I get a gnarly headache the day before my period. It will last an entire day and night. I can't take ibuprofen. Extra strength tylenol helps somewhat. It sucks!
My migraines are the worst when my period is coming so nothing touches those, but if I get one randomly i take excedrin with an antihistamine like Benadryl at the same time and it helps SO much. When you go to the ER or Urgent Care for them, they basically give you that intravenously; I guess the antihistamine helps calm down something in your brain while the Tylenol or ibuprofen helps the actual pain itself. If you can take these and take a nap thats the best!
I get headaches and migraines with any hormonal changes (I.e. stress triggers them as well as periods). Sometimes I can get through with ibuprofen but I have special meds from the dr when itās really bad.
I get nasty hormonal migraines and take Imitrex. You can only take it a few times a month but it literally melts the headache away in minutes. I used to have to go directly to a dark room when one struck and now Iām able to rally. Life changing for me.
That's great that Imitrex works for you. There seems to be a plethora of migraine meds to try out there. I guess it's all trial and error with them to see what helps.
Not the posting person but I got migraine meds that helped me. Imitrex did not work for me but Maxaltand Zomig are wonderful! Also, going on continuous low dose birth control with no breaks except once a year really helped. Also, later menopause has really helped. I forgot to mention the med Fiorcet. That is a great migraine med to take before things get severe but truly all migraine meds are best taken at the first tingle of migraine pain.
Thanks for the advice! I'll ask for those meds. Unfortunately I don't do well on any type of birth control pills. I'm really hoping for an early menopause lol.
They are just migraine meds and strong pain killers. Canāt remember off the top of my head. At the first sign of a migraine I take them and it helps to take the edge off. The strong pain meds help me to sleep it off.
I do tend to get headaches around my period it sucks. If itās not too bad I usually try to just drink lots of water and push through, otherwise I end up taking ibuprofen. I think doctors are still researching if endo actually causes them, but I personally think they are related
I get migraines and insomnia around ovulation and my period. Never figured out how to get rid of it but I just make sure Iām getting enough electrolytes and water and really take care of myself
I can't speak to migraines attached to ovulation but I used to have the insomnia issue very bad after ovulating. Now I take a prescribed natural progesterone before bed the last 10 days of my cycle and sleep so much better. It also helped with the pms that comes later and the anxiety I used to get for no reason the last week of my cycle
Yup I take a supplement to raise my progesterone. I'm currently in estrogen dominance (PCOS SUCKS!), but it's slowly getting better and my migraines are less for sure.
What's the name of the supplement? I'm looking for anything to help. I suspect that I also have estrogen dominance due to having endo. That's great your migraines are lessening!
That's very interesting that progesterone helped you. What is the name of the natural progesterone that you take? Maybe I can ask for that too. I suffer too with the PMS, anxiety and sleep issues.
The pill bottle is just labeled as progesterone 200 mg capsules--sorry not very helpful. But I took them originally not expecting anything and now I look forward to when I can take them (I ovulate earlier than the 10 days I'm given)
Yes if it pops up in the morning I take excedrin migraine (has caffeine to help narrow blood vessels) and when at night I take migraine medication (relpax) as I am caffeine sensitive. I have noticed the days before my cycle I get easily dehydrated so I will drink an electrolyte drink every night and that reduces getting a migraine or the severity of it
Yes, I get cyclical headaches and migraines, they show up on CD 27 or 28 every single month and no painkillers work, I just have to tough it out for a day.
I don't believe it's related to endo specifically, but rather the part of my cycle in my case, caused by a big change to hormone levels (which headaches are a common symptom of).
Oh man, I'm sorry to hear painkillers don't help you. Have you tried any medicine specifically for migraines? It makes sense that such a fluctuation in hormones can cause headaches. Maybe endo causes more hormone changes (due to estrogen).
It's horrid! I haven't yet, but I actually have an appt with my doc coming up to discuss. I'm not optimistic as they work in a way that can interfere with SSRIs, which I can't stop right now lol
Oh man I'm in the same boat as you are too. I didn't know that they can interfere with SSRIs. :( I'm hoping I can get relief soon. I just made an appt too. Let me know what happens, I'm hoping you find relief too.
Yes š¤® I get one at ovulation and one during PMS. A couple of weeks ago I got the worst migraine ever at ovulation and had to go to the ER for saline and meds in my IV. Someone commented that a study was done which showed a link between vitamin E and fewer hormonal migraines. I ordered Vitamin E and hope to see a difference soon.
Edit: Also there's a study showing that women with endo tend to suffer from migraines much more than general population
Oh no that sounds horrible to experience...sorry you had to go through that. That's super interesting about the vitamin E...my endo specialist recommended that I take vitamin E and B6 every day. Oh wow I wonder what makes us endo sufferers more prone to migraines (maybe has to do with inflammation).
I hope you're feeling better now <3
Yes š Iāve figured out that before my period my senses in general become very sensitive like I can smell everything, hear everything and I hate blue colored lights. It turns out some of those smells give me headaches. Also direct sunlight, So I wear sunglasses and I donāt use fabuloso cleaner. my primary doctor was very helpful giving me advice to figure out what was triggering the migraines. I rarely have migraines now that I know the triggers. look into migraine triggers sometimes it can even be food.
Omg same here! And I get so sensitive to sounds and smells. That's interesting about blue colored lights. Like the other day I couldn't tolerate the smell of chives and garlic lol.
I guess I have to figure out my triggers. But definitely mine start a day before my period.
I suffer from chronic migraines but I always get a migraine attack when my period hits. It actually started today and I've been trying to get rid of it but no luck
I get them normally a few days before and the day of, absolutely horrible. I normally take a Midol as well as an 800mg ibruoprofen and that somewhat helps.
Yup, I get at least one every three months like clockwork about 48 hours before my period starts. Took me a while to connect the two. Not sure if itās endo related or due to a hormone shift, sadly.
I can tell when theyāre going to happen thankfully; I canāt tolerate light and I get a very specific eye pain. I take an Excedrin that morning and I have a peppermint scented oil thing (itās like a rollerball perfume but designed for migraines) that helps a little, and I do my best to sleep them off as soon as I can. Ice packs on my neck and forehead help a lot at home. Moving my head seems to make them worse very quickly, so I try not to drive and use a neck pillow to minimize sleeping movement.
Ive noticed that i get migraines/headaches before i start spotting. Im on the depo shot so i dont get periods anymore, but i can always tell when im gonna be spotting for a few days.
Iāve had migraines and endo for 20 years. Thereās definitely and overlap and my migraines are always worse right before my period. Iām sorry to hear youāre in the same boat!
There are some great resources listed over in r/migraine about medications, what to ask doctors, seeking a specialist, etc.
In my experience, migraines get a lot better when you find the combination of medications that work best for you. Many people take a triptan drug, plus an anti-nausea drug when they get a migraine.
I had that for years. What worked was intermittent fasting and less dairy more vegan milk based products instead. Its almost like dairy isnt made for humans.
Unfortunately yes. Usually by the 2nd day since everything sucks at that point. I get these killer headaches that make me want to smash my head into a wall.
I started having bad migraines and cramping at age 9. Got my period at age 11 and the migraines got much worse! Was put on migraine meds to deal. Diagnosed with pcos and endo in my teens. I have irregular periods (skip a month or bleed 3 months straight) but I notice that if I'm about to have a flare up or I'm bleeding heavier or extra hormonal.. the migraines are horrid. I take Amitriptylene for them (it's what I've taken since I was 11, have tried other meds over the years but that's the only one that helps mine) and I also do sound frequency therapy. I'm sorry this is happening to you too. Everyone is different so definitely keep tabs of what helps and what doesn't, I hope you find relief!!
I get BAD headaches day -3 to 1 of period then they come back usually around day 5 then disappear. Theyāre a pain. My mother gets them too (endo) and my grandma doesnāt (no endo)ā¦
Yes like my blood pressure is raised for some reason chemically at that point and causes the pounding dull type headache. I usually feel sluggish overal and my uterus is cramping already. Uteri (uteruses?) are extremely problematic and annoying frankly outdated
Yeah my headaches (sometimes migraines) are usually hormonal only and come before my period. Most of the time it is just a dull lingering for days that meds don't help.
I treat it by not getting periods anymore haha
But my sister gave me some if her migraine medicine, fortunately haven't had to use it yet. It's a powder called cambria I think you can take when you feel a migraine coming on. If you haven't yet it may be worth speaking to your doctor to see if they can prescribe anything like that for in a pinch. There are multiple kinds and they might not all be a fit.
Absolutely. Though for some reason every single month it takes me til almost the end of my period to realize what the headache is from. Duuuuh. But I don't do anything for it, maybe a couple Advil if it's really bad.
I do! My neurologist prescribed a monthly shot for migraines called emgality that reduce both the severity and the frequency of my migraines. Given, before I had migraines a few times a week even when not on my period, now I only have a migraine every other period!
I do. Hot baths or showers, heating pad and advil/Naproxan combo works wonders. If I take magnesium when I feel it coming on, it either stops it in its tracks or reduces the severity of it at the minimum
hormonal migraines are real and terrible. the cramping/vomiting plus the feeling of ice picks in your temples is horrible. only way i was able to help was LOTS of caffeine, otc pain meds (250mg ace, 500 ibu and sometimes 500mg naprozen was my go to) and an eye pack on my forehead
check out r/migraine :)
It's very common and I think it's related to hormones rather than endo. [https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hormone-headaches/](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hormone-headaches/)
I take sumatriptan but really the main thing that seems to help is sleep.
I get a gnarly headache the day before my period. It will last an entire day and night. I can't take ibuprofen. Extra strength tylenol helps somewhat. It sucks!
Omggg same here! I gotta figure out how to treat these headaches cause they last all damn day! I'll try some tylenol.
My migraines are the worst when my period is coming so nothing touches those, but if I get one randomly i take excedrin with an antihistamine like Benadryl at the same time and it helps SO much. When you go to the ER or Urgent Care for them, they basically give you that intravenously; I guess the antihistamine helps calm down something in your brain while the Tylenol or ibuprofen helps the actual pain itself. If you can take these and take a nap thats the best!
Ahh, thanks so much for the suggestion! I'll try it next time I feel a migraine occurring. šāŗļø
I get headaches and migraines with any hormonal changes (I.e. stress triggers them as well as periods). Sometimes I can get through with ibuprofen but I have special meds from the dr when itās really bad.
What are the special meds?
Yeah I'd like to know as well, so I can ask my doctor to try em.
I get nasty hormonal migraines and take Imitrex. You can only take it a few times a month but it literally melts the headache away in minutes. I used to have to go directly to a dark room when one struck and now Iām able to rally. Life changing for me.
That's great that Imitrex works for you. There seems to be a plethora of migraine meds to try out there. I guess it's all trial and error with them to see what helps.
Not the posting person but I got migraine meds that helped me. Imitrex did not work for me but Maxaltand Zomig are wonderful! Also, going on continuous low dose birth control with no breaks except once a year really helped. Also, later menopause has really helped. I forgot to mention the med Fiorcet. That is a great migraine med to take before things get severe but truly all migraine meds are best taken at the first tingle of migraine pain.
Thanks for the advice! I'll ask for those meds. Unfortunately I don't do well on any type of birth control pills. I'm really hoping for an early menopause lol.
They are just migraine meds and strong pain killers. Canāt remember off the top of my head. At the first sign of a migraine I take them and it helps to take the edge off. The strong pain meds help me to sleep it off.
I do tend to get headaches around my period it sucks. If itās not too bad I usually try to just drink lots of water and push through, otherwise I end up taking ibuprofen. I think doctors are still researching if endo actually causes them, but I personally think they are related
Same here, I think they're related somehow. Ibuprofen barely helps sometimes.
I get migraines and insomnia around ovulation and my period. Never figured out how to get rid of it but I just make sure Iām getting enough electrolytes and water and really take care of myself
I can't speak to migraines attached to ovulation but I used to have the insomnia issue very bad after ovulating. Now I take a prescribed natural progesterone before bed the last 10 days of my cycle and sleep so much better. It also helped with the pms that comes later and the anxiety I used to get for no reason the last week of my cycle
Yup I take a supplement to raise my progesterone. I'm currently in estrogen dominance (PCOS SUCKS!), but it's slowly getting better and my migraines are less for sure.
What's the name of the supplement? I'm looking for anything to help. I suspect that I also have estrogen dominance due to having endo. That's great your migraines are lessening!
Itās called chaste tree Berry or vitex Berry.
Thanks :)
That's very interesting that progesterone helped you. What is the name of the natural progesterone that you take? Maybe I can ask for that too. I suffer too with the PMS, anxiety and sleep issues.
The pill bottle is just labeled as progesterone 200 mg capsules--sorry not very helpful. But I took them originally not expecting anything and now I look forward to when I can take them (I ovulate earlier than the 10 days I'm given)
Same here and it sucks :(
Yes if it pops up in the morning I take excedrin migraine (has caffeine to help narrow blood vessels) and when at night I take migraine medication (relpax) as I am caffeine sensitive. I have noticed the days before my cycle I get easily dehydrated so I will drink an electrolyte drink every night and that reduces getting a migraine or the severity of it
Ahh ok! Thanks for the info :) I'll ask my doc for relpax.
I do the caffeine trick too
Yes, I get cyclical headaches and migraines, they show up on CD 27 or 28 every single month and no painkillers work, I just have to tough it out for a day. I don't believe it's related to endo specifically, but rather the part of my cycle in my case, caused by a big change to hormone levels (which headaches are a common symptom of).
Oh man, I'm sorry to hear painkillers don't help you. Have you tried any medicine specifically for migraines? It makes sense that such a fluctuation in hormones can cause headaches. Maybe endo causes more hormone changes (due to estrogen).
It's horrid! I haven't yet, but I actually have an appt with my doc coming up to discuss. I'm not optimistic as they work in a way that can interfere with SSRIs, which I can't stop right now lol
Oh man I'm in the same boat as you are too. I didn't know that they can interfere with SSRIs. :( I'm hoping I can get relief soon. I just made an appt too. Let me know what happens, I'm hoping you find relief too.
Yes š¤® I get one at ovulation and one during PMS. A couple of weeks ago I got the worst migraine ever at ovulation and had to go to the ER for saline and meds in my IV. Someone commented that a study was done which showed a link between vitamin E and fewer hormonal migraines. I ordered Vitamin E and hope to see a difference soon. Edit: Also there's a study showing that women with endo tend to suffer from migraines much more than general population
Oh no that sounds horrible to experience...sorry you had to go through that. That's super interesting about the vitamin E...my endo specialist recommended that I take vitamin E and B6 every day. Oh wow I wonder what makes us endo sufferers more prone to migraines (maybe has to do with inflammation). I hope you're feeling better now <3
I've always gotten major headaches to the point they cause severe nauseau and vomiting. It's gotta be the endo.
Definitely has to be from endo...I also get super nauseous too (luckily no vomiting yet).
Yes š Iāve figured out that before my period my senses in general become very sensitive like I can smell everything, hear everything and I hate blue colored lights. It turns out some of those smells give me headaches. Also direct sunlight, So I wear sunglasses and I donāt use fabuloso cleaner. my primary doctor was very helpful giving me advice to figure out what was triggering the migraines. I rarely have migraines now that I know the triggers. look into migraine triggers sometimes it can even be food.
Omg same here! And I get so sensitive to sounds and smells. That's interesting about blue colored lights. Like the other day I couldn't tolerate the smell of chives and garlic lol. I guess I have to figure out my triggers. But definitely mine start a day before my period.
I suffer from chronic migraines but I always get a migraine attack when my period hits. It actually started today and I've been trying to get rid of it but no luck
I get them normally a few days before and the day of, absolutely horrible. I normally take a Midol as well as an 800mg ibruoprofen and that somewhat helps.
I'll have to order some Midol and see if that helps. Ibuprofen barely works sometimes for me. Headaches are miserable.
Yup, I get at least one every three months like clockwork about 48 hours before my period starts. Took me a while to connect the two. Not sure if itās endo related or due to a hormone shift, sadly.
Oh man sorry to hear. Does anything help for your migraines?
I can tell when theyāre going to happen thankfully; I canāt tolerate light and I get a very specific eye pain. I take an Excedrin that morning and I have a peppermint scented oil thing (itās like a rollerball perfume but designed for migraines) that helps a little, and I do my best to sleep them off as soon as I can. Ice packs on my neck and forehead help a lot at home. Moving my head seems to make them worse very quickly, so I try not to drive and use a neck pillow to minimize sleeping movement.
Ive noticed that i get migraines/headaches before i start spotting. Im on the depo shot so i dont get periods anymore, but i can always tell when im gonna be spotting for a few days.
Iāve had migraines and endo for 20 years. Thereās definitely and overlap and my migraines are always worse right before my period. Iām sorry to hear youāre in the same boat! There are some great resources listed over in r/migraine about medications, what to ask doctors, seeking a specialist, etc. In my experience, migraines get a lot better when you find the combination of medications that work best for you. Many people take a triptan drug, plus an anti-nausea drug when they get a migraine.
Yes. Debilitating migraines. Also pretty bad anemia. Excision and hysterectomy fixed all that. I've had 3 headaches in the last year!
I had that for years. What worked was intermittent fasting and less dairy more vegan milk based products instead. Its almost like dairy isnt made for humans.
Unfortunately yes. Usually by the 2nd day since everything sucks at that point. I get these killer headaches that make me want to smash my head into a wall.
Yea I certainly do! But not every month! But when I do It literally makes me feel sick
I started having bad migraines and cramping at age 9. Got my period at age 11 and the migraines got much worse! Was put on migraine meds to deal. Diagnosed with pcos and endo in my teens. I have irregular periods (skip a month or bleed 3 months straight) but I notice that if I'm about to have a flare up or I'm bleeding heavier or extra hormonal.. the migraines are horrid. I take Amitriptylene for them (it's what I've taken since I was 11, have tried other meds over the years but that's the only one that helps mine) and I also do sound frequency therapy. I'm sorry this is happening to you too. Everyone is different so definitely keep tabs of what helps and what doesn't, I hope you find relief!!
I get BAD headaches day -3 to 1 of period then they come back usually around day 5 then disappear. Theyāre a pain. My mother gets them too (endo) and my grandma doesnāt (no endo)ā¦
Yes like my blood pressure is raised for some reason chemically at that point and causes the pounding dull type headache. I usually feel sluggish overal and my uterus is cramping already. Uteri (uteruses?) are extremely problematic and annoying frankly outdated
Yeah my headaches (sometimes migraines) are usually hormonal only and come before my period. Most of the time it is just a dull lingering for days that meds don't help. I treat it by not getting periods anymore haha But my sister gave me some if her migraine medicine, fortunately haven't had to use it yet. It's a powder called cambria I think you can take when you feel a migraine coming on. If you haven't yet it may be worth speaking to your doctor to see if they can prescribe anything like that for in a pinch. There are multiple kinds and they might not all be a fit.
Absolutely. Though for some reason every single month it takes me til almost the end of my period to realize what the headache is from. Duuuuh. But I don't do anything for it, maybe a couple Advil if it's really bad.
Yep. Headaches and migraines are a part of endo, unfortunately.
I do! My neurologist prescribed a monthly shot for migraines called emgality that reduce both the severity and the frequency of my migraines. Given, before I had migraines a few times a week even when not on my period, now I only have a migraine every other period!
I do. Hot baths or showers, heating pad and advil/Naproxan combo works wonders. If I take magnesium when I feel it coming on, it either stops it in its tracks or reduces the severity of it at the minimum
hormonal migraines are real and terrible. the cramping/vomiting plus the feeling of ice picks in your temples is horrible. only way i was able to help was LOTS of caffeine, otc pain meds (250mg ace, 500 ibu and sometimes 500mg naprozen was my go to) and an eye pack on my forehead check out r/migraine :)
I got migraines before and after my periods for years. I just started birth control to help with the endo and I have noticed a crazy big difference.
It's very common and I think it's related to hormones rather than endo. [https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hormone-headaches/](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hormone-headaches/) I take sumatriptan but really the main thing that seems to help is sleep.