Headaches during period

[KLD313]

After having DS my periods are awful. Heavier, longer and like 25 days in between them. My ovulation pain has been really bad and when I get my period I have headaches for the whole week. Idk if it's thyroid related because I have Graves' disease and I'm pretty sure I sent myself hypO due to medication and not getting bloodwork on time or just age related (I'll be 40 this month ugh). Anyone else?

[hillview]

Post kids I had (still do) worse O pain.

[jerigirl]

I have had headaches with my period for as long as I can remember. If I don't stay on top of the pain it makes me nauseous. Sometimes throwing up. Usually ibuprofen is enough strong enough if I catch it early. I also had the same headache for the first few weeks of my pregnancy with DS1. It is a specific pain that I cant really describe but I don't get it any other time than during my period.

[KLD313]

I have had headaches with my period for as long as I can remember. If I don't stay on top of the pain it makes me nauseous. Sometimes throwing up. Usually ibuprofen is enough strong enough if I catch it early. I also had the same headache for the first few weeks of my pregnancy with DS1. It is a specific pain that I cant really describe but I don't get it any other time than during my period.

Yes, that's how I feel right how, like I could throw up. I call them hormonal headaches because the only time I feel like this is around my period. It's an odd pain and like radiates across my head almost tingly. It'd seriously affecting my mood today and I have no patience for my kids. :(

[jerigirl]

Yes, that's how I feel right how, like I could throw up. I call them hormonal headaches because the only time I feel like this is around my period. It's an odd pain and like radiates across my head almost tingly. It'd seriously affecting my mood today and I have no patience for my kids. :(

Hormone headaches. Exactly. Mine are usually on one side of my head/temple/eye. (though not always the same side...) No fun. I am sorry you are starting to have these and that I don't have much to offer besides commiseration for you.

[Indianamom2]

I have migraines with various root causes, but one of the triggers is definitely hormonal, as I can predict when they will occur, and they are awful during pregnancy.

I'm sorry you're dealing with this too. Definitely stay on top of the pain...letting is go untreated will not be good.

[JBaxter]

Some of those reasons caused me to go back on the pill at 46.

[kdeunc]

I think you guys are having classic migraines. Hormones can definitely be a trigger. They are for me. So sorry you are suffering!

[zukeypur]

I have them too. I often dream about getting up and taking something, only to wake up later in horrid pain and trying to remember if I took something or if it was a dream. I think I'm going to start sleeping with water and Excedrin on my bedside table during that week. I'm also going to try taking 4 weeks of active pills this cycle, and then trying to extend the time between cycles with my BCPs (suggestion of my new OB/GYN). I occasionally get headaches at other times, but they are primarily during period week and are very severe.

[KLD313]

I think you guys are having classic migraines. Hormones can definitely be a trigger. They are for me. So sorry you are suffering!

That's what I was wondering because of the nausea. The nausea actually hit first, the night before and then the next morning I got my period and the headache. I still have the headache this morning but not as bad. I thought migraines had auras or whatever it's called? That's what made me think no.

I had my tubes tied so I wouldn't have to be on the pill.

[kdeunc]

I have had migraines all of my life. I did not have an aura until I was 33 and pregnant with DS2. I still don't have an aura with every headache and I don't always have pain when I have the aura. My mom never had an aura until her 40s, migraines since childhood. She would sometimes be so bad that she would be in bed for 2 days.

I think you are having migraines. Sometimes pain meds with caffeine will help me, sometimes nothing helps but time. :(

[KLD313]

I have had migraines all of my life. I did not have an aura until I was 33 and pregnant with DS2. I still don't have an aura with every headache and I don't always have pain when I have the aura. My mom never had an aura until her 40s, migraines since childhood. She would sometimes be so bad that she would be in bed for 2 days.

I think you are having migraines. Sometimes pain meds with caffeine will help me, sometimes nothing helps but time. :(

Thanks for that info. It certainly explains why the headaches are so bad. Last month I tried pain meds w caffeine and it didn't work. Ugh. I can't take this every month. I'm sorry you've had to deal w this for so long.

[daisysmom]

I have hormonal migraines. No auras, ever. Exedrin Migraine helped me for 5+ years or so. But almost 2 years ago, I started taking magnesium and it has been like a miracle. It took taking it for a month every day to really see a difference but I am a true convert. There are threads on here with dosage and more believers.

[KLD313]

I have hormonal migraines. No auras, ever. Exedrin Migraine helped me for 5+ years or so. But almost 2 years ago, I started taking magnesium and it has been like a miracle. It took taking it for a month every day to really see a difference but I am a true convert. There are threads on here with dosage and more believers.

Oh that's interesting. I'll look into because I am
desperate and I can't take Exedrin because it makes my heart race and I shake.

[ray7694]

zukeypur

How do you extend your BCP?

[lizzywednesday]

...

How do you extend your BCP?

You skip the placebo pills and start a new pack of hormone pills instead. It's also called "continuous cycle birth control" and is what Seasonale/Seasonique was advertising.

Most women's bodies will adjust after a couple of months and won't experience spotting or breakthrough bleeding at the times when their periods would normally occur.

Just note, I say "most women" because I've personally taken continuous cycle pills and have spotted/bled through the entire pack - and I was on Seasonale for almost 2 years, so my body had PLENTY of time to adjust.

[wendibird22]

I have hormonal migraines. No auras, ever. Exedrin Migraine helped me for 5+ years or so. But almost 2 years ago, I started taking magnesium and it has been like a miracle. It took taking it for a month every day to really see a difference but I am a true convert. There are threads on here with dosage and more believers.

I get migraine like headaches too. Most were caused by my gluten intolerance but I do still get them sometimes when my period starts. I'm on BCP but still can get them. Magnesium has helped. I take 2 250mg pills daily. I'm able to take them at the same time with breakfast. Some people do better doing 1 in the a.m. and 1 in the p.m. to avoid loose stools.


You skip the placebo pills and start a new pack of hormone pills instead. It's also called "continuous cycle birth control" and is what Seasonale/Seasonique was advertising.

Most women's bodies will adjust after a couple of months and won't experience spotting or breakthrough bleeding at the times when their periods would normally occur.

Just note, I say "most women" because I've personally taken continuous cycle pills and have spotted/bled through the entire pack - and I was on Seasonale for almost 2 years, so my body had PLENTY of time to adjust.

I'm not "most women" either. I tried Seasonique for 4 or 5 months and spotted the entire freakin time.

[zukeypur]

zukeypur

How do you extend your BCP?

I don't know that you can do this on a pill like Ortho-tricyclen where there are three different pills in addition to the placebo. I was having terrible migraines and horrendous PMS on ortho-tricyclen, so my OB/GYN switched me to low-ogestrel. I actually had an appt with my OB/GYN last week and we discussed lengthening the time between cycles. She said that you should start by extending it a week or two, moving it up a bit each time until you reach 3 months between cycles. Continue taking the active pills, skipping the placebo. When you're ready to have a period (really, who is ever ready?) stop taking the active pills. After 4 days off, start back up with the active pills. She wrote my prescription for more than 12 packs over the course of the next year. I don't know how insurance handles this, but I am willing to fork out a little money in exchange for less frequent periods. Not only for the inconvenience of the actual period, but to avoid the headaches.

[lizzywednesday]

I don't know that you can do this on a pill like Ortho-tricyclen where there are three different pills in addition to the placebo. I was having terrible migraines and horrendous PMS on ortho-tricyclen, so my OB/GYN switched me to low-ogestrel. I actually had an appt with my OB/GYN last week and we discussed lengthening the time between cycles. She said that you should start by extending it a week or two, moving it up a bit each time until you reach 3 months between cycles. Continue taking the active pills, skipping the placebo. When you're ready to have a period (really, who is ever ready?) stop taking the active pills. After 4 days off, start back up with the active pills.

Yes, that's the other consideration - I would think that it's only for monophasic (the same amount of hormones in every pill) rather than multiphasic (different amounts of hormones in each pill) because the hormone fluctuation is too tough to calibrate properly for multiphasic?


She wrote my prescription for more than 12 packs over the course of the next year. I don't know how insurance handles this, but I am willing to fork out a little money in exchange for less frequent periods. Not only for the inconvenience of the actual period, but to avoid the headaches.

My prescription plan would deal with this by considering BCP as a "maintenance medication" and having me order an extended supply from their mail-order pharmacy. I would suspect this is how yours would handle it, too, but it's always worth a call.