Premenstrual headaches??? Pill related??

[VanillaPumpkin]

Anyone get these? I went to the doc as I was concerned my headaches were related to my pill as I get a severe headache the day or two after I stop my pack for my pill free week. One doc told me to run the packs together and see what happened and it did help not having a bleed, but when I went back to a different GP he dismissed them as Pre menstrual headaches and suggested the mini-pill. I said I wanted the full pill as I am not brilliant at taking the other one at the same time every day and it is not as safe etc so he changed my brand, but now I have been told my brand change would have made no difference as I went from the branded pill to the NHS generic one ie the ingredients and pill is exactly the same???
Anyone shed any light?
I was taking Ovranette and now I am on Microgynon 30???
TIA.

Bump

I took Marvelon and then switched to Microgynon for years and always (with both brands) got a banging headache about 2 days after finishing a packet (usually around the time my 'withdrawal' bleed started). I don't think I have ever had a headache other than this but I accepted it was probably hormones and just took some paracetamol and had a lie-down if I could (I was fortunate in that it was usually a Saturday or Sunday and pre-DS could just lie down if I felt like it )

Oh and if I did run 2 packets together, I didn't get a headache so it must have been pill-related.

Sounds like yours might be similar.

Sounds like menstrual migraine to me. (Unprofessional opinion but voice of bitter experience!) If you haven't already, I'd recommend having a read of work by Dr Anne MacGregor (Director of Clinical Research at the City of London Migraine Clinic).

Try the following website and go to 'factsheets'.

www.colmc.org.uk/

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Thank you ladies. I will read that info. I had never heard of PM headaches and thought it was a cop out tbh. How disappointing he might be right.....
They have been verging on migraines (ie making me feel sick and having to go to bed in a dark room) but seem to have been more bearable the last two months, or at least respond to paracetamol.....

HeadHeartorhormones, thank you so much for that link!!
Those fact sheets describe me exactly and I feel very reassured actually that now I have some information and so can deal with them. Fantastic. I am obviously a classic case .
I think I will speak to the Doc about running some pill packs together once in a while as that certainly helped and the headache I did get when running packs together could easily have been stress related worrying about the Christening I was organising.
I just hope they don't get too much worse leading up to the menopause as I am only 31 .

Glad that helps. If you find increasingly that paracetomol is not working for you there is some good medication available for migraine these days. The 'triptan' family of drugs have made my life liveable. (I daren't think about the menopause!). Be aware your doctor may want to take you off the combined pill altogether. I think this was the default position when migraine was suspected (increased risk of stroke). However, and please check because I'm doing this from memory, if you have migraine without aura (strange visual disturbances, numbness or temporary paralysis and other strange happenings!) I think the cp is now considered safe.

I have given up on all forms of hormonal contraception because my body just can't seem to tolerate them . But then I'm a sensitive little soul. .

Keep me posted.

I will make an appt next week to see the doc and see what they say. I feel better informed now thanks to your info. I am certain I don't have 'aura' related migraines so that is good. The first doc I saw wanted me to change my contraception I think, but the second one who suggested menstrual headaches was happy for me to stay on the pill, though he did want me back on Cerazette (the progesterone only one) and that makes more sense now I have been able to read those documents. Oestogen withdrawal headache makes more sense now. I feel better already!

Just an update. Saw the doc today who has suggested I do the tri-cycling (running 3 packs together before a bleed) and see how I get on. Suits me, hopefully no headaches and no periods either .