Headaches during period

[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.