MS and Migraines?

[ladybug162]

When I got into my early twenties, I started having these excruciating headaches. The pain was always right above my eyes or right behind them. With the pain came extreme nausea and even vomiting.

The pain always lasted 2 or 3 days or longer. Nothing I took helped. Over the counter pain pills were useless to me even though I kept popping them hoping for a miracle. The only thing that worked for a brief time was Excedrin Migraine, but I took them so often that they started not working at all.

Finally decided to mention it to my doctor because it was getting hard to function with the pain. He said it sounded like migraines and prescribed me Imitrex. Well, it was a dream come true!

Anyway, to make a long story short.....Last year at 29, I was diagnosed with MS. My symptoms were always Optic Neuritis. So it makes me wonder if it is somehow connected to the horrible headaches I get around the eye area?

Both my Neuro and Neuro-Ophthalmologist says no. But it still makes me wonder? No one in my family has a history of migraines or MS. They are pretty much healthy as a horse!

What do you guys think? Anyone have severe headaches with MS? I'm just sick of these headaches! Seems like they are more frequent since starting Tecfidera. Then again, it could be other things causing them to be more frequent.

Between the headaches and fatigue, I pretty much want to stay in bed all weekend. Can anyone relate? I'm so tired of this. (no pun intended)

[Robbie67]

Hi Ladybug, i too am the only in my family to have MS n Migraines. I also had migrianes for years and the last 3 wks i've had optic neurtis they treated w one day steriod n two days of mixed drugs to take imflammation down. Last night i went to Er cuz my eyes felt like a pulse on my eye (like twirchn) My eyes were puffy i can only see in one eye. I was dx on april13 havent started dmd yet cuz insurance issues. Did u have mono or bells palsy ever when u was young?
Ladybug i hope u find ur answers. I have same my neuro says no to but when i have a migraine its like my head is actually telling its On. Try a big ice pack it does help some.

Many prayers for u. LiveLaughLove

[ladybug162]

Hi! Thanks for responding!

No, I never had mono or bells palsy when I was a child. I just think migraines and MS have to be related somehow, but maybe not.

So sorry to hear you had to visit the ER last night due to the pain! That is no fun at all! I sure hope you are feeling better now?

Thinking about you and sending prayers your way too! Hang in there my friend!

[4peace]

Migraine headache

Hi Ladybug - I have MS and also suffer from migraine headaches. I would mostly get them in the morning and would have them when I woke up. I was tested for sleep apnea, but don't have it. My Neuro put me on a low dose of Pamelor, an anti-depressant known to stop headaches. I take the pill at night before going to bed and lo and behold no more migraine headaches. If I do get a day time migraine, which rarely happens now, I take Imitrex which also helps.
I hope you find relief from your migraines soon.

[ladybug162]

Hi Ladybug - I have MS and also suffer from migraine headaches. I would mostly get them in the morning and would have them when I woke up. I was tested for sleep apnea, but don't have it. My Neuro put me on a low dose of Pamelor, an anti-depressant known to stop headaches. I take the pill at night before going to bed and lo and behold no more migraine headaches. If I do get a day time migraine, which rarely happens now, I take Imitrex which also helps.
I hope you find relief from your migraines soon.

Just wanted to say that I have been taking amiltriptyline (anti-depressant) which has helped me tremendously with the headaches! Been taking it for a couple of weeks now and haven't had the first headache! It's been a Godsend!

Thanks for your post and hope you are doing well!

[Lazydaisy1]

Hi there,
I used to get terrible headaches/migraines for years. I tried every medication out there. A few months ago a friend suggested I see her nutritionist. I was skeptical at first but decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did!
Turns out I had a few food intolerances and was low in magnesium. I haven't had a migraine since changing my diet!

[cvms]

I have RRMS and also migraines. My first sign of MS was optic neuritis of my left eye in 1999. I was diagnosed with MS in 2007. My mom and 2 of my sisters get migraines (no MS) so I never thought much of migraines correlating with my MS.

It is interesting, now that you mention it, that I always get migraines behind my left eye. I have only had optic neuritis the one time, but it's the same eye.

I too am on Tecfidera. My headaches have actually been way better since I've been on it. I also don't eat gluten or dairy, though I do cheat occasionally. I started avoiding both to help my MS. I'm not sure it helps my MS or migraines but I feel better/healthier overall so I stick with it.

Glad your migraines are better Ladybug! I feel my migraines cause me more issues than my MS most of the time. I haven't had a bad one since starting the Tec. Wonder if that is actually helping?? It sure is interesting. Could there be a connection with migraines and MS?

[Shayna]

I didn't know I had migraines until my neuro told me....LOL I always thought that a migraine came with an aura. Apparently one can have a migraine and not have an aura. I've found that I an highly sensitive and or allergic to some foods: walnuts, pecans and cow's milk. If I avoid these foods my chances of having a migraine are less.

I'm the only one in my family with MS and migraines.

[lisatherese]

I started getting migraines about ten years before my MS diagnosis 5 1/2 years ago. I, too, have been told they aren't related to my MS, but I'm not convinced. I've been on a few different prophylactic meds for the migraines, but nothing has helped much in preventing them. I switched from Copaxone to Tecfidera 4 or 5 months ago & didn't get any headaches for a while--thought I'd found the holy grail, but they're back with a vengeance--currently a bigger issue than the MS. Prescriptions meds help immensely and I tolerate them better than a lot of people do, but insurance now limits the quantity so severely & I'm getting them so often that I have to try other things that don't work, leaving me fairly useless. It's getting really depressing.

[vkassin]

Migraines!!!

From all af you suffering migraines, i can relate- I get the much ;ess than ,oct of you, but I manage with a prescription med, Naramig, which helps a lot. It used to be worse, but after getting a long treatment of acupuncture, it helped reduce the amount of migraines and their intensity. I hope this helps, I was diagnosed with RRMS in '82, so stay strong and try to keep a good attitude, although I know how hard it can be!!

[Nabbosa]

aura is also migraine

I mostly get the aura alone - and it turns out that is called an occular migraine. I've never had optic neuritis with the MS. Only parasthesia. The aura will go away if I drink a strong coffee or take some ibuprofen. But I found out that they'll also go away after about 30 minutes without anything. And they don't typically turn into the painful kind of migraine in my case - for which I am VERY thankful!

I sometimes get the pain kinds of migraines WITHOUT the aura. I mentioned them to the neuro and he's the one who told me that's what they are. They are nothing like the migraines my mother had when I was growing up, so I'm still kind of shy about classifying them as migraines. But they do follow a lot of the classic migraine patterns. The biggest trigger for me is a big change in atmospheric pressure. But usually 3 ibuprofen, and maybe a stiff cup of coffee, will head it all off.

[LindaN]

I have had headaches/migraines all of my adult life. Was diagnosed with mono in my late teens, but not sure if that was a correct diagnosis or just the doctor guessing. I have spent 35 years on pain meds. Had a few times when I was so weak that I couldn't function for a few weeks/months, but never a diagnosis. My neuro says that it was probably MS. I wasn't diagnosed with MS until 45. Headaches are now tremendously better due to a chain reaction of events. I started taking Aubagio 3 months ago, which has raised my blood pressure. To tackle that, my BP dosage was increased. Propranolol, which is also a preventive for headaches/migraines. Since I have increased my dosage of Propranolol, the headaches/migraines are almost non-existent! I would not have been able to take the higher dosage had it not been for the increase in my blood pressure.
My neuro does believe there is a link to MS and headaches/migraines. It depends on the neuro. Best of luck to you.

[lusciousleaves]

I have RRMS and also migraines. My first sign of MS was optic neuritis of my left eye in 1999. I was diagnosed with MS in 2007. My mom and 2 of my sisters get migraines (no MS) so I never thought much of migraines correlating with my MS.

It is interesting, now that you mention it, that I always get migraines behind my left eye. I have only had optic neuritis the one time, but it's the same eye.

I too am on Tecfidera. My headaches have actually been way better since I've been on it. I also don't eat gluten or dairy, though I do cheat occasionally. I started avoiding both to help my MS. I'm not sure it helps my MS or migraines but I feel better/healthier overall so I stick with it.

Glad your migraines are better Ladybug! I feel my migraines cause me more issues than my MS most of the time. I haven't had a bad one since starting the Tec. Wonder if that is actually helping?? It sure is interesting. Could there be a connection with migraines and MS?

This sounds very similar to my experience where the headaches locate, behind the eyes. I've also had trouble with vision, but no optic neuritis. The other place I get the headaches (nearly constant for months at a time), are on the sides and top of my head, behind the temples, not over the temples where a migraine would be. It's very different from the migraine I get. Until the first episode, all were free of auras and triggered by muscle tension.

It turns out the lesions showing up are low in the frontal lobes, behind the eyes. I'm wondering if they swell the brain and stretch the meninges in that area, or irritate them by some other mechanism. I do think they're related, but I don't think migraines are the cause of what's happening neurologically like one of my docs tried to convince me. I think they're a symptom of something else going on. Treating them didn't stop any of the other symptoms, and most of the time didn't stop the headaches, either.

An interesting study done on headaches in MS. Headaches in MS Patients Might Imply Inflammatorial Processes

[AlaskaAnn]

My migraines are mostly on the left side...temple area. in 1993 it was when my doctors as a military dependent were investigating these headaches, to include sending me through the mental clinic, that my MS was first discovered. Only took them 6 years....not too bad back then.

My current team of doctors (non military) have me on Topamax twice daily for the migraines and tegretol twice daily for the additional head pain that is now on my right side that they currently cannot explain except that it is MS related and is not migraine related. (sorry for spelling of meds)

The Topamax keeps the migrains at a reasonable level where I can at least get them under control. My biggest issue at the moment with the migraines seems to be water, sleep, and heat.

If I drink too much water I will trigger a killer migraine that nothing can take away except for the 4 day cycle of vomiting and cold dark rooms. Same with if I don't get enough water. Everyone thinks this is just silly but I swear this is how it is...my husband can attest to it as he has seen it many times over.

Same goes with sleep. If I get woken up during my 6 hours at the most...I have to get up and get going. If I try to go back to sleep then a migraine will hit, not near as bad as the water, but still bad. And I cannot over heat while sleeping or yep, another migraine.

I just started Tecfidera on Monday...it will be interesting to see how it affects my migraines. I am a serious juicer and have been asked by both of my doctors to bring fat back into my diet to get me through the side effects of the Tec. Not too sure if I will need to do that. Right now I am only getting serious flu like symptoms as a side effect and fat isn't going to help that so why mess with my diet? And of course they want me to add water but that will screw with my migraines so we won't be going there....so we will just have to see how this all works together.

[HobbitHead]

I know this is an older topic, but...

I have had migraines for 15+ years. Usually behind my right eye.

I was diagnosed with RRMS after a bout of optic neuritis in my (you guessed it) right eye.

In fact I had a migraine for 3 days, and I thought that was what was making my vision wonky. But the migraine went and the vision didn't return, so off to the doc.

There has to be a correlation.