- Is Anger Related To Cluster Headaches?
QUESTION:
Dear Dr. Heller,
I am wondering if someone can answer my question regarding cluster headaches. Thankfully, I do not suffer from these headaches. However, I am supervised by an academic advisor who does. When my advisor is suffering from his yearly episode or bout of headaches he is obviously totally out of commission. I am wondering if I can get some help in learning more about what happens to sufferers prior to the onset of a bout. For example, with my advisor I notice marked personality changes (especially anger and a tendency towards violence) in the weeks prior to an episode. At first I wrote this off as a coincidence due to other stressors, but these changes reliably occur prior to every episode. Is this typical? What can I do?
ANSWER:
It’s more typical of migraine, but there’s no reason clusters couldn’t be triggered by these changes. I’d recommend a thorough evaluation, including an evaluation for mental health diagnoses. If he has the BPD and goes into dysphoria (anxiety, rage, depression and despair) it can trigger lots of muscle spasm which can trigger headaches. Some of the worst cluster patients I’ve seen had the BPD. I encourage you to look at www.achenet.org
