Experts aren’t exactly sure what causes migraine headaches, but people frequently identify stress as a common trigger.

Migraine is a neurological condition that can cause a variety of symptoms, including throbbing, pulsing pain on one or both sides of your head. The pain is most often felt around the temples or behind one eye. Pain can last anywhere from hours to days.

Other symptoms that can occur during a migraine episode include nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light.

Migraine is not the same thing as headaches. What causes it isn’t well-understood. But there are known triggers, including stress.

Relaxation following a period of high stress has also been identified as a possible trigger for migraine attacks.

So, what’s the connection between stress and migraine? We explain the research, symptoms, and coping strategies to get you feeling better, sooner.

Though what exactly causes migraine hasn’t been established, researchers believe it may be caused by changes in the levels of certain chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin. Serotonin helps regulate pain.

In one study, about 80% of people with migraine reported that stress is a trigger for their migraine episodes.

In addition to the stress itself, some people believe that relaxation after high levels of stress may be a trigger for migraine. Some call this the “let-down” effect.

If stress is a migraine trigger for you, finding ways to lower your stress is worth the effort. The American Migraine Foundation says reducing stress can reduce your symptoms.

Migraine treatments include medications to relieve your symptoms and prevent future attacks. If stress is causing your migraines, finding ways to reduce your stress levels can help prevent future attacks.

Medications

Medications to relieve migraine pain include:

  • over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol)
  • prescription pain relievers, such as naproxen
  • triptans, such as sumatriptan (Imitrex), almotriptan (Axert), and rizatriptan (Maxalt)
  • ergots, which combine ergotamine and caffeine, such as Cafergot and Migergot
  • ubrogepant (Ubrelvy), which can be used to treat migraine symptoms during an episode
  • rimegepant (Nurtec ODT), which can be used to prevent migraine episodes or treat the symptoms

OTC migraine medications are available that combine acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine, such as Excedrin Migraine. However, these can sometimes cause a side effect known as medication overuse headaches or rebound headaches.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen have been found to increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers as well as heart attacks. Frequent use isn’t recommended.

You may also be given anti-nausea medication if you experience nausea and vomiting with a migraine episode.

Corticosteroids are sometimes used with other medications to treat severe migraine. However, these aren’t recommended for frequent use because of side effects.

You may be a candidate for preventive medications if:

  • You need to use pain relieving drugs three or more times per week.
  • You don’t get relief from pain-relieving medications.
  • Your attacks make you miss work or social occasions, or otherwise interfere severely with your daily life.

Preventive medications are taken regularly, usually every day. Preventive treatment is intended to reduce the frequency, length, and severity of your migraine attacks.

If stress is a known trigger for your migraine episodes, your doctor may recommend taking the medication only during times of high stress, such as leading up to a stressful work week or event.

Preventive medications include:

Calcium channel blockers such as verapamil (Calan, Verelan) are sometimes prescribed for migraine prevention. This is an off-label use, because they are not FDA-approved to treat migraine.

If stress is a trigger for your migraine episodes, work to reduce or eliminate the source of your stress. Medications and self-care measures can also help you get relief from symptoms and prevent or reduce the frequency of your migraine attacks.