---
title: Are menstrual migraines being diagnosed and treated well? | Niyora
description: No. Menstrual migraines are often not recognized and undertreated because women may see wrong specialists and doctors lack clear guidelines on when to use pre
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/perimenstrual-headaches-unmet-needs-2008/
---

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- Are menstrual migraines being diagnosed and treated well?

Review, 2008

# Are menstrual migraines being diagnosed and treated well?

No. Menstrual migraines are often not recognized and undertreated because women may see wrong specialists and doctors lack clear guidelines on when to use preventive medications.

 Early or limited evidence

Women with menstrual migraines

## What they did

This review examined gaps and problems in how menstrual migraines are currently diagnosed and managed.

## What they found

Migraine risk increases during a 5-day perimenstrual window starting 2 days before menstruation and continuing through the first 3 days. For some women, menstrual migraines are more severe, longer-lasting, and more disabling than other migraines. Menstrual migraine is often not recognized. Women may present to obstetrician-gynecologists or psychiatrists rather than primary care doctors or neurologists, which can delay diagnosis. Accurate diagnosis is insufficient without effective treatment strategies. There is a need to define the timing and duration of prevention for each individual.

## What it means for you

Menstrual migraines are underdiagnosed and undertreated due to lack of specialist awareness and unclear prevention guidelines. The main limitation is this identifies problems rather than solutions.

5 days

perimenstrual window of migraine risk

2 days before

start of increased migraine risk

3 days

into menstruation for continued risk

## About the study

Original title Perimenstrual headaches: unmet needs Authors MacGregor EA Journal Current pain and headache reports Year 2008 Study design Review Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/s11916-008-0079-1](https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-008-0079-1)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Migraine](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-migraine/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

## Related studies

Systematic review, 2023

What hormonal treatments have been tested for PMDD, menstrual migraine, and catamenial epilepsy?

Cohort study, 2022

Can women accurately tell if they have period-related migraines, or do they need to track them?

Guideline, 2021

How should migraine be managed in women, particularly menstrual migraine?

Randomised trial, 2016

Does telcagepant prevent migraines during the menstrual period?

Randomised trial, 2014

Does the combination of sumatriptan and naproxen sodium reduce menstrual symptoms and migraine?

Randomised trial, 2005

Does sumatriptan work for migraines around the menstrual cycle?

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