CPAP and Migraines

[Mary T]

Wonder if breathing in the humidied filtered cpap machine air can alleviate migraine headaches. Ever since I've been on cpap, I noticed migraines have just about disappeared. I know that breathing in pure oxygen can get rid of a migraine.. Wonder if there may be a correlation that my cpap is doing something like that.

Have anyone noticed anything like less migraines, and/or any other things you used to have are now gone or lessened?

[robysue]

Have anyone noticed anything like less migraines, and/or any other things you used to have are now gone or lessened?

Wish it were true for me. But nope it's not. But I have been an outlier in my adjustment to CPAP therapy in very many ways and it would not surprise me if many migraineuers with apnea did see a positive benefit in the reduction of migraine symptoms once they're on CPAP.

For me, the physical stimuli associated with CPAP and BiPAP wind up waking me up and the result has been a nasty case of insomnia. The net result as far as migraines are concerned is at best no change in frequency or severity and at worst a possible slight increase frequency. [Physical overstimulation is a migraine trigger in me.] I have noticed that I've woken up several times in the middle of the night with migraine symptoms---including a full aura on my second titration study followed by the headache, which I'm not sure I remember in the past. The resulting headaches have not been any worse than my standard migraines and I am lucky---my migraines are mild.

[BlackSpinner]

Wonder if breathing in the humidied filtered cpap machine air can alleviate migraine headaches. Ever since I've been on cpap, I noticed migraines have just about disappeared. I know that breathing in pure oxygen can get rid of a migraine.. Wonder if there may be a correlation that my cpap is doing something like that.

Have anyone noticed anything like less migraines, and/or any other things you used to have are now gone or lessened?

The headaches I used to get before cpap would degenerate into migraines if there was the slightest trigger like a weather change. Nearly all my migraines are now ocular.
Sleep can be a trigger, both lack of it and too much of it. I worked with one person that if he overslept by more then an hour he would get one.
CPAP changes your blood pressure - you don't have those almost heart stopping apneas so your blood pressure stays nicely where it should be all night and blood flow is one of the issues with migraines. If you have constant cold hands and feet you probably have migraines.

My allergies have decreased too- especially my asthma.

[Geminidream]

It probably depends on what causes your migraines. The lousy morning headaches I got prior to CPAP would turn into migraines sometimes and now I don't have those anymore. But, I can also say that prior to CPAP, I had migraines off and on over the years that were alleviated by my chiropractor as well. So, for me it is a combination of causes, but I can say I have had maybe 2 of those headaches since starting cpap a year ago and maintaining regular chiropractor visits.

I hope you find a solution to the migraines....they can be so debilitating.

[Jaylee]

I used to get one bad headache a week that would keep me home from work for the morning. They stopped with BiPap. Literally that first week they stopped. Made my boss happy.

I still get migraines but mine are food related. I hardly ever get one, usually only if I am told my food item is made one way and it really isn't.

[KimberlyM]

How long was it before you saw improvements in your migraines? I have had two in the month that I have been on CPAP, but my AHI has remained high until this last week when I went on auto mode. I was hoping that since I had oxygen desaturation in my sleep study that that was a contributing factor to the headaches. I am so hopeful to see these headaches decrease. Currently they last 2 to 3 days and no preventive or abortive medicine works.

[wayzy]

My wife suffered with Migraines up to 20 plus days each month. Really!
After 15 years trying to find a solution in many countries she went to the USA desperate to find a solution and to cut a long story short she was diagnosed as having sleep apnea.
Now about 15 months later she has just two or three attacks each month. Life changing. She tolerates a mask extremely well and sleeps normally.