Video: Symptoms of Menstrual Migraine Headaches

The symptoms of menstrual migraine headaches are similar to regular migraines, except that menstrual migraines often are not preceded by visual aura and they are usually much more severe. Differentiate between a regular migraine and a menstrual migraine with advice from a board-certified neurologist in this free video on headaches.

Video Transcript

Hello I'm Alex Mauskop I'm a neurologist here in New York City and I'm the director of the New York Headache Center. Many women have menstrual migraines. Menstrual migraines are very similar to a regular migraine, the only difference is that it occurs before, during the menstruation. Usually two or three days before and two or three days after the flow begins. So menstrual migraines are very similar except that they are very rarely preceded by a visual aura. Visual aura is a neurological symptom that occurs before a migraine where you see spots or a sparkles in front of your eyes, usually on one side . So that's not common in people who have menstrual migraines. Some women have both menstrual and non menstrual migraines. Menstrual migraines often are more severe and more difficult to treat. So there are many approaches that can be applied specifically to menstrual migraines. First we treat them the way we treat any other migraine. That is give them preventive treatment such as vitamin supplements and acute therapy. Once the headache starts we give them prescription drugs as well as non prescription medications such as Migrolex and Advil and Aleve which is Ibuprofen and Naproxen Sodium. Sometimes that doesn't work and we use preventive therapy. That is the day before a women expects the headache to come and many women who have regular periods will know exactly when they are going to have a headache, we give them Naproxen Sodium or Ibuprofen twice a day before the headache actually begins and that can prevent it. We also use what's called continuous contraception, daily intake of oral contraceptives which can work.

Symptoms of Menstrual Migraine Headaches

Related Ads

Related Articles & Videos