up in fancy life to take time and chat with us after having our pictures taken with her. And let me tell you, she is even more beautiful in person then she is on screen- talk about perfect skin!
Jordan spoke to everyone about her own migraine pain and she told us how much the Track Your Migraines app from Excedrin® has been so helpful in keeping track and staying under some control of her migraines. When she was done speaking she graced us with a beautiful and very moving song Faith done acapella. What a special thing to be in the front row for!
And guess what? I recorded her so all of you can enjoy her as much as I did! She comes on right after Dr. Peterson. You will love it!
Wow what a whirlwind this trip was! Although it was only two days it is one I will truly remember! The lovely people of Excedrin Migraine were so very gracious and did everything they could to make our stay and this event a special one. And for that I thank them all so much! It really was awesome.
Now I am home and have continued testing out the Know Your Triggers app for the past month. And honestly I have found it a great tool. Life sure gets busy around the holidays and no matter how much I try to keep myself relaxed it can become a challenge. And for me, added stress, weird weather (changes in barometric pressure) and hormones are my leading causes for migraines. Well perfect timing really, I have been using the app from Excedrin® Migraine A LOT. And unfortunately it was due to increased headaches, both migraine and my ON and TN attacks. But at least I had a fun new toy to help make the most of it. I understand why they did so much to make our trip last month a memorable one. It really is special. The more I used the app, the more helpful charts and diagrams I was getting from my information I was entering. It would show me that other triggers along with the ones I already know are also to blame for my pain. Lack of sleep, or poor sleep also can bring on a migraine when coupled up with the others, making them hit me faster or last longer. I will be meeting with Dr. D in a few weeks and I can't wait to tell her all about this. It is right up her alley. Then I can set up for all of my charts to go directly to her. I know she will find it helpful for not only me, but for her other migraine patience as well.
If you haven't already done so,please go and download the app at MigraineResource.com or from the iTunes apps store (don't forget, it's FREE!) and visit the Excedrin® Facebook page to continue your journey to a pain-free life.
And now for the winners of my giveaway!!! I chose TWO winners using the Random Number Generator at http://www.randomnumbergenerator.com and the winners are:
RANDOM NUMBERS -
Random number between 1 and 13
10
Random number between 1 and 13
4
Congratulations to both Mindy Utz and Bulldoghiker!
Bulldoghiker, I do not see your email attached to your profile, unfortunately if you do not get back to me within 48 hours I will have to choose another winner. I look forward to hearing from you!! You two are going to love this stuff!
I am a paid Excedrin® Migraine blog ambassador. Along with compensation, one iPod Touch to test the app was provided by Novartis Consumer Health, Inc., the makers of Excedrin® Migraine. Along with compensation, the Excedrin Migraine® Relief kit and travel and accommodations to attend the Jordin Sparks media event was provided by Novartis Consumer Health, Inc., the makers of Excedrin® Migraine; my journey for a migraine-free experience is my own.
Chronicles of a girl living with Chronic Daily Headaches, Migraine Disease, Occipital Neuralgia and Trigeminal Neuralgia. Searching for what works, pointing out what doesn't and striving to remain happy and hopeful through it all.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11
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