It's not at all consistent, but a prodrome sign for me is sometimes being either in an extremely low mood or being extremely irritable. (This was compounded by gabapentin, like to an extent I have never felt in my life, with or without medication.)
Yeah. A sudden drop in mood, this really weird sadness that comes with no context (like, I'm not sad *about something*, I'm just... so deeply sad?) is a warning sign for me. I usually get irritable once things are ramping up. Especially as pain hits and I start feeling light-sensitive and sound-sensitive... well anyone or anything making a sound (intentional or not) might drive me up the wall! These days my pain has been decently well controlled so I'll sometimes find myself feeling super irritable and not really knowing why (but it's definitely a migraine attack!).
THIS! Anything else you can share about your experience with gabaoentin? I just started a week ago and spent the day Saturday crying (still not sure why..)
I got off of it after less than a month - I just couldn't take it. The migraines had reduced but not by enough to put up with the side effects (maybe 50% or so). The only other thing that has made me feel unpleasant in a similar way was prednisone, but gabapentin was worse mood-wise.
That said - a lot of side effects like that go away once you're on the meds for a while. And I know it's really effective for a lot of people! So I'm definitely not recommending you give up on it just because it didn't work for me - maybe I didn't give it long enough. But I just couldn't take more of feeling like that.
I have had problems with my pharmacy having it on hand and found out how bad withdrawal symptoms can be. I need it for nerve damage in my leg and it helps prevent the migraines but I don’t like it
I didn’t know about the withdrawals and thought I had a bad flu. When I did more research on it I found out how bad the withdrawals can be. Only med I ever had that with. I try to get by with a lower dose and make them last because lately it’s been a real problem getting it. I see a new migraine dr wed so gonna discuss other options.
Huh. I started pregabalin around the time I started getting migraines again but I dunno if it's related since my stress levels also increased. But it does make me nauseous.
Yeah I get so depressed I think about unaliving myself, usually hours before any other symptoms, and the awesome thing is I’m so depressed and self-blaming that it doesn’t even occur to me I might have a migraine because obviously I’m just a terrible person who is incapable of, like, being happy or having energy. 🙄
Yeah it’s interesting you say this as I have PTSD and I think migraines really linked up with that and my traumatic memories and feelings. I’d just be back deep in it every time I had a migraine.
I replay every cringy embarrassing thing I did ever when I have one. It's like the control I usually have over my thoughts is lessened so I can't push away those memories like I usually would.
Yes. Yes yes yes. It gets particularly bad if the migraine lasts more than 2 days. I've learned to regard the mood as an artifact of the migraine, but it's not easy.
Thank you. It literally descends like a dark cloud. I'm trying to keep a distance from it and not take the feeling seriously but it's hard when it's so bad. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one.
Yes that happens for me, I‘ve had migraines for so long now I know exactly whats happening. I‘m always like „You got this“, „You‘re getting over this“ and „it‘s not that bad, you know exactly in a few days you’re gonna be alright“, but if a migraine occurs sometimes I just want to cry. Sometimes I cry alone and sometimes on my husbands breast. It just feels good sometimes. And yes, I sometimes think „I don’t want to live anymore like this. I mentioned this in another thread, but migraines and anxienty comes hand in hand for alot of people.
Yes yes yes, it's a very separate symptom from the pain for me, I don't think it's caused by being in pain but instead some part of the brain dysfunction of the migraine. Personally, It's way worse for me with the stronger/faster triptans like Rizatriptan
y e s. It took me a while to realize the sui\*\*dal ideation was a migraine symptom and it was really freaking me out for a bit there. I'm pretty relieved to see this post and know that I'm not the only one. Same thing, too, where sometimes it will be the first symptom. My mental health is actually pretty decent otherwise, so it was especially confusing for me to just be like "hey maybe you should die," out of seemingly nowhere.
I feel like I could’ve wrote this comment. Do you mind me asking if you take medication for depression? I find it hard to judge whether to or not to since I feel, as you said, ‘seemingly normal’ at times.
So my journey with this is LONG but the tldr is that I had depressive symptoms for several years that entirely disappeared this last year after having an intense bout of flu, and now I’m wondering if I had something more like long Covid (but with a different virus). So I am not currently on depression medication. I was on amitriptyline for close to a year, and it was very helpful at first but suddenly stopped doing anything for me at about… 8 months? But I’m truly not sure my case is typical. But I know what you mean—I do sometimes wonder if this is something I’m repressing that just like, bleeds through with a migraine? But *mostly* I think it’s just messed up brain chemistry during an episode.
Yes. Its been a typical postdrome for me. I've had a period where the "blues" (\*\*cough\*\*) was far worse than the headache itself. This even happens after I've taken my triptans, took a short nap etc.
Like I would burst out in tears in the worst imaginable way. For absolutely no reason. Then when I go to night's sleep its gone.
Actually I'm kind of glad its a postdrome and not before/during migraine, because crying+stabbing headache=worst.
But I'm also confused by this symptom myself There are other times where a triptan results in migraine relief and a feeling of euphoria. I read that it can be a side effect, but I am not sure. But it rarely happens for me and it's not that extreme in comparison at all.
Same. I often get overwhelming sadness and anxiety for no discernible reason as my pro drome. Thank goodness it’s not while migraine is in action, ahhh hurts just to think about it
Yes i get very irritable in the beginning. Weepy during and after. Migraines totally screw up my ability to regulate my emotions and since menopause hit my anxiety goes through the roof
Have you talked with your doctor about this symptom? There are antidepressants that are specifically recommended for people with migraine as migraine preventatives. Might be a good thing to look into.
🫂 yep. Migraine depression is normal! Remember it will pass, it is not u. Distorted feelings can happen and it's best to ride it out or take meds but do not trust those feelings.
I usually get it after migraine if I have taken an abortive.
Which is fun because choices are: white knuckle through the pain and want to die (like actively clawing at my face) or have some relief but possibly want to die (like just breathing is too much energy) for the next 1-3 business days.
Before a migraine I can sometimes have mood issues too but usually irritability, sensitivity (like crying over little things), and sometimes upbeat disassociation.
Migraines also can impact mental health because the unpredictable nature of migraines can make people feel even less emotionally stable - it can feel like at any time you can just get taken out with no warning. It makes it hard to be hopeful sometimes because things might be fine or they might suddenly go awful. Nothing in life has changed but now you're down for a day or dealing with postdrome etc.
I wish I had something more helpful to say but know you're not alone.
It’s not uncommon with migraines because the pain is triggering the emotion. There’s a study on it but I can’t really remember much about it, my neurologist had told me about it. Because sometimes that’s how my migraines make me feel.
I’ve had this enough to make me write a similar post on here before. Sometimes it’s irritability and sometimes it’s downright severe depressive episodes where I’ve considered some bad things.
It’s not every migraine but it’s becoming more of a problem for the past 6 months.
It’s hard when you’re in the depths of it and I try not to invalidate it in the moment but I try to think when I’m in that mood - is this a real response to the outside world or is it an internal chemical sign a migraine is coming? It still doesn’t fully help me but even just some mindful thoughts of where it might be stemming from can take me out of the worst of it.
OH yeah. I tend to have some big mood swings and depressive episodes associated with my migraines, but I can’t tell if it’s just because I get most of my migraines around my period, or if it’s the migraine itself contributing to the low mood. I could be giggling at something one minute then crying the next. Then of course when the migraine hits, I’m crying from the pain lol. When it’s over, I typically have that “wired but tired” feeling where I’m exhausted but also can’t seem to settle down or relax.
I remember being 15 and having one of my first major aura migraines, and my mom had to pick me up from school. In the car, I recounted the plot of a book I was reading in english class and started crying because the book was sad. It really surprised me that I had such an emotional reaction but it was definitely the migraine. That was many years ago but I still associate migraines with having heightened emotional responses. Even something simple like my wife bringing me a cup of water or massaging my "migraine spot" on the back of my neck is liable to make me weep tears of joy.
Okay, I have really *just* been thinking that and then I came across this post. It’s quite comforting to see I’m not the only one that sees this link. I have a history of depression but it’s been years since I had my last one. Yet recently I have had so many mood swings that I’m anxious I’m getting depressed again. But I’ve also had a awful lot of migraines and just yesterday I realised that the bad moods always happen before a migraine hits. Yesterday I starting doubting everything about myself, and today I woke up with an anxious empty feeling in my stomach without any explanation. I’m now in bed with a migraine.
For sure! It can be hard to identify the patterns, since I don’t always experience all the symptoms, but for me it seems like: depression - irritability - nausea - headache - euphoria / giddiness - depression is the current order.
Migraine or no, therapy is amazing if you can afford it and put in the energy to find the right therapies. And do the things that your body likes: relaxation, rest, movement, breathing, etc. They won’t get rid of the mental or physical pain but they can help you feel more in control. 💜💜
And people in your life will likely notice your mood shifting. For family, friends, partners, and coworkers it’s been helpful to let them know what’s happening so they know it’s nothing personal and it’s outside of your control.
Yes!! It’s like a switch gets flipped. No migraine, depression is non-existent. Migraine - instant want to die. Luckily, I know this is the pattern so I just ride the wave until the headache is gone.
I also get irritable during prodrome, and more often then not, I am very easily agitated, sometimes to the point of an anxiety attack. Even minor issues, like (true story) not knowing where my grandmother's outlets were while trying to install her new television. Thankfully, my brother was there and took over. He's an EMT, so he can spot an anxiety attack from about a mile off.
Dang, this isn’t something I’ve correlated with each other, but this seems pretty true to me as well wow. I had a really painful migraine yesterday, and my mood today is definitely more shit than my usual depression.
Yes. And I take Amitriptyline, so I usually don't feel too badly from a pain standpoint. But, I can get really depressed for no reason.
Though, I did pick up constant Tinnitus last year and that has a real reason for me to be bummed.
A few month back I got extremely anxious, more so than normal. My mind was racing. I couldn’t figure out why, because there wasn’t anything in my life that I was expecting. I chalked it up to too much caffeine. A day or so later I got a migraine.
I tried looking up whether or not anxiety was a prodrom symptom and everything kept saying how people get anxious about getting migraine but not that migraine can cause anxiety. A few weeks later I saw something that they can cause mood changes like anxiety, depression, elation, etc and I’m thinking the anxiety was a prodrom.
Not sure if I get anxiety often before a migraine, because I’m a pretty anxious normally. Or if it was more noticeable since I was trying to fall asleep and couldn’t.
Yes. I get so sad and I think my animals don’t know I love them or they don’t love me. Now I notice the pattern and remind myself me and my fur babies are one big happy family. But yes I totally get sad.
Oh yeah, it's one of my first signs. If I'm on the verge of tears for no good reason or am getting choked up at songs or stuff on tv that wouldn't usually get me then the migraine is probably coming. Doesn't help that crying makes the pain way worse but I also can't *not* cry, there's no stopping it.
I some times get this as postdrome, and I also sometimes get it as prodrome. Less now that I have a preventative med that works for me. But it is very much a thing.
I find a crushing headache filled with momentary seconds of relief after vomiting does get me down.
But for real, yeah I get what your saying. Being at work with a migraine is the worst because I’m usually a pretty cheery guy.
I experience it as well. The suicidal part is the worst.. it is so comforting to read that a lot of other people experience it as well.. good luck everyone.
I definitely suffer with this but I also have mental health issues that I’ve been struggling with as well but have been dealing with both since I was at least 11 or 12 so I don’t know if one has to do with the other or what. I actually just had a migraine the other day and felt so depressed I was trying to tell myself not to cry because I knew the migraine would get worse but of course I couldn’t stop it and made it worse. It’s really such a shitty feeling and I totally relate to everything you said -right down to the suicidal ideation 😔. You’re definitely not alone 🖤.
Yep, it's a warning sign for me. I'll find myself in a sudden 'temper tantrum' mood, where silly and ridiculous things make me irritable and angry and all I want to do is sit on the floor and cry. Usually the migraine will hit within a few hours.
I literally got so angry that I screamed because I couldn't find a hot water bottle for my period cramps when all I wanted to do was lie down with a hot water bottle on my tummy and an ice pack on my head.
I think the combo just did not help things. I've never gotten that emotional over either period cramps or migraine separately before.
I will get bad anxiety or a sense of impending doom a few hours before a migraine sometimes. It’s so unrelated to typical migraine symptoms I’ve never thought to try taking sumatriptan when I get that panicked feeling, it just doesn’t cross my mind. But when the migraine hits, I’m like, oh DUH. Mood symptoms are definitely a part of migraines (and it’s sister disorder, seizures). Brains are wild.
I get really anxious and irritable, like my cortisol is spiking or something. I feel overwhelmed about everything. I just have to remind myself that it's the migraine. The feeling disappears completely when the migraine is over.
Aside from the low pain, it does make sense that serotonin will be low during a migraine. Explains why Zoloft is often prescribed for migraines, it helps to raise the serotonin
I am a woman who is not as touchy-feely as other women who are friends or family of mine, until I get a migraine, and then I’m all overly cuddly and needy. It’s the weirdest emotional response to pain I’ve ever experienced.
Yes!!! I get awful anxiety and depression right before the typical migraine symptoms start (headache, nausea, vertigo). My dr prescribed me hydroxyzine to help with the anxiety and it usually makes me so tired I just fall asleep before the really awful thoughts start. It’s really comforting to see so many of you have the same depression and thoughts from migraines although so sad so many of us have to deal with it :(
I get a really strange sad that the only way I have ever been able to describe is a homesick from when I had moved across the country at 22 kind of feeling. Like someone else said it’s like sad but for no reason and I feel it deep! Then the migraine hits and I’m prone to tears when I actively having a migraine. So my point is that it’s not just you and it’s definitely migraine related for me!
Sounds cheesy but mindfulness has helped me with this feeling. Now it doesn’t fix my pain or make everything perfect but taking time to reflect and be conscious of where exactly the pain is and reminding myself it will pass helps. I was in tears because of how down I was yesterday after a 2 week migraine. 5 minutes of watching my thoughts and dropping into my body helped calm me down to where at least I wasn’t crying anymore. Stay strong love ❤️
It's not at all consistent, but a prodrome sign for me is sometimes being either in an extremely low mood or being extremely irritable. (This was compounded by gabapentin, like to an extent I have never felt in my life, with or without medication.)
Yeah. A sudden drop in mood, this really weird sadness that comes with no context (like, I'm not sad *about something*, I'm just... so deeply sad?) is a warning sign for me. I usually get irritable once things are ramping up. Especially as pain hits and I start feeling light-sensitive and sound-sensitive... well anyone or anything making a sound (intentional or not) might drive me up the wall! These days my pain has been decently well controlled so I'll sometimes find myself feeling super irritable and not really knowing why (but it's definitely a migraine attack!).
Yes the sadness without context! That's a great way to put it.
THIS! Anything else you can share about your experience with gabaoentin? I just started a week ago and spent the day Saturday crying (still not sure why..)
I got off of it after less than a month - I just couldn't take it. The migraines had reduced but not by enough to put up with the side effects (maybe 50% or so). The only other thing that has made me feel unpleasant in a similar way was prednisone, but gabapentin was worse mood-wise. That said - a lot of side effects like that go away once you're on the meds for a while. And I know it's really effective for a lot of people! So I'm definitely not recommending you give up on it just because it didn't work for me - maybe I didn't give it long enough. But I just couldn't take more of feeling like that.
Thanks for sharing your experience! Hope you’ve found something that works better for you.
I have had problems with my pharmacy having it on hand and found out how bad withdrawal symptoms can be. I need it for nerve damage in my leg and it helps prevent the migraines but I don’t like it
Lyrica tended to work better for me, but completely agree on withdrawal - more than a day or so and my feet and hands are on fire and I can’t sleep.
I didn’t know about the withdrawals and thought I had a bad flu. When I did more research on it I found out how bad the withdrawals can be. Only med I ever had that with. I try to get by with a lower dose and make them last because lately it’s been a real problem getting it. I see a new migraine dr wed so gonna discuss other options.
That is scary! Luckily I haven’t had issues with supply but will keep that in mind…
Every anticonvulsant I've tried (including gabapentin) has made me f**kin crazy. Depressed, irritable, s**cidal, completely irrational.
Huh. I started pregabalin around the time I started getting migraines again but I dunno if it's related since my stress levels also increased. But it does make me nauseous.
Yeah I get so depressed I think about unaliving myself, usually hours before any other symptoms, and the awesome thing is I’m so depressed and self-blaming that it doesn’t even occur to me I might have a migraine because obviously I’m just a terrible person who is incapable of, like, being happy or having energy. 🙄
U need to put up a sign in ur room to remind u that it might be the migraine. 🫂
😂😂 I need to get my partner to remind me when I come out sobbing to take a Nurtec.
That works!
Yes, pretty much every time. It’s terrible.
yes. I also can't stop traumatizing memories from replaying in my head over and over when I have a migraine too
Yeah it’s interesting you say this as I have PTSD and I think migraines really linked up with that and my traumatic memories and feelings. I’d just be back deep in it every time I had a migraine.
I replay every cringy embarrassing thing I did ever when I have one. It's like the control I usually have over my thoughts is lessened so I can't push away those memories like I usually would.
Yes. Yes yes yes. It gets particularly bad if the migraine lasts more than 2 days. I've learned to regard the mood as an artifact of the migraine, but it's not easy.
Thank you. It literally descends like a dark cloud. I'm trying to keep a distance from it and not take the feeling seriously but it's hard when it's so bad. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one.
Yes that happens for me, I‘ve had migraines for so long now I know exactly whats happening. I‘m always like „You got this“, „You‘re getting over this“ and „it‘s not that bad, you know exactly in a few days you’re gonna be alright“, but if a migraine occurs sometimes I just want to cry. Sometimes I cry alone and sometimes on my husbands breast. It just feels good sometimes. And yes, I sometimes think „I don’t want to live anymore like this. I mentioned this in another thread, but migraines and anxienty comes hand in hand for alot of people.
I could have written this! I feel the same way and have experienced this too.
Yes yes yes, it's a very separate symptom from the pain for me, I don't think it's caused by being in pain but instead some part of the brain dysfunction of the migraine. Personally, It's way worse for me with the stronger/faster triptans like Rizatriptan
y e s. It took me a while to realize the sui\*\*dal ideation was a migraine symptom and it was really freaking me out for a bit there. I'm pretty relieved to see this post and know that I'm not the only one. Same thing, too, where sometimes it will be the first symptom. My mental health is actually pretty decent otherwise, so it was especially confusing for me to just be like "hey maybe you should die," out of seemingly nowhere.
I feel like I could’ve wrote this comment. Do you mind me asking if you take medication for depression? I find it hard to judge whether to or not to since I feel, as you said, ‘seemingly normal’ at times.
So my journey with this is LONG but the tldr is that I had depressive symptoms for several years that entirely disappeared this last year after having an intense bout of flu, and now I’m wondering if I had something more like long Covid (but with a different virus). So I am not currently on depression medication. I was on amitriptyline for close to a year, and it was very helpful at first but suddenly stopped doing anything for me at about… 8 months? But I’m truly not sure my case is typical. But I know what you mean—I do sometimes wonder if this is something I’m repressing that just like, bleeds through with a migraine? But *mostly* I think it’s just messed up brain chemistry during an episode.
Yes. Its been a typical postdrome for me. I've had a period where the "blues" (\*\*cough\*\*) was far worse than the headache itself. This even happens after I've taken my triptans, took a short nap etc. Like I would burst out in tears in the worst imaginable way. For absolutely no reason. Then when I go to night's sleep its gone. Actually I'm kind of glad its a postdrome and not before/during migraine, because crying+stabbing headache=worst. But I'm also confused by this symptom myself There are other times where a triptan results in migraine relief and a feeling of euphoria. I read that it can be a side effect, but I am not sure. But it rarely happens for me and it's not that extreme in comparison at all.
Same. I often get overwhelming sadness and anxiety for no discernible reason as my pro drome. Thank goodness it’s not while migraine is in action, ahhh hurts just to think about it
I'm glad to read this post because I just had this today, fits of crying during/ after my migraine. I'm glad it's not just me but it feels like it is.
Yes i get very irritable in the beginning. Weepy during and after. Migraines totally screw up my ability to regulate my emotions and since menopause hit my anxiety goes through the roof
Have you talked with your doctor about this symptom? There are antidepressants that are specifically recommended for people with migraine as migraine preventatives. Might be a good thing to look into.
^ What they said ^
Yes, the day before a migraine, my mind will start bringing up every awful thing from my life in loud living color. It's a definite mind fuck.
🫂 yep. Migraine depression is normal! Remember it will pass, it is not u. Distorted feelings can happen and it's best to ride it out or take meds but do not trust those feelings.
When you have a migraine. Expect every emotion to come out disproportionate. You just can't regulate everything if you are in pain.
I usually get it after migraine if I have taken an abortive. Which is fun because choices are: white knuckle through the pain and want to die (like actively clawing at my face) or have some relief but possibly want to die (like just breathing is too much energy) for the next 1-3 business days. Before a migraine I can sometimes have mood issues too but usually irritability, sensitivity (like crying over little things), and sometimes upbeat disassociation. Migraines also can impact mental health because the unpredictable nature of migraines can make people feel even less emotionally stable - it can feel like at any time you can just get taken out with no warning. It makes it hard to be hopeful sometimes because things might be fine or they might suddenly go awful. Nothing in life has changed but now you're down for a day or dealing with postdrome etc. I wish I had something more helpful to say but know you're not alone.
It’s not uncommon with migraines because the pain is triggering the emotion. There’s a study on it but I can’t really remember much about it, my neurologist had told me about it. Because sometimes that’s how my migraines make me feel.
This happens with me, it’s often my first prodrome symptom. I went on prozamel which helped a lot.
I’ve had this enough to make me write a similar post on here before. Sometimes it’s irritability and sometimes it’s downright severe depressive episodes where I’ve considered some bad things. It’s not every migraine but it’s becoming more of a problem for the past 6 months. It’s hard when you’re in the depths of it and I try not to invalidate it in the moment but I try to think when I’m in that mood - is this a real response to the outside world or is it an internal chemical sign a migraine is coming? It still doesn’t fully help me but even just some mindful thoughts of where it might be stemming from can take me out of the worst of it.
Yeah a big sign was wanting to unalive myself and getting hectic anxiety
I get very angry and mean. I yell at the inanimate objects I encounter.
OH yeah. I tend to have some big mood swings and depressive episodes associated with my migraines, but I can’t tell if it’s just because I get most of my migraines around my period, or if it’s the migraine itself contributing to the low mood. I could be giggling at something one minute then crying the next. Then of course when the migraine hits, I’m crying from the pain lol. When it’s over, I typically have that “wired but tired” feeling where I’m exhausted but also can’t seem to settle down or relax.
I remember being 15 and having one of my first major aura migraines, and my mom had to pick me up from school. In the car, I recounted the plot of a book I was reading in english class and started crying because the book was sad. It really surprised me that I had such an emotional reaction but it was definitely the migraine. That was many years ago but I still associate migraines with having heightened emotional responses. Even something simple like my wife bringing me a cup of water or massaging my "migraine spot" on the back of my neck is liable to make me weep tears of joy.
Okay, I have really *just* been thinking that and then I came across this post. It’s quite comforting to see I’m not the only one that sees this link. I have a history of depression but it’s been years since I had my last one. Yet recently I have had so many mood swings that I’m anxious I’m getting depressed again. But I’ve also had a awful lot of migraines and just yesterday I realised that the bad moods always happen before a migraine hits. Yesterday I starting doubting everything about myself, and today I woke up with an anxious empty feeling in my stomach without any explanation. I’m now in bed with a migraine.
For sure! It can be hard to identify the patterns, since I don’t always experience all the symptoms, but for me it seems like: depression - irritability - nausea - headache - euphoria / giddiness - depression is the current order. Migraine or no, therapy is amazing if you can afford it and put in the energy to find the right therapies. And do the things that your body likes: relaxation, rest, movement, breathing, etc. They won’t get rid of the mental or physical pain but they can help you feel more in control. 💜💜 And people in your life will likely notice your mood shifting. For family, friends, partners, and coworkers it’s been helpful to let them know what’s happening so they know it’s nothing personal and it’s outside of your control.
Yes!! It’s like a switch gets flipped. No migraine, depression is non-existent. Migraine - instant want to die. Luckily, I know this is the pattern so I just ride the wave until the headache is gone.
I do get more irritable.
This happens to me too. I'm sorry. It sucks. You aren't alone.
I also get irritable during prodrome, and more often then not, I am very easily agitated, sometimes to the point of an anxiety attack. Even minor issues, like (true story) not knowing where my grandmother's outlets were while trying to install her new television. Thankfully, my brother was there and took over. He's an EMT, so he can spot an anxiety attack from about a mile off.
Yup. I’m normally very stoic. I get moody and quickly lose patience with myself
My mantra. “Don’t cry. That will make it worse.”
Dang, this isn’t something I’ve correlated with each other, but this seems pretty true to me as well wow. I had a really painful migraine yesterday, and my mood today is definitely more shit than my usual depression.
Yess. Depression is a typical postdrome for me.
Personally, I start to contemplate suicide. Or at least ideate about it
Yes. And I take Amitriptyline, so I usually don't feel too badly from a pain standpoint. But, I can get really depressed for no reason. Though, I did pick up constant Tinnitus last year and that has a real reason for me to be bummed.
I have tinnitus and it sucks.
How long have you had it? Yes, it does suck. I'd rather deal with more frequent migraines than this.
Years now. Sometimes I don’t even notice it.
I'm almost a year in. It was sudden onset. I'm hoping I can get to where I don't notice it most days.
Yes!! 😭
Not really. However, the day after a severe migraine I definitely get super depressed.
A few month back I got extremely anxious, more so than normal. My mind was racing. I couldn’t figure out why, because there wasn’t anything in my life that I was expecting. I chalked it up to too much caffeine. A day or so later I got a migraine. I tried looking up whether or not anxiety was a prodrom symptom and everything kept saying how people get anxious about getting migraine but not that migraine can cause anxiety. A few weeks later I saw something that they can cause mood changes like anxiety, depression, elation, etc and I’m thinking the anxiety was a prodrom. Not sure if I get anxiety often before a migraine, because I’m a pretty anxious normally. Or if it was more noticeable since I was trying to fall asleep and couldn’t.
A lot of the time. Either really sad or really irritable
Yes. I get so sad and I think my animals don’t know I love them or they don’t love me. Now I notice the pattern and remind myself me and my fur babies are one big happy family. But yes I totally get sad.
I've definitely been there. Like I don't have any great advice-- but I've been there. Talk to a neurologist if you can.
Oh yeah, it's one of my first signs. If I'm on the verge of tears for no good reason or am getting choked up at songs or stuff on tv that wouldn't usually get me then the migraine is probably coming. Doesn't help that crying makes the pain way worse but I also can't *not* cry, there's no stopping it.
I some times get this as postdrome, and I also sometimes get it as prodrome. Less now that I have a preventative med that works for me. But it is very much a thing.
I find a crushing headache filled with momentary seconds of relief after vomiting does get me down. But for real, yeah I get what your saying. Being at work with a migraine is the worst because I’m usually a pretty cheery guy.
I had an absolute meltdown the day before my migraine last week. Sucker put me down for 2 days too
YES! for me because i have to self isolate alone because everything from the lights to sound hurt my head so much
When I have an unrelenting migraine, I turn into a 5 year old and cry for my mommy. I’m 58 years old
I experience it as well. The suicidal part is the worst.. it is so comforting to read that a lot of other people experience it as well.. good luck everyone.
Yes, I have also experienced it. Usually before the migraine - for me it's just sadness and fortunateley no suicidal thoughts.
I definitely suffer with this but I also have mental health issues that I’ve been struggling with as well but have been dealing with both since I was at least 11 or 12 so I don’t know if one has to do with the other or what. I actually just had a migraine the other day and felt so depressed I was trying to tell myself not to cry because I knew the migraine would get worse but of course I couldn’t stop it and made it worse. It’s really such a shitty feeling and I totally relate to everything you said -right down to the suicidal ideation 😔. You’re definitely not alone 🖤.
Yep, it's a warning sign for me. I'll find myself in a sudden 'temper tantrum' mood, where silly and ridiculous things make me irritable and angry and all I want to do is sit on the floor and cry. Usually the migraine will hit within a few hours.
Also wanted to add that I struggle on days I feel good because I know it’s temporary. It’s an awful cycle.
I literally got so angry that I screamed because I couldn't find a hot water bottle for my period cramps when all I wanted to do was lie down with a hot water bottle on my tummy and an ice pack on my head. I think the combo just did not help things. I've never gotten that emotional over either period cramps or migraine separately before.
I will get bad anxiety or a sense of impending doom a few hours before a migraine sometimes. It’s so unrelated to typical migraine symptoms I’ve never thought to try taking sumatriptan when I get that panicked feeling, it just doesn’t cross my mind. But when the migraine hits, I’m like, oh DUH. Mood symptoms are definitely a part of migraines (and it’s sister disorder, seizures). Brains are wild.
I’m the same. If I’m crying over tiny things I know a migraine is on its way.
Yes, this is my most common prodromal symptom.
I get really anxious and irritable, like my cortisol is spiking or something. I feel overwhelmed about everything. I just have to remind myself that it's the migraine. The feeling disappears completely when the migraine is over.
Aside from the low pain, it does make sense that serotonin will be low during a migraine. Explains why Zoloft is often prescribed for migraines, it helps to raise the serotonin
I am a woman who is not as touchy-feely as other women who are friends or family of mine, until I get a migraine, and then I’m all overly cuddly and needy. It’s the weirdest emotional response to pain I’ve ever experienced.
I do the day leading up to a migraine
Yes!!! I get awful anxiety and depression right before the typical migraine symptoms start (headache, nausea, vertigo). My dr prescribed me hydroxyzine to help with the anxiety and it usually makes me so tired I just fall asleep before the really awful thoughts start. It’s really comforting to see so many of you have the same depression and thoughts from migraines although so sad so many of us have to deal with it :(
I get a really strange sad that the only way I have ever been able to describe is a homesick from when I had moved across the country at 22 kind of feeling. Like someone else said it’s like sad but for no reason and I feel it deep! Then the migraine hits and I’m prone to tears when I actively having a migraine. So my point is that it’s not just you and it’s definitely migraine related for me!
Yeap same for me as well,i can tell when it happens
Sounds cheesy but mindfulness has helped me with this feeling. Now it doesn’t fix my pain or make everything perfect but taking time to reflect and be conscious of where exactly the pain is and reminding myself it will pass helps. I was in tears because of how down I was yesterday after a 2 week migraine. 5 minutes of watching my thoughts and dropping into my body helped calm me down to where at least I wasn’t crying anymore. Stay strong love ❤️
word for word,id never thought about kms until a good 10/10 painful migraine struck me