menstrual migraines :(

[LauraLoo1612]

Does anyone else here suffer from menstrual migraines?

I suffer with a bad attack just on the run up to AF and then another attack after AF has finished.... these past 3 months have been bad with them I've been off work with them.

What do people do to ease their migraines? I've been taking 2 x paracetamol and 400 mg ibruprofen but that doesn't seem to touch it now. Going to the Docs today.

 

[LauraLoo1612]

Bump?

 

[Sommerfugl]

My don't seem to be to do with my cycle (thought the doctor blamed them on hormones for years when I was a pre-teen grr!) But I know how horrendous they are. I'm in bed for a day with them, unable to do anything.
I'm glad you're going to the doctors, he should be able to prescribe you some much stronger meds.
I take 'Maxalt Melt' (rizatriptan). Can't say it works miracles, but it's a lot worse without them.
Hope you can get something that helps!

 

[LauraLoo1612]

I'm just worried he won't take my seriously and tell me to carry on with paracetamol and ibuprofen.. its needs something stronger because they do nothing for me and its interferring with my life... my job... and knocks me out fr the day.

 

[LauraLoo1612]

Doctor has prescribed me Sumatriptan 50mg.. fingers crossed these work!

 

[Sommerfugl]

I'm glad he listened to you and prescribed something. I think if you've never had a migraine it's easy to think it's just a 'bad headache'.
If you find the meds don't help you should go back and ask for something else, there are quite a lot of different things, some might work better than others, but hopfully this will help, it's gotta be better than just paracetamol and ibruprofen at least!
FX!

 

[LauraLoo1612]

Thank you... feel kinda "spaced out" and sleepy at the minute.. took the tablet an hour ago. But head feeling better at the moment.

 

[nevernormal]

I usually take something as soon as I feel it coming on. If I let the migraine come full force, there's no stopping it!

 

[Sommerfugl]

I'm like nevernormal, I have to take it as soon as possible. Though, with mine, it's not just the pain, I get some freaky scary symptoms first like numb arm, blind spots and speech disturbances.

I didn't realise you were having one now. Poor thing. If you're feeling sleepy then you should try to lie down and sleep, best thing for them.

 

[CribGoch]

Hi to the lady that posted about menstrual migraines. Hopefully you have now found a treatment that is working for you but in case you have not, I wanted to say I started suffering from menstrual migraines about 18 months ago. I had never suffered with migraines before but I knew these awful headaches were directly linked to my menstual cycle. I concluded that I was suffering from menstrual migraines and went to my doctor to get something strong, because like you I was findig ibuprofen etc was not working. I was prescribed mefenamic acid which works really well, I just take 1 when I feel the all to familiar niggle and it normally knocks it on the head completely and it does not progress into a full blown migraine. These tablets don't have any side effects either. I was advised that ibuprofen won't work on a migraine. Hopefully you have found something that works for you but if not I would strongly recommend mefenamic acid.

 

[Button79]

Hi,

I am just replying to this as it drew me in - I have been suffering all day with what I think is a migraine. It's been awful. Horrendous headache, sickness, dizziness, really sensitive to sound and light, hot but cold too. It got so bad that I had to lie in a dark room for a couple of hours. I was reading up and I think it sounds like a migraine, I read that they are more common in women and often hormonal. The only pain killers I have in the house are condiene tablets so have taken them but they're not helping much. It has eased off but can feel my head starting to throb again.

What I was wondering was, how do you know if it's a menstrual migraine? I am CD20 of a 28 day cycle and I think I OV'd either yesterday or the day before. You mentioned it's normally around AF time but mine's not due until Monday next week.

 

[rdy4number2]

I used to use imitrex for my migraines, but quit because of the cost. The only thing I have found to work is take 800mg of ibuprofin at the first sign of it. My migraines go through phases and the first phase is glittery/splotchy vision. As soon as I notice that I take the 800mg and it knocks it within an hour. Hope this helps you!

 

[LauraLoo1612]

It varies from people to people, I get them after my AF has been, sometimes around O too.

My Doctor put me on Sumatriptan at first but I had an allergic reaction to it, so now I take Propanolol daily and haven't had a migraine since. Would recommend going to your GP if you suffer with them.