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Took me years to figure this out and at its worst it made my eyes flutter, dizzy, etc.
Never had this problem from moto, but after a life worth of ski/bike/life wrecks, the neck gets full of scar tissue. This can build up on the nerves where they come out between the C1/C2.
Hope that helps and if not good luck with figuring it out.
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For dehydration, I found that Cytomax works better than plain water so on a ride day I would alternate between the two.
For tension headaches, I take 440mg of Naproxen before leaving for the track and I feel good all day.
To the OP, I Appreciate this thread as well as everyone’s input and help. So thank you
1) HYDRATE
Not just water, but proper electrolytes. The amount of salt/electrolytes lost while riding and even just lounging on a normal riding day is staggering. Personally, my feet simply never stop sweating. In MX boots with very little ventilation, the issue is exacerbated even while just sitting around. Add in exercise and you have a whole lot of water/salt/electrolyte loss that is absolutely crucial to replace so you're body can function properly.
My favorite electrolyte replacement that I've found is NUUN. They're tablets and powders that you add to water. Sugar free but quite tasty. Available at a lot of sporting goods stores and outdoor gear REI-type places. My muscles used to cramp up horribly either during or after riding, but after learning how to properly hydrate with water and electrolyte replacements like NUUN, it has not been an issue and greatly helped my headaches as well. NUUN was also an absolute lifesaver for me when I did Loretta's in 2010. Unless I'm in a pinch, I tend to avoid Gatorade products like it because of the additional sugars.
2) PROTEIN
I may or may not be anemic, but either way, my body apparently absolutely requires a solid intake of protein to keep the motor running. Food and carbs in general are also important, but without a decent amount of protein consumed before and/or between riding sessions or motos, my body runs out of fuel muy pronto. If I don't have enough, post ride can become a nightmare and I find myself extremely susceptible to pounding headaches, not to mention nearly irreconcilable hanger.
A proper meal at least an hour before riding will sustain you. For longer days, I pack not just snack bars, but proper protein-rich bars. My go-to's are Nature Valley Protein Bars (cheap and easily found) and ProBar bars (dense, made with whole foods and grains but harder to find in stores.) Nuts or healthy sandwiches can also do the trick.
3) CLEAN EYES
Okay, yeah this one may only apply to people who wear contacts. After long, and especially dusty days of riding, for the longest time I would get headaches that would begin literally ON MY EYES. It felt like a pressure being exerted from behind my eyeballs.
I finally realized that dust was continuously collecting on my contacts, and was therefore irritating my eyes which would eventually lead to more massive headaches.
The simple solution: Wash my face properly before leaving the track and either remove or at least clean my contacts before heading home. If it's a long day of motos, sometimes I'll do this midday depending on the dust.
4) TYLENOL EXTRA STRENGTH
Everyone has their preferred OTC drugs for headaches. This one works for me, usually taken post ride if I feel a headache coming on. Also just helps keep to manage of the inevitable muscle and joint pain.
5) STICK WITH YOUR ROUTINE & KNOW YOUR TRIGGERS
It's easy to get out of your daily routine on your riding day; you're pumped and you just want to go shred with your buds. But make certain your taking care of Number 1! If you're a creature of habit, stay true to yourself. I absolutely need a solid breakfast and coffee in order to function properly and I try to never skip those no matter what situation I'm in.
Hope these little tips are helpful. Everyone has their own way of doing things. For me, these are a few of the essential tricks I've discovered over 30 years of riding that help keep my moto days enjoyable.
For me, the majority of my migraines went away with diet. As mentioned, I had one doctor just throw every medication at me to see if something worked, and none of it did. Once I went on an elimination diet and started slowly working things back in, I figured out that almonds were the biggest trigger, and at the time I was consuming them daily. That has helped tremendously, but still didn't cure the riding issue...
Now, another doctor I saw was much more personable and even shared that he also suffered from migraines. Rather than medication, he explained that what tends to cause many of them is too much variation. Everything from variation in your sleep schedule, diet, hydration, stress levels, and exertion can cause the "excitement" that leads to a migraine. Essentially, your brain doesn't like surprises. Riding has the potential to cause a lot of upset, especially with stress and exertion. As bayodome mentioned above, routine is critical.
For me, the consistent routine has to not only be how I treat the day, but making sure that I am doing cardio regularly so that my body is used to maintaining an elevated heart rate for a prolonged period of time. Once that sort of stress was no longer atypical, the headaches stopped on ride days for me. When they do come up, I find that taking ibuprofen is really helpful. I've also found that for me, holding an ice cube to my temple (right against the inflamed blood vessel that is causing the pain) until it's just beyond the point of an unbearable brain freeze causes most of the migraine symptoms to go away almost immediately. My understanding is that migraines have a lot to do with inflammation, so anything that counters inflammation is worth a shot.
Finally, I've been using fitness tracking devices over the past year and learned that the amount of calories I burn on a ride day are significantly higher than anything I achieve on even the most strenuous days at the gym. I also tend to not eat much at the track due to stress. If I'm in a severe calorie deficit, I'm almost guaranteed to end up with a headache.
Hopefully some of that helps out. Resolving migraines is definitely a trial and error process, and unfortunately I've found that most of the medications are ineffective or have side effects far worse than dealing with the headaches, but there are other solutions out there worth trying!
I don’t suffer headaches while riding, but if concentrating, hyper focused, under mild stress I catch myself clenching right about the time a massive headache rolls in.
Pit Row
Something to look into, if you have a nerve issue in the neck, I can definitely see the weight of a helmet and goggles while riding be a trigger.
Hope you get it figured out.
And yes most of the time on the drive home I will get a headache and I have always taken Advil.
Not sure how to avoid the Beer and BS session......
Earlier this year I actually went 7 months without one(usually get them once a month) . I eat the same and exercise pretty much the same all the time. My mom passed away suddenly and had to plan all the arrangements. Its was a week of hell emotionally and stress wise. After the service etc... I took a day or 2 that weekend and just relaxed. That's when I get my first migraine in 7 months. nothing had changed but my stress levels.
Its weird also at times, I can drink 1 beer/1 glass of bourban and wake up the next day with a migraine, or I can drink 15 or them and not have any headache, so times like that I just dont understand. (FYI I dont drink 15 beers/bourbon on a regular occassion). I do get headaches from strong odors like fuel, paint, things of that nature.
I have thought about some of those things you see on the television commercials but there are a lot of side affects that seem to come with them, so that scares me off from trying them. I will just do my best to stay away from my triggers and take my prescription meds when needed.
Also, I dont drink a lot of caffeine so a doctor told me to have a soda/caffeine if I feel a headache coming on. I have tried that when I started getting a headache during my day and surprisingly it worked, but not 100% of the time. I do try and stay as hydrated as possible and just hope for the best. I dont wish migraines on anyone because in my case it pretty much shuts me down until I can get rid of them.
Hopefully for those that get them can find ways to get them under control as best possible. I highly recommend seeing a doctor, its definitely worth a shot to see if they can help.
I’ve suffered from migraines my whole life Less as an adult but more often than not some bad headaches after riding. I got neck problems. I’m in my early 30’s and have been abusing my body for quite some time and have chalked it up to; your wearing a hot/heavy helmet usually On a hot summer day in hot gear abusing the crap out of your body over bumps and jumps with your heart racing. Only seems right to get some sort of headache. Shit I’ve had debilitating stomach aches after riding. It’s a tough sport from getting loaded up to unloading that evening it’s a long day for anyone.
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