Women only: Does anyone have menstrul migraines?

I am 27 now and started having migraines when I started my period at the age of 13.  I can always tell when I am about to start b/c I will get a migraine 2 days before.  I can't take any kind of birth control that changes my levels or I have constant migraines.  I had my tubes tied last year and kept a migraine for 2 or 3 months afterwards.  That was no fun at all.  It sucks b/c I have kids and my migraines put me in bed.  Anyone else have this type of migraine?  -  Shanna

Four years ago (when I was 29), I realized my migraines (which I started having around 12 years old) were tied to my hormones. I have a seven to ten-day window centered around my period where I can expect up to eight mild migraines if I'm not careful (they're mild b/c I take Relpax the second I feel one coming on).

Taking 500 mg of magnesium every day has helped rid me of the outliers and helped me take fewer pain killers (yay!). There are some natural options out there that may lessen the frequency & duration of yours. I Googled "migraine natural remedies" or something like that. Selenium is another option, as are a few others. It's worth a shot. Good luck!

I feel your pain.  Mine are not quite as severe as putting me in bed, but about five days before I begin menstruation, I get mild migraines.  While they are mild, they are debailitating nonetheless.  They last usually five to seven fays of consistent aching.  I have also tried changing my pills to lower the hormones to no avail.  It is usually the only time of the month I have the migraines.

I am 27 and have had migraines for as long as I can remember, since about the age of 6. I tend to get more frequent and more severe headaches with my menstrual cycle, mostly a few days before and the first few days of menstruation. I have a child who is 1 and I also am rendered incapable of taking care of him at times. I take Inderal to help prevent my headaches. It helps to a degree, but my neck problems, being too hot, too tired, too hungry, too stressed, etc. also trigger them. I know they are not in the same category as cancer and other extreme health matters, but what I would do to be cured. I believe that some think I am exaggerating when I need to leave work before I am unable to drive my self home. I try taking Tylenol with a caffienated beverage if a suspect a migraine on the horizon...it was all I could really do when I was pregnant. Good luck!

I too suffer with menstrual migraine's, only in the last 7 or 8 years though and I am 43. Before I knew what they where I used to call them my 3 day headaches!! They vary in severity each month and some I can just about get through a normal day with and others can put me to bed!! I have to keep changing my tablets as they work for a couple of migraine's and then don't. I have tried various medications both from my GP and from the chemist's. The two I have bought that help the most are Nurofen for Migraine and Superdrug's own tablets for migraine.

I did take part in a clinical trial last year for migraine's and the trial medication cleared the migraine within 2 hours which was fantastic. The downside is though it probably won't be available on prescription for a few years because of all the various testing that needs doing. It maybe worth mentioning to your GP that you are willing to participate in any migraine trials that they hear off. It was also good as a mini health check as they did a mini physical eacvh visit with blood tests, blood pressure, and ECG.

I sympathise with you all and when I am having a really severe migraine I have thought about asking my GP for a hysterectomy to see if that would help, a bit extreme I know but I think you can all relate to you will do anything to make the pain go away!!

Hope you are all well at the minute and take comfort you are not on your own, Dawn x

I hesitate to recommend any single remedy because I suspect migraines are triggered by different things.  That is the experience I have had.  I am 54 and never experienced a migraine until about 8 years ago.  Had no ideas what caused them at the time.  Through a series of other health issues, it was discovered I was going through menopause.  Which brought me to managing my hormones.  I learned that estrogen imbalance (dominance) caused my migraines.  Hormone imbalanace can be effected by poor nutrition and stress as well as monthly cycles.  I am practically migraine.  Managing hormones, good diet and excersize to relieve stress has all played a part.

Hope this was of help to some.

sue

I have for years too - the doctor has called them hormone headaches.  One of the things I have found that has really helped is reflexology.  After 3 or 4 treatments I was headache free for 6 months.  They started coming back so now I go once a month for a treatment.

I have to tell you I have had Menstrual Migraines for many years now, I have literally tried everything.  So this is what is working for me lately... I am taking Glucosomine/Chrondroidin with Concentrace minerals (By Now vitamins).... I take two capsules everyday and one capsule of Fish oil... IT REALLY SEEMS TO BE WORKING!!!!!

I can't tell you how happy I am.

I have just recently tried acupuncture (spent a lot of money), I can't take the birth control pill for the fact that I do sometimes get the aura with migraine.  I have tried Chiropractic for several years, diet, and exercise.  I have tried massage (spent lots of money there too).  I can't think of what else.... Oh yeah physical therapy...   I have not tried the imitrex cause I can not take that either so i have tried all the alternative therapies.  I sure hope this one keeps working for me.

I sure hope this can work for someone else!

My migraines are mostly food triggered but that is because for the last 7-8yrs I have worn the Ortho Evra Patch everyday, all the time.  It seems like my migraines are also triggered when my estrogen fell too low, and once I was diagnosed with PCOS, my dr. started me on the patch, yet everytime I took it off, I got a horrible headache, so now we leave it on...always.  It keeps my estrogen at a steady level, I have no periods..occassional spotting.  My PCOS is now gone, but until my headaches are gone, I will keep wearing the patch.  I have no kids, so this does make a difference.

I too have had migraines for as long as I can remember, but it wasn't until I was put on ortho tri cyclen that they were as predictible as my cycle.  Every month during the last week before the reminder pills and on into the first days of my period, I would have cluster or aura migraines.  They would be nonstop unless I took 400-800 mg of ibuprofen every four hours!  That was a LOT of ibuprofen.   I finally decided to get off the pill all together for the first time in years to see if I could let my hormones control themselves naturally, and after the first week (during which I had the headaches and my period as usual) the headaches seem to have disappeared, but we will see-- this time next month!  Also-- I read that you have to be careful about how much soy protein you eat because it can somehow mimic the female hormones and get both men and women out of whack somehow, but I don't know how much truth there is to this.  May be something to check out though!