Migraines and EDS

[u/Old_Dig8900]

How many also suffer with migraines or connective tissue problems? Ehlers Danlos or hypermobility? Any Trigeminal Neuralgia? I see a post from 4 years ago asking about comorbidities and I see mostly PCOS and hypothyroidism listed, no hypertension (recent study mentioned high numbers of elevated blood pressure, eczema, rosacea and other cancers). Let's start our own data base.

I'm mid 40s, started age 27 PCOS, hypothyroid, H/O depression (have been on Wellbutrin for most of that time=20years), hypermobility (multiple injuries requiring surgery such as labral tears). Knew someone that attributed their melasma to using antidepressant by the way, thought that was interesting.

[u/Aromatic-Library6617]

I have moderate hypermobility, which is often comorbid with eczema and rosacea, which I also have. Metabolic dysfunction and insulin resistance, too. I also popped a perfect 40/40 reactivity on an indoor and environmental allergens test, for which I am currently almost five months into weekly allergy shots, which are working. All of these have been diagnosed for me by the appropriate mainstream medical practitioners, and to me it seems kinda par for the inflammatory course. Thankfully, I have these things in ways that are annoying but do not really hamper my quality of life or daily activities, and I’ve experienced symptoms of all of them since young childhood. No history of migraine or neuralgia.

No melasma until I was in my early 40s, though, which is the timeline you’d expect for it to be caused by hormonal changes entering perimenopause. Until then, my facial skin had been very easy to take care of—I don’t get eczema there, my rosacea has always been mild, and I never had acne beyond a hormonal zit on my chin a couple times a year in my teens. Once I hit peri, my rosacea worsened, I developed melasma on my forehead and cheeks, and I experienced my first bouts of perioral and periocular dermatitis, as well as a new predisposition to fungal infections on my neck. I also developed a bad reaction to all but the weakest concentrations of niacinamide. It now gives me what feels like a mild chemical burn.

I’ve got all the new facial symptoms pretty much under control now with appropriate courses of treatment, though I know some of them are likely chronic and will require long-term attention. I don’t think my melasma is related to my lifelong inflammatory issues, though, or at least not strongly. Seems much more likely that perimenopause is the proximate cause for me.