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.
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
Topics
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