Can depression cause migraines?
Asked by
blastfamy (
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)
August 13th, 2009
from iPhone
I suspect that someone whom I know quite well is chronically depressed, though you’d be hard-pressed to get this person to admit that they were. For quite a long time, this person has been suffering from severe, debilitating migraines.
Can depression cause migraines? Are they a common symptom?
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19 Answers
Not cause them, but dealing with severe migraines (as with many illnesses) could trigger depression.
Your friend should speak with her doctor about this. There is help for the depression.
Headaches are a common somatic symptom of depression, but I believe that the specific diagnosis of Migraine has a different etiology. Depression-related headaches are generally the classic “tension” headache.
somatic _etiology—I swoon.
Don’t make fun of the nice old Jewish man.
Are you kidding, NOJAM? I am a NOJAP and love people who use etioloy.
The first two answers are good, and I will add:
Migraines have triggers that can be controlled through behavioral choices, and a person suffering from depression often doesn’t care for themselves they way they know they should – so they might not be getting adequate hydration, nutrition and rest, and might be indulging in certain foods or ingredients that make their Migraines worse.
Also, many people call their headaches “migraines” without having them fully evaluated and diagnosed as such… so this person should have their headaches and their mental/emotional well-being both evaluated, to ensure that they are getting the proper treatment for both. There is help for migraines and for depression.
“There is a considerable overlap in migraine and depression incidence, and both conditions may be associated with low levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). During a migraine attack there is evidence for low levels of platelet 5-HT and possibly also low Vmax for 5-HT uptake; both these findings are also associated with the depressed state. Both conditions can be treated by tricyclic and monoamine oxidase inhibiting antidepressants. However, there are also clear differences: migraine attacks are brief and self limiting. Part of the migraine cascade occurs outside the blood brain barrier, presumably involving blood vessels and, unlike depression, migraine attacks can be ameliorated by drugs which only act peripherally. In addition, migraine patients, especially males, often have permanently low levels of platelet monoamine oxidase activity, whereas patients with unipolar depression tend to have raised levels of this marker. This low enzyme activity may reflect part of the vulnerability to migraine, often associated in the prodromal phase with agitation or hyperactivity. Migraine may form part of a family of brief recurrent self-limiting disorders, which involve disturbances of both mood and monoamines; during the headache phase of the attack, the links with depression are most apparent.”
from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8366471
All the above answers are great. I was diagnosed with migraines at 13. I am now 40. As has been stated there are many triggers. One such trigger is a rapped change in mood that causes a quick chemical imbalance that can trigger migraines, which is, in fact, one of my triggers. So, for example, I was severely depressed at one time when I was in college. Then when I would go visit my friend I would truly relax and become happy and that would trigger the migraine. Most of the time it works in reverse where people get thrust into extremely stressful situations and it triggers them.
That being said, just being depressed and having migraines does not mean the two are connected.
As @hearkat pointed out. “Migraine” is a term that has been thrown around for bad headache like “Kleenex” has for facial tissue. Not every bad headache is a migraine.
It can certainly be a trigger, yes.
I will add that stress can cause both migraines and depression.
Inflammation can also be a reason for migraines, and then the migraines themselves can cause depression. However, it is possible that the two are not linked at all.
anything can cause a migraine. Stress, constant loud noises, hangovers, annoyances, etc. Depression is either at the bottom of that list or non existent.I suggest having that person go see a doctor. If it continuous then its a mental problem of some kind or just a bothersome constant migraine.
I am afraid I must disagree with those who say they can’t.
Depression can cause migraines. Just like aged cheese an wine. But, just like the cheese and wine, depression will not cause migraines for all people.
ditto on the overlap. It’s genetic. Just look at my family tree.
It on occasion can go along with being loony. Just look at me : )
Here is a specific gene that when wacked may cause all kinds of things, including migraine and depression
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/dispomim.cgi?id=182138
You can click around in there and look at chromosomes. Have fun.
disclaimer: migraine is likely polygenic and this form is a more severe monogenic form.
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As a migraine sufferer between ages 10–55, I learned many triggers. I had some depression, possibly from having my life screwed up by debilitating migraines, but I never thought the depression was a major cause. Migraines are hereditary in my family (both siblings get them), and I learned that cheese, wine and some other alcohol; yeast, molds and seasonal allergens provoked my migraines. Pollen is little known as a migraine cause, but when others are suffering from spring pollen or ragweed later in the year, my migraines increased. Another interesting thing is that some doctors have prescribed elavil and blood pressure medications to reduce the number and severity of migraines. I had my first ever relief when prescribed these medications around age 45. I wish all the best for anyone suffering from frequent migraines. They can have a very negative impact on all aspects of life.
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