Menstrual Migraine

Hi, 

I have also suffered menstrual migraines since I was 19 (I am now 48!).  Throughout that time I have tried every kind of OTC meds as well as tried everything from my gp - from topirimate, pizotifen, amitriptyline, sumitriptan, the merina coil, had an induced menopause to try and control my periods to see if twas definitely that that was making me have so many migraines - you name it, I have tried it.  I have even had botox and botox surgery in Berlin.  At the moment my gp has put me back on propranalol a beta blocker that is a preventative drug for migraines, in the hope it was stop them starting in the first place.  It didn't work for me 10 yrs ago and I am still hoping it will work this time round as I have tried everything known to man! Homeopathy, acupuncture, changed my diet etc etc.  I am currently on 80 mg a day however this too has its side effects e.g. lethargy, fatigue, insomnia, upset stomach, brain fog.  I have been on this dose for about 3 cycles yet and am still waiting for a miracle!  It is tough as you will appreciate having a small child - very tough.  If I didn't have a job that allowed me to work from home I would have been made redundant years ago as I feel so bad alot of the time and now I think I am hitting peri-menopause my periods have gone a bit erratic so this is difficult as well waiting to know when I am going to come on and then getting hit by a sledgehammer of a migraine.  But it may work for you, speak to your GP about it, look at reviews etc. you won't know until you try.  Good luck and I hope your health gets back on track.

I got two years' relief from Epilim at one stage - then it stopped working - but still.

Migraine / Vascular / Hormonal Headaches:

In contrast to other types of headaches, classic migraines [45] or vascular headaches have the best potential

for an actual cure, since they are always related to abnormal liver functions (particularly abnormal iron and

manganese levels or ratios), which when rectified, will permanently resolve the disorder.  I have many

patients who have been completely migraine-free for over twenty years following corrective measures to

normalize liver functions through nutritional means or remedies.

Iron and manganese comprise an interdependent mineral pair which affects various liver functions (and vice

versa), including hormonal balance, glycogen metabolism, red blood cell / hemoglobin production, and others.

In contrast to below-normal levels of iron or manganese, which can provoke Vascular Headaches, elevated

levels can trigger classic migraine symptoms, with the Iron / Manganese Ratio determining the left or right-

sidedness of a headache.

In the event of elevated iron, any iron antagonist such as zinc, magnesium, Vitamin B2 or E - whichever

is the most compatible, will effectively relieve the side-specific migraine headaches associated with iron.

Donating blood is another option, which will also lower Blood Pressure in those where BP is related to high

iron levels.

The opposite headache side responds to reducing manganese, whose level can be lowered through calcium,

potassium, Vitamin B6 (with caution), or Vitamin C - whichever ones match a patient.  Lowering manganese

will also improve the liver's ability to regulate estrogen, where a higher mean average is a common trigger for

migraines that are associated with the menstrual cycle, including high estrogenic-types of PMS.  Most properly

diagnosed migraine cases involve congestive liver disease of one or both large central liver lobes (implicating

elevated iron and/or manganese), making the herb Milk Thistle an ideal addition to any other remedy chosen.

In contrast to migraines, Vascular Headaches require the opposite treatment approach, where low levels of

iron or manganese require their supplementation.  This is usually done by taking the chelated version of the

mineral in the 15 - 50 mg range/day, until corrected.  Headaches developing as a result of low or diminishing

estrogen levels, i.e. menopausal, or low estrogenic-types of PMS, amenorrhea (failure to menstruate), or iron-

deficiency anemia, fall into this same category.  In addition to raising their levels, it is equally important to

normalize the iron / manganese ratio to subsequently prevent any one-sided headaches (or migraines) from

developing in the first place.

 

Hi I came across this in search of relief, I started with Menstrual  migraines which have progressively increased to daily migraine

Evening primrose oil is good to take

 

Hi, Ellegee. I hear your frustration. Been there myself.

Since you say they are menstrual related it sounds like you may have a hormonal imbalance. Typically doctors throw estrogen at us, but they fail to recognize the importance of progesterone. I started taking bio-identical progesterone and played around with the dosage till I found what worked. I take 300 mg at bedtime and it also helps me sleep. My skin has cleared up too. Not all gyns are familiar but suggest chat with your gyn about this. Bio-identical progesterone (Prometrium) worked wonders for me: reduced anxiety, pms symptoms, and keeps bloating down. I can't believe it took so many years to figure all this out. Stress depletes progesterone since the building block pregnenolone is converted to cortisol instead. Be sure to eat enough meat products to produce the pregnenolone also. Keep asking. You will get your answer. In the meantime, hang in there.