I changed the topic of this thread to be inclusive of migraines in general. I've recently discovered that I have a lengthy history of migraine disease on both sides of my family, so I've been doing some research and wanted to start posting some more information about it. I didn't realize that it was as common as it is (approximately 10% of the US population are affected in one way or another), and there are a broad range of symptoms which often go undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed.
There is a short video synopsis of the four stages of migraine (prodrome, aura, attack, and postdrome)
here. Interestingly, what is known as "
Alice in Wonderland syndrome" is one of the possible symptoms of the aura phase.
There is a site called
The Migraine Project where they're working on a documentary called "Out of my Head" -- if you watch
the trailer, see if you recognize the reporter at the very beginning.
There are a couple of good books that I've found so far. One is called
Living Well with Migraine Disease and Headaches by Teri Robert, who also maintains a regularly updated website
here. An even more comprehensive book that I'm currently reading is
The Migraine Brain by Carolyn Bernstein; she describes a current hypothesis which implicates something called
Cortical Spreading Depression (CSD) as a primary mechanism in migraines.
What Triggers Cortical Spreading Depression?
Studies have suggested that genetic factors—still largely unknown—are at least as important as environmental factors in creating a susceptibility to migraines. Kraig also notes that “migraineurs” as a group are more likely to have other neuropsychiatric conditions, from depression to panic disorder.
“I think they are inherently more juiced up,” he says—their brain cells are more vulnerable to migraine triggers such as stress, hormonal swings, caffeine withdrawal, and metabolic changes caused by lack of food or sleep.
Before puberty, migraine occurrence is more prevalent in males than females, and often manifests in children of both sexes as "abdominal" migraines which involve (sometimes severe) cramping, nausea, constipation, and diarrhea. After puberty, however, there is a higher incidence of migraines in females, with attacks often (but certainly not exclusively) tied to the menstrual cycle:
Laura said:
I suffered from migraines for years and noted a definite connection between them and my monthly cycle.
Gimpy said:
My monthly cycle is also a key trigger to migraine, as is bright lights, loud sounds, and over stimulation.
As an aside, the necessity of a regular period has been discussed elsewhere on the forum, and Bernstein has this to say about it (p. 114):
Our female ancestors didn't get their periods every month because, for one thing, they were usually pregnant and/or lactating throughout much of their lives. Modern women get around four hundred periods over their lifetime, compared to nineteenth-century women, who got only about fifty [...] While it sounds strange, the truth is that you do not need to get a monthly period. The general medical concensus is that it's safe to skip several periods in a row. In fact, the fewer periods you have over your lifetime, the better for your health.
Regarding this:
Laura said:
The last one I had, back in 2002, was due, I believe, to a long period of stress and depletion of dopamine.
Bernstein has this to say (p. 43-5):
According to the research, migraine involves what's called an ionopathy or abnormality of the flow of chemicals in your brain across cell membranes, including serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter you've probably heard of, is a critically important chemical messenger best known for its role in depression and other mental health disorders. Serotonin is also part of the pain-regulation process, and migraineurs have certain abnormalities in their serotonin function. During a migraine, serotonin levels rise and then fall, affecting nerve cells in the brain and aggravating CSD [...] Migraineurs may also have abnormalities in the processing of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which can be another factor triggering CSD. Before a migraine attack, your levels of dopamine -- involved in the regulation of the brain's blood flow -- may be higher than normal. Some migraine symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, mood changes, yawning, and fatigue, may be related to this increase in dopamine. And migraineurs may have differences in how their bodies handle norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter that affects nerve cell function, contributing to CSD.
