The classic Brit treat has been treating Jemma’s migraines (Image: Kennedy News and Media)
A British mum has claimed a retro sweet which costs just 60p has cured her of migraines. The neurological condition had plagued Jemma O’Donovan, 28, for years. But just 15 minutes after eating the sweet, her symptoms noticeably reduced, allowing her to “function” more easily from day to day.
Jemma, a carer, says the migraines aren’t triggered by anything in particular but symptoms include vomiting, dizziness, searing pain in one side of the head and double vision. Her symptoms clear up after eating a Dip Dab, however, with the 60p sweet making her feel better after just a few minutes.
The 28-year-old from Bristol said: “One of the first symptoms I get is migraine aura, which is flashing lights and colours, usually in one eye. This is my warning sign that I’ve usually got about half an hour to get myself somewhere safe and situated before I really start to suffer.”
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She added: “Sometimes the heavy-hitting medication is worse than the migraine itself. Sometimes I’d rather live with the headache as the medication basically makes my body go to sleep and everything about my body stops working. In about 20 minutes I feel like I can’t lift my arms, or walk properly and my whole body feels like cement.
“The medication does work but it always feels like a last resort because of the side effects. [The sweet hack] was a complete accident. I had gone to Tesco and I picked up a few sweets from the kids’ section, which included a Dip Dab.”
Jemma went on to say that the Dip Dab leaves her feeling much better and has become a go-to solution for her migraine symptoms.
She explained: “I was having a migraine at the time and it was really bad because I think it doubled up with my period. I had the Dip Dab and I think the fizziness of it distracted my brain for a little bit and within about 15 minutes after I finished, I had a moment where I questioned ‘do I feel better?’
“At the time I thought it might be a fluke but the next time I had a migraine, I went out and bought a few of them and I had one then and it did help. It’s not a complete fix but it makes it more manageable to go about my day as I work full-time.”
Jemma could suffer the effects of her migraine for up to three days (Image: Kennedy News and Media)
The NHS urges caution around the consumption of refined sugary foods, such as sweets and energy drinks, as it could lead to a quick rise in blood sugar followed by a rapid fall that could make a migraine more likely.
Jemma believes the symptoms clear up after a Dip Dab because of the mixture of saltiness and sweetness. She added: “For me it starts working within 15 to 20 minutes. It just seems to clear up your brain a bit, the pain isn’t so bad and your eyes don’t hurt as much.
“You feel you can get out of bed and open the curtains. It allows you to function with a migraine and relieve some of the awful symptoms. It seems to wipe out the sensory side of things a little bit. I think the Dip Dab is more sugar than salt but there is a baking powder taste, which is a little salty, so I guess it’s this.”
Jemma, who says she can suffer from a migraine for up to 72 hours, added that putting your feet in hot water can also be a helpful solution as it is “meant to draw the blood away from your head and down to your feet.”