Case report, 2008
How do doctors diagnose and treat migraines linked to menstruation?
Two case examples show that menstrual migraines are often diagnosed and managed together with other conditions like PMDD or depression. Treatment combines migraine prevention medication, management of mood disorders, and acute migraine treatments.
What they did
Described two women with migraines linked to their menstrual cycle. The first (age 35) gets migraines almost exclusively during menstruation and has PMDD. The second has frequent disabling migraines plus work-related anxiety and depression. For each woman, doctors worked out a diagnosis and detailed treatment plan.
What they found
Both cases showed how menstrual migraines can be managed with a combined approach: migraine miniprophylaxis (prevention medication), treatment of PMDD or anxiety/depression, and acute migraine medications as needed.
What it means for you
Menstrual migraines often happen together with other conditions like PMDD, anxiety, or depression, which makes them harder to manage. Doctors need to treat all the conditions together. The main limit is that these are just 2 case descriptions, not a study of many women.
2
case scenarios
35
age of first woman
About the study
- Original title
- Menstrual migraine: case studies of women with estrogen-related headaches
- Authors
- Hutchinson SL, Silberstein SD
- Journal
- Headache
- Year
- 2008
- Study design
- Case report
- What was tested
- Migraine miniprophylaxis, management of PMDD or mood disorders, and acute migraine medications
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-4610.2008.01311.x
Topics
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