Now a new study found that a family history of bipolar disorder also increases the risk of having migraines. Patients with bipolar disorder who also had a family history of BP were 3 times more likely to have migraines than those who didn't. And patients with major depressive disorder (also called unipolar depression) were 4.3 times more likely to suffer from migraines if there was BP in the family history.
So not only do people with bipolar disorder have a greater risk of having migraines than others, the risk is increased if a parent or grandparent also had BP.
I know it's not much comfort for migraine sufferers to know that their bipolar disorder is a factor. But there are much better treatments now for migraines than when I used to have them. Topamax, used in BP as a mood stabilizer, has been shown to be effective in treating migraines. A great resource is Living Well With Migraine Disease and Headaches by Teri Robert. And there is a wealth of information at About.com Headaches & Migraines.
I wish I'd had resources like those above when I frequently had headaches. Do you struggle with migraines in addition to having bipolar disorder? What’s helped you? ~Marcia
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Thanks for the connection! I have had migraines since I was 20 and I am now 51.
It explains one son’s migraines, maybe. He started them when he was 8 yrs old. He has a strong background of BPI in his birth family and some anxiety issues on the side of his birth family.
I was sad to see him start so young, but we have worked it some. He has gelcap ibuprofen at school and is permitted to take it – even his teacher suggests he might want to consider if it time for some. He can be bear, then.
Thanks for the link – he also started with gastric to head migraine. A common way to migraine as a kid according to headaches and migraines on about.com.
I’ve known about the Migraine Link for a while now. I just have to look at my Family Tree to prove it. My grandmother had BP1. My dad suffered migraines but no BP and I was diagnosed with BP1 4 years ago. Bipolar Disorder and migraines are on the same genetic code!
I was not aware of the migraine BP association, and it makes sense since BP is an imbalance of two hormones (chemicals?) in the brain. for those who suffer, i have found that acupuncture cures my headaches and also helps with depression as well
We know that chronic pain causes changes in brain structure. Has anyone done any studies investigating chronic migraines as a possible CAUSE of bipolar?
Some comments have suggested genetic links between BP and Migraine as well as hereditary (again genetic) links. Also something should be said about the sensitive or perhaps highly attuned nervous systems in migraine and bipolar systems that unfortunately cause toxicity. It would be great if we could just be sensitive with error you could say. I have migraines started at about 8 and bipolar 1 started at about 16.
I suspect my sister has BP. At first, we thought it’s part of her personality…she is overly confident, energetic and needs little sleep. During her ‘down’ times, she has serious migraines and she victimized herself in trivial situations and then, have suicidal thoughts. Can anyone share his/ her experience as to how BP can be diagnosed? How did you find out you have BP? My sister has very strong self-esteem so it would be difficult for us, as family members, to do anything at this point.
I am fascinated to read about this as I was recently diagnosed bipolar, and now the migraines which temporarily stopped when I had children have come back. I think I am bipolar 1 not 2 though- extreme high with psychosis followed by extreme low with depressive psychotic thoughts. Is the link stronger between bp2 than bp1 and migraines? I have never been to the doctor about my migraines- now that I have discovered this link do you think it would be worth mentioning?
Katy, I don’t know whether the link with migraines is stronger with bp1 than bp2. You should mention this, yes, but of more concern to me is your saying you were recently diagnosed but think you are “bipolar 1 not 2.” Does this mean you were diagnosed as bipolar 2? If so, please discuss your psychotic symptoms with your doctor!
No- I see why you might have been worried by what I wrote, but rest assured my doctor knows about the psychosis. I guess I KNOW I’m bipolar 1 from my own research, but no-one has ever officially said as much- only that I have bipolar disorder. I did go for some time without telling anyone about the psychosis, but I did eventually and thank God for it- I REALLY needed anti-psychotic drugs! Thankyou for your advice, and for your concern.
I guess I may be the odd duck here.
I got migraines first, about 1978/79. I was in the US Navy and going through my 2nd Shipyard period, hald way through it I started getting migraines.
Fast forward for a few years, I was diagnosed Bi-Polar May 2005.
I’m looking for a link with Migraines being Primary, and the Bi-Polar being Secondary.
Another sufferer of both migraines and Bipolar 2. I have had migraines from very early on, as far back as I can remember. Just been diagnosed bipolar earlier this year at the age of 20.
They tend to be triggered by sleep deprivation and more manic symptoms when the brain is in overdrive. I found cutting any source of mono-sodium glutamate (msg) from my diet drastically reduced the number and severity of my migraines.
The mood stabiliser Lamotrigine that I am trying right now is meant to be a treatment for not only epilepsy but migraines, although i haven’t really found it that effective for migraine so far.