Q: I have had migraine headaches since the age of 16 (I’m now 47).  A doctor friend told me years ago to drink coffee when I felt a migraine coming on, as caffeine is a main ingredient in some migraine medicines.

Coffee worked a little, but what really worked is Starbucks iced coffee.  Haagen-Dazs coffee ice cream eaten very fast works even better.  For me, it seems that the combination of cold ice cream and caffeine ends the migraine instantly.

A: You are not the only migraine sufferer who has found that an iced drink or ice cream, especially with some caffeine in it, can stop a migraine cold.  Nobody knows quite why this works.  Some people find that it works best if you can induce “brain freeze,” but that may not always be necessary.

• Article by Joe and Teresa Graedon
• Copyright The Seattle Times

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