What You Need to Know About Migraine and Fibromyalgia

If you’re surviving with migraine and fibromyalgia , you whitethorn wonderment what is going connected successful your assemblage and encephalon that could beryllium causing these achy conditions, and whether there’s a transportation betwixt the two. Migraine and fibromyalgia bash person respective communal factors: They some are overmuch much apt to hap successful women, and they person immoderate communal symptoms, including headaches, sensitivity to large noises oregon agleam lights, and gastrointestinal issues, according to the U.S. Office connected Women’s Health . Symptoms of slump are much apt to hap successful radical who person some migraine and fibromyalgia, according to a survey published successful July 2018 successful the Journal of Headache Pain. Learn much astir however these 2 conditions are related, arsenic good arsenic what attraction options beryllium for the headache symptom that tin hap successful some migraine and fibromyalgia. 1. Does Fibromyalgia Cause Migraine? Or Does Migraine Cause Fibromyalgia? “There is decidedly a correlation, due to the fact that it seems that patients with migraine person higher prevalence of fibromyalgia and vice versa,” says Roderick Spears, MD, a objective subordinate prof of neurology and a neurologist and headache specializer astatine Penn Medicine successful Philadelphia. A correlation means if you person 1 disorder, you’re much apt to person the other, says Spears. Over 30 percent of radical with migraine besides person fibromyalgia, according to a survey published successful Clinical Rheumatology , and the frequence of migraine successful radical with fibromyalgia is 55.8 percent, according to a insubstantial published successful Headache successful June 2015 . “It isn’t wide wherefore having migraine makes fibromyalgia much apt oregon vice versa,” helium says. Another mode diseases oregon disorders tin person a narration is if they’re related to the aforesaid physiological system, oregon if the systems overlap successful immoderate way, says Dr. Spears. “For example, instrumentality the narration betwixt slump and chronic migraine. Depression is psychiatric, and chronic migraine is neurological, but serotonin is progressive successful some disorders,” says Spears. Currently determination is nary wide grounds of that benignant of narration betwixt migraine and fibromyalgia, but determination is perchance immoderate neurological and musculoskeletal overlap arsenic acold arsenic what’s happening successful the assemblage successful some these conditions, helium says. “Right present we aren’t definite astir what is happening successful the assemblage oregon encephalon that would marque a idiosyncratic much apt to person some fibromyalgia and migraine,” says Spears. 2. Can a Headache Be a Symptom of Fibromyalgia? “Headache tin perfectly beryllium a grounds of fibromyalgia ; it’s 1 of the astir communal symptoms. The headaches are typically tension-type headaches oregon migraine,” says Spears. Other symptoms of fibromyalgia see chronic symptom and stiffness, fatigue, slumber issues, and problems with thinking, memory, and concentration, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A tension-type headache is the astir communal benignant of superior headache, according to StatPearls . A superior headache is simply a headache that isn’t caused by different information oregon illness. Tension headaches tin past from 30 minutes to 7 days; migraine attacks thin to past anyplace from 4 hours to 3 days. Tension headaches typically person symptom connected some sides of the caput (migraine headaches are usually connected 1 side) and they don’t get worse with activity. Migraine headaches are often much aggravated than hostility headaches and worsen with enactment — that’s wherefore galore radical retreat to a acheronian country to remainder during an attack. Nausea and ocular disturbances specified arsenic flashing lights oregon spots tin besides beryllium portion of migraine, according to the American Migraine Foundation . 3. Does Having Fibromyalgia Affect How Migraine Is Managed? Typically, having fibromyalgia makes migraine much severe, says Spears. “When deciding connected a medicine oregon therapy , we effort to take 1 that volition code some disorders,” helium adds. There’s grounds that the people of antidepressants known arsenic SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), which includes Cymbalta (duloxetine) and Effexor (venlafaxine), tin code fibromyalgia and beryllium effectual arsenic a preventive medicine for migraine, says Spears. “Antiseizure medications specified arsenic Lyrica (pregabalin) and Neurontin (gabapentin) tin assistance with fibromyalgia symptom and person beneficial effects for headache arsenic well,” helium says. 4. How Do I Get Rid of a Fibromyalgia Headache? The champion attraction depends connected the benignant of headache, says Spears. “If it’s a tension-type headache, you would astir apt dainty with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) specified arsenic naproxen oregon ibuprofen,” helium says. “If it is simply a migraine-type headache, we would privation to dainty with a migraine-specific therapy, which would see the triptans oregon the caller class, called gepants, that includes Ubrelvy (ubrogepant) and Nurtec ODT (rimegepant),” says Spears. Gepants are antagonists of the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor, meaning they artifact the quality of CGRP — a pain-related neuropeptide that is elevated successful migraine — to hindrance to the CGRP “docking station,” thereby perchance preventing oregon shortening a migraine attack, according to a insubstantial published successful April 2020 successful Headache. 5. Can Behavioral Therapies Help With Fibromyalgia and Migraine Headaches? An estimated 4 retired 5 radical mention accent arsenic a trigger for headaches, according to a survey published successful July 2017 successful the Journal of Headache Pain . Managing accent done behavioral therapies specified arsenic mindfulness-based meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy, biofeedback, and acceptance and committedness therapy tin payment immoderate radical with migraine and headaches, according to the American Migraine Foundation . The effectiveness of these therapies is based connected the premise that by changing the mode they woody with stress, radical whitethorn acquisition less migraine attacks oregon little terrible attacks, says Rebecca Wells, MD, MPH , an subordinate prof of neurology astatine Wake Forest Baptist Health successful Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the manager of the broad headache program, and an subordinate manager of objective probe astatine its halfway for integrative medicine. “We’re trying to recognize if practicing mindfulness tin alteration the likelihood that you’re going to acquisition an lawsuit arsenic stressful, oregon erstwhile a stressful lawsuit does happen, you’re capable to amended respond to it,” says Dr. Wells. A reappraisal published successful Current Rheumatological Reports successful July 2017 recovered that mindfulness meditation whitethorn beryllium an effectual complementary attraction attack for radical with fibromyalgia, particularly erstwhile combined with workout and cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy aims to alteration the mode radical deliberation astir hard oregon stressful situations truthful that they whitethorn respond to these challenges successful a much affirmative and productive way. RELATED: How Psychotherapy Can Help With Migraine 6. What Types of Lifestyle Interventions May Improve Migraine and Fibromyalgia? “There are a fewer manner habits that whitethorn assistance with some migraine and fibromyalgia,” says Spears. Get capable sleep. Sleep deprivation has been shown to summation the hazard of migraine attacks, arsenic good arsenic the frequence and severity, according to a survey published successful Pain . Research published successful April 2015 successful Nature Reviews Rheumatology recovered that deficiency of slumber is associated with accrued symptoms of fibromyalgia arsenic well. “Regulating slumber is important successful managing some conditions,” says Spears. Follow a wholesome diet. “I urge that radical with these conditions debar artificial sweeteners and bounds processed foods,” helium says. Stay hydrated. Spears suggests trying to portion astatine slightest 64 ounces (about 2 liters) of h2o a day. Exercise if astatine each possible. “Some radical with fibromyalgia can’t workout due to the fact that of carnal pain, and immoderate radical with migraine can’t workout due to the fact that it triggers much migraine headache. However, I bash deliberation enactment tin payment those individuals who tin tolerate it,” says Spears.