Full Question:
I am a 48-year-old female and have had migraines for many years, which would respond to Amerge and/or Fiorinal C1/2. A little over a year ago my migraines became much worse in frequency and intensity, at the time I was being taken off Celexa for anxiety. Can coming off an SSRI trigger or contribute to migraines becoming worse in both intensity and frequency? Thanking you in advance, Gezele.

Answer:

Dear Gezele;

The answer is: Yes! Indeed, women with migraines are 4-7 times more likely to have a co-morbid anxiety disorder. This means that the two symptoms live in the same person, not necessarily that one causes the other. SSRI medications can help anxiety tremendously. If they are stopped suddenly or tapered to fast, one can see an increase of migraines, as you did.

Good luck,
John Claude Krusz and Teri Robert

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