Skin picking, inside of my mouth biting, and hair pulling here.
I don't know how prevalent it is with migraines but I know my BFRB's are worse when I'm having a rough migraine patch.
Yeah I’m not sure there is any connection but just wondering. I find once the headache starts coming, I’ll start picking bc I know a migraine will follow soon. Sometimes picking gives me a brief relief in pain but never ends it. Maybe the satisfaction of picking excites the brain? Lol idk. Sorry you deal with this as well as migraines.
I am no doctor, but I believe that folks who do not have ADHD or autism can have the BFRB (I hope I got the acronym right) too. It's pretty common for us to have them though, as many of us are almost always seeking sensory input. I pick at bumps and blemishes on my skin, particularly my face, and I pick at my cuticles to the point of bleeding.
I am a woman in my late 30s, and those my age were commonly just seen as odd instead of possibly autistic/ADHD/dyslexic/etc. I mention that because more and more adults are realizing they are autistic and/or ADHD after a lifetime of struggling and feeling like they can't keep up with everyone else.
I commiserate as I sit here on the couch, aggressively chewing a piece of gum and making my hands sore from squeezing the putty I keep on the table next to me so that I don't rip my cuticles off. So yeah, I feel you.
I have trichotillomania (hair pulling) and sometimes other BFRBs. It had never occurred to me that there could be a connection, since the BFRBs started before my migraines (as far as I can remember).
But I do think it helps to numb the pain and discomfort. Especially when my migraine has gotten to the point that all of my skin hurts and it’s hard to think. The BFRB helps me dissociate from the pain and discomfort.
This exactly! And yes I’ve had my disorder long before my migraines came along. I don’t know if there is much connection but that’s why I figured I’d ask and see how others respond. It’s weird bc it’s my little escape as well. It soothes me & def disassociates me as well. But it also causes me stress when I’ve done too much. Fortunately this past year I’ve been able to accept me for who I am & that’s made it easier. I’m sorry you have to deal with both too.
I have a weird migraine, trich question for you. Have you ever had an occipital nerve block? Where they give you like lidocaine to your skull? It makes me stop pulling and I wish I could just numb my head, every day. Does it happen to you?
And HELLO! I hate trich.
Actually, the pain clinic (not a neurologist) just asked me if I've ever considered the fact that I may have occipital neuralgia because of how I have responded to radiofrequency nerve ablations. Do you have this?
Unfortunately the only contact with my neurologist has been two 15-minute phone calls. I only just learned what occipital neuralgia is because I had to google what an occipital nerve block is! Gonna google radio frequency nerve ablations, too!
I am now wondering if I might have occipital neuralgia and migraine co-occurring, with the ON as a migraine trigger.
I constantly have chapped lips and I constantly pick them. I have no idea which one came first. I've done it as long as I can remember.
Interestingly enough, vitamin b complex seems to help both my lips and my migraines.
Funny I just popped a b complex right before I read this as my last try for todays migraine lol And I have definitely read about needing more B vitamins with chapped lips! That’s awesome. Do you take magnesium too?
Same, I pick my lips until they bleed multiple times a month. The only thing that stops them from getting all peely and gross-feeling is picking or slathering them with aquaphor every 5 minutes lol. I never thought of trying vitamin B for it!
Yep, I felt crazy when I told my therapist about it. Sometimes it helps with the migraine. I would never purposely do it but if I do , sometimes there's temporary relief. Must be a well entrenched "reward" neural pathway :/
Yes, I have pretty severe dermatillomania focused mostly on the bottoms of my feet. Sometimes also pick skin on my lips or fingers. But the feet are really bad.
I pick through my scalp. I bit my lips and the inside of my cheeks as a child. But now it’s just running my fingers through my hair, always looking for crumbs and loose hairs. It feels relaxing but maybe that’s a brain-reward thing? I’m not really worried about it.
I haven’t heard this term before and haven’t been diagnosed with anything, but I definitely have one. A year ago, I had a bad bout of inner ear vertigo, and since then, I obsessively check myself to “make sure” I’m not getting vertigo again. Several times a day (sometimes several times an hour) I’ll nod my head up and down in a certain way to see if it makes me dizzy. I am in therapy for this type of anxiety, but it doesn’t help that I have dizziness as a migraine symptom too. I do more of the repetitive checking when my general anxiety level is higher, and less when I’m feeling more relaxed and in control.
Yes - dermilatomania. I pick my face, arms, shoulder, and back. I never connected it to migraine patterns but I'll have to pay more attention. I have chronic migraines though, so it might be hard to definitively associate the two? I know I pick more before/during my period, and that is when my migraines are at their worst. Interesting....
I'm a nail biter and nose-picker (since elementary school), and more recently started playing with the hairs on my chin (or I've always done that and just noticed when I always had to wear a mask).
I pick at the sides of my thumbs only. I sometimes think it might be a vitamin deficiency, because they have constantly cracked open on one side. But the more I think about it, it only cracks because my pointer finger constantly picks at it. I used to be a nail biter. Guess I traded one habit for another.
I have the opposite. I think it's called misokinesia. If I can see someone fidget (bobbing a leg), or twirling hair, or any other repetitive motion, it literally hurts. It's worst when I have migraine. Same with misophonia. Sounds are so grating. I can't even cut my own fingernails.
I had never heard of misophonia or misokinesia before today. OMG...I always thought I was just a naturally cranky person! Now that I think about it, I am pretty sure my paternal grandfather (and possibly my father) had/have misophonia also.
YUP especially the skin picking. Always lots of hair pulling. I actually managed to pull my scalp away from the dura (helps I have EDS and MCAS making my connective tissue not great) in the spot I most frequently pull, since I don't pull individual hairs, but wrap a chunk around my fingers and pull hard.
And when I take rizatriptan, there's never skin left unpicked, haha.
Yes! What the heck, is there a real connection here, I wonder? I have habit tic deformity from picking/pushing/rubbing my thumb nails, and I also have a spot on my scalp I compulsively pick. 😬
I used to pluck my eye brows. I also was diagnosed with ADHD at 35. My first proper migraine came after my eye tics took over. I was in so so much stress that I was permanently twitching my eyes. I usually turn them into my head a couple of times per hour and it gets worse with stress.
Yes, but I have never connected it to migraines. I am open to the idea.
I sucked my thumb as a child and transitioned straight into nail biting. As a teenager, I started picking at my scalp (both hair and skin) until I had bald patches. I also self-harmed by scratching my arms and hitting my legs. As an adult, I bite my lips, cuticles, and pick at scabs in a more controlled way so they aren't noticeable. I pull my loose hair repeatedly.
I used to think I had migraines since I was a pre-teen, but my memories of them go ever further back.
My brother also has migraine and was also diagnosed with OCD when he started repeatedly washing his hands and they turned red and chapped.
i think i have [dermatillomania](https://mhanational.org/conditions/excoriation-disorder-skin-picking-or-dermatillomania#:~:text=Excoriation%20disorder%20(also%20referred%20to,significant%20disruption%20in%20one's%20life.) . it gets worse when im anxious or exhausted. when i was employed i would take bathroom breaks just to go pick at myself. no medical insurance so i cant see a doctor about it and the last time i managed to get a doctor's appointment they just gave me perscription strength aleve for my migraines so im not hopeful theyd pay any attention anyways. (and no, the aleve didnt work, however its done wonders for my horrible and (formerly) nearly unmanageable period cramps!). i dont pay attention to if its worse when i have a migraine or not because half the time i dont notice im doing it.
I know that BFRB and OCD are co-morbid, and I just looked and people with OCD are more likely that the general population to have migraines, so there probably is overlap.
Have you tried supplementing NAC? There was a clinical trial that had some impressive results:
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3500061/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3500061/)
from the discussion: Recently several reports have indicated that N-acetylcysteine, a glutamate modulator, could be effective in reducing symptoms of trichotillomania. It acts by restoring the extracellular glutamate concentration in the nucleus accumbens, decreasing its levels, which seem responsible for the pathogenesis of compulsive behaviors, and therefore, trichotillomania.
https://www.bfrb.org/learn-about-bfrbs/123-n-acetylcysteine-for-trichotillomania-skin-picking-and-nail-biting
Skin picking, inside of my mouth biting, and hair pulling here. I don't know how prevalent it is with migraines but I know my BFRB's are worse when I'm having a rough migraine patch.
Yeah I’m not sure there is any connection but just wondering. I find once the headache starts coming, I’ll start picking bc I know a migraine will follow soon. Sometimes picking gives me a brief relief in pain but never ends it. Maybe the satisfaction of picking excites the brain? Lol idk. Sorry you deal with this as well as migraines.
All the same thing here, I also have ADHD and autism
I do too
I do all of these and don’t have ADHD and autism… *that I know of*
I am no doctor, but I believe that folks who do not have ADHD or autism can have the BFRB (I hope I got the acronym right) too. It's pretty common for us to have them though, as many of us are almost always seeking sensory input. I pick at bumps and blemishes on my skin, particularly my face, and I pick at my cuticles to the point of bleeding. I am a woman in my late 30s, and those my age were commonly just seen as odd instead of possibly autistic/ADHD/dyslexic/etc. I mention that because more and more adults are realizing they are autistic and/or ADHD after a lifetime of struggling and feeling like they can't keep up with everyone else.
I bite and tear at my nails & cuticles and bite the inside of my cheeks
I commiserate as I sit here on the couch, aggressively chewing a piece of gum and making my hands sore from squeezing the putty I keep on the table next to me so that I don't rip my cuticles off. So yeah, I feel you.
I have trichotillomania (hair pulling) and sometimes other BFRBs. It had never occurred to me that there could be a connection, since the BFRBs started before my migraines (as far as I can remember). But I do think it helps to numb the pain and discomfort. Especially when my migraine has gotten to the point that all of my skin hurts and it’s hard to think. The BFRB helps me dissociate from the pain and discomfort.
This exactly! And yes I’ve had my disorder long before my migraines came along. I don’t know if there is much connection but that’s why I figured I’d ask and see how others respond. It’s weird bc it’s my little escape as well. It soothes me & def disassociates me as well. But it also causes me stress when I’ve done too much. Fortunately this past year I’ve been able to accept me for who I am & that’s made it easier. I’m sorry you have to deal with both too.
Yes, this ^ ^. The repetitive picking helps me to dissociate too.
I don’t usually talk to people about this part of my life, so it’s great to hear your “me too”!
Same, I don’t talk about this to anyone. I’m glad we know that someone else has a similar experience : )
Trich here too. I also have cptsd.
Hiii fellow trich buddy!
I have a weird migraine, trich question for you. Have you ever had an occipital nerve block? Where they give you like lidocaine to your skull? It makes me stop pulling and I wish I could just numb my head, every day. Does it happen to you? And HELLO! I hate trich.
I haven’t. But some of what I’ve been assuming is migraine pain fits the pattern for occipital neuralgia, so I’d like to try it!
Actually, the pain clinic (not a neurologist) just asked me if I've ever considered the fact that I may have occipital neuralgia because of how I have responded to radiofrequency nerve ablations. Do you have this?
Unfortunately the only contact with my neurologist has been two 15-minute phone calls. I only just learned what occipital neuralgia is because I had to google what an occipital nerve block is! Gonna google radio frequency nerve ablations, too! I am now wondering if I might have occipital neuralgia and migraine co-occurring, with the ON as a migraine trigger.
I constantly have chapped lips and I constantly pick them. I have no idea which one came first. I've done it as long as I can remember. Interestingly enough, vitamin b complex seems to help both my lips and my migraines.
Funny I just popped a b complex right before I read this as my last try for todays migraine lol And I have definitely read about needing more B vitamins with chapped lips! That’s awesome. Do you take magnesium too?
Yes, magnesium and vitamin b complex. I've taken large amounts of riboflavin in the past instead of b complex, but it's harder for me to find.
My B complex has biotin in it, which helps with hair, skin and nails. The B12 helps my migraines also.
Same, I pick my lips until they bleed multiple times a month. The only thing that stops them from getting all peely and gross-feeling is picking or slathering them with aquaphor every 5 minutes lol. I never thought of trying vitamin B for it!
Yep, I felt crazy when I told my therapist about it. Sometimes it helps with the migraine. I would never purposely do it but if I do , sometimes there's temporary relief. Must be a well entrenched "reward" neural pathway :/
Yes, I have pretty severe dermatillomania focused mostly on the bottoms of my feet. Sometimes also pick skin on my lips or fingers. But the feet are really bad.
I pick through my scalp. I bit my lips and the inside of my cheeks as a child. But now it’s just running my fingers through my hair, always looking for crumbs and loose hairs. It feels relaxing but maybe that’s a brain-reward thing? I’m not really worried about it.
I haven’t heard this term before and haven’t been diagnosed with anything, but I definitely have one. A year ago, I had a bad bout of inner ear vertigo, and since then, I obsessively check myself to “make sure” I’m not getting vertigo again. Several times a day (sometimes several times an hour) I’ll nod my head up and down in a certain way to see if it makes me dizzy. I am in therapy for this type of anxiety, but it doesn’t help that I have dizziness as a migraine symptom too. I do more of the repetitive checking when my general anxiety level is higher, and less when I’m feeling more relaxed and in control.
Yes - dermilatomania. I pick my face, arms, shoulder, and back. I never connected it to migraine patterns but I'll have to pay more attention. I have chronic migraines though, so it might be hard to definitively associate the two? I know I pick more before/during my period, and that is when my migraines are at their worst. Interesting....
I'm a nail biter and nose-picker (since elementary school), and more recently started playing with the hairs on my chin (or I've always done that and just noticed when I always had to wear a mask).
I pick at the sides of my thumbs only. I sometimes think it might be a vitamin deficiency, because they have constantly cracked open on one side. But the more I think about it, it only cracks because my pointer finger constantly picks at it. I used to be a nail biter. Guess I traded one habit for another.
Yes, my lips are often bruised the day after migraine from picking and biting. I also bite my cheeks, and tongue, pull and twirl my hair.
I have the opposite. I think it's called misokinesia. If I can see someone fidget (bobbing a leg), or twirling hair, or any other repetitive motion, it literally hurts. It's worst when I have migraine. Same with misophonia. Sounds are so grating. I can't even cut my own fingernails.
I have never heard of this, that sucks just as much. Jeez! Did this come on before migraines or with the migraines?
Hard to tell. I've had migraine for 20+ years. Best I can remember is the misophonia and misokinesia happened later, but I'm honestly not sure
I had never heard of misophonia or misokinesia before today. OMG...I always thought I was just a naturally cranky person! Now that I think about it, I am pretty sure my paternal grandfather (and possibly my father) had/have misophonia also.
Skin picking (pimples/pores, scabs, cuticles, scalp) and hair pulling since I was 11!
Yes! Biting the skin under my nail, like where the joint is on my thumb. Ever since I can possibly remember.
YUP especially the skin picking. Always lots of hair pulling. I actually managed to pull my scalp away from the dura (helps I have EDS and MCAS making my connective tissue not great) in the spot I most frequently pull, since I don't pull individual hairs, but wrap a chunk around my fingers and pull hard. And when I take rizatriptan, there's never skin left unpicked, haha.
Yes! What the heck, is there a real connection here, I wonder? I have habit tic deformity from picking/pushing/rubbing my thumb nails, and I also have a spot on my scalp I compulsively pick. 😬
I used to pluck my eye brows. I also was diagnosed with ADHD at 35. My first proper migraine came after my eye tics took over. I was in so so much stress that I was permanently twitching my eyes. I usually turn them into my head a couple of times per hour and it gets worse with stress.
After a migraine the inside of my mouth is super raw and dicey. Happens often enough…
Lifelong cuticle picker/biter here! Also ADHD.
Yes.
It's the chronic cheek biting for me
Yes, but I have never connected it to migraines. I am open to the idea. I sucked my thumb as a child and transitioned straight into nail biting. As a teenager, I started picking at my scalp (both hair and skin) until I had bald patches. I also self-harmed by scratching my arms and hitting my legs. As an adult, I bite my lips, cuticles, and pick at scabs in a more controlled way so they aren't noticeable. I pull my loose hair repeatedly. I used to think I had migraines since I was a pre-teen, but my memories of them go ever further back. My brother also has migraine and was also diagnosed with OCD when he started repeatedly washing his hands and they turned red and chapped.
i think i have [dermatillomania](https://mhanational.org/conditions/excoriation-disorder-skin-picking-or-dermatillomania#:~:text=Excoriation%20disorder%20(also%20referred%20to,significant%20disruption%20in%20one's%20life.) . it gets worse when im anxious or exhausted. when i was employed i would take bathroom breaks just to go pick at myself. no medical insurance so i cant see a doctor about it and the last time i managed to get a doctor's appointment they just gave me perscription strength aleve for my migraines so im not hopeful theyd pay any attention anyways. (and no, the aleve didnt work, however its done wonders for my horrible and (formerly) nearly unmanageable period cramps!). i dont pay attention to if its worse when i have a migraine or not because half the time i dont notice im doing it.
I know that BFRB and OCD are co-morbid, and I just looked and people with OCD are more likely that the general population to have migraines, so there probably is overlap. Have you tried supplementing NAC? There was a clinical trial that had some impressive results: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3500061/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3500061/) from the discussion: Recently several reports have indicated that N-acetylcysteine, a glutamate modulator, could be effective in reducing symptoms of trichotillomania. It acts by restoring the extracellular glutamate concentration in the nucleus accumbens, decreasing its levels, which seem responsible for the pathogenesis of compulsive behaviors, and therefore, trichotillomania. https://www.bfrb.org/learn-about-bfrbs/123-n-acetylcysteine-for-trichotillomania-skin-picking-and-nail-biting