--- title: Do migraines get worse at certain times in the menstrual cycle? description: Only 20% of the women showed a significant relationship between their menstrual cycle and migraines. For those who did, the menstrual cycle explained a substa url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-menstrual-cycle-and-migraine-a-time-series-analysis-of-20-women-migraineurs-1997/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do migraines get worse at certain times in the menstrual cycle? Cohort study, 1997 # Do migraines get worse at certain times in the menstrual cycle? Only 20% of the women showed a significant relationship between their menstrual cycle and migraines. For those who did, the menstrual cycle explained a substantial amount of their migraine patterns, but the study suggests fewer women are substantially affected than previously thought. Early or limited evidence 20 young women with migraine who did not meet criteria for menstrual migraine ## What they did 20 women with migraine tracked their headaches, stress, and coping strategies daily for two complete menstrual cycles. Researchers used time-series statistics to test whether menstrual cycle phases predicted headache activity. ## What they found 20% of participants showed significant relationships between menstrual cycle phases and headache activity. For these women, the menstrual cycle explained a substantial amount of variation in their headaches. Relationships between the menstrual cycle and stress processes were also found, but these were inconsistent across women. ## What it means for you Although some women's migraines vary with the menstrual cycle, the study suggests far fewer women are substantially affected than previously estimated in medical literature. The relationship between the cycle and stress may also vary from woman to woman, so the causes may be complex. 20 women studied 20% showing menstrual cycle effect on migraines 2 menstrual cycles tracked ## About the study Original title The menstrual cycle and migraine: a time-series analysis of 20 women migraineurs Authors Lokken C, Holm JE, Myers TC Journal Headache Year 1997 Study design Cohort study Participants 20 What was tested None (observational study) Read the paper [doi.org/10.1046/j.1526-4610.1997.3704235.x](https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1526-4610.1997.3704235.x) ## Topics [Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[Migraine](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-migraine/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) 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 Survey study, 1996 How does the menstrual cycle affect the link between stress and migraines? Cohort study, 2025 How common is PMS in Chinese teenage girls, and what factors are linked to it? Survey study, 2025 Does menstruation affect how well women perform at work? Survey study, 2025 What psychological and personal factors predict which university students will develop premenstrual syndrome? Survey study, 2024 Does poor sleep and period problems affect teen mental health? Cohort study, 2024 Does the COVID-19 booster vaccine affect menstrual cycles in adolescent girls? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗