Hey Migraine Mentees 👋 

Today’s newsletter takes another 5 minutes to read—so if you’ve only got 60 seconds, here’s the TLDR:

• There’s a bi-directional relationship between migraine and depression… And having one makes you more prone to having the other…

• Data has shown overlapping biology, genetics, hormones, neurotransmitters, and stress systems at play with these conditions…

• Clinical tools can provide quick screenings and assessments (PHQ-9, GAD-7) to guide treatment and diagnoses…

• Therapies like CBT and mindfulness/MBSR can help manage symptoms and quickly improve overall function...

• It’s essential to understand the key red flags and coordinate care with your provider…

• Tracking your data is key to finding answers…

Having one of these conditions is a full time job, let alone dealing with both of them at the same time.

Today we break down the similarities between these two conditions to equip you with the tools, tactics, and knowledge to tackle both and hopefully find answers!

🧠 The Migraine Mentors

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In This Week’s Edition…

• 🥡 Weekly Take-Out

  • Meme of The Week - 🚰 You’re Just Dehydrated…

• 🔈️ The Migraine Mentors Minicast - Podcast Series

  • How Migraine and Depression Fuel Each Other (and What Works for Treatment)

• 📜 This Week’s Top Article

  • The Feedback Loop Between Migraine and Depression

• 🍴 Migraine-Friendly Recipe of the Week

  • Baked White Fish with Rosemary, Olive Oil, and Roasted Squash

• 📸 Weekly TikTok

  • Have You Tried The “Zok” Tool?

🥡 WEEKLY TAKE-OUT

Meme of The Week

🗞️ MIGRAINE MINICAST

🎧 How Migraine and Depression Fuel Each Other (and What Works for Treatment)

🥡 Migraine and depression don’t just coexist… They can amplify each other.

And if you can treat one condition, you will most likely help with the other… But as with everything in life, there’s far more to the story. 

Migraines and depression are multifaceted, which is why taking an integrative approach is always the best form of treatment.

🧠 In this week’s Migraine Mentors Minicast, we unpack:

• What a “bidirectional relationship” really means in day-to-day life of someone living with migraine and depression…

• The overlapping biology, genetics, and systems shared between these conditions…

• Tests to deploy for finding answers and treatments…

• Therapies that pull double duty in managing symptoms and quality of life…

• The key red flags to watch for and how to partner with your provider…

• Setting yourself up for success by tracking and gathering data…

💬 The brain is complex, and in most situations, treatments can be complex too…

🛠️ But if you’re able to treat root causes of symptoms, you can often find the answers you’ve been looking for!

👇 Tap below to listen now! 👇

📜 TOP ARTICLE

The Feedback Loop Between Migraine and Depression

As you know, living with chronic migraines is hard enough…

So when low mood, irritability, or loss of interest pile on top, it can feel like your brain and the cosmos are working against you.

It’s well know that migraine and depression often travel together… and studies have validated that they can also influence each other over time.

🖇️ The Link Between Migraines and Depression

In a landmark study, people with depression were 3.4× more likely to develop migraine, and people with migraine were 5.8× more likely to develop depression over a span of about two years.

It’s a true two-way (bidirectional) relationship…

As dire as that sounds, the good news is that helping one condition can often help the other, which is why it’s so important to take an integrative approach to treating the root cause, not just symptoms.

These findings also have impacts on personal and psychological safety…

Large research reviews have shown that people with migraine have higher odds of suicidal thoughts and attempts, especially with frequent migraine attacks.

The quicker one can find solutions and personalized treatments, the better off they will be in all other aspects of their health…

🧬 The Multifaceted Connection Between Depression and Migraine

Current research points to overlapping brain and body factors that add up over time:

• Brain changes - In people with both conditions, studies report reduced gray/white matter and lower cerebrospinal fluid volume.

• Genetics - Having a parent with migraine or depression raises a child’s susceptibility to acquiring the same condition.

• Neurotransmitters - Serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine pathways are involved in both conditions.

• Sex hormones - Both are nearly twice as common in women; estrogen fluctuations and changes likely plays a role.

• Stress - Increases depression risk and commonly triggers migraine attacks.

🪜 Struggling with Depression and Migraine? Here’s What You Can Do About It…

1) Ask for a quick mental health screening at your next doctors appointment.

• 🗒️ The PHQ-9 (depression) and GAD-7 (anxiety) tests can take just a few minutes to fill out and are validated tools your clinician knows how to use.

• They help track progress over time and more importantly, get you a proper diagnosis if you don’t have one already…

2) Add new evidence-based therapies and treatments that treat both conditions to your regimen.

• As you know, medications are only part of the story…

• 🧠 Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been consistently shown to reduce migraine (and headache) days and disability, with a very low risk profile.

  • There are A TON of apps that administer CBT therapies online…

• 💭 Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) can improve disability, quality of life, and depression scores when used over time.

  • Even ten minutes a day of guided practice can make a significant difference in your quality of life…

3) Stay safe with your medication combinations (if appropriate).

• Many people use triptans for attacks and SSRIs/SNRIs for managing their emotions and mood.

• 💊 The best available data suggest the risk of serotonin syndrome is low with this combination and most experts do not prohibit co-prescribing.

  • Know your red flags (agitation, fever, tremor, clonus) and seek care if they appear when taking these meds.

4) Track your progress and changes for 6-8 weeks.

• 📔 Be sure to record your migraine days, mood (0–10), sleep, stress, and medications a 2 month span.

• Patterns often reveal triggers (like missed meals, stressors, or late nights) and can give valuable insights for you and your providers about finding solutions.

You Shouldn’t Have To Struggle With Both Migraine and Depression…

As you can see, these factors rarely act alone and together they can prime the brain…

👉️ And as we’ve been discussing in this newsletter, these factors alone are why a personalized integrative plan of treatment (sleep/stress skills, targeted meds, dietary changes, physical exercise, quality sleep, and steady routines) works best in the long term for treating these horrible conditions…

Know that you’re not alone on this journey… We’re here for you!

🧠 The Migraine Mentors

🍴MIGRAINE-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Baked White Fish with Rosemary, Olive Oil, and Roasted Squash

🐟️ Ingredients (2 servings)

• 2 fresh white fish fillets (cod, haddock, or sole — avoid frozen/aged fish)

• 2 cups cubed butternut squash (or yellow squash)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1–2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp chopped)

• Sea salt, to taste

• Optional: a pinch of garlic powder (if tolerated)

✅ Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

2. On a baking sheet, toss the squash cubes with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and a sprinkle of rosemary. Spread in a single layer.

3. Roast squash for 20–25 minutes, until golden and tender.

4. Meanwhile, place fish fillets on a parchment-lined tray. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and rosemary.

5. Bake fish in the oven for 12–15 minutes, until it flakes easily with a fork.

6. Serve the fish alongside roasted squash, with a drizzle of extra olive oil if desired.

🧠 Why This Recipe is Migraine & Histamine Friendly

• Fresh white fish

  • Mild, lean, and less likely to trigger symptoms than aged or canned fish (histamine levels rise with storage). Buying and cooking it fresh is key.

• Olive oil

  • A healthy fat that supports brain and vascular health, without common migraine triggers like butter or aged oils.

• Rosemary

  • A fresh herb that adds flavor without vinegar, citrus, or spices that can trigger migraines.

• Squash

  • A gentle, nutrient-rich carbohydrate that stabilizes blood sugar — important since dips in blood sugar can trigger migraines.

• Simple, fresh preparation

  • Avoids preservatives, additives, and leftovers, which are common histamine and migraine triggers.

🥡 WEEKLY TIKTOKS

Have You Tried The “Zok” Tool…?

@swolhealth

This has been so helpful for daily headaches and my monthly migraines! #zok #zokrelief #zokdevice #headacherelief #migrainerelief #migrai... See more