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I found this article in the alt.support.headaches.migraine newsgroup.  Do
undiagnosed celiacs get headaches?  Anybody feel free to response to
Julia, in addition to us, however you will need a newsreader to post a
response publicly to their newsgroup.

Don Wiss.

----Forwarded----
From: [log in to unmask] (Julia George)
Newsgroups: alt.support.headaches.migraine
Subject: Wheat is a Trigger
Date: 1 Mar 1995 23:56:20 GMT

  I have gotten various sorts of headaches since I have been about 13.
The worst of course are migraines (Perhaps most of which were migraines).
I have identified several triggers, most of which are listed in the FAQ
and include:  air pressure, hormones, red wine, MSG, and "soy sauce".  At
a suggestion from my mother, who had suffered with migraines herself for
a while, I stopped eating wheat.  At the time she suggested it, I had a
(classic ?)  migraine for about a week.  (Pain on one side of head,
nausea, photosensitivity, sound sensitivity primarily).  The headache
felt better in the morning but would continue to get worse as each day
progressed.  The clincher was, I had had copious amounts of spaghetti and
garlic bread for 3 days in a row.  ( I do not remember what I had eaten
before that).  In order to "flush" my system, I started drinking lots of
water and after about 2 days the headache was entirely gone.

  Unlike others, I cannot say that I have not had another headache since
because it is hard to completely avoid wheat.  ("normal" breads/cakes
hence most desserts, most pasta, many beers, and is often a hidden
ingredient in prepared foods listed innocuously as processed vegatable
protein, lots of sauces).  I would say that when I stay wheat free, both
the frequency and intensity of the headaches I do get is GREATLY reduced
(>90%).  However, since cutting wheat out, I have noticed that my
sensitivity to wheat has dramatically increased.  Occaisionally, I risk a
bite or two of something, and sometimes I must pay a price for that.  In
contrast, I remember that once during the period where I was trying to
test my wheat limit, my tolerance was apparently higher, I was able to
eat a whole bagel.  Well, no more.  (You may ask why I listed soy sauce
in brackets as a trigger, I will tell you.  It is because one of the
primary ingredients in soy sauce is, yup, wheat.))

  I am currently speculating that wheat is actually a fairly common
trigger (perhaps already known/discussed, but not in FAQ).  And am
curious if other people have noticed this.  Wheat is remarkedly
ubiquitous in the American diet.  (How common are migraines in cultures
which rely on other staples, i.e.  rice or corn?)  Another form of
intolerance to wheat, called celiac sprue, has been clearly documented.
Interestingly, like migraines, sprue is more common in women and also
runs in families.  Sprue manifests as a intestinal distress which becomes
progressively worse.  This is another correlation that I find
interesting, since migraines can be associated with constipation or
diarrhea.  Regardless of whether there is an association between sprue
and migraine, there is an abundance of wheat free (gluten free) products
in most health stores, as well several cookbooks available on the
subject.

  If you would like to test yourself for sensitivity to wheat, you need
to allow a few days for body to rid itself of the offending chemicals.
Although I have noticed a direct and profound cause and effect, I want to
emphasize that there is a serious time lag between wheat and migraine
(12-24 hours).

  I apologize if this has already been discussed.

P.S.  If you want to lose weight try eating a wheat free diet.

-Julia George [log in to unmask]