Recent studies suggest that there may be a stronger link between migranes and mental health disorders than was currently accepted. Up to 40% of bipolars questioned (out of 108 patients) reported migranes – and its slightly higher in women than men. There is now suggestion that bipolars should also be screened for migranes, and more.
Ironically, the one time I’ve been placed on meds for bipolar disorder, it was a drug they’d use to treat migraines in the first place, something I haven’t seen any of the studies address – is it possible that the medication I was put on triggered my migranes? We already know that it made me severely photosenstive for several years, something I’m only just getting control of now.
Bipolar disorder, with migranes might even be a subtype of bipolar disorder itself, the results were that high. It’s both good and bad news for bipolars, in part because of the medication ‘connection’ that I’ve suggested above (both ways – if Sodium Valporate is used to treat both bipolar disorder and migraines then this is a very good thing – it should lower the overall amount of medication a bipolar needs to take).
I have migranes – I have done for close to three years, but was only effectively diagnosed with migranes proper in May 2006, just before we moved house. I’ve been placed on a ‘one off’ medication called ‘Sumatriptan’ that I can take up to twice a day whenever I’ve got a serious migrane – I only ever take them when I’m in serious pain.
Migraines are caused, they believe, because the brain isn’t producing seratonin correctly (another reason that I’m surprised it took so long to make the link between migranes and mental health) and Sumatriptan stops that. But as it’s close to seratonin in makeup, I have to wonder if its doing my mental state any good, and if that’s why it appears to work.
I’m curious about those of us out there that read regularly – do you get migranes? Are you on any medication to help you with them?
This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 31st, 2007 at 9:48 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
