Fibromyalgia and Migraines

By Karen Crosby

In the November 2017 issue, I did an article on fibro and headaches, but I wanted to take another look, specifically at migraines.

In recent years, researchers have found strong links between the onset of fibro and migraines.  Fibro sufferers have started to have migraines, and migraine sufferers have been known to develop fibro.

It is commonly knows that fibro patients suffer with all kinds of headaches, we are all too aware of this, but there are many kinds of migraine and almost all of them can be linked with fibro.

Here are some of the migraine and headache types: -

1.   Hemiplegic Migraine.

The symptoms of this type of migraine include motor weakness on one side of the body, vision changes like blurred vision and aura symptoms like sparkles and flashes of light. Also numbness in the face and possible upper limbs, with tingling and sometimes trouble speaking.  These migraines can be serious by bringing about confusion and impaired consciousness, even leading to coma.

2.   Retinal Migraine.

This migraine is when the vision in one eye is temporarily lost, and this loss of vision can last for months, although is usually fully reversible.  This kind is something with little known about it, and may be a sign of something more serious, so a specialist should be seen with this one.

3.   Chronic Migraine.

If there is a headache present for more than 15 days a month, this is known as a chronic migraine, but there may be a wide range of severity of symptoms and head pain on each day.

4.   Ice Pick Headaches.

This type of migraine is obvious with the title.  This feels like a stabbing in the head with an ice pick and is very sudden and sharp pain.  Usually happens in the temple, orbit and parietal area of the head where the trigeminal nerve is (a nerve serving the face and used for biting and chewing).

5.   Cluster Headaches.

This is one of the severe types of pain and involves a burning pain around the eyes, temples and sometimes towards the back of the head.  Other symptoms include red and swollen eyes, and runny nose.

6.   Cervicogenic Headache.

This is caused by pain originating in the cervical spine in the neck, and usually comes from a lesion on the spine or problems with the neck.  Physical therapy can help this with medication.

7.   Vestibular Migraine.

The symptoms in this type of migraine are severe throbbing headache, usually on one side of the head, along with nausea and vomiting, and sensitivity to light, smell and noise.  Along with these symptoms, imbalance and dizziness may be present, along with inability to bend down, pressure within the head or ear, and tinnitus. 

Treatments.

There are lots of treatments available to treat migraines, and if over the counter medications are not helping, your doctor can suggest many alternatives.

Triptans.

These are painkillers designed specifically for migraines, and they work by reversing the changes that occur in the brain said to cause the migraines. 

They cause the blood vessels around the brain to contract (become narrow), which reverses the widening of the blood vessels believed to cause the migraine symptoms.

Side effects can include: - tingling, heavy feelings in the face, chest or limbs, tightness, nausea, drowsiness and dry mouth.

As a painkiller, taking too many triptans can lead to medication overuse headaches.

Anti-Sickness Medications.

Also known as anti-emetics, these medications can be successful in treating migraines.

Anti-emetics can also be used alongside painkillers including triptans (above), but are best taken as soon as the symptoms begin.

Side effects can include: - diarrhoea and drowsiness.

Combination Medicines.

These are the ones you can buy at the chemist without a prescription and are a combination of painkillers and anti-sickness medicines.   However, these may not have doses strong enough to relieve the symptoms, so your doctor can prescribe other alternatives.

Acupuncture.

Acupuncture can sometimes be accessed at GP surgeries, but not all offer this, so if would like to try acupuncture, you may have to pay privately for getting treatment, and you may need up to 10 sessions if you have long-term problems.

Beta Blockers.

This medication is used for high blood pressure (hypertension), angina and congestive heart failure.

It works by preventing the stress hormone adrenaline from binding to beta-receptors, and this slows down the heart so has also been used for anxiety.

The way these medications help migraine is prevention, by restricting blood flow to the brain and thus reduce blood vessel dilation responsible for migraines.  Beta-blockers calm the nervous system and suppress electrical currents that are thought to be a culprit in the migraine aura (visual disturbances when an attack is imminent).  Also the beta- blockers maintain the feel-good chemical serotonin levels in the brain, fluctuations of which are associated with migraine attacks.  The hypothalamus also plays a role in activity, and the beta-blockers increase activity in this area of the brain.

As stress is a common trigger for migraines, beta-blockers reduce anxiety and so help prevent such a trigger by decreasing the effects of stress.

Side effects can include: - fatigue, tingling hands and feet, weight gain, insomnia or depression.

If you do suffer with migraine problems, you can ask to be referred to a specialist (Neurologist) to seek out advice on other treatments.