Africo asked
I have major migraines and headaches i have been diagnosed with severe bipolar 1. Does my bipolar cause headaches and migraines?
Answer
It is very common for people that have bipolar disorder to also unfortunately suffer from both headaches and migraines.
In fact, it has been reported that over 40% of people with bipolar do have some form migraine headaches. Having bipolar is not necessarily causing your headaches, it just makes you more pre-disposed to having them. In other words, people that have bipolar tend to have more problems with migraines, but it not really know why.
The prevailing thought is that brain chemistry is slightly altered in patients with bipolar and that altered brain chemistry is a possible cause. Serotonin, a major neurotransmitter in the brain, is thought to be highly influential in both bipolar disorder and in migraines. Altering serotonin is usually common treatment option for both migraines and bipolar disorder.
