Hormonal Migraines

It is a common scene in my life sleeping with the pillow pressed hard against my head once every month. Hormonal headaches disrupt my daily routine and make my life miserable till they last. Hormonal headaches are experienced by many women as it is related to their sexual hormones and reproductive cycle. The drop in estrogen and progesterone levels leads to menstrual migraines. Hormonal migraines are also caused by the use of oral contraceptives.

It is found that hormonal migraines disappear in most of the women during pregnancy. It can also occurs during the postpartum stage. Hormonal migraines can come up suddenly and become unpredictable during menopause.

Many women are confused between hormonal headaches and migraines. Every hormonal headache may not be a migraine. There are two types of migraines associated with hormonal fluctuation:

Menstrual Migraines: This starts 1 or 2 days before the periods begin. They may also occur 1-2 days after the periods end. When a migraine occurs every month on the 2nd day of periods and the end of menstrual periods, it is termed as 'true menstrual migraine'.

Premenstrual Migraine: This migraine starts between the 3rd to 7th day before the start of periods. They stop with the start of menstrual flow.

Symptoms of Hormonal Migraines
Similar to normal migraines, the headaches are usually one sided headaches. They are aggravated with bright lights and loud sounds. The person may experience nausea with or without aura. Hormonal migraine last longer and are more severe than normal migraines. It is believed that the stomach cramps during the menstrual cycle amplify the pain of hormone migraines.

Hormonal Migraine Treatment
The hormone migraine treatment involves acute or preventive measures. The acute migraine treatments are used to provide relief during menstrual migraines. The medications prescribed are ergotamine and triptans. Aspirin, ibuprofen and other over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) also bring hormonal migraine relief.

Migraine hormone treatment involving preventive measures include anticonvulsants, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, tricyclic antidepressants, triptans and other serotonergic medications. It is very important to follow the doctor's instructions regarding the dosage while taking preventive medications. Diuretics are also useful in prevention of menstrual migraine.

An alternative treatment to hormonal migraines is natural hormone supplementation. After conducting certain blood tests the doctor may advice a trial of low-dose bioidentical progesterone. If you experience heavy bleeding, breast tenderness or unusual spotting, discontinue the migraine hormone treatments and consult your doctor immediately.

Women who are on birth control pills suffer from hormonal migraines on the 2nd or 3rd day of their medication. Doctors generally prescribe NSAID's to be taken on the 19th day of their menstrual cycle. These pills are to be continued till the second day of the next cycle. When all the treatments for hormonal migraines fail, some doctors may prescribe Lupron, that affects hormone levels.

It is necessary to follow a balanced diet, healthy lifestyle and a cautious usage of migraine hormone treatments to decrease the frequency and intensity of hormonal migraines. Practice yoga and lead a stress free life to decrease the onset of hormonal migraines. Quit smoking as it triggers migraines. Seek help from your doctor if you suspect that you are suffering from hormonal migraines. Don't allow hormonal migraines to control you, control your migraines with medical help. That's what I am striving to do.