4 Conditions Linked to Migraine (and What to Do About Them)

According to the American Migraine Foundation, many illnesses are more likely to occur in people with migraine — including depression, anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome, sleep disorders, and others — than can be explained by chance, suggesting these conditions are interrelated in some way.

When it comes to chronic migraine, a report from the Headache & Migraine Policy Forum states that nearly 90 percent of people with chronic migraine have another chronic health condition.

When you have more than one chronic condition, each must be treated individually, even if one condition could have an effect on another. So if you have anxiety or depression and migraine, the anxiety or depression must be treated as well as the migraine. The treatment for anxiety or depression may improve your migraine symptoms — but it’s unlikely that this treatment will make your migraine symptoms go away entirely.

If you have another chronic condition along with migraine, it’s important to learn how you can regain control of your overall health. Here are four separate health issues that commonly co-occur with migraine:

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Several chronic pain disorders have been reported to be associated with migraine, according to a review of migraine comorbidities. Fibromyalgia, in particular — a chronic pain condition with diffuse muscle pain and tenderness at trigger points on the body — was found to affect between 22 and 40 percent of people with migraine.

Another analysis found that people with migraine were 57 percent more likely to have fibromyalgia than people without migraine — and that people with fibromyalgia were also more likely to have migraine.

Mental health disorders — including depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and suicidal thoughts — frequently overlap with migraine. According to Meredith Barad, MD, a board-certified neurologist and codirector of the facial pain program at Stanford Hospital and Clinics in California, “If you take all migraine patients, the health conditions that have the biggest overlap are depression and anxiety. Treating [those conditions] may help with coping, and frequency and severity of the migraine.”

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) — a functional disorder of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract with symptoms of abdominal pain or discomfort — shares similar risk factors with migraine. Both conditions are more likely to affect women and to start before age 50.

Numerous studies have found an elevated incidence of migraine or headache among people who have IBS, and an increased incidence of IBS among people with migraine.

One research review, for example, noted several studies in which people with IBS had a significantly higher prevalence of migraine than people who didn’t have IBS.

Sleep disorders are linked to more frequent and severe migraine, according to a research review. While insomnia — difficulty falling or staying asleep — is the most common sleep disorder in people with migraine, others include snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and circadian rhythm disorders.

The review notes that sleep disturbance and snoring are risk factors for migraine evolving from episodic to chronic.

If you experience symptoms of another chronic health condition in addition to migraine, it’s important to take steps that address that condition — steps that may also help reduce your migraine symptoms. Those steps may include seeking a diagnosis and treatment from a doctor, as well as making lifestyle changes that have the potential to reduce the burden of your condition.

1. Get an Accurate Diagnosis

Whether you have anxiety, depression, IBS, or a sleep disorder along with migraine, it’s important to see your primary care physician or a specialist to get an accurate diagnosis. Your doctor will discuss your health history, perform a physical exam, and order lab tests and scans, if warranted, before making a diagnosis.

2. Get a Clear Treatment Plan

Some people with migraine may benefit from taking a single prescription medication that has been shown to be useful for both migraine and another condition, such as anxiety or depression. Other people may need to take a separate medication for each condition.

Talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of preventive and acute treatment medications for migraine, and make sure you understand your doctor’s recommendations for when and how often to use these drugs. (Ask for these recommendations in writing, if necessary.)

3. Follow a Consistent Lifestyle

It’s important to know that “migraine brains” don’t like changes in your daily behaviors or routine.

“[A consistent] lifestyle reassures your brain that everything is okay,” says Robert Cowan, MD, a neurologist and director of headache research at Stanford Medicine in California.

“Eat meals at the same time, go to bed at the same time, exercise regularly, and be consistent,” says Dr. Cowan. “These are the things that set the patterns for the brain so it knows what’s coming: sleep, eat, wake up, exercise.”

4. Maintain a Regular Sleep Schedule

Dr. Barad recommends waking up at the same time and going to bed at the same time to help reduce your risk for migraine symptoms.

“Migraine’s brain is particularly sensitive to change — weather, sleep cycle, sickness. Keep your lifestyle consistent and lead a scheduled lifestyle to avoid problems,” says Barad.

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5. Avoid Potential Dietary Triggers

While not every potential migraine food trigger applies to everyone, it’s worth paying attention to whether your migraine symptoms get better when you avoid common triggers in your diet. Barad tells her patients to “minimize caffeine and sugar. Minimize processed foods in your diet, and avoid chemical triggers like MSG and nitrites, which may trigger migraine in some people.”

6. Live Your Life

Above all, live your life to the fullest. “It’s important to take a holistic approach” to migraine management, Cowan says, rather than worrying about every little thing that could make your migraine symptoms better or worse. “Take precautions, but live your life.”