Please log in

Welcome to the Menstrual Migraine – Hormonal migraine Forum

I am hoping I will be able to find some relief from hormonal migraines by being on this site and forum.

I am so glad I came across this site. It is a blessing to hear of others living with this.

There are actually many different types of hormonal migraines. Menstrual Migraines can surely be a big problem, but so can those triggered by other hormone issues such as thyroid dysfunction. Being affected by both is a double whammy that can be very difficult to live with.

Have either of you ever been told that getting a hysterectomy for your menstrual Migraines will cure you? This is a terrible dis-service to Migraineurs and I personally hope to help make sure this mis-information isn’t propagated further.

My word to the wise: be very wary of the doctor (or anyone else) that tries to talk you into a hysterectomy – or anything else – to “cure” your Migraines. There is a way to “try out” this treatment without surgery, yet few doctors offer it.

To be honest, I’ve been very tempted due to horrific cramps on top of the menstrual migraines to beg my doctors to pull the plumbing out, so to speak, anyway. I’m done using it, after all – have a wonderful 15-year-old daughter and NO plans for any more children! – and I’m starting the whole menopause thing… 90% of my reason for wanting to do it is the cramps; if the migraines go away too, great – if not, that’s what imitrex and maxalt are for. :-p

At least my migraines are predictable. For two or three days, I get horrible cramps. My period starts, and 3 days later, I get a migraine. But, for the last couple of months, no period, so no migraine… at least not one I couldn’t manage with OTCs.

My other trigger is aspartame, and I can easily avoid THAT – I simply don’t drink diet soda, and I watch anything else that is sugar free. Sucralose doesn’t trigger me (though I think it’s vile anyway…) and I tend to avoid MSG on general principle, but it doesn’t trigger me either. But when I get the menstrual migraines, they can be absolutely debilitating.

The worst one that I remember, I was trying to control it using OTCs and finally decided it wasn’t going away, and I was killing my stomach lining with the Tylenol, Advil, Aleve, Asprin, and caffeine I’d dumped into myself trying to make it stop, so I crawled to the doctor’s office, got a shot of ibuprofen, something for nausea, and my first maxalt… and my doc did the entire exam in the dark, because I was super photosensitive! How awesome is that? Between the shot and the maxalt, it faded enough I could get home, and the second maxalt did the trick. Then my insurance changed my medication on me and stuck me with imitrex (which works, but is not as effective as the maxalt).

Glad I’ve changed insurance companies!!! Next migraine, it’ll be maxalt for me.

RAVENSUN, I’ve written here in other threads about a way to “try before you buy” a hysterectomy to see if it will help your Migraines. Unfortunately it is almost never successful in getting rid of our Migraine nemesis, but at least the drugs used to put you into chemical menopause will give you a clue if you might be one of the rare few who might benefit. Try this link for more information http://bit.ly/o5Jf3D

I just joined this site today hoping to find some advice for hormonal migraines… i have them through the month everytime my hormones flucuate.. since we are trying to get pregnant they will only put me on HRT for 9 days out of the month which hasnt helped me.. i have had test that says my progesterone and estrogen are low and take immetrex when needed but have to go through side effects with that medicine which makes me sick… cant work due to these life altering migraines… any advice anyone?

Gypsy,
There are seven medications in the family with Imitrex. The others are Amerge, Zomig, Maxalt, Relpax, Axert, and Frova. It’s well worth trying some of the others to see if they’d work for you with fewer side effects.

Thank you Teri.. I have tried Maxalt which I liked but due to insurance i had to switch because of cost.. I only get 4 migraine pills a month as it is and i half the immitrex so i have more doses with less side effects also.. Have you heard of woman in perimenopause phase taking HRT more than 9 days a month?

You’re welcome, Gypsy. Yes, I’ve known some women in perimeonpause phase to take HRT daily. Doctors have such varying thoughts on this. As for Migraines, I’ve seen it help some people, make things worse for some, and make no difference for some.

Well thats good to know.. thats going to be my next attempt of trying to help my migraines and body aches.. Yes I have experienced the diff. opinions of doctors on this subject.. its so confusing.. I guess all I can do is try.. if the HRT doesnt work, do you have any experience with something like beta blockers for migraines on how well they work compared to just migraine medicine?

One of the most difficult things about Migraine management is that there’s so much trial and error to find what works for us.

Yes, beta blockers have been quite helpful for me for both Migraine prevention and some heart and blood pressure issues. Specifically propranolol and metoprolol, the time-release versions. Time-release verapamil, a calcium channel blocker was a cornerstone of my treatment for about 10 years, both for Migraine prevention and controlling my blood pressure. Well, it was until I lost 60 pounds. Then we had to cut my dosage in half because my blood pressure was too low. Something else that’s done very well for me is the SNRI antidepressant Effexor XR.

Keep us posted, please?

Thank you so much Teri.. I appreciate your time and your answers to my questions.. I will definetly keep ya posted…. ! I hope I find something in this never ending search.. If I do I will absolutely post again

Gypsy,

You’re welcome. Don’t give up,. You WILL find something. If you don’t find some answers soon, I suggest you consider seeing a Migraine specialist. There IS help out there.

Teri

Hi, I was reading somewhere that someone took waterpills a week before there period and a couple days into it and they said it helped them.. and they hadnt had a migraine for 4mos.. and she suffered for 20yrs with hormonal migraines.. Has anyone ever heard of this?