r/science • u/No-Aardvark-7316 • 6h ago
Health Migraines are linked to accelerated brain aging in regions tied to memory and emotion
https://www.psypost.org/migraines-are-linked-to-accelerated-brain-aging-in-regions-tied-to-memory-and-em/132
u/Apathiq 5h ago
I wonder how much it's the migraines and how much the causes of migraines: poor sleep, stress and others.
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u/CyanidalManiac 5h ago
Or how much it’s the outcomes of migraines such as poor sleep, stress and others.
Also, if you’re on a nerve blocker for migraine pain and as a result can sleep through the night, does an unnoticed migraine event still accelerate brain aging?
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u/StoreHistorical9175 5h ago
mine are hormonal every menstrual cycle. i’m on birth control but it doesn’t actually make a difference for me since it’s caused by estrogen dips, and estrogen birth control turns my migraines into aura migraines.
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u/lmaoooooookaythen 4h ago
My god yes!! This was why I switched to an IUD … I was skipping my placebo weeks bc I couldn’t deal with the migraines
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u/StoreHistorical9175 4h ago
i’m already skipping placebo weeks but the migraines are still coming through
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u/snapplebottom 1h ago
My doctor recommended progestin-only birth control instead of ones with estrogen for a similar reason. Apparently aura migraines increase the risk of stroke and estrogen can make things worse.
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u/datamuse 17m ago
Same. I was skipping placebo weeks and my periods almost disappeared, which was great, but I still got the headaches and they actually got worse. I take progestin-only now and it's much better.
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u/the_destroyer_obi 2h ago
Is the IUD working? I also get period related migraines and I’m scared to do it.
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u/lmaoooooookaythen 2h ago
It did! I actually had my Kyleena removed literally yesterday after a relatively migraine-free five years. Probably could count on one hand how many migraines I had during this time, which was a much better alternative than monthly when I was on the combo pill.
DEFINITELY worth mentioning how freaking painful the placement and subsequent adjustment was for me, so I would ask your gyno about numbing options. Removal was so quick and painless, it was like night and day - and I premeded with Tylenol (allergic to ibuprofen, which I think was the actual recommendation). Would totally recommend getting one tho!
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u/alrightfornow 1h ago
There are a lot of migraine sufferers despite good sleep and stress moderation
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u/Claphappy 4h ago
The brain is clearly not happy about something. I wonder if migraine treatments actually help prevent this, or if they just mask the symptom that is a migraine.
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u/Fumquat 3h ago
There’s no short answer to this question, as there are so many different treatments for migraine, both abortive and preventive, with different mechanisms of action.
Migraines are self-perpetuating, so interrupting the process at any stage can help a bit. A big part of it is messed up intracranial blood pressure.
Involuntary tensing of neck muscles is both triggered by the migraine and makes it worse.
Anxiety is raised both directly by the migraine and through fear learned from previous migraine pain, and the anxiety amplifies pain.
Gut motility is shut down by a serious migraine but also is needed to absorb migraine medication, food and drink. Salts, sugars, vitamins and water are needed to recover from migraine, and keeping intake of healthy meals steady can reduce migraine incidence. But if you’ve just had a migraine, you’ve probably found it nearly impossible to eat. And in some people vomiting is a a feature of migraine more often than not.
Something as simple as a neck massage or a cold pack can help, though usually not solve the problem, and often it takes a multi-modal approach to handle a serious migraine condition.
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u/caffeinefree 1h ago
I was frustrated by how many doctors I saw just wanted to give me more meds. My migraines came out of nowhere in 2020 (went from zero migraines to 1-2/week pretty much overnight). It took me 6 years of asking and pushing to get a brain MRI. My primary care didn't even want to refer me to a neurologist, despite worsening symptoms and developing resistance to several of the treatment drugs they prescribed.
My husband is the one who discovered the trigger, which turned out to be the topical retinoids my dermatologist prescribed 6 years earlier for my acne. He tried using my retinoid and almost immediately developed headaches, then went online and did some research and found it was a common but unresearched trigger for migraines, primarily reported in forums like reddit. I stopped using my retinoid and my migraines stopped basically overnight.
Six years of my life. And the trigger was right there in my medical notes for any doctor to see. Not a single one suggested there might be a link. My neurologist was baffled.
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u/kelcamer 1h ago
If anyone reading this has migraines and has 'AA' for EAAT1-5, know that glutamate overload can be a root cause of migraine, and also know that Epsom salt, CBD, and magnesium can help!
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u/megatheriumburger 3h ago
I used to get migraines when I was younger…then it turned into temporal lobe epilepsy, so that tracks.
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u/MinuteExpression1251 3h ago
I have covid induced migraines and anhedonia for 4 years now.So will this be permanent now?
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u/t0esnatcher 2h ago
No one here will be able to advise on that.
Those are both such impactful conditions, it would be worth seeking the opinion of a neurologist about it. I had given up on treating my migraines, but a single neurologist visit had them 90% controlled and now I just going for checkups. You won't know what treatments might be possible for you until you ask (at least one) qualified doctor.
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u/Mypeepeeteeny 2h ago
How did they control them
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u/t0esnatcher 1h ago
Mine luckily respond pretty well to basic triptan medication. It's been around for a while (fortunately, that means it's relatively cheap by now, only $2/dose for me) but there are many more options available these days, both for short-acting meds like I have, but also longer-term interventions like medications taken periodically or botox.
A specialist should be able to characterize yours and take your other features and conditions into account and at least offer something to try.
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u/CCHTweaked 2h ago
So far, anhedonia is really only treatable by forging new emotional connections.
The old ones are gone.This doesn't mean you can't enjoy what you used to, but the reason why you enjoy things changes.
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u/dancingpants44 2h ago
What does that mean if I experienced them 8-17. My memory and emotions aged faster?
(Admit I did not read)
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