menstrual migraine

Hi all,

I've struggled with menstrual migraines since my late 30s (I'm now 46). They are such a nuisance I find myself at times praying for menopause!

Imitrex actually works very well for me. I have begun to experiment with using it as a preventive rather than just an abortive (taking it at the start of the day during the time when I get the migraines) and this generally works well.

The problem is that in my 40s, I have found my cycles are really short!-- generally 23-25 days. I have the migraine trouble starting on Day 20 of my cycle and continuing through Day 6 of my period. This means a lot of Imitrex. I recently saw a neurologist who thought my way of dealing with it was basically fine, but it does mean constant headaches (of a different kind) getting my insurance plan to allow me to be sent more in the mail, my dr. to prescribe more, etc. Both are always trying to get me to take an approved "migraine prevention" drug-- usually one of these antidepressants like Pamelor or Amitryptyline. To be honest, though, I do not want to take any kind of psychoactive drug if I don't absolutely have to. I have thought about beta blockers, but am not sure I want to take those either. On the other hand, I do worry sometimes about taking so much Imitrex-- and would also of course love it if I could avoid the migraines some other way.

I would take magnesium, which I have heard is good for menstrual migraines, but I also have ulcerative colitis and worry about the diarrhea factor. I also experimented with Frova, but insurance only allows for 6 of those a month, which is nowhere near enough. Butterbur? Evening primrose? COQ10? Exercise? I would love to know if anyone else out there with menstrual migraines has any thoughts-- aside from getting a hysterectomy! Thanks.

I also take small amounts of Triptans when I'm feeling "migrainey"
I can feel my blood vessels clamping down and my head starts to throb, and I'll take 1/4 or 1/3 of a rizatriptan. The trouble with this can be rebound headaches. I was getting these and had to just deal with the migrainey stuff for days with no meds so I could go backon after at full strength and avoid further rebounding. It was awful.
I get all kinds of migraines and different triggers, but menstrual are the worst. I have tried everything, bio identical hormones, birth control meds, Botox, I too pray for menopause. If I could I'd get a hysterectomy.

I've been taking a birth control pill called Cerazette. It has no estrogen, you take one pill a day, and you get no period. I have probably only had one migraine since taking it and it has been about 9 months. I used to get migraines around my period every month, they were like yours, they would start the day of or the day before and go until it ended, painful in varying degrees over the days. I have UC too. I used to take Ponstel here adn there to help control the migraines and it helped a lot but it's an NSAID. My neurologist gave me zomig which helped sometimes but often I would end up having to take ponstel regardless and it worried me to take NSAIDs with UC. Eventually I started Pristiq for prevention and I no longer had migraines. It was a good option for me because I was depressed as well. I am not sure how much it helped with the depression but the migraines stopped and my UC improved, about 6 months later I stopped taking Pristiq and started Cerazette again and I've been fine since.

I tried Cal/Mg and saw no positive result.

I'm 54 and was a migraine sufferer when I was very young, but these days, after my brain surgery, I don't get it anymore. I had a 2.5 cm pituitary tumor that was removed soon after it was diagnosed. I don't like to take any drugs if I can help it, I have been doing mindfulness meditation for a few years and life has been wonderful, no more pain. Basically I use visualization during meditation to first focus on where exactly the pain resides in my head, then accepting it. And then allowing myself to visualize moving that pain outside of my body, and disintegrate it into thin air. This is also known as creative visualization, you can Google this visualization concept and do your own research. If you don't want to take any more medication, it means that your body is urging you to find other holistic approach to heal yourself. Trust your subconscious! And good luck!

Hi, I also have UC and menstrual migraines. I've found beta-blockers good and with minimal side-effects - dry eyes can be a problem, but are easily fixed with drops and worth it for less migraines. Mine usually start on the 3rd day of the period and last until I ovulate, but there's a definite reduction in days where I need to take a triptan while on the beta-blockers.
I also found evening primrose increased my UC bleeding while I was flaring - not doing that again! - and magnesium did nothing at all for me, but it's worth getting your levels of it checked.