ADHD & Migraines?

[Doodledoodledoo]

I recently had a silent ocular migraine with aura- for those who don’t know, this is when you get weird visual changes, like shimmering blurry spots in your vision due to migraine, but in the case of a silent one, there is no headache pain like in a normal migraine. I’ve struggled with painful migraines throughout my life, but I’ve never experienced the visual aura before, it was disconcerting!

When researching it online, I read somewhere that people with ADHD are at higher risk for ocular migraines, and migraines in general. Does anyone know anything about this? if it’s true, why? Ive read that migraine is a “brain electrical problem” is ADHD a brain electrical problem too?

Thanks if anyone knows!

[STEM_Dad]

I've previously heard and read that migraines might be more common in people with ADHD, or other forms of neurodiversity.

I believe this is the first I've learned that ocular migraine might be more common in people with ADHD.

My older son has had many instances of seeing auras. He was examined thoroughly by an eye doctor as a child, and found to have perfect vision...there was no physical cause of the auras he was seeing. So, the eye doctor suggested that it was ocular migraine without pain.

That was years before my ADHD diagnosis, and my son has all the same ADHD traits that I have (but he's still undiagnosed). His mom has a history of migraines, but no ADHD (that we're aware of...if she does, it's "sub-clinical", meaning not severe enough for a diagnosis...she is and always has been more impulsive than the average person, but not a bit inattentive).

[emiL1234]

Onions do that to a lot of people. Pay attention to what you te before it happened. Also, if someone WITHOUT adhd would make a list of all the physical little things someone can have at the same time than ADHD, you would think for sure that it is a coïncidence. It's like 99% of the feelings inside your body, you can find out it has to do with your adhd, but someone without adhd will have the same sensations as well. I think the more we know, the more we find out we know nothing.

[Doodledoodledoo]

thanks I’m on no meds at all - I’m not assuming it’s ADHD I just came across something that said there’s a correlation between migraines and ADHD and was curious if anyone had any further info

[PinkPanda23]

Hi! I started having pain-free ocular migraines in early 2014 while having to work from home in a position for I felt poorly trained. I attributed it to stress then, but I continue to have them and I've been retired since late 2014. Had not heard of the ADHD connection, but I can verify you are not alone. My optometrist is not concerned.

[skyblue-111]

I, too, have struggled with migraines throughout my adult life and have never had the visual aura often associated with them. They have decreased in number and severity since I retired, I believe, because I have done a better job of making sure I'm well-hydrated and (please excuse my saying this...) have regular BMs.

I had not read that migraines were a neural problem; rather, a vascular problem... which I think explains why mine have improved since I retired.