I had migraines from age 9 to age 54. They stopped when, at 54, I had a stroke. Could be a connection?
Expert Answer by James Castle, M.D.
That is a fascinating story - and there is probably a connection. However, unfortunately, so little is known about the cause of migraines that I can't tell you for sure what science underlies your particular case.
It is known that people with migraines are at slightly higher chance than the general population to have a stroke, but what the relationship here was, I do not know. Perhaps whatever center of brain was causing the migraines prior to the stroke was damaged, thereby stopping the cycle of migraines. That is perhaps the first time I've heard of something good coming from a stroke!
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I take it no CT-Scan was done. Usually, they can see the bleed.
Sorry for your stroke but happy to hear that the headaches have stopped and I hope the stroke did not do too much damage.
Good luck.
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Neither one of these answers specified if the stroke was a hemorrhagic or clot stroke. This is critical in making even an educated guess. They are not the same. They just are lumped into the category of “stroke” from the days when patients and their families were ignorant of medical terms. That is not the case today. Patients and family members are better educated and familiar with many medical terms. In fact they have to be because the doctors only have 15 minutes to spend with them explaining what is going on. Doctors need to stop this over simplification of stroke terminology. And also, the use of the word embolism without the qualifier as to whether it ruptured adds to the confusion about an embolism.
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My life experience is the same. Once I started having strokes my migraines stopped. Doctor(s) could not explain.
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I suffered migraines at 17 until 38 when i took atroke and needed brain surgery.never had a migrain since.now i'm worried they are back,as i am getting blurred vision then a sore head on one side.My dr things its migrain and is puzzeled that they went away after the stroke that was nearly 10 year ago.
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There was,no doubt, a connection between the cessation of migraines and the stroke. There were no facilities for CT scan. An MRI was attempted but a severe reaction to the dye stopped the procedure. An EEG and subsequent MRI detected nothing. 3 years later another MRI detected "something" in the area of the injury. That MRI revealed another injury, a slight bleed in the right half of the hypothalmus. I believe that that occurred 2 weeks following my initial stroke as I started experiencing severe pain on my left side. 20 years have gone by trying to find some relief from the pain, but nothing has helped. The pain has lessened little since the onset. I am anbulatory, my left arm and hand are of little use. One copes as best as one can. It is difficult for me to see the frustration of my doctors as they can do nothing to alieve my suffering.
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