Menstrual Migraines

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Most female migraine sufferers notice an increase in headaches and migraine attacks at the time of menstruation.

• More than 60% of women who experience migraine headaches suffer from menstrual migraines.
• These migraines occur at the point in the menstrual cycle when levels of both estrogen and progesterone decline.
• Falling estrogen levels may act as a trigger for the onset of the migraine.

To find relief from symptoms, women experiencing menstrual migraines may explore these options:

• Self-treating with nonprescription medications, such as combination aspirin-acetaminophen-caffeine preparations
• Treating with medications prescribed by a physician, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), ergotamines, triptans, and others

Women who experience severe attacks may be candidates for preventive therapy, which aims to decrease the frequency and severity of menstrual migraine attacks.

• Preventive, or prophylactic, drugs include NSAIDs, ergotamines, triptans, methysergide, and methylergonovine maleate. Magnesium supplements also have preventive value.
• Naproxen sodium has been shown to be particularly effective for treatment-resistant menstrual migraines.
• If these treatment approaches prove to be ineffective, a physician may prescribe hormone therapy.

As a further indication of the hormone-migraine link, during the last two trimesters of pregnancy, 55% to 90% of migraine sufferers find their headaches occur less frequently.