Migraines and Muscle Contractions

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Migraines and Muscle Contractions

Question:

With a complex migraine, is it normal to experience muscle contraction in the upper and lower extremities?

Answer:

A headache that is accompanied by contractions in the muscles would not be typical for migraine. However, there are some possible connections.

It depends on what type of muscle contractions a person is having. If the muscles are just getting tight, this could be due to hyperventilation. With a bad headache from migraine, hyperventilation could easily occur as a response to pain. Typical hyperventilation symptoms include tingling around the mouth and in the fingers and toes. Also, the hands and feet can go into spasms.

If by contractions you mean jerking, such as the jerking that occurs with a seizure, then this could be part of a complex migraine. Migraine and seizures share the common problem of uncontrolled hyperactivity within the brain. Alterations in brain chemistry during migraines and seizures also have some similarities.

Seizure disorders occur more commonly in people with migraine compared to those who don't have migraine. In people with both migraine and seizures, about 3% experienced seizures during or immediately following the migraine aura.

If a person does have both migraine and seizures, some anti-seizure medications such as valproic acid (Depakote) and topiramate (Topamax) are very effective treatments for migraine.

If you haven't done so already, you definitely want to discuss these symptoms with your doctor.

Howard LeWine, M.D., is chief editor of Internet Publishing at Harvard Health Publications. He is recognized as an outstanding clinician and teacher and is a recipient of the Internal Medicine Teacher of the Year award at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. LeWine continues to practice Internal Medicine; most recently he became a hospitalist after practicing primary care for over 20 years.

Last updated:	July 20, 2009