hormonal migraines
Due to the fact that women are three times as likely to get migraines as men, a lot of attention has been paid to the role of female hormones and migraines. Hormones can be responsible for the migraines that many women experience during ovulation, their menstrual cycle, right after pregnancy, and during midlife and menopause. Currently it is thought that women who get hormonal migraines are experiencing a reaction to their body’s normal hormone fluctuation (meaning, getting migraines is not a sign that your hormones are out of balance.)
Are You Experiencing Hormonal Migraines
In order to answer this question with certainty you must be keeping a regular migraine diary where you mark the beginning and end of your menstrual cycle. This is key to understanding if there is a correlation between when you get migraines in relation to your hormone cycle.
Signs that you are experiencing a hormonally related migraine:
- You get a migraine either during or right before (2 days) or after (up to three days) your period.
- You get headaches halfway through your cycle (two weeks after your period.)
If you ONLY get migraines during your period then you experience what is called menstrual migraines. If you get migraines at other times during the month as well, then what you are experiencing is called menstrual-related migraine.
Will Taking Oral Contraceptives Help Hormonal Migraines?
First of all, it is important to note that oral contraceptives may not be a healthy alternative for women who experience migraines as it can increase one’s risk for stroke (especially for women with high blood pressure or those who smoke.) Your doctor needs to know if you use contraceptives AND experience migraines with auras. Secondly, some women may experience more migraines on a higher estrogen or triphasic medication. In many cases there can be a delayed reaction of a few months before there is a noticeable increase in migraine frequency or severity. For this reason, it is not always immediately obvious that the medication is a problem. The reason for this is thought to be due to the increased hormonal fluctuations. If you are concerned this could be an issue for you, please do not hesitate to speak to your doctor and request a monophasic, low estrogen pill.
Lastly, it appears that some women may benefit from going off the pill but in most cases improvement has shown to be minor and can sometimes take up to twelve months to see improvement. Instead, consider the recently approved menstrual suppression pills which allow you to go months without having a period. While many women will feel odd or unnatural not getting a monthly period, it is actually quite safe and may reduce the number of menstrual-related migraines you experience. Talk with your doctor and see if this option could work for you.
For more information on hormonal migraines and other migraine triggers, please sign up for our newsletter!
