Women have migraines three times more often than men. 70% of these women are suffering from menstrual migraine.
Nearly 20% of women of childbearing age suffer from hormone-related headaches ? either due to menstrual migraine or PMS headache.
Migraine is a collection of symptoms. These symptoms differ from one person to another but they generally include:
- Severe headache
- Feeling sick
- Being sick
- Light sensitivity
In some migraine sufferers, there is no apparent reason for this ferocious condition to occur. In others, there may be triggers. Over time, the person may learn what their particular triggers are and try to avoid them.
In menstrual migraine, the trigger appears to be the drop in their level of estrogen, which occurs just before a period. The low level of estrogen is not thought to be responsible. It is the change from one level to another that brings on the migraine.
Do I have menstrual migraine?
For a migraine to be diagnosed as a menstrual migraine, it has to fit two definitions. First, it has to start from 2 to 3 days after the first day of the period beginning. Second,it also has to happen with most, or all of a woman?s periods.
There seem to be two patterns of menstrual migraine:
- Menstrual Associated Migraine is when migraines happen before and after periods ? and at other times of the month as well. This is the most common type, affecting 6 our out every 10 women migraine sufferers.
- Pure Menstrual Migraine is when a migraine only happens during the woman?s period and at no other time. This affects about 1 in 7 women who suffer with migraines.
How can I be sure if I have menstrual migraine?
Sometimes a woman may suffer a migraine at the same time as a period as a pure coincidence.
To be sure of the diagnosis, your doctor may ask you to keep a diary of your migraines for a few months. This will help to show if any pattern exists.
How is menstrual migraine treated?
The treatment for the migraine attack itself is the same as for any other type of migraine. You may be offered painkillers, drugs to prevent nausea and vomiting and anti-inflammatory painkillers.
My menstrual migraines wipe me out for days. What can I do?
Some women miss out on work, leisure activities and general activities of living every month. Treatment can help a little but for them, prevention of the migraine should be considered.
How can I stop the migraines?
Since the cause is thought to be the change in estrogen level, it makes sense to even out that fall. Estrogen skin patches can help. The patch is put onto your skin, from three days before you are expecting your period to start. The patch stays on for seven days. It is a form of hormone replacement therapy for seven days a month. Estrogen gel can be used instead of patches. You just rub it into your skin on each of the seven days.
Using combined contraceptive pills to control migraines
Don?t try and do this on your own. It could result in an unwanted pregnancy. See your doctor for advice. He may attempt to prevent menstrual migraines by preventing the period itself by changing your contraceptive pill to one with less progestogen.
Take the pill for three packets in a row (nine weeks) and then have seven days when you don?t take any at all. While you are taking the pills, your estrogen level will be kept constant and you will have less bleeds each year and consequently, less migraines. If you have a migraine in each of your week-off times, you can also take estrogen supplements during those seven days.
As stated before, do this only under a doctor's care.
