The Headaches of the Menstrual Period

Last updated: Monday, January 17, 2005

Women are twice as likely to experience migraine during the first two days of their menstrual cycle than during the rest of the month, according to a study in the November 28 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Standing a Better Chance to Prevent It

"If women have a better idea when they'll get a migraine during their cycle, they have a better chance to prevent or treat it," said Stephen Silberstein, MD, a neurologist and director of the Headache Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Penn. "That's important news – especially when you consider that 70 percent of all migraine sufferers are women."

The study is one of the few to look at the relationship between migraine and menstruation in the general population. It is also one of the first studies to ask if migraines during menstruation are different in their length and pain than during other times.

The results showed 28 percent of migraine without aura, the type of migraine most often associated with menstruation, took place in the four days surrounding the beginning of menstruation. There was also a greater chance of tension-type headache. However, there was no increase in migraine with aura or any evidence to support the idea that migraines during menstruation are more painful or more severe.

"Menstruation was a powerful trigger for migraine, but the headache wasn't any different than those triggered by alcohol or chocolate," said Silberstein. "This study doesn't support the idea that "menstrual migraine" is longer or more intense than other migraines."

Oestrogen’s Fault

Previous studies have looked at the relationship between migraine and menstruation in patients at headache clinics. Migraine develops most often around adolescence, and researchers have looked at its relationship with the cyclic changes in female sex hormones. Research has shown that the primary trigger for migraine during menstruation may be the withdrawal of oestrogen.

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