Sudden onset of premenstrual migraines

[kaylangrish]

Hi,

I'm in my early 20s and started my period when I was 11. They've always been heavy/painful/nausea inducing etc. I've tried several hormonal contraception methods to try and manage them but none of them have really worked for me at least not without debilitating side effects either on my mental health or on my general well-being (depo-provera made me feel like I had flu after two months on it and the mini-pill gave me panic attacks almost daily). I stopped taking depo provera in August (I had one injection in May and never had it topped up).

For the last two months (September and October) I have had very severe migraines the night before my period has started, the first time I wrote it off as being due to the heat and stress (I'd just moved house that day), but when it happened again I began to realise they were happening before my period started. This has never happened to me before in almost ten years of periods, I went to see a GP who told me to keep tracking when they happen and who offered me medication incase they happen again. She also checked my cognitive function which was fine, but didn't really offer any insight into why they've suddenly come on like this.

Has this happened to anyone else? I'd appreciate hearing anyone else's experience or management techniques x

Migraines can start whenever. They tend to come and go - you have a run of lots of them and then they disappear for a while for apparently no reason.

Hormones are a big trigger. But I don't think you will get a reason why they started now and not from your very first period.

Migraines just do their own painful thing as they please.

I get this the day before my period as well. It happens when the estrogen drops. I take medication and lie down until it kicks in. After years of it I'm just used to it. In some ways it's a handy way of knowing when my period will come but it's annoying to have to plan holidays and things around avoiding that day.

I've had migraines since I was a kid, but they got worse as I got older.
The pill used to trigger them, so I stopped that.
Anyway, I had the implant for about 6 years, until I was 24. Migraines were minimal at that point.

Then once the last implant had been removed, I started with chronic migraines.
Mine are linked very heavily into my cycle.

Just before, during and just after my period and during ovulation.

I think sometimes the contraception levels your hormones more, so migraines aren't as severe, then when that's taken away, hormones run rampant.

Its possible you're pe disposed to migraines but the contraceptives have helped to mask that.

Definitely keep a diary of them.

Migraine buddy has been the best app for understanding migraines more but Flo is more simplified for logging things.

I would say that migraines aren't just the pain you experience, but also the pre and post symptoms too.

Before the migraine pain really kicks in, I get brain fog, fatigue, hunger pangs for sugary things, severe light sensitivity or hangover feelings.

And sometimes even travel sickness, which is not pleasant.

But all these can be the start of the attack.

Migraine buddy helped me to understand that a lot and to recognise my warning signs.
I'd highly recommend taking a look.

I've had menstrual migraines since I was about 30. I'm 50 now and in perimenopause, at age 47-49 they got more frequent and less predictable but they seem to be less frequent now and I can't really tell whether they coincide with my period as I haven't had one for 18 months. I'm hoping they will stop completely as my mum had them until menopause too.

Unfortunately for me, triptans alone don't work, but I have finally (thanks to the National Migraine Centre) been put on a regime that does work, although the drugs make me feel terrible for about 2 hours (still better than 36). I recommend the NMC if you don't get anywhere with GP/triptans, there was about a 4 month wait (versus 18 months for an NHS neurologist) and you do have to pay something towards it but it's a donation.