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I'm in my 40's and have been getting headaches since I was in 6th grade. I'm very prone to them. Over the years I've learned to minimize them by recognizing my common triggers and avoiding them. I've also learned what does and does not work for my headaches. I use the generic Excederin. Works just as good as the real stuff. Motrin-Advil-Ibuprofen do absolutely nothing for my headaches. They only work for muscle-joint type pains for me. I also have very fubar sinuses and can barely breathe through my nose. I get frequent sinus headaches and Tylenol-sinus works for these somewhat.
I've frequently gotten the post-riding headaches. I learned that dehydration, fatigue, sun exposure, and low blood sugar are the main causes along with breathing fumes and chemical smells. As said, eating throughout the day is important to keep your blood sugar up. I'm not real big on energy drinks, but the quick hit of sugar and caffeine can get your blood moving and take the edge off a headache to get you through the drive home.
Wore my cycling heart rate monitor and gps on my dirtbike last weekend. Close to 200 sustained for 8 minutes straight. Off the couch. Haven't rode in 5 weeks. But have been starting a training regimen for some sprint triathlons.
I'm pretty slow at swimming. But here's my last time:
I do not get headaches after swimming, cycling or running.
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Just some thoughts...
I never had this issue before about age 33. I am going on 36 now. I drink plenty of water, although it could be a diet thing too. Maybe our dietary needs changing as we get older has an effect on how we hydrate... (I am kind of thinking towards what BVM111 said above).
It may be blood pressure related too?
I practice hard, I ride race pace and push through 20, 30 and 45 minute motos often. Practice doesn't cause a headache almost ever. I think the blood pressure and heart-rate are higher in race conditions even though I am Mr. Calm on the starting gate.
I still think it's more than likely hydration. Staying in the shade between motos seems to help. Usually the 2 or 3 hour drive home requires coffee. That doesn't help.
He's been trying to figure this out for the last few years. He thinks it's some kind of mineral deficiency. Tried all kinds of hydration methods, electrolyte intake - sodium. You name it, he's tried it. Sometimes it happens sometimes not so much. Can't figure out the trigger. Recent thoughts are not eating soon enough.....real food not recovery supps.
Sometimes I wonder if heavy coffee abuse is part of it. The past few years I've found myself with a coffee habit. I drink about 10 oz cup of coffee when I wake up (at least 2 hours before hitting the track).
If I have a beer or two on Saturday night after racing and race on Sunday, no amount of water will prevent a headache on Sunday in the late afternoon or evening.
I really lean toward this being a hydration issue.
Ate a huge breakfast. Taking some bananas, grapes and avocado to the track to eat. Might take an excedrin halfway through. But don't wanna do to many things so I can try to pinpoint what the real cause is....
I've found when my wife goes to the races and nags me all day to eat, and I do to stop the nagging, I don't get headaches. Make yourself eat several times throughout the day. Your breakfast regimen looks good. Try a peanut butter and honey sammich on wheat during the day and eat a decent piece of chicken for lunch.
Most of us probably have had enough get offs to cause scar tissue in the neck. You may be suffering from irritated/pinched nerve in the neck. I know that for me the nerve in C2/C3 is a problem and causes me headaches that last for 2-3 days. I have had it so bad that it caused vertigo and made me feel like I had a months long hangover.
Good luck, it sure isn't fun to deal with.
I started with headaches a couple of years ago, before that I could ride hard and had no problems besides normal fatigue.
I put 3 nuum tablets in my 2.5 liter backpack. Take energy gels, protein bars, changed helmet, eat a lot, cold showers, used ice packs .. nothing works. Usually ibuprofen does the work but I would rather avoid take it.
Thanks!
Pit Row
This issue was covered in detail many years ago in a "Jody's Box" in Mxa.
With so many other old timers here, I am surprised nobody else has mentioned it.
Your boots are too small.
And not really related, but never let your dog hang around concession stand trash cans and eat poultry waste, and beware of discarded tears offs reflecting the sun.
Major attention toward hydration 24+ hours in advance
Ear plugs while riding
Staying out of the sun
Diet - eating a good sized breakfast, eating some real food regularly through my ride day (half sandwich mid morning, rest around noon). A red dragon fruit seems to be the golden ticket for my headaches. One day my girlfriend cut up a red dragon fruit for me and sent it with me. That day I did not get a headache. Since then I have brought one with me nearly every time I rode and each time, no headache. I rode yesterday, didn’t bring this fruit and I ended up with a headache. These things are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, low in sugar. I eat some of it late morning and snack on it through the day. I don’t know what it is, maybe just helps balance my diet but for me it works.
Will try the dragon fruit.
I do know this threads 5 years old, but many people have these same things. And I find it refreshing people describing the same symptoms as I’m having. Gives me hope it’s easily fixable.
There was recently another headache thread with lots of good info:
https://www.vitalmx.com/forums/Moto-Related,20/Migraines-from-motocross…
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