Migraines cured by chemo?
Hi there - I have suffered from migraines since the time I was about 15 (I’m now 25). I would get really debilitating symptoms such as visual aura, confusion, sensitivity to light/sound, nausea, etc. I pinpointed that cheddar cheese was an immediate trigger and many other hard/aged cheeses could bring on an attack. While following a strict diet & exercise regimen, I was able to have only one migraine every month or two, but I still got them every so often. In 2015 or 2016 I had an MRI after the neurologist was concerned that I was having trouble speaking during a few episodes but it came back clear.
Last year I was diagnosed with a form of non-hodgkins lymphoma and had six rounds of very intense chemo. Thankfully, I have since been in remission. But what’s more, I don’t seem to get migraines anymore! It’s been more than a year that I haven’t had one. I’ve even went so far as to try cheddar cheese a few times and nothing happened. I’ve told my doctors about this but since it really isn’t an issue nobody seems to care - my question is: has anyone else ever experienced something similar or heard of such a thing? My hypothesis has been that I had a tyramine sensitivity that maybe has to do with the blood and since I had a blood cancer something changed? Not sure but would love any insight!! Thanks, Max
Hi Max! I don't have any answers for you, but I did want to thank you for sharing your story with us. I'm so glad that you're in remission now; that must have been such a scary experience! What an unexpected and beautiful surprise that your migraines are gone as well. I think your theory is a good one, and I'll be curious to see if any other cancer survivors have had this happen. Congratulations and thanks for being part of our community! ~elizabeth (patient advocate)
My mother in law has experienced the same thing. She did not have blood cancer though, it was in her uterus. Prior to undergoing chemo, she had frequent migraines. In the past 8 months that she has been in remission, she has had none.
I had Testicular cancer 20 years ago. After four months of chemotherapy I didn't have so much as a headache for 5 years. I started having mild migraines about 3 years ago. And they are still very rare and not as bad as before. Was always a mystery to me as well. I never did find a trigger for my migraines. And same here, no one but me seems to care. Lol. Best of luck to you 😀 
I was diagnosed with bladder cancer about 5 years ago and had a temporary cessation of migraines during treatment and for about a year to a year and a half afterward. Then they returned but my triggers and symptoms had changed and I get them a bit more frequently and they are a bit more severe now. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who has noticed a connection with that. ~Liz, Moderator
That's so crazy that your migraines calmed down during and after treatment. Do you have any idea why that is? I'm sorry they came back, but I'm glad you're still here with us! Cheers. -Melissa, migraine.com team thank you! Honestly, I have no idea and neither do any of my docs. I am in the Midwest and a lot of my triggers are environmental (environmental allergies and weather changes) so I wasn't surprised. I have actually joked with my oncology team that after the MVAC I was given, there shouldn't ever be anything negative left in my body, but alas, it only last so long, right?!?! 😉 ~Liz, Moderator
