Do You Get Migraines Following Your Panic Attacks?
Panic attacks are more common than you would think, with about one-third of all Americans experiencing at least one panic attack every year.
The incidence of panic attacks is thought to be even greater in panic attack sufferers who also suffer from migraines (which are technically different from headaches). Some people get migraines following a panic attack; others have migraines and panic attacks in separate episodes. More scientific research is needed to explore the relationship between migraines and panic attacks and whether a migraine following a panic attack is a common occurrence.
Panic Attack Symptoms
The symptoms of a panic attack include rapid heart rate, hot flashes, chills, dizziness, shortness of breath, hyperventilation, nausea, abdominal cramps, chest pain, tightness in the chest or throat, difficulty swallowing, and headache. For most people, the panic attack subsides in a few minutes or a few hours, and people go on with their everyday activities and their lives. For others, however, the migraines that follow their panic attacks make some people dread the end of an attack as much as they dread its beginning.
Panic Attack Avoidance
Perhaps the best way to avoid getting a migraine following a panic attack is not to get a panic attack in the first place. If you suffer from panic attacks, it helps to keep a panic attack journal so you can identify the cause of your attacks.
Whenever you suffer a panic attack, write down the date and time that you first noticed any of the panic attack symptoms described above. Where were you when you felt the symptoms? Who was with you, and what were you doing? Were you tired, sleep-deprived, depressed, or emotionally upset? What were you thinking about?
Also make a note of what foods and beverages you consumed for the three-hour period before the onset of your panic attack symptoms. If you take prescription or over-the-counter medications, make a note of any medication you consumed during the 24 hours prior to you panic attack.
Finally, make a note of how long the panic attack lasted, what you did to alleviate the symptoms during the attack, and whether you had a migraine following the panic attack.
Review your panic attack journal every time you have an attack to try to identify triggers that may be causing your panic attacks. Make any behavioral or dietary changes slowly, so that if your panic attacks occur less frequently, or are less intense, because of a change you made, you will be able to identify the behavior that may have improved you panic attack symptoms.
