Hello. I too lost the ability to exercise because of migraines. I was very healthy, exercising every other day until my accident. Since then, I have been diagnosed with Post-Concussive Syndrome, which has left me dealing with chronic migraines. I have tried many exercise routines, but most have also caused more migraines so they were quickly dropped. The only exercise that I can do now is swimming. I think, in my case, it removes the jarring that most other forms of exercise inflict on my brain. If you have access to a local indoor pool, you might try that. It is great cardio, and helps retain muscle mass. I hope it helps!

Yeah I tried elyptical and then pool then I got migraine the next few days. I even did jacuzzi after the two. Now I’m down to walking only. I walked for 30 mins yesterday and today I had migraine and leg muscles so tight. I was exercising 4 times a week for 10+ years, now this. I’m literally afraid to exercise since I am having so many migraines now. I need to figure out all my triggers. I’m thinking of switching out my deodorant that has some scent. It may be contributing to it. In my case does anyone thing a preventative like Topamax might help. My nurse practitioner seemed against it since it’ll make me foggy thinking and other possible side affects. Maybe I should start more natural like B vitamins, Migrarelief, feverfew , vitamin D, magnesium oil. Can you think of anything else for a preventative?

I take a combination of 500 mg Vitamin C, 400mg Calcium and 200 mg Magnesium in a powder form. The acid in the vitamin C helps the Magnesium and Calcium absorb. It is absolutely necessary for your stomach to be slightly acidic or else it is mostly wasted, which is why I just shake my head when I see antacids like Tums advertise “with Calcium”. Anyways, after 2 or 3 days, my mood improved markedly. I had more energy, and I even slept more soundly than I have in years. My neurologist isn’t sure exactly why it helps me so much, but he thinks it helps the extra Magnesium helps my brain with the production of precursor chemicals used to make neurotransmitters. It allows my brain to “catch-up” on reserve stores needed to produce serotonin and dopamine. These are the body’s natural pain fighting and happiness producing chemicals. With a brain injury, and/or chronic pain, these chemicals can become depleted with normal diet. There are also supplements of the actual precursors you can purchase such as L- Theanine and L-5-Hydroxy Tryptophan, which can be a little pricey, but are more directly converted to serotonin and dopamine. If your difficulty is a shortage of natural neurotransmitters causing increased pain and depression, these supplements can have an amazing affect on your overall wellbeing. Just keep in mind, just like anti-depressants, the precursors can take a few weeks to fully help with depression. The Magnesium was much quicker. Any questions, or just want to talk or vent, feel free to give a holler. Best of luck!

@TjT2300- You do understand that your stomach consists of hydrochloric acid, which is acidic between a pH of 1.5-2.3. Taking any amount of vitamin C will not make one bit of difference lowering the pH of your stomach anymore. It is absolutely 100% unnecessary to take anything with your calcium and magnesium to make it absorb better. So it's absolutely NOT wasted if taken by themselves without additional vitamin C. It's the vitamin C that is a waste to take for the purpose of making your stomach "slightly acidic", since it already is all on it's own.

Also, not sure why you chuckle at Tums for containing calcuim. That's the ingredient in it. It's used for those who have heart burn and acid reflux. Those of us who have it would rather not have a burned esophagus.

Yes, thank you, I know about stomach acid. Not sure what I said to warrant such a snarky retort. I wasn’t discounting the benefits of antacids. I was merely pointing out that calcium carbonate requires the very stomach acid antacids are neutralizing to be absorbed, and this in turn makes Magnesium harder to absorb. Not being a doctor, just someone trying to share something that worked for me, I think it’s the citric acid that assists in the absorption. Whatever, it improved the quality of my life and I thought I would share. Sorry if I insulted antacids.......geeez

TJt thank you for the suggestion on Vitamin C, Calcium, and Magnesium. Can’t hurt for me to try. At this point I’m desperate. I haven’t exercised or done much therefore no migraine. But a lack of physical exercise can be so dangerous, especially for someone w thru the roof triglyceride levels. Once my migraines settle down for at least a weeks time in my mind I build confidence again that maybe I can exercise and so desperately want to. I was fine walking at the mall. I will keep trying. I have to. Let’s see how walking goes again.

@TjT2300- I'm sorry if it came off snarky. But the way your post came off, was as if one needed to MAKE the stomach acidic by taking vitamin c in order for these minerals to be absorbed. Not that it was something that had helped you, but it was something that everyone NEEDED to do, which I wanted to clarify was not necessary.

Uh, I’d like to say F it and just exercise as much as I want again. But I don’t have enough pills of Imitrex for all the migraines. My health insurance only gives me 9 pills a month. And I found out why. If taken too often it can start to affect the heart. Well why didn’t anyone ever tell me this? Uh, sound like I might end up on Topamax as a preventative. Need to talk to the dr again. How can I not exercise? That’s not an option for me.