The question is “Does depression trigger your migraine?” or “Do your migraines trigger depression?” The answer is “Yes? No? Maybe?” depending on whom you ask. For many people migraines and depression go hand in hand and they fuel each other in a vicious cycle. Which came first, the depression or the migraines? It can be difficult to determine.
The Effects of Migraines on Depression
It is common for people who suffer from frequent and intense migraine headaches to suffer from depression. Migraine headaches can interrupt their lives at any given time. Plans made with family or friends may have to be cancelled due to the onset of a migraine. Some people who suffer frequent and debilitating migraines do not make plans for outings or entertainment for fear of having to cancel and disappoint their family and themselves. Missed school days, missed work days, having to retreat to a dark and quiet room for days at a time in pain can severely increase depression or even cause it.
The Effects of Depression on Migraines
Stress, anxiety and mood have been considered to be a factor in the frequency and duration of migraine headaches. These have been identified as triggers and studies show that at least 85% of persons who have frequent migraine headaches have depression. Depression has proven to affect pain, making chronic pain more severe. Depression can adversely affect migraine headaches, causing them to recur more frequently, be more intense and last longer in duration. Counseling may help decrease your depression symptoms, reduce your level of stress and anxiety and help you learn coping strategies to more effectively manage these conditions and reduce triggers for migraine headache attacks in the future.
Treating Migraines and Depression
If both migraines and depression are diagnosed then both should be treated simultaneously. Great care should be taken to avoid drug interactions of antidepressant and medication used for migraine treatment or management.
Many medications used to treat depression such as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) can increase serotonin levels in the body and when combined with triptans which are used in some migraine treatments can result in a dangerous condition known as serotonin syndrome. Patients who must take depression and migraine medications should be monitored for symptoms of serotonin syndrome which include changes in blood pressure, hallucinations, gastrointestinal upset, increased heart rate and increase in body temperature.
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