Asthma and Migraines

There have been some medical reports indicating that people with migraine have a somewhat greater chance of also having asthma. Both conditions contain components of hyperreactivity. In asthma, the bronchial tubes become hyperreactive in response to inflammation and in migraines the blood vessels become hyperreactive, first constricting and then dilating. But the known chemical mediators for migraine (serotonin) and asthma (leukotrienes and slow reactive substances of anaphylaxis) are very different. Perhaps there is an undiscovered chemical that is important in both of these hyperreactive scenarios.

Interestingly, some people who started taking montelukast (Singulair) for asthma found that they simultaneously began having fewer migraine attacks.