Terrible hormonal headaches - anyone know anything that helps?

[BewareTheBeardedFatMan]

I get terrible hormonal headaches around my period and ibuprofen, paracetamol, drinking lots of water does not help.

Resting in a quiet dark room would help - but being a single parent to 4 young children that ain't happening. I also don't get enough sleep - which also doesn't help but is impossible to change right now.

Does anyone else suffer and have any ideas which might help?

Fever few herbal supplements and magnesium daily have made a huge difference to the amount of migraines I get.

I get horrible hormonal headaches and can predict them to the day. I'd often clear my schedule just because I know I'll be lying around on migraine meds that day. Eletriptan (Relpax) works better than Sumatriptan for me. It seems gentler and doesn't knock me out completely with that weird buzzy neck feeling.

I also just discovered CBD oil. I take around 60-80mg per day (spread out 3x) which is a relatively high dose but works amazingly well. As soon as I feel a headache creeping in, I take 20mg right away and in 80% of the time it actually dissipates the headache. This works on hormonal and tension headaches and I've cut down on my painkiller use by 30% this month. The only drawback is that CBD is so expensive...I wanted a highly concentrated, effective product so I went for an organic, full spectrum CBD that costs £250 for 30ml. Each drop contains 10mg and the bottle will last a few months. However if it does manage to improve my headaches on a long-term basis then I feel it's worth the investment. I've lost so many days of my life battling through headaches and migraines, that a life without them sounds absolutely glorious.

I've only been taking it for a few weeks so I'm keen to see how well it works against hormonal headaches throughout a whole cycle.

Magnesium! Either orally or regular Epsom salt baths.

Also caffeine really helps but has to be early enough in the day not to wreck my sleep even more than the hormones do

Oh yes - I had forgotten feverfew! I have it growing in my garden and last summer I found that chewing a leaf at the onset would lessen (but not completely stop) the headache. It is vile tasting, but since I'm stuck in that may be my only option today!

And caffeine - if I miss my daily coffee I will get a worse headache (not every day, just on period days), but if I have too much it can make it worse.

I guess it trial and error, working out exactly what does trigger and what helps. A load of painkillers will be added to my food delivery this weekend!

I get this too - iboprofen does work for me, but it sometimes takes two doses 4 hours apart, so takes a while.

If you get nausea, I find drinking a can of cola (doesn't have to be the sugary version) works for that.

I also like 4head and there is also a magnesium roll-on too victoriahealth.com/migrazap-magnesium-roll-on/ - again, they don't necessarily get rid the headache but do ease the nausea.

If you can afford it, regular neck and shoulder massages may help, I often feel like mine are partly triggered by tight shoulders. Wine isn't an issue for me, although I avoid it the night before a regular meeting I have to chair. I think it's mainly hormonal with me though as I've only had them in the last five years or so.

Vitamin D.

Speak to the gp in the first instance

Otherwise you can get migraleve (that's not spelt correctly) from the pharmacy which could help.

For nausea I drink coke.

Now that you mention it @christinarossetti19 my headaches were much less intense this month and I've just started taking vitamin D! Interesting...

You could ask your GP for blood tests or just buy the highest dose that you can find OTC.

A friend of mine had this, was prescribed high dose Vit D and her headaches and anxiety were much relieved.

Tiger balm helps me too.

Another vote for soluble aspirin, it's the only painkiller that touches mine. I always find full sugar coke and forehead stick help too

Like pps, sumatriptan, annadin extra (together) and fat coke (preferably on empty stomach).

I also crave salt and vinegar crisps when I have one. And need to drink a lot.

Will try magnesium, thanks.

Sumatriptan (migratAin as mentioned above ) it's the only thing that works for me and I suffered for years and these have changed my life

Sounds like hormonal migraine. See your GP about triptans, they work on migraines but not normal headaches so you will either notice no difference or experience miraculous relief!

Honestly, don't bother with over the counter meds for migraine. I struggled on for years in pain each month, then took Sumatriptan and it was life changing for me.

Following with interest..
For me 3 X soluble aspirin

I bought a blue light filter screen for my phone and gave up tea and coffee. First migraine free month in 15 years. Maybe coincidence, but I’m not changing anything just in case!

Whoops... Posted too soon.. Soluble aspirin only thing that takes away the pain.
4Head stick.
Going on the mini pill cerazette helped a lot for a year or so, though they've recently got worse again.

I'm 48 and for the last 5 years I've got hormonal headaches - day 1-14 (about) of my cycle. I can still function, but it's like a continuous low level headache for 2 weeks. The only thing that blasts it is Syndol, but I don't want to take that every day.
Propranolol did help as I was prescribed it for anxiety and noticed the added benefit of my headaches lessening. However I didn't like the sluggish feeling the drug gave me so I stopped it.

I have suffered with hormonal migraines for several years-they were getting so bad as I was vomiting for 3 days straight every couple of weeks. Gp prescribed 10mg amitriptyline nightly which helps but recently I've suffered 2 very bad attacks again. I've just started taking bio-kult migrea (magnesium + B6 )and fever few supplements so hoping they will help. Good luck op hope you can find something to help .

Thanks for all the advice. I have added several Aspirin options to my Tesco delivery for tomorrow. Today I took two paracetamol, two ibuprofen first thing this morning, chewers a hideous tasting feverfew leaf, and later in the day when the kids got too screechy I nicked ds noise cancelling headphones which helped. They don't actually cut out the sound but dull the painful pitches. It's still there but better than yesterday.
Also been mainlining magnesium rich foods all day

Three soluble aspirin chased down with half a can of red coke. It's the only thing that makes my migraines bearable.

I've not read the full thread, but I suffered for years from this until a Pharmacist pointed out I was actually having hormonal migraines. Went to the GP, got med and it changed my life!

I'm defo going to get a GP appointment.

Just out of interest, has anyone continued to have hormonal headaches once they hit the menopause? I thought they would stop but they have carried on and it's going on 7-8 years now.