Many patients who suffer from migraines are women. And among migraine sufferers, a subset will have migraines during their menstrual cycle. These menstrual cycle headaches, often referred to as menstrual migraines, can be a painful experience, leading to lost time at work. These migraine attacks typically occur before or during one’s period.
Understanding Menstrual Headaches
There is a close relationship between hormone levels and migraine attacks. Just prior to menstruation, the oestrogen levels in the blood declines sharply. This sharp decline in oestrogen levels results in a high likelihood for developing a migraine attack during this period. After menstruation, the oestrogen levels rises. This results in a decline in frequency and severity of migraines until the next menstruation.
Effective Management Strategies
If you suffer from migraines, here are some menstrual headache remedies that can help you to reduce the frequency and severity of your headaches.
- Stay hydrated – Dehydration can trigger migraines. Drink plenty of water throughout the day
- Sleep well – Aim to have a regular sleep schedule and aim for 7 – 9 hours of quality sleep each night. Sleep disruption or excessive sleep is often triggered for migraine sufferers who work shifts.
- Manage your stress well – Stress can be difficult to manage, especially if it is circumstantial. Nevertheless, you should try to reduce these potential stressors to reduce the vulnerability of your brain to migraine attacks. Furthermore, activities such as exercise, yoga and meditation can be helpful.
- Avoidance of certain food – Migraines can be triggered off by certain food such as caffeine, cheese or alcohol. Using your headache diary, you may be able to identify certain food that triggers your migraine.
Over the counter medications
Over-the-counter medications can be an effective way to manage headaches and migraines. Paracetamol (also marketed as Tylenol, Panadol) is a commonly used pain reliever that can help to alleviate mild to moderate headache. It works by blocking certain chemicals in the brain that cause pain. It is generally well-tolerated and has few side effects. Hence, it is a popular choice for many patients with menstrual migraines.
If Paracetamol does not work for you, ibuprofen (marketed as Advil, Motril) or Naproxen (Aleve) can be an effective medication. However, these medications are associated with more side effects such as gastric irritation and kidney problems (when used for a long time).
When should you seek help?
You should seek help if:
- Your headaches are becoming very frequent or severe
- You are using over-the-counter medications frequently
- You experience additional symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, visual changes or sensory disturbances.
- There is a change in the usual pattern or intensity of your headaches.
Your doctor can help determine whether your headaches are related to menstrual migraines or another condition, and provide treatment options tailored to you. Early intervention not only improves symptom control. It also reduces the risk of the headache becoming chronic.
At Alleviate Pain Clinic, we specialize in the diagnosis of headache disorders. We offer a variety of specialized treatments for menstrual migraine such as preventive and abortive medications and injections for refractory headaches.
