Anyone else get period migraines? Find that it is not as talked about as other symptoms but I get then often usually either at the start or the end of my period. Asked a GP doctor about it before, who just told me there’s nothing that can be done about it and prescribed really strong painkillers. Any advice?
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Yes. I found going off birth control helped but then I had to go back on to manage my PCOS, and taking the pill continuously instead of taking an off week seemed to help as well.
What did he prescribe you? Painkillers aren’t generally used to treat migraines.
I never used to, just wicked evil cramps. Now nearing 40 I get to enjoy both. I’ve found Midol or Excedrin migraine works well. Pain killer plus caffeine.
I also had migraines right at the beginning of my period, and they seemed to get more intense. My GP recommended that I continue with my pill, and wanted to prescribe me medication for the migraines. But personally I don’t feel comfortable taking that kind of strong medication. So I just stopped with the pill. And it took some time for my body and my period to adapt but now I feel so much better. Migraines happen maybe 2 times a year instead of 12-20 times a year, and I feel more in tune with my body and my period.
I had to pretty much write off three days a month because of it. I was prescribed zolmitriptan, which you take at the very first sign of a migraine developing, and then had Mirena fitted, which stopped my periods and everything that went with them. Perimenopause has since sent everything haywire, but Mirena and zolmitriptan worked for me for a long time.
Yes. I always have, just as you describe. I just go home from work and take Excedrin and go to bed. Nothing else can be done for it, it seems.
Please see another doctor. There are more options than just painkillers (which can lead to overuse headaches), such as triptans which can abort a migraine as it starts. There’s all different kinds of medications that can be used to reduce frequency and severity. There’s also some evidence around vitamins for migraines, such as magnesium and Coenzyme Q10. The thing about migraines is that it’s very individual, what suits one person, won’t suit another.
Personally, I was once getting migraines everyday, what helped me is CGRP medication, and then getting pregnant and post pregnancy, staying on the pill. Haven’t had a migraine in well over a year now. But I wouldn’t recommend that as a solution.
Yes. I’m not certain but it’s possible that progesterone changes can make them more frequent. I once had the contraceptive injection and within 15 minutes I had a migraine. Not sure if the hormone IUD had an effect, perhaps it did, even though the hormone dose is meant to be really low.
I’ve noticed SSRIs can also reduce frequency of migraines. Unfortunately various triptan medications I’ve tried do nothing for me. All I can do is take a codeine-paracetamol-anti-emetic blend and go to sleep.
My advice is find a different doctor, because that one is ignorant AF. Are you able to see a neurologist? Have you discussed with a GYN? Hormone mediated migraines are a thing and there’s no need to suffer!
This is a good resource, a little heavy on medical jargon.
They’re horrible. They got even worse for me as I entered perimenopause. At 35, I am on full HRT, and hopefully it helps. The only thing that took the edge off for me was 800mg of ibuprofen and a cane sugar soda ❤️
Yes, if I catch it early I’ll take both Tylenol and Advil at the same time and it’ll knock it out. Good luck. ♥️
I never had them that I can remember until apparently this week. I’ve had IUDs for 13 years, I’m 7 months into my current one and I usually don’t have periods. But I got it this week and I for sure had a migraine yesterday. At 39 I can only wonder if this will be my peri symptom (or one of them).
Please see a neurologist. You don’t have to live like this. I am a huge migraine sufferer, especially during periods. My neurologist tried some things and now I’m on monthly aimovig and I had no idea people lived their lives feeling this good.
Yep. I get them pretty much every month. It’s been a feature for me for the last year or so now. I’m 40. Another of the many joys of womanhood.
Yes I usually have them in the first 2 days of my period. Thankfully I work from home and my employer is very understanding, so I can take a day off anytime. What helps me is not being on my phone for too long, resting, eating whole foods and go to sleep early. I usually don’t do any exercise except maybe Yoga. But the most important thing is resting. Oh and I am off birth control since almost 7 years now and still have them.
I’ve gotten them (plus other types of migraines) on and off over the years. I’ve tried magnesium and B12, I’ve tried taking Naproxen Sodium twice a day for my whole period, now I’m trying traditional Chinese Medicine. Nothing aborts them once they start (even triptans) and it’s just been hit or miss.
I had been taking a pill form of birth control for years with zero issues. I stopped taking it to have a child, started the mini pill shortly after giving birth while I was breastfeeding, and once done breastfeeding, started back up the birth control I was on before.
And the migraines started. The week of my period was nothing but withdrawal symptoms, migraines and extreme exhaustion.
I talked to a physician at my doctor’s practice about it, they recommended I try another form and then filled a prescription for the exact same birth control giving me issues. They totally dropped the ball.
I was so frustrated I declared I was going off birth control and told my husband he needed to get snipped. He scheduled an appointment, had it done, and I’ve been off birth control since. No more migraines.
You didn’t give too much context so I’m not sure if this aligns. But, that was my experience with migraines during my period and what I did to help the situation.
OP there are absolutely options!
First thing I would say- it’s worth seeing a neurologist/headache specialist, as well as a gynecologist, about this.
Neuro/HAS can prescribe actual migraine medication (either a preventative, such as propranalol, and/or an abortive, such as a triptan; they can prescribe other meds for nausea, too, if you need).
Gyno can discuss birth control options – if you’re not currently on hormonal BC, they can discuss whether that’s an appropriate option (for most of those with menstrual-related migraine, continuous BC is usually the best option – so a continuous pill, or a hormonal iud, or nexplanon). Hormonal BC is NOT a requirement but it does often help with menstrual migraine.
I get migraines and most of what people recommend or that works for my normal migraines does nothing to touch my hormonal ones.
What did work was taking feverfew for about 1-2 weeks before my period. Big caveat that feverfew is sold as an herbal supplement, isn’t generally regarded as safe to take for more than a handful of months consecutively (I think three max before it can start causing liver problems) and is contraindicated for medications that treat or are broken down by the liver.
Basically it would help the progesterone swing not be so severe but I stopped because of the safety concerns.
Now I just make myself unconscious and/or high.
I’ve always had these and my mom before me. Being on a combination BC pill didn’t help because I still had a cycle, although some made it worse. But progesterone only BC gave me terrible other symptoms (GI and breast pain), I don’t seem to function well without a cycle.
I have found iron supplementation to help a bit, my period is heavy and I’m active so I have low levels and it helps my menstrual symptoms a lot. It feels like the peaks and valleys are less extreme. I tend to be sensitive to progesterone and feel better when my estrogen is high and worse when progesterone is high.
I also get menstrually related migraines. Fluctuations in your hormones are what causes them. In order to get proper treatment if you’re getting them frequently, I would recommend seeing a headache specialist Neurologist. A GP is a GP. They know a lot about a lot of different things but when it comes to something specific, you need to go to a specialist. For many a low-dose progesterone birth control can be very effective. Naproxen is great for those cramps, as well as can help the pain of the headache part of the migraine. Triptans can be a good acute treatment. I’ve been taking them for decades.
There are other preventatives if you get them frequently. You should check out the sub Reddit migraine as there is a lot of people that get these migraines too!
Yes I use migraine meds not painkillers though. And blessedly they’re more rare in my 30s
I had to start seeing a neurologist for mine. She prescribed me a preventative and an abortive (Sumitriptan I love you). They didn’t get fully under control though until I stopped taking birth control. That almost completely eliminated them for me.