migraines

[doberman]

Hi, I suffer periodioc migraines, nothing as bad as prior to my OHS and I was wondering if anyone knows of any research linking migraines to heart trouble. I will be seeing my cardiologist in the New Year and had wanted to discuss it with him last time I spoke with him he mentioned that he was not aware of any evidence linking heart issues with the migraines. The odd thing is that since my mitral valve repair I sometimes get the migraine aura without the subsequent nasty headache, yes that is a good thing!
Johnny

 

[Janine]

Hi, I have Aortic Stenosis I am having surgery in January, I always have Migraine aura, sometimes I go completely numb unable to move my arms legs and my speech is slurred, doctors once thought it was a TIA, but after many visits to the Neurologist and after quite a few scans they said it was Migraine, I don't get the headaches at all, I asked my Cardiologist if it was related to the valve he said no.
I hope after my Ross Procedure all the Aura and numbness stops.

 

[Butterfly]

Miagarines

Miagarines

Hi,
I've had miagraines since I was 13 years of age (the type involving aura followed by headache and nausea). In the past I've been prescribed Cafergot (caffiene) and another drug that I didn't end up taking as my doctor said "don't be worried if your chest tightens when you take it as this is just a side affect).I didn't end up taking this, so just learn to live around my episodes of miagraine. About a year ago while waiting at the haridressers ,I read an article about magnesium and miagraine and somewhat skeptically started to supplement this to see if it would have any effect on my headaches. I havn't suffered a miagraine since save twice when I forgot to supplement with magnesium.

The article I read linked miagraine and magnesium deficiency to the fluoridation of water. Perhaps coincidentally or maybe not,self research revealed that when I first started having miagraines headaches (at age 13) the water supply here in Sydney was fluoridated for the first time. Another coincidence is that when I moved interstate to Queensland for about half a year my miagraines ceased and resumed again when I moved back to Sydney. I wondered about this at the time and couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation until now when my research reveals that the water supply in Brisbane , Queensland where I had moved to was not fluoridated.

These are just personal observations but afetr suffering frequesnt sometimes debilitating miagraines for many,many years I now feel like a new person.

Cheers Jacqui

 

[Atlanta Sweetheart]

I don't write very often but

I don't write very often but

thought I would respond to your question. I too had frequent painful migraines before my mitral valve repair. After repair for several weeks after surgery I would have the aurora and not the headache pain. It's now been two years and I don't have migraines very often and when I do I still get auroras but the headache occurs very infrequently. It's a very nice side effect from having heart surgery!!

 

[BDMc]

Migraine Auras and Heart Surgery

Migraine Auras and Heart Surgery

Hi Johnny, I have had a similar experience, though my headaches stopped well before my valve replacement, I still did get the auras occasionally. For me the original migraines which started in early teens, were often emotionally triggered. If I felt overwhelmed, or really threatened. I spent some time working with a good psychotherapist, and was able to reduce it to just the auras. About 10 years later I had my OHS. Since then the auras have been much more frequent, and many times I can't account for a trigger. Other triggers I have noted are: some strobe lights/florescent lights; some red wines;and blue cheese. There must be a connection that the docs can't account for yet with valve replacement. Good luck with yours! Brian

 

[doberman]

Hi thanks for the response, I too find bright lights are a trigger, and I believe dehydration not drinking enough water is another... at any rate I am going to surf the net looking for some clinical information. Migraines weem to be a bit of an enigma to the medical field....
Best,
John

 

[KatieD]

John,

I've had migraines since I was a teenager. I think I read somewhere, and been told, that my migraines were common with mitral valve prolapse. Before my surgery my migraines had subsided to mostly only the aura with a slight headache instead of also having the really bad headache. I was only having one or two every six months before surgery, but in the month immediately before sugery I had two or three all within about a 3 week period. Since my surgery in June I have had about three a month (aura only).

I've kept track of how long they've lasted for the last several years and before surgery they were 20 to 30 minutes each. Since surgery they started off at about 30 minutes, but the last one I had was at least an hour and a half which was really concerning to me.

I've noticed that my migraines generally occur when I've been under a lot of stress and then suddenly get released from the stressful situation. They're also caused by lights.

 

[francie12]

There is alot of talk in "migraine circles" about a migraine diet that addresses food triggers as the most potent causes for migraine. Johns Hopkins headache expert, David Bucholtz explains it in his book, Heal Your Headache. I've had great results, and so has my BAV son.

 

[williamp]

Migraines?

Migraines?

I've had the migraines and auras since I was in my early teens. After identifying my triggers they had pretty much ceased to be a problem, except I still had the occasional aura (no headache though).

Some months ago I switched meds and began taking Atenolol (sp?) and immediately began having the auras and headaches at about the rate of two to three a week consistently.

After stopping the Atenolol, the migraines and auras have ceased completely. Not scientific, your mileage may vary, etc., but you might want to see if the meds you take affect the recurrances.

Regards,
Will

 

[musician2k]

I've had a history of migraine since 1994...had AV replacement in 2006 and am still having them. Mine are mostly aura now...and like someone else, I've noticed the aura is lasting longer now than before and is not always accompanied by severe head pain like before. I'm a little nauseous, but that's not what is scary. These migraines now often "feel" like TIA's to me. (I had three TIA's post-surgery so I recognize the beginning symptoms.) My triggers are simliar to what others here have posted - bright lights, certain smells, not eating, coffee, chocolate, some cheeses. The bright light correlation makes me wonder if migraines really are a form of epilepsy.

And as far as the medical community having a grip on migraine and what really causes it - don't get me started. My own neurologist admitted that most migraine treatments (prescription or otherwise) are really based upon a *theory* of migraine. I'm convinced there's a correlation between migraine and the circulatory system & possibly BAV (or any valvular disease.) Question is - where's the research to back up the current modes of treatment for migraine? And, why has there been little or no research done for a correlation between AV disorders and migraine?

 

[hensylee]

yes, there is a link. I believe Dr Rich in About.com wrote an article on it.

I, too, have the aura. A couple of days ago I had a spot that blocks out one letter of a word, then the aura. When I see the blinking, I know what';s next. Sure nuff..........

 

[KatieD]

These migraines now often "feel" like TIA's to me.

I'm not connecting with your acronym. What is TIA?

 

[hensylee]

tia is trans ischemic attack.

 

[Marguerite53]

I have had the auras since I was a teenager. Rarely a headache. Definitely food and light triggers them for me. Possibly stress, too.

I suspect that the medical community has not come up with much helpful research for migraines because people are not dying from them. They are a nuisance, but they aren't the killers or permanently debilitating diseases and conditions that warrant our dollars and attention.

It would be of interest, though, in light of all these sudden deaths we read about, if in fact these auras were a pre-cursor to something, or an indicator that there is a valve or circulatory problem. Something that might be useful. I haven't ever spent any time on a headache forum. Maybe some connections could be gleaned from a group like that. I'm just afraid I'd always be telling those people....hey...sounds like a valve issue.....better go see a cardiologist!! I would probably be scaring the bajeebers out of them!!

I don't believe I've ever met a doctor who experiences them. Have any of you? For me, I will now start asking all my doctors if they experience them. I mean....at least they would truly understand our curiosity and concern about them.

I will have to time mine. I'm 18 months post surgery and seem to get them in batches. They used to be 22 minutes long. Right after surgery, of course, they were popping up constantly. Now, I'm just about back to normal occurence except that maybe the fact that they come in batches might make them somewhat worse. But I"m in the throes of menopause and heaven only knows what hormones swings are doing to me!!!

What is very good to know is that so many other people experience them. When I used to have to pull over when driving, or stop cooking or something, others would simply not understand. Nice to have the comaraderie!!

Marguerite

 

[hensylee]

here's the article by Dr Richard Fogoros

here's the article by Dr Richard Fogoros

It does not mention valve replacement specifically, just heart disease. Interesting article.

Migraine Aura - Another Cardiac Risk Factor
From Richard N. Fogoros, M.D.,
Your Guide to Heart Disease.
Stay up to date!
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board
Women with auras have higher risk of heart attack
By DrRich
It has long been known that there is an association between migraine headaches and the risk of stroke. This association is strongest in migraine sufferers who experience aura prior to the headache itself. The aura consists of one or more unusual symptoms - such as flashing lights, confusion, or even partial paralysis - preceding an actual migraine attack. It is thought to be the result of vascular constriction or spasm within the brain. Teri Roberts, Headache Guide at About.com, has an excellent description of the phases of migraine, here.

Because aura is thought to represent "hyperactive" blood vessels, and because it is associated with an increased incidence of stroke, researchers have wondered whether migraine in general, or aura in particular, might produce an excess risk for other vascular events.


A study published in the July 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that this is indeed the case.
Investigators studied over 27,000 women enrolled in the Women's Health Study, all of whom had no evidence of cardiovascular disease at the time of enrollment. Of these, 5125 had a history of migraine, and 1434 reported having aura prior to their migraine attacks. During the course of the study, women with aura (but not those with migraine unaccompanied by aura) had a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular events (such as heart attack, angina, coronary artery disease requiring bypass or angioplasty/stenting, or cardiovascular death). Investigators attributed an additional 18 cardiovascular events per 10,000 women per year to migraine with aura.

DrRich Comments:

This study does not answer the question of why there is increased cardiovascular risk in people who have migraine with aura. Several possibilities exist, including the hyperactive blood vessels that accompany aura, the release of substances into the blood vessels that can trigger blood clotting or accelerated plaque formation, or a genetic link between migraine with aura and cardiovascular disease. What this study does indicate is that, if you have migraine attacks with aura, you should pay special attention to modifying cardiovascular risk factors that you can control, like lipids, inactivity, obesity, hypertension and smoking.

New studies will be required to determine whether controlling migraine attacks with medication might itself reduce the cardiovascular risk.

Sources:

Kurth T, Gaziano JM, Cook NR, et al. Migraine and risk of cardiovascular disease in women. JAMA2006; 296:283-291.[/link]

Updated: September 5, 2007

 

[jwusko]

I've had auras for a few years that never turned into migraines, until this past July. I went to the doctor for them, even had an MRI, but she couldn't figure it out. They lasted a few weeks and than went away. About a month later I got one out of the blue. When they initially started I had been keeping a food journal to watch what I was eating, so when they started up again I researched what was common. I had been eating yogurt in my lunch everyday for the first set of headaches and than ran out and stopped eating it. It went on sale again, so my wife bought it and I started eating it - headaches started again. Needless to say I pinpointed the yogurt and checked on-line, sure enough there is an enzyme in yorgurt that can cause migraines. I stopped eating yogurt, and haven't had one since.

So two things...do you eat yogurt? If not, try keeping a food log of you normal activity for period of time, than change things around a bit and see if you can diagnose it yourself...

 

[doberman]

interesting

interesting

Thanks for the information all very interesting and mostly familiar symptoms to mine, it is odd that there do not appear to be any studies associated with these incidents. (migraines) When I spoke with my cardiologist about this last year he was very interested to know if I had any information for him, apart from the one study listed I do not know of any others. I have had 3 auras in the past week as I have been unusually busy at work and not eating properly. I usually get in every 4 to 6 weeks often after eating certain foods or getting a little dehydrated.
Thanks to all.
JD

 

[Butterfly]

Magnesium and miagraine

Magnesium and miagraine

Just a suggestion. Do some research on magnesium and miagraine. I no longer have miagraine after taking magnesium. I had them almost all my life until I started supplementing. I used to have miagraine often some times 6 weeks aart sometimes more than 4 in a week accompanied by aura ,nausea,slurring of speech and numbness of my face and each headache may have lasted 2-4 days to varying degrees. I now actually wake up feeling clear headed rather than in a fog. Even though my magnesium levels were within normal range when I had blood tests. I guess there are some people who either need to maintain a higher or lower level of magnesium than the average person. Just another thought magnesium is a muscle relaxant perhaps this has an affect on the possibility of contracting a miagraine. Researching magnesium and fluoride is also very interesting.

My Mum and Aunty both suffered miagraines so there seems to be a genetic link and by the way they are both still alive today aged 89 and 78 without heart problems save for their cholesterol level being a little higher than deemed acceptable though I don't think this is really a problem given that some of the longest living people have the higher levels of cholesterol. Trust me to be the one with BAV.

Cheers Butterfly.

 

[Butterfly]

Heart Defect and Miagraine

Heart Defect and Miagraine

Hi,
I seem to always post on miagraines - probably because this is one problem I tried to find a cure for for many years. Anyway You asked about the possible link between heart defects and maigraines and I remembered this article I read some years ago. I hope it is of interest.I guess if you are born with one heart problem there might also be others that are not as visible.

Regards Butterfly.

Migraine linked to heart defect

One in 10 Britons suffer migraines
Doctors are examining whether migraines are linked to a common heart defect.
One in four people have a valve-like hole, which can be closed using keyhole surgery, but it is twice as common among a type of migraine sufferer.

The study by Kings College Hospital in London and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital will look at whether correcting the defect cures migraines.

Some 6m people in the UK have migraines, costing the economy £750m a year in lost production.

The heart defect, called a patent foramen ovale (PFO), often produces no symptoms.

This study could revolutionise the understanding and treatment of certain migraine headaches

Ann Turner

In the womb, the opening is necessary to allow efficient circulation of blood and oxygen before the lungs start functioning.

After birth, it should fuse to produce a wall, or septum, separating the two atrial chambers. Sometimes, however, this does not occur correctly.

Particles

The theory is that closing this hole will ensure blood going through the heart is always filtered through the lungs on the way to the brain - thus removing chemicals that are thought to play a role in causing migraine.

The operation takes less than an hour and is carried out under light general anaesthetic.

A tube is inserted through a vein in the groin and worked through the blood vessels into the heart. A patch is then used to block the hole.

Researchers are now looking for volunteers who suffer migraines with aura - one of the most severe types of the condition.

Lead researcher Dr Andrew Dowson, director of the headache service at Kings College Hospital, said: "While there are many migraine treatments that help control symptoms, as yet there is no cure for migraine.

"If the trial supports our theories about a migraine-PFO link, it could be the most significant development in treatment for over a decade."

Action

Dr Peter Wilmshurst, consultant cardiologist at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, who was one of the first doctors to make a link between the two conditions, said he hoped the study would help them improve understanding of migraines.

"It should help us to define the appropriate course of action for patients who experience migraine attacks and also have a PFO."

And Ann Turner, director of the Migraine Action Association added: "It is impossible for someone who has never experienced a migraine to understand its significant impact on a sufferer's quality of life - not just the attacks themselves, which are so painful and debilitating, but the constant fear of the next attack.

"This study could revolutionise the understanding and treatment of certain migraine headaches, but we must remain cautious until the trial is completed."

A spokeswoman for the Migraine Trust added: "At this stage it's much too early to have a clear picture on the efficacy of this procedure.

"There are many different types of migraine and many types of research into its possible causes. We will be watching all new research very closely."

Belinda Linden, of the British Heart Foundation, said: "There have been many reports about migraine affecting patients who have heart conditions such as a hole in the heart. Interestingly, there is also some evidence that migraine attacks can improve following successful treatment for a heart defect.

"These observations highlight the need improve understanding about the mechanisms that both trigger and relieve the migraine attack.

"Ultimately the findings may also help us understand more about migraine affecting the millions of people in the UK.

 

[Harmony]

I have had Migraines and headaches since I can remember. I also found out 3 years ago I have a PFO. I did not know what it was. I saw a very famous Thorasic Surgeon in NYC in 2004 who told me if I did not fix the PFO I would probably have a stroke and die. I would not put his name down here as I know many people here have had there Mitral Valve operated on by him. I have probably been to every neurologist in NYC that has any knowledge of Migraines none of them helped me. I know that migraines with auras are much more serious than ones with out. Also people with Migraines have a 50% greater chance of having a stroke than people with out migraines. I take Zetia and Pravachol not because my cholestrol but because my Cardio fees it will prevent me from having a cardiac event. I know in the future I will need to have my MV repaired as my regurg is significant. I see my Cardio often and he feels I can wait. I really have no choice as I am still recovering from a horrible accident. I was hit by a car while walking on the sidewalk and spent months in a Rehab and more months in a wheel chair. I had the hardware removed from the shattered leg 2 weeks ago and the thought of a OHS now I think would kill me