Headaches before your period? - Headaches & Migraines Message Board

mjewell · 04-29-2005, 03:31 PM

Any women get migraines or headaches before or during your period? Do you have any advice on how to prevent these? I do have migraine meds but wondering if certain things like diet, exercise, supplements, etc help too.

cjdearden · 04-29-2005, 03:43 PM

I have had regular, can expect them every month for five days - menstrual migraines for about a year now. I have immitrex to help the migraines, but I don't know what can help them as far as diet, because they seem period consistent. Maybe it's because we all eat so much right before the period, and if you're me, you eat a lot of foods you don't normally eat at that time. I'm not sure. I know that if you start taking 500mg each of calcium and magnesium... that should help a lot. Good luck. I hope to learn from your question too.

Bell99 · 04-30-2005, 10:07 AM

Yes as a matter of fact I have one right now!
I take Amerge. Dr. told me it is best for mentral migraines.
I also take Magnesum and put icy hot patches on temples and forehead and pray for the best. I am on day two of mine.

gingerweezie · 05-01-2005, 06:40 AM

Like Bell99 I also have a headache right now. I start taking Calcium / Magnesium caplets about 7 days before my period starts and it really seems to help. Give it a try. I bought mine at WalMart, under $3.00 a bottle for the combo.

MLWC · 05-05-2005, 07:06 AM

I also get menstrual migraines...been and gotten worse since I've been on the pill. They usually show up the week of my period. They're not as much due to the food you eat as much as your body's sensitivity to the big fluctuation in estrogen that occurs right before. Some people are more sensitive than others and so a hormonal fluctuation in one person can trigger problems but not in another. Having a familial history of migraine also puts you at a bigger risk.

The week I'm getting my period, I will usually try to take an aspirin and an acetominophen (tylenol) in the morning with my breakfast. This way if it comes on during the day, I can have already taken the edge off of it. If I'm going to wake up with it, though, I usually feel it in the middle of the night and I FORCE myself to get up and take something, otherwise I'm in BIG trouble when I wake up.

Ah, the joys of femininity!
-MLWC