Migraines can have a huge impact on the mental well being of a sufferer. Conditions such as anxiety, depression are much more common in people who suffer from migraines.
Have you experienced anxiety, depression or any other mental health condition whilst suffering from a migraine?
Just curious where this came from? Can you give the academic journal that is research based?
You might want to inform people about mental health, but this is not the best way to do it.
Wow, that’s harsh. There’s mountains of research on migraine and mental health problems coexisting. Just look it up sometime.
No, I am just asking where this came from. There is no resource attached to it. I have taken statistics classes and done research 8n the past. I am curious about the source that is all.
I def experience mood changes whilst in a migraine "event"
My sense of hopelessness / helplessness and feeling a pathetic waste of space, unfit for purpose are overwhelming.
When I get a couple of better days I find it hard to believe I felt soooooo low and feel embarrassed at being so "weak"
Any anxiety is around an event causing me to let people down , socially or professionally.
I think all chronic pain will impact negatively on our mood. However.... for me, the migraine low is overwhelming. I feel robbed of my ability to reason with myself ,the mindful approach I can benefit from with other pain.. i.e. Kidney stones!!!! So not a knocked knee. Is not a tool that works for me in status migraine.
The change in mood is an indication my chronic pain has stepped up to a 6/10. .
And I think it's very important to address this in the group. If only to reduce the sense of "is this just me?"
And I think mental health should be a part of every day conversation . We all have it. Good or bad.
There is actually a psychological phenomenon called "learned helplessness (or hopelessness)" and some research actually showed that rats who are put in extremely stressful situations like something called the swim test where they are forced to swim for an indefinite amount of time do worse ( aka give up and just drown) when they are injected with substances like 5HTP which is a precursor to serotonin. No one really talks about the fact that serotonin is a very toxic chemical that is excitotoxic to the brain. It's referred to as the "happy hormone". Foods high in tryptophan are also going to cause huge surges in serotonin to the brain. If you look at a lot of the prescribed medications such as triptans, they are 5HT receptor agonists. 5HT is essentially serotonin, and when the receptors are "agonized" that means that serotonin can be removed from the brain more efficiently. SSRI's do the opposite, where they block the receptors and make it so the serotonin stays in the brain, supposedly resulting in better moods. There are definite connections between SSRI use during pregnancy and autism. Serotonin is closely connected with migraines and autism, as well as many other health concerns. Endotoxin (a toxic substance made when the intestines leak bad bacteria into the bloodstream) creates more serotonin in the body. It's not a good thing. Cyproheptadine, aka periactin, is an antihistamine and serotonin receptor antagonist that has been used for migraines for a long time. Antagonists are not the same as reuptake inhibitors: "These drugs work by blocking the action of serotonin on nerves that transmit impulses (like vomiting) from the intestines to the brain. Ondansetron which is used to mitigate queasiness and nausea in migraineurs as well as chemo patients, is also a serotonin receptor antagonist of 5HT3 (yes there are several kinds of receptors, each having different functions.) If you are interested in learning more check out the work of Dr. Raymond Peat, a biologist who studies all of these things and has quite a few free articles available to the public.
Soooo Tomtom. Can the learned hopelessness be unlearned? Loads of info in that post. Thank you. I will study and digest.
In brief I know SSRIs prescribed
for pain and migraine management . I only use triptans and try to limit amount. Does this research provide any helpful suggestions ?
.
I think that if you can reduce the activity of serotonin with medications like cyproheptadine it makes it easier to try to "unlearn" the learned helplessness. Rats treated with cypro or just designed to be 5HT "deficient" would swim for days on end (they are capable of this), whereas the serotonin treated rats would give up within one or two hours. So for people because we are so complex it's not as simple as just taking a drug, but I think it helps if you are also using modalities like cognitive behavioral therapy. SSRI in low low doses (which don't yet inhibit reuptake) promote the enzyme 3a-HSD which is deficient in people who suffer from PTSD. Very low doses have been shown to help women with PMDD and can be taken just during the luteal phase of the cycle if needed. Dont' do this if you have low cholesterol levels. I take about 5mg sertraline for PMDD and also cyproheptadine (4mg). I also use ondansetron and a triptan as needed. The other thing Ray Peat discusses frequently is the polyunsaturated fatty acids, and how if people with migraine consume food high in linoleic acids (canola, corn, soy oils) it will free serotonin from the cells into the bloodstream. Fish oils are also basically polyunsaturated oil. I use coconut oil and butter (saturated), as well as olive oil (monounsaturated oil). Niacinamide helps to prevent fatty acids that are stored in the body from being released into the bloodstream where they cause inflammation and the creation of prostaglandins (causes of pain.) Pure aspirin also helps to prevent the release of free fatty acids and also lowers estrogen. Raymond Peat speaks very highly of aspirin but it needs to be taken with vitamin K2. NSAIDs are the only things that block production of prostaglandins, which is probably why Advil is such a good sidekick with triptans. However, if you can get a hold of some good oil-based K2 try to use aspirin and try not to take tylenol unless absolutely necessary. Tylenol is extremely toxic to the liver and use of it during pregnancy has also been linked to autism in babies. Whew, sorry I hope this isn't too much info.
Advil... Is that a USA drug?
I just watched a video of his. Interestingly was about the demon estrogen... I was estrogen dominant . Back in the day.. and have used progesterone cream in past to try to balance
. So much info it adles the brain.
There is a wonderful russian neurosurgeon and gastroenterologist who talks of the stomach being our second brain. How our modern diet is killing us. Factory farming and loss of natural meat sources. Real thought providing. I'm a veggie so I probably don't have appropriate diet...
Advil is ibuprofen. Yes, Ray Peat is definitely against estrogen. Are you able to consume dairy or collagen protein or would that go against your beliefs?
I will bear in mind at Meno clinic.. maybe not replace the estrogen!!!!
My migraine were hormonal. ( I managed them well beta blockers and triptans)But after a short respite menopausal they transformed into something with no respect for rules.the last 8 years terrible last yearhorrendous .
I avoid dairy both for ethical reasons but also it really upsets my stomach. I am not 100% dairy free, but probably 90%. I am super sensitive to drugs as well, so did not tolerate the really toxic ones lol. Topiramate, baclofen, venlafaxine, carbamazipine ... Etc etc .now on candestartan and triptans .12 weekly Botox .
Good luck with your management. I don't know how I survived with 2wee boys , work and caring for relatives!!!!! It should all be so much easier now...lol
Once you are in menopause your body no longer produces progesterone, but you can still have quite a bit of estrogen hanging around in your tissues. Men also make estrogen. Taking a bio-identical progesterone supplement is something I am definitely going to continue doing when I am in menopause. If not, the estrogen in your body is totally unopposed. You can buy progesterone creams. I'm currently on Prometrium, 200 mg/day with a week off during my period. You can also take it only during the last two weeks of the cycle which is when the body would normally produce progesterone, but as a migraineur I like to take it almost daily. As soon as I start to feel the migraine coming on I get back on the progesterone. My migraines usually start the very last day of my period. I would take it every day of the month if that's what it took!
Keep in mind that at first progesterone could cause you to have some hyperthyroid symptoms because if there is thyroid hormone that is being clogged up in your thyroid gland, it will suddenly start to come out with the progesterone supplement. It should get better soon but you might also look into supplementing with thyroid glandulars. You can see if you need thyroid by taking your temperature in your armpit when you first wake up in the morning. If your temps are low you have low thyroid function. You can also check your pulse first thing when you wake up and then again after you eat breakfast. If your pulse goes down after you eat then your morning pulse was higher because of adrenaline, which many people run off of during the last few hours of sleep because their blood sugar gets so low that the body must raise it somehow and adrenaline is the natural result. I think a lot of our issues are due to stress/hypoglycemia. People who are hypothyroid tend to be hypoglycemic as well. If possible try to find a naturopath who will work on getting your thyroid levels optimal, not just in the "normal" range as most doctors do. Natural desiccated thyroid supplements have various types of thyroid hormone (T2, T3 and T4) unlike the standard thyroid medication that doctors prescribe, which is just T4. Many people have to order synthetic T3 from overseas because that is the active form of thyroid hormone.
👍🏼I did use serenity cream . Progesterone, but stopped. May revisit that. I just thought I would go eau natural....... But maybe would rather age disgracefully 😉 I need to get migraines at level I can wear my helmet and get back out on my motorbike 🏍
And.... Does this explain the high suicide rate in young people or undiagnosed bipolar when prescribed certain popular antidepressants?
Ray Peat would say yes! Lol I'm not a doctor or scientist but I've been researching this for the past two years when my menstrual migraines became unbearable and I became fearful that I would suffer irreparable brain damage and not be able to care for my children. So this subject is life or death for me!
Anxiety and depression can also stem from brain chemical imbalances not just migraine. The Brain SPECT testing is functional brain imaging checking for both how migraines impact brain functionality as well as for hypoperfusion, increased cerebral perfusion, and decreased perfusion which are associated with anxiety and depression.
Every time I have a migraine I feel completely suacidal, as the pain eases after more than 48 hours, my normal mood and personality state returns. The pain, isolation and loss of function, the loss of ability to work or hobbies once enjoyed all adds to constant feelings of helplessness and swings into real depression. Three years on from obtaining a diagnosis, no support on the NHS has been forthcoming in terms of addressing the psychological and emotional impact of living with the condition. I bring someone who suffers migraines daily.
Sadly, I think most dr just don't get the condition or the support one needs when your constantly feeling suacidal due to pain and your life is literally being robbed from under you.
I've stopped asking for help, because my dr says no talking therapy is available on the NHS.
Something needs to change. Awareness of migraine and the impact it has on a persons mental & physical health needs to be talked about more and to GP's, so the issue gets some awareness and hopefully at some point it affects treatments and support structures that can be given to patients.
Isolation can kill, and nothing is more isolating than the pain of migraine. That which others can't see and therefore often don't understand.
Everyone needs to raise the social and public profile of migraine by talking about it and that most needs to start in medical schools as well as with members of the public. Highlighting the public, economic and personal crisis it really is.
Hi, I’m so glad to hear your post! I get migraines almost every day & am stuck in my darkened bedroom for some relief from light, sounds & smells. Crackers and water/sparkling water are my “best friends”. My depression and anxieties are made much much worse by all of the components of migraine. I understand why people don’t talk about it, the fear of stigma. But I agree that the medical community should recognize & help educate people on this subject. It’s very real & often very deadly if there’s no one to turn to.
Thanks for your reply. I, like you, require stillness, quiet and darkness during an attack. I also drink lots of water and I lie on a chill max pillow to take some heat away from my head.
I really hope you find some relief for your condition at some point.
Though I wish no one else had disabling migraines daily and the mood disturbances that come with it. It is also good to know I'm not the only one suffering this symptom and this impact on a daily basis.
I wish you the best for the future.
I have had migraines for more than 15 years. I have tried every class of preventive medication (blood pressure, cafergot series, topomax and I am just coming off the anti-depression series (which made me the sickest) medication NONE of these have worked for me. When I have increased my Magnesium and introduced other B...I got very sick. The only thing that helps is OTC tension migraine medications and triptans. I also do yoga and eat very healthy. In addition I have done the following: biofeedback, accupuncture, massage and in the far past keep a diet journal to chart foods to try to discover triggers, never found a pattern.
I am now left with daily migraine, but I manage a full time job, very busy child who has sports almost daily and a household. I am rarely sick and NEVER miss work. Yes I manage without getting depressed or upset. I am also trying to manage any physical pain ( shoulder and back pain I have.
I do not have any answers to the complex migraine but it is not fun. I do not let them run my life but manage each one the best I can.
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