What are menstrual migraines?

Menstrual migraines can occur during a period. They usually strike two days before a period starts and last for three days during a period. They can hurt so badly that it affects a person’s daily life. Bright lights or strong smells can make them feel worse.

Symptoms of menstrual migraines

Menstrual migraines feel like other kinds of migraines. But they’re far more painful and don’t go away easily, even if you take painkillers. Here are some of the typical symptoms:

A throbbing pain on one side of the head
Being sensitive to light, sounds, smells and/or touch
Feeling and/or being sick
Feeling tired and dizzy

Understanding menstrual migraines

About 20%–25% of women who have migraines have menstrual migraines. This figure rises for women who visit headache clinics (22%–70%).

These migraines are very painful and impact a person’s daily life.

New research says that, because there are different ways to diagnose menstrual migraines, it’s tricky to say how often they happen, what they’re like and how well treatments work.

Why do menstrual migraines happen?

Periods can be annoying. Painful migraines that make it difficult to do anything make them even worse.

Menstrual migraines happen due to hormonal changes. During a period, a person’s oestrogen drops, leading to withdrawal symptoms. Their body also releases prostaglandin.

The Journal of Headache and Pain says that menstrual migraines can be much worse than other types. The study says menstrual migraines can last up to 35% longer than other types. For these reasons, the treatment for them is more complex.

Effective treatments for menstrual migraines

You can do many things to make menstrual migraines better. Doctors can often give you painkillers (NSAIDs) that target your pain. Hormonal treatments like the pill or HRT may also be an option. Sumatriptan can help if taken when a migraine first starts. Talk to our prescribers, who can tell you which treatment is best for you.

Clinical trials aren’t always clear about whether a headache is a menstrual migraine or a migraine that just happens to occur during a period. This can change whether or not your medicine works.

PubMed says that treatments that focus on how your hormones change work best. But there isn’t enough evidence to support a standard method of treatment.

Preventing menstrual migraines

It can help to get regular sleep, lower your stress levels and check what you eat.

Sometimes, taking the pill without breaks to make your hormones stable can be a good way to stop these migraines.

When to seek emergency help

Migraines you get because of your period are annoying, painful and frequent. But they’re not dangerous.

You should be careful, though, if you have other symptoms. If you suddenly get very painful headaches, your vision changes or you faint, see a doctor straight away.

Also, get help if the migraine lasts much longer than usual and medicines don’t relieve your symptoms.