Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Frequently Asked Questions
Some research suggests that people withmultiple sclerosis(MS) are more prone to migraines and other headache disorders, like tension headaches orcluster headaches, than the general population.
One study found that 78% of participants with newly diagnosed MS reported having headaches in the past month.
Verywell / JR Bee
Headache Types
There are three types of primary headache disorders that have been evaluated as being potentially linked to multiple sclerosis: migraines, cluster headaches, and tension headaches.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), women are twice as likely to experience headaches, migraines, and severe jaw or facial pain (a characteristicsymptom of MS) than men.
Migraines
Migrainesare common in people with relapsing-remitting MS.They last between four and 72 hours and have some of the following features:
Some people find that a long nap following a migraine helps relieve some residual symptoms.
Cluster Headaches
Cluster headachesbegin as a severe throbbing, piercing, or burning sensation on one side of the nose or deep in one eye. They can last only 15 minutes or as long as three hours.
Characteristically, the pain:
Tension Headaches
Tension headachesare the most common type of headache in the general population. Their duration can be 30 minutes to all day (or even up to one week).
Tension-type headaches also:
Migraine headaches can be incredibly painful, and the accompanying light and sound sensitivity can lead to people withdrawing to a quiet, dark space for hours at a time.
Even when the migraine episode has passed, people are often left with residual symptoms—called the postdrome phase—which include fatigue, irritability, problems concentrating, and dizziness.
Symptoms of a Migraine Attack
People often describe cluster headaches as the worst pain they could imagine, akin to plunging a burning ice pick into their eye. The pain of them causes many people to fall on the floor, pull at their hair, rock back and forth, scream, and weep.
Although the pain from cluster headaches resolves and has no lingering effect like with migraines, people often feel completely exhausted after each headache.
Just as disabling as the headaches are the fear and dread that people feel knowing there is a good chance another one is coming. This anxiety can interfere with daily activities or social contact, as well as lead toinsomnia.
Many different things can cause headaches in people with MS, some of which are directly related to the disease and others of which are residual side effects of treatment.
MS lesions
Some research suggests an association between MSlesionsin the brain and an increased number of migraines and/or tension-type headaches.In addition, some people undergoing an acute MS relapse report a headache or migraine being the main symptom.
Cluster headaches have been linked to MS lesions in the brainstem, especially in the part where the trigeminal nerve originates.This is the nerve involved withtrigeminal neuralgia—one of the most painful MS symptoms.
However, other studies suggest there is no link between MS and either migraines or tension headaches.
One case-control study in Norway involving over 1,750 participants found no increased risk of migraines or tension headaches in people with MS compared to the general population.
MS Medications
Interferon-based disease-modifying therapies can cause headaches or make pre-existing headaches worse. These drugs include:
Other disease-modifying medications may cause headaches as well, including:
Other
Headaches are also common during episodes ofoptic neuritis. These headaches are usually only on one side and worsen when the affected eye is moved.
Depression, a common MS symptom, has also been associated with headaches. Depression and migraine headaches are both linked to low serotonin levels.
When to See Your Healthcare ProviderYou should see your healthcare provider for any type of an unusual headache, a headache that keeps recurring, or one that lasts for a long time.
When to See Your Healthcare Provider
You should see your healthcare provider for any type of an unusual headache, a headache that keeps recurring, or one that lasts for a long time.
When evaluating your headache, your healthcare provider will first likely ask you several specific questions about your headache in order to narrow down the diagnosis. These questions include:
In addition, your healthcare provider will make note of your personal and family medical history, any medications you are taking, and your social habits (e.g. caffeine intake, alcohol use, smoking).
In the case of an extremely severe headache that comes on suddenly and has not occurred previously, brain imaging tests may be done to rule out a tumor or stroke.
Headache Evaluation and Diagnosis
Healthcare providers treat headaches based on the cause. If the headache is the result of a drug side effect, you healthcare provider may be able to substitute the offending drug or change the dosage.
At other times, painkillers may be prescribed to help alleviate the symptoms.
Commonly prescribed options include:
A Word From Verywell
It’s helpful to keep a symptom log where you record the specifics of your headaches, including:
This will help your healthcare provider to determine what might be causing the headaches, what type they are, and what kind of treatment to try.
People with MS are more prone to headaches than the general population. Migraines, in particular, are a frequent early symptom of MS.
Headaches that are linked to MS include migraines, tension headaches, and cluster headaches. These headaches are also common in people without MS.
A cluster headache is an extremely painful headache that comes on quickly and feels like electric shocks or explosions in or behind the eye. Cluster headaches occur on one side of the face and tend to recur at the same time every day for several weeks.
A tension-type headache is typically and mild or moderate headache that lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to several days.
Headaches can also be a side effect of MS medications, such as Interferon B-1a or 1b, fingolimod, modafinil, or amantadine.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Graziano E, Hagemeier J, Weinstock-Guttman B, Ramasamy DP, Zivadinov R.Increased contrast enhancing lesion activity in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis migraine patients.Neuroimage Clin. 2015;9:110-6. doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2015.07.013
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Vollesen AL, Benemei S, Cortese F, et al.Migraine and cluster headache - the common link.J Headache Pain. 2018;19(1):89. doi:10.1186/s10194-018-0909-4
Gustavsen MW, Celius EG, Winsvold BS, et al.Migraine and frequent tension-type headache are not associated with multiple sclerosis in a Norwegian case-control study.Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. 2016;2:2055217316682976. doi:10.1177/2055217316682976
Pelikan JB.Cluster headache as the index event in MS: a case report.Headache.2016 Feb;56(2):392-6. doi:10.1111/head.12768
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