Migraines after practice

Thanks all. I will try to up the water intake and see how that goes. I normally go through 24 oz during the practice but I need to drink more. I tried silicone caps but they were too tight and caused the headaches to get worse. I use latex now.

The water temperature is likely a big part of the problem. You might try taking two Aleve before practice. I find that this works better than anything else I have tried for migraines (with the exception of Vioxx, which was taken off the market).

My first thought would be heat related too.If you don't already,drink about .5 to 1 liter of fluids within the hour before practice and then small amounts throughout.Otherwise by the time you feel hot or thirsty it takes too much time for the fluids to really help.One thing that has helped me is switching from silicone to latex or neoprene caps.I found that silicone is too thick for my head to cool off enough-I also have very thick hair-and they can also constrict a bit.

No protein in the coconut water. (I generally avoid it after a workout because it doesn't sit right in my stomach for an hour or so after heavy exertion.) I think what helps me is that it's an easy way to regain a whole bunch of potassium I've sweated out. Add in a handful of pretzels for the sodium, and I'm good.

I would also suggest making sure that on Fridays you should hydrate well too. Don't just think about Saturday morning during practice to get your fluids in! I have a problem with getting hot too, in places where that was a problem I would always be taking my cap off in between sets and during kick sets if possible. Easy to do if you have short hair. Thanks Katie. Good point about Fridays and hydration. I often get headaches after meets. I know it's not a hydration issue because I drink constantly at meets (a mixture of sports drinks and water). Strangely I rarely if ever get headaches after practices, but I do drink throughout workouts. For me, a headache trigger is noise. That's why I get them at meets. Is that the same for you?

For me, a headache trigger is noise. That's why I get them at meets. Is that the same for you? No, I don't think so. Noise doesn't usually bother me. Coud be a combination of things: noise, wearing tight cap and goggles, stress, etc.

I'll add one more vote in agreement with gull, 85 degree water sounds like a likely culprit. I believe that I have read that the frequency emergency room visits due to migraine correlates strongly with temperature. I also think James is on to something with his comment. Is there any way that you can lose the cap? How long is your hair? "Wear a cap" is a common suggestion for helping to deal with cold water. It stands to reason that, "don't wear a cap" might be a good strategy for dealing with warm water. If you must wear a cap, maybe get a lycra one. I'm usually faced with the opposite problem, water that is too cold for me, but on the rare occasions that I have been faced with water that is too warm, I have found that having a bottle of cool water available to splash on my face and hair between swims is quite useful.

Have you tried loosening your goggles a bit during longer practices? Normally I like tight goggles but if I practice much more over an hour they give me headaches. This is an easy thing to fix too!

I have two different pools that I swim in. One (for Masters group) is nice and cool, the other (days there is no Masters practice) is 84+. I'm far more likely to end up with a headache after swimming in the warmer pool! Other factors that will add to whether or not I end up with a post-swim headache - tightness of goggles, hydration level, iron level, amount of sleep. I have a tendency to to get migraines when I'm not getting enough iron.. or water.. or sleep.. etc. If I know I will be working hard the next morning/day I will usually eat something with lots of iron (spinach is my favorite source), drink lots, and try to get a little extra sleep. I hope you find a solution that works for you! Headaches are miserable. :badday:

About the same as "fast food is good for you." :D Coconut Water Info And we know how well that fast food works for you. :) No protein in the coconut water. (I generally avoid it after a workout because it doesn't sit right in my stomach for an hour or so after heavy exertion.) I think what helps me is that it's an easy way to regain a whole bunch of potassium I've sweated out. Add in a handful of pretzels for the sodium, and I'm good. Okay, thanks. I'm thinking about taking a break after about an hour of practice to eat or drink something and see if that helps.