Migraines & Central Sensitization in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The theory fits with me. I found that sustained release magnesium has greatly improved my CFS symptoms in the migraines with aura category. Thanks for sharing the study.

What brand of sustained release magnesium do you use? It doesn’t look like it’s easily obtainable.

I have migraines without aura, but I have all of the symptoms associated with that. Of course, I also have co-morbid fibromyalgia *laughs*.

My husband has the same. Migraines with no aura, but many of the symptoms listed, but not as many as I have.

Although, thinking about it, for about 10 years now, I’ve been hearing and smelling things that aren’t there. I haven’t thought to track them against the migraines. Maybe it’s time to keep a log.

I have chronic migraine and daily head/neck pain.
I have Fibro after a CFS crash in 2000.

I have no family history of migraines, NOT ONE.
And no triggers apart from hormones and now I am post menopause.

I am desperate to find something that helps and am CONVINCED my migraines are a symptom of the FMS.

BUT no one will give that any credence….until I read this.
Thank you.

I fall in the migraine with aura category and I also suffer with MCS (multiple chemical sensitivities). I have been following
Dr. David Buchholz’s program as outlined in his book “Heal Your Headache,” and I have been able to dramatically reduce the frequency of my headaches. The thing which concerns me most is the research which has shown a correlation between migraine headaches with aura and stroke.

Thanks for this valuable information.

I’m in the migraine and tension headache catagory and the symptoms fit to a “T”. They were awful when I was first dxed, then went away for about four years, came back and then I was dxed with fibro. They subsided again and came back with a vengence last November, so bad that my neuro put me on Topamax which is making me lose LOTS of my hair, but at least the migraines finally tapered off. Thanks for sharing this interesting study.

I have FM/CFS. Along with this are migraines w/o aura.
I do feel like my brain is highly sensitive–like it doesn’t take much to “flip” me into a migraine.

I have FM/CFS, and have migraines w/o aura. I do feel like my brain is hyper sensitive, like it just doesn’t take much to “flip” me into a migraine. Interestingly, when I tried Topomax, it made my headaches WORSE.

I don’t know what I fall into. I have fibro. I was diagnosed in 98 but I know I had it way before then. I have had migraines since I was 16 yrs old, I’m now 46. I don’t always have the aura’s with the migranes but I know when I have the aura that the migraine is going to be worse??? I also have migraines that will numb the whole side of my face, make my ear, jaw, eye hurt, when I try to touch my face as in to wash it feels like it is burning. I also have a very bad sensitivity to smells. If I smell any type of perfume, cologne, flowery smell, I get an instant migrane. The only smells I seem to be able to handle are vanilla, apple cinnamon, very easy smells, every day fumes from out in the world give me a migrane and if it’s a bad one I lose the whole side of my face and I work full time to support myself and my husband. My neuro wants me to get masks to wear but everywhere? I work at a university and I would have to wear them all day. I wish that something could be taken to help prevent them more. I take topamax at night, Maxalt if I feel a big one coming on and if the Maxalt doesnt help I have back up fioricet because I am on so many other meds for other illnesses. So much stress in my life as well doesn’t help. Ugggg.

I’ve been experiencing a different type of headache over the past year. I’ve never really suffered from headaches much, but in researching, they seem to be cluster headaches, as they last a “cluster” of days (3-4) then disappear for several weeks. I don’t know if this is a type of migraine. They are almost always on the right side and run from below my ear to the top of my scalp. There is soreness to the touch. Anybody have this type headache? I’m closing in on 65, and since 2002 I’ve been developing new symptoms, almost on a yearly basis. I’ve had CFS or FM (2 doctors, 2 diagnoses) for 37 years.

Since being diagnosed with Fibro I’ve also been diagnosed with “cluster” headaches. At first I didn’t agree with the diagnosis as mine don’t necessarily stay constant for several days, but as I read more that’s not required. Mine will last for several hours and return every day for several days to even a month or more.. then go away for a few months.

mine feel like my brain is inflamed and I use an icebag and lay in a dark room with the t.v. sound almost all the way off, and I have perscription sunglasses that r tinted I wear as well as my eyes get sensitive to the sun. ofcourse It’s always a shock to see the sun as it rains most of the year.my brain feels swollenwhen I have a migraine.

i get migraines from smells. masks don’t work that well. i now wear scarves all the time and when someone is slathered in perfume the scarf comes up to block the scent.

I used to have migraines with auras. When I hit menopause they disappeared. The migraines did not correlate to my monthly cycle, they would be triggered by loud noise, bright light, stress, strong smells, etc…

I found that tricyclic antidepressants were very good at preventing migraines and lessening their severity. SSRIs also worked, although not as well, but well enough.

I got mono about 4 years ago and it became CFS. I hit menopause about 2 years ago.

I used to get tension headaches from a stiff neck but that changed when I got a memory foam side sleeper pillow sized to my body.

Migraines have been decreased substancially in severity by watching my diet and avoiding as much as possible those things that seem to contribute to headaches.

I have fibro and CFS and suffer from migraines(without aura). I read earlier that someone had facial and jaw pain. I was getting the same reactions along with stabbing pains in my ear and dizziness. When they couldn’t find evidence of infection they did an MRI. Turns out my jaw is displaced on both sides, possibly brought on by involuntary clenching of my teeth due to muscle spasms brought on by the fibro.

If you’re having facial and jaw pain, you may want to have your TMJ checked. It may be more than a migraine.

I have been plagued with migraines since having 1st baby 33 years ago, 1st 15yrs were migraines with aura that came in clusters sometimes losing all feeling down one side of my body. Last 18 yrs have had both, they diagnosed classic and vascular migraine, vascular starts with dullness in the back of my eye (usually left side)then if not treated promptly will last 3 days, and I can’t tolerate them. Have on average 15- 25 a month, very sensitive to meds have gone through many so have to keep changing as my body develops a reaction to most after time. Diagnosed with CFS 16 yrs ago but my symtoms have changed to Fibromyalgia. Sometimes I get both types of migraine at once. Can’t work, I admire those who can. Maxalt gave me symptoms of a heart attack quick ambulance trip to hospital but heart tests came up fine. Now I take, 1 panadol, 2 Ibuprofen and one Diazapam. That works! but doc does not like me on the Diazapam too often

I have had FM/CFS for about 15 years (although I’m finally doing MUCH better over the past year) and had migraines without aura for even longer. I was a guinea pig for many years on all sorts of stupid pharmaceuticals that didn’t work and made me ill. When I was diagnosed with FM/CFS six years ago, I was sent to an allergy specialist, who discovered a very long list of food allergies. I cut all those food items out, and have not had a migraine since.

Adrienne, I have a website (that I forgot I had) in my list of favorites, website addy is: http://www.sweetpoison.com. It lists a myriad of side effects, problems, etc., from aspartame. To quote them:
“aspartame may trigger, mimic, or cause the following illnesses: chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia”. These two form a list of 20 in this one category only ! Have you heard anything about this ?

Lyn

I have migraine with and without aura. Sometimes I have signs that a migraine is coming.

I have the symptoms listed for migraine w/o aura and most of the ones for migraine with aura. I often have a fibro flare after I have a migraine.

I’ve had migraines most of my life, and there is definitely a genetic factor; my mother and her mother had migraines, my daughters have them, and some of my cousins have them. However, the frequency and severity increased starting when I was 37 or so, after the birth of my youngest child.

I’ve not had good results with the anti-seizure medications for prevention. I took them for several years with no help. Some supplements I’m using do help with frequency and severity of migraines; so I take them daily and am careful not to run out.
Pat

Thanks for this article! I started getting migraines with aura in my late 30s–about the same time my fibro symptoms started getting bad–the drs called them perimenopausal. No history of migraines in my family, but there is a history of fibromyalgia–my brother, my sister, and a couple cousins. I definitely fall into the first categorymentioned above–my migraines are mostly aura–I can lose my whole field of vision–and I also have pretty severe problems with dizziness, memory, rapid hearbeat etc. I used to have them daily–they were triggered very easily–strong smells, like gas, bright lights (including sunlight), marked sunlight/shadow, buzzing flourescent lights (i stay out of Costco!)–but now that I’m on HRT (bioidentical) I don’t have them very often, a couple a month, in the winter even fewer. When I do get them, I take relpax, which controls them well, although it knocks me out. The thing that will invariably set them off is disrupted sleep–if I get less than 6 hours uninterrupted sleep, i will always get a migraine. I really think they are tied into the fibro central nervous system sensitization. My sympathies to all who suffer with this. After reading your messages, i realize that i actually don’t have it that badly!

Nice to know i have so many headache-sisters in the world.
Topamax made headaches worse, so did Cymbalta ( those were taken at same time…bad drug experiment)

i agree that when there is aura, the h/a WILL be a bad one. my aura is sometimes a feeling of giddiness or euphoria…i can become very energetic, talkative….all the while knowing i am heading for a train wreck. vision in left eye will seem “off”.

WEIRD TIP THAT WORKS: I read it in Prevention mag. like 25 yrs. ago open freezer door. stick your face inside as much as you can, like as if searching for something….SNIFF ,breathe in cold air…do this like every 5 min. for like 15 min.

you would be surprised how this can slow the pace down of the h/a. as well as the intensity.

Has anyone else tried this?

Fellow sufferers, Please don’t take magnesium unless your doctor has tested you and finds that you have a deficit! I had taken magnesium for several years (it initially seemed to help) but when my doctor finally tested me, I had too much in my blood–which had been causing some scarey symptoms that I care not to mention.

You can get your magnesium easily from a well-balanced diet. Don’t be suckered into spending $$. Our headaches are complex but I am coming to experience that we can tackle them in ways that are safer than overdosing with supplements. Good luck, all!

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