At 29, can hormones or birth control affect my migraine?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 29-year-old woman who gets severe migraine attacks, especially around my periods. The pain is one-sided, and I feel nauseous and sensitive to light. I have tried painkillers and caffeine, but nothing really helps long-term. My doctor mentioned monthly migraine injections, which concerns me. I am also afraid of taking too many medicines. Please tell me,

Are they safe for women my age?
Do hormones or birth control affect migraines?
What lifestyle changes can I try to prevent these attacks naturally?

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and can understand your concern.

I have gone through your symptoms and noted they sound like menstrual migraine, which is a subtype of migraine triggered by hormonal changes. In such cases, I usually advise you to take primrose oil supplements that can help alleviate the symptoms and help the body respond to these hormonal changes.

The monthly migraine injections your doctor is referring to are calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) monoclonal antibodies (such as Erenumab, Fremanezumab, Galcanezumab). They are not hormones, are given once a month to prevent migraine attacks, and are generally well tolerated.

They do not affect your fertility, and come with slight side effects, mostly related to pain at the injection site.

With regards to hormone replacement therapy, it can affect migraine positively, but should be chosen wisely with no estrogen combination, as that might worsen the symptoms.

I agree, too many medications can be overwhelming and have no good effects on your body. So, what I suggest is to:

You should discuss with your caring doctor about starting supplements containing primrose oil and maca to stabilize hormonal changes. You can also try the following things:

Try to keep your sugar levels on track and eat every three to four hours, avoid skipping meals, and reduce sugar spikes.
Magnesium intake is very important; the supplements I suggested also contain magnesium.
Try to have regular sleep each night.

This is what we can suggest to you. However, you should track your periods to understand the time of migraine attacks and try to take appropriate measures to reduce their symptoms.

I hope this information helps you.

Feel free to ask further queries.

Thank you.