Pseudotumor Cerebri Support Group

Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) is a neurological disorder that is characterized by increased intracranial pressure, in the absence of a tumor or other diseases affecting the brain or its lining. Diagnosis requires brain scans and lumbar puncture. Characteristic symptoms are headache, transient visual obscurations or transient visual loss in one or both eyes usually lasting...

761 Members

8,021 Posts

0 Online

spectacularone 04/30/2011

I have been seriously minding my diet lately. Not even to lose weight but to see how certain foods make me feel. I started journaling everything I ate and switched to a mostly raw foods diet.

Anyway, reason for the post is through trial and error I've noticed I am extremely sensitive to sodium. So, even though I'm following a raw diet, today I ended up at Olive Garden for a family function. I ordered the lowest sodium stuff I could find (checked nutrition facts before we went) but it's all really high. I only ate their house salad and a breadstick but two hours later I could hear the super loud wooshing in my ears and sure enough tonight-bad headache.

Has anyone else noticed such a major reaction to sodium? Obviously it makes sense. Sodium causes fluid retention but I really have to watch it. I'm back on the straight and narrow tommorrow that's for sure.

deleted_user 04/30/2011

wierd enough I have noticed the swooshing or fluttering in my ears since I sort of started slacking on my diet the last few days. I had pizza and tacos this week (I know really bad) which are high in sodium but I didn't think anything of the ear stuff until I read this. I plan to start eating better again tomorrow.

deleted_user 04/30/2011

Yes, I have been watching my sodium too since my symptoms have come out or remission. I also read this study where it was suggested http://webeye.ophth.uiowa.edu/dept/iih/pc_5.htm
I have felt by reducing my sodium my symptoms are not as bad.

deleted_user 05/01/2011

I was also reading this http://www.trunity.net/NOVEL/articles/view/137051/?topic=18618
and in the article she recommends a low thyramine diet. http://www.headaches.org/pdf/Diet.pdf

I am going to try this and see if it helps too.

deleted_user 05/01/2011

I spoke to someone from the IHRF and she said that, for her, a decrease in sodium in her diet worked for her headaches. So, I am now focusing on that in addition to no processed foods or GMOs.

deleted_user 05/01/2011

Suggested diet for those with PTC:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1999756/managing_chronic_pseudotumor_cerebri.html?cat=5

spectacularone 05/01/2011

I read that suggested diet and wanted to add that kicking caffiene has helped a ton as has adding magnesium supplements. My new nuero explained that even though I have PTC and not migraines the headacahes can still be related to your vascular system which caffiene affects my causing blood vessels to constrict (you feel great) then when it wears off bad headaches. I tried to cold turkey it-and you have to slowly wean off it or you will give yourself a headache. I only drank 2 diet cokes a day!

Magnesium has been so amazing. Just Google Magnesium and headaches. There's a $5 book on Amazon that explains why it works called the Magnesium Solution for Headaches.

At first I argued with my neuro and said I don't have migraines, never a headache in my life until PTC, so this stuff for migraine people won't work for me but it has certainly helped.

Join the Conversation