ChelseaB,

Ahhhh haaaaa!?!!!

Well, I can't say I was dx'd the migraines at the same time. i've had migraines since I was 14 but the strange thing is that when I started on MTX I didn't have a migraine episode for 6 months!

I get the classic aura, numbness, then pain. But my migraines rarely last more than 3 hours & have never gone past 4! On average I get a migraine once every 3-4 weeks. As I have gotten older the pain only comes about 50% of the time. The other 50% I only get aura, slight nausea & just a feeling of malaise.

I personally feel there's a connection between RA & migraines & maybe even the medication we take. Once MTX was in my body & of course I was on a regular routine of 1 pill every Sunday, I felt like my migraines decreased significantly, where I was maybe getting them once every 2-3 months!!! Instead of weeks!

I told my Rheumy about it & he was a little amazed from my own findings but he states he's never heard any connection.

Good luck!

Hi,
Yes, I was diagnosed with migraines and RA the same year (when I was 40 which was 3 years ago). I have not started the MTX yet but the time has come that I have to...the fatigue, pain and stiffness are getting so much worse! I actually plan to start the MTX tonight and I will be curious to see if it helps my migraines at all!

Love,

Well hopefully MTX helps your migraines as it does mine. Well keeps them at bay anyways. Good luck in your healing process!

I too have migraines... and they were really bad but now with me being on RA meds they are not no way as often and they don't last as long. I still get lots of reg. headaches. My doctor also told me as some folks get older that maybe the pain would be less but that I would likely still get the aura from the migraines...so I am older so don't know if it is the RA meds or just getting older.

I hav both but I know of no connection

Hi ChelseaB1,I have actually had migraines for the past 26 years due to an injury years ago. I find that the Migraines occur moreso when I am in more RA pain than normal. The neurologist has me on Nadalol to help with Migraines and hypertension and Rotinerol to help with migraines. Thee seem to help me. Also when a headache seems to be trying to head my way I take two Tylenol extra strength before the headache or Migraine gets started. Feel better soon!!

Now I'm curious on what the percentage of RA sufferers or any person with an immune type disease like RA or others ALSO have migraines?

I'm curious on the percentage.

I also get migraines, they are cluster & usually triggered by
Large changes in weather and dehydration, anything that can
cause that I have to watch, sodium intake, jacuzzi. Also the
DMARDS caused constant migraines & had to
Discontinue them. I've had migraines since I was a teenager , they worsened into cluster in my mid twenties after my son was born.
They're about the same since RA came on strong, although I've had health issues for many years that are considered autoimmune related, looks like RA was just the cherry on top .....

Also have RA and migraines. I was diagnosed with migraines nearly 20 years ago and only RA recently even though I feel I've battled it for awhile. I take Topamax for the migraines. Being new to all of this I also have been doing a lot of research on different combos of diagnoses.

I did find this;

"An autoimmune condition is where your immune system is attacking a part of your body and many times, multiple systems in your body including your thyroid gland, adrenal gland, nerves, joints and muscles. And this is a possible source of your headaches and migraines."

Im with Oceans11, I would love to know the percentage as well! In November I ended up getting super sick very fast while living in South Korea. I went to the hospital and they found out I had some sort of infection but couldn't figure out exactly what it was. I was hospitalized for three days and once out I started with the migraines. I battled with the aches and pains from the RA starting about a year and a half before the hospitalization. I then was finally diagnosed with RA about two months ago. The only thing I do know is RA and migraines suck very much!

I have been getting migraines since I was about 16 yrs old.

I, like so many RA patients, do NOT have migraines and never have.