PTSD

[rccwms13]

Are migraine headaches symptoms of PTSD?

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the forum!
I am sorry you are going through PTSD. The stress involved can cause headaches. The other possibility is that headaches are the result of some drugs/antidepressants you are taking. PTDS can also cause disturbed sleep, which is a major cause of headache in PTDS. Please discuss this with your specialist.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[marileew]

Hi!

I agree with rudyhorse, migraines often have triggers and it is possible for emotional or mental stress to be a migraine trigger.  

You would need to already have the potential to get migraines in order for a migraine to be triggered... but some people who have the potential to get a migraine may never have a migraine because it will never be trigger... so it could follow that someone who has the potential to get migraines may never get a migraine until a specific trigger is introduced (such as PTSD) and once that trigger is resolved (if it is another medical condition such as PTSD) or removed (if it is a new type of food in the diet or something like that), then they may never get a migraine again.

Sometimes PTSD will be the result of an event which that may have also left other physical damages as well. So, if there is any possibility that there could be any physical damage or lasting or temporary medical condition as a result of the events that led to the PTSD, I think it would be important to have these other health concerns addressed and/or looked into because sometimes headaches can be the result of another medical condition or physical damage (e.g. a concussion, any damage to the spine/neck/head) so it would be important to have these other possible headache causes ruled out before treating for migraines.

If you are asking because you are suffering from both PTSD and migraines, then I hope that you are able to find relief for your migraines... a neurologist is sometimes the best doctor to see in regard to migraines... and I also wish you the best with everything else as well... a psychologist or psychiatrist, who are often the doctors that will do on-going treatment for PTSD, can also provide tools for managing pain which can be very helpful in regards to headaches as well. I have seen a psychologist before to help with pain management in regards to my own headaches.

If you are asking out of interest or because you are researching a connection between the two for academic purposes, well then it is a very interesting question and I would be interested in knowing what else you find out about it! Keep in touch either way, let us know how it goes.

[rudyhorse]

I am not sure as I am not qualified to answer that.  Could you have stress or tension triggering the migraines?  Have you talked to you Dr about them?

So sorry you are going thru migraines on top of the PTSD, wish I could be more help.  Migraines I know well as I have had them most of my life.  I do know there are a lot of triggers, food, stress, diet, skipping meals, weather, so even if it is the PTSD I think you need to be able to control the migraines.

Hope this helped a little, at least you know we are out here for you,
Tracy