Migraine

I think I read that stress is not a migraine trigger. (is this true? is there someone that can explain the details?)

I started getting migraines at the age of 10, about twice a month. (this was the beginning of puberty for me , but also a time in my life with many upsetting and stressful family and school changes and issues). This frequency continued for about four years. After that, the attacks waned: I only had one attack per year, always on the first day of the school year. This happened 3 years in a row. I have always attributed this pattern to the high levels of stress, anxiety and nervousness that I always felt on the first day of school. Around the time that my migraine attacks lessened in frequency, I started to experience daily tension type headaches. (I suspect that maybe I have transformed migraine, but have yet to have that confirmed by a doctor) So during this 3 year period, I was still having tons of headaches, but I did not label them migraines.

So if stress is not a trigger, I'm wondering why I was experiencing classic migraine attacks only on a day where the main common denominators were my emotional stress, anxiety and nervousness. Anyone else experience something similar? Anyone know more about the role of stress in migraine attacks?

Nikki

We call stress an exacerbating trigger. You might have another trigger lurking around but all it takes is some stress to put you over the edge.

Think of your immune system. You may have been exposed to a cold or virus but not have the cold, and then stress comes along and bang! You've got the cold.

It works with migraine triggers to give them the kick they need to trigger a migraine.

You read correctly. Stress itself, is not a trigger. Although, some of the stress symptoms, can contribute to a migraine.

I get tension type headaches. Recently dx'd with transformed migraines. Tension type headaches for me, can be brought on by stress, anxiety, the way I sit at my computer, daily life - you name it.

The TTH (tension type headache) can trigger a migraine for me.

So you see, even though the stress itself did not trigger the migraine, it still can in a way contribute to the attack. Stress can bring on TTH for me by the way I tense up my neck/shoulder area - I tend to when I concentrate more wrinkle up my brow - which can cause tension across my forehead (and wrinkles! ).

I knew we had something about stress on the site! Just took me a few to find it!

Here is a migraine cast that Teri did explaining all about stress and if it is a trigger.

Nikki,

We have a podcast on this. You HERE or read the transcript HERE.

Hope this helps!

LOL! We were posting at the same time, Eileen!

quote:

Originally posted by EileenHOST:
I knew we had something about stress on the site! Just took me a few to find it!

Here is a migraine cast that Teri did explaining all about stress and if it is a trigger.

This is how it happens in my case too.

For example, I am nervous about an appt so my anxiety raises. Then I am sitting in the waiting area and it is too warm. The stress has set me on the edge (lowered my threshold) and when I encounter the trigger of heat, WHAM!!