Hormone Headache

by Jenn G
(Drayton Valley, Alberta, Canada)

Headache Every Day

Hello!

well i am writing to because like many i'm sure i am at a loss of things to do.

For the last 7 months i have been getting headaches more and more frequently, but i could control them with some advil so i never thought much of them, then about three months ago just before my period i got a headache that lasted about 4 days that i couldn't get rid of. it was unlike any other one i had ever had before but once my period came it went away. so i thought it was another joyful part of being a women, and something i could look forward to every month.

when my next menstrual cycle came around the headache came back, but this time it was about 6 days before, and it didn't go away when my period started. so i kept trying to get ride of it with advil but nothing was helping.

finally after 10 days i went to the emergency room, and they gave me some toradal(not sure on spelling) and that did nothing, so then them gave me demerol, and again that did nothing so they sent me home. a few more days went by and i still had no relief, so i made an appointment to see a doctor. when i told him my situation he ordered a CT scan, and gave me tramacet for the pain. the tramacet numbed every other part of my body except my head. i had the CT scan and it came back fine.

after this visit i have gone back to see my family doctor numerous times, he has prescribed me Tylenol #3, which didn't work, naproxen, which didn't work, imitrex, which didn't work, he's taken me off of my birth control thinking maybe it was too high of hormone levels.

i've seen a neurologist, who has now put me on topamex and Maxalt for pain, which i tried today for the first time, it dulled it, but didn't take it away completely. so here i am, two months down the road and still have the same headache. i don't know what to do.. this pain is with me as soon as i open my eyes in the morning and is there when i go to bed at night. i don't seen any aura's i don't get nauseous, and most of the time the pain is in my frontal lobe, but when it's really bad it's in the back of my head as well. i have even tried acupuncture, which has done nothing to relieve me of the pain.

i'm wondering if i should be asking for a MRI, is it possible that a CT scan could miss something that a MRI might see? Please any suggestions on what might be causing this pain, or what i might try for pain relief would be greatly appretiated i am desperate for help!! and sick of my cries for help being ignored!! thank you in advance!

jenn g.

Answer:

Hi Jenn,

You do not state your age but I can tell you that most of my female patients are in their late 30's-40's and are starting to experience some hormonal fluctuations. Even small changes can affect the brain of a migraineur (yup they sound like menstrual migraine.)

Your neurologist is on the right track. Headache medications like Topamax can help calm things down but need a good 90 days to have the full effect..your doctor also may have to raise the dose to find the correct one for you. An MRI is not out of the question if you are not responding to treatment.

Things you can do: really look at lifestyle and how it affects headache. Consider taking magnesium which has been shown in research to benefit menstrual headaches. Again give this 90 days.

I would hold all use of over the counter medications to treat these headaches as this causes analgesic rebound headache. I suspect the use of Advil started increasing your headache profile, rather than treating it.

Work with the neurologist. Generally the patients who get better the quickest are the ones who do everything all at once..lifestyle, exercise (3 times a week!), supplements, prescription meds. These types of migraines do happen but they can be controlled.

If you are having a constant headache everyday, then you are in status migrainosus. A short course of steroid for a week or two could also break the cycle of pain.

Good luck!
Mary Kay Betz MS RPA-C