Mood swings related to migraines?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mood swings related to migraines?
4
Tue, 11-23-2004 - 2:00pm

Hi again, hope you all are OK. I've been extremely depressed lately (for about two or three weeks, I think), but I finally started feeling better late yesterday. I hope it's OK for me to ask a question (I also posted something about this on the migraine board here to see if they had any thoughts)...I was wondering, does any of you know if there is a connection between migraines and mood problems?

This first occurred to me last night, but I realize it's been a pattern for a while. So last night, I was feeling really good emotionally for the first time in weeks (just a few days before I'd been so depressed I could hardly stand it). But then I suddenly became really nauseated and vomited, and I'm guessing that was somehow related to a migraine coming on. I was still happy, though!

And even though I took a Benedryl for my cold and a Phenergan for the nausea (both of which can usually knock me out within minutes), I had a lot of trouble getting to sleep, and I woke up after only 5 or so hours without an alarm clock (normally I'm dragging even on 8 hours of sleep). And I've been eating a lot...recently, I was going days without feeling hungry (but forcing myself to eat a little)...I'd actually rather not be hungry, but that's a different issue...

And looking back, it seems like this has happened before...several weeks I've thought to myself, "Wow, I'm feeling great, even though I have a massive migraine!". But in between migraines I'm often very depressed. I've heard that migraines can be related to serotonin levels (and actually the supplement I take to prevent them is a serotonin precursor)...so now I'm curious about whether mood swings and migraines can be related.

I may be totally wrong on this and just imagining a connection...I just wanted to know if any of you had heard of such a thing.

Thanks as always,

Rose

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 11-23-2004 - 2:48pm

Hey Rose,

I'm not sure exactly how the two are related, but I know that I got migraines consistently before I started taking Topamax (a mood stabilizer and migraine med). Never really paid attention to the relationship, but I am definitely very prone to migraines and mood swings...LOL. Sorry I wasn't much help. Never apologize for asking a question here! We welcome you back at any time! I'm sorry you're feeling so down. I've been cycling pretty bad myself, but I think I know why and that's half the battle. Hopefully, my PMS will go away soon, and I'll straigten my meds back out and be okay again.

Hugs,

Keli

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2004
Tue, 11-23-2004 - 7:30pm

Rose,


I've had migraines for years and never noticed much of a correlation with my BP, before or after dx, or changes in meds.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Wed, 11-24-2004 - 6:21pm

Hi Keli, thanks very much. I'm sorry you've been down lately, and I hope things improve. PMS is always a bad time for me as well. I think Topamax might work well for me, considering my migraines and mood swings...I mentioned this to my former psychiatrist, but she said that she wasn't treating me for migraines and that other meds had a higher success rate for treating bipolar. But she is my *former* psychiatrist, so I may bring it up with the new one...although at my last appointment, she wanted to put me back on Remeron to help me get my appetite back, so I don't know that she would put me on Topamax because it can decrease appetite...

Sorry to ramble again...thanks for letting me know I'm welcome here,

Rose

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Wed, 11-24-2004 - 6:23pm

Thanks, Marci...it does seem to be that there are a lot of people with both bipolar and migraines, but I guess that may just be a coincidence. I haven't had the wild manic periods you mention, but my migraines lately have been on a very regular cycle of coming at the end of each week...so I do think they are related to a "let-down" in stress levels.

I was actually scheduled to have an appointment with my general doctor today to discuss maybe trying something else for the migraines...but apparently I wrote the time down wrong and came an hour too late...I was pretty annoyed at myself! But I scheduled another appointment for next week, so we'll see...

Thanks again,

Rose