Migraine Headache
Menstral Migraines
Menstral migraines are different from non-menstrual
attacks of migraine, even if the two happen to the same women, in the
regularity of its timing and its severity. Compared with other times in
the menstrual cycle, a migraine is more than twice as likely to occur
during the first 3 days of menstruation and more than three times as
severe. For more information on migraines, read Some
More Type Of Migraines.
About 60 % of women
with migraine note an increased number of different types of headaches
like daily headache, constant headache in association with their
menstrual period. In 10 % to 14 % of these women, migraine occurs around
the time of the periods and at no other time. Many headache authorities
think the term "menstrual migraine" should be restricted to migraines
that occur in women that experience 90 % of all their attacks between
the two days before and the last day of their menstrual periods.
Prophylactic
treatment with a triptan for 6 days, beginning 2 days before the
anticipated start of the menstrual migraine reduces the incidence of
migraine by at least a half. The triptans act as agonists for
5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptors and include sumatriptan (Imitrex),
rizatriptan (Maxalt), naratriptan (Amerge), zolmitriptan (Zomig),
eletriptan (Relpax), lmotriptan (Axert), and frovatriptan (Frova).
A
recent headache research by American headache society sheds new light on
the menstral migraine causes. According to the research, fluctuations in
estrogen levels may turn the genes that control pain and blood vessels
on and off, and thus cause migraines. Menstral migraines are more
frequent and intense headaches that occur around the time of
menstruation or ovulation. If menstral headache persists, one should
consult a good headache specialist and if you keep a headache diary it
could be of enormous help to your doctor.