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What Causes Migraines After Attaining Puberty?
Question: My daughter has been suffering from migraines since puberty due to fluctuations in hormones, the weather (she now lives in CA where the weather has not really been a factor), stress, etc. Many things have been tried, i.e., blood pressure pills (she doesn't have a bp problem, but they saw a side benefit for certain pills), adult prescription migraine meds. when she was a kid (I think they thought these were too strong/controversial for a kid so they took her off them), birth control pills at an early age - she says she now gets two periods a month and spotting since they put her on "back to back" pills, thus creating an actual increase in the migraines because she's now getting two periods a month. She is just going to a GP now with additional training in gynecology. I told her to go to an OB/GYN, but she says the ones in her area of CA (Irvine) are booked all day with infertility patients and she can no longer go to Planned Parenthood because they will charger her approximately $500 due to Government budget cuts. She does have insurance and I told her to go outside XXXXXXX and look for an OB/GYN or go to a Neurologist. Where I live, in MA, there are plenty of GYN only, older Doctors who do not deliver babies anymore so this problem does not exist out here. Any comments? She has missed lots of time at work and school over the years due to migraines which run in her Dad's side of the family and insists caffeine helps. They also did a scan when she was a child to rule out a brain tumor.
Brief Answer:
She needs to stop taking birth control pills
Detailed Answer:
Hello, I have been through your question and understand your concern.
Migraine, as you might have been informed, is a common condition among young adults, yet, difficult to find an optimal treatment.
The treatment of migraine is generally given by a neurologist, but even a GP can handle it. The problem in this history is birth control pills she is taking and even more the menstrual cycle increased frequency.
It is reported in several studies that low levels of estrogen hormones, which happen to be before the menstrual cycle, affects somehow migraine, acting as a trigger. That is why several pills with estrogen and/or progesteron are being perscribed to drug resistant migraine. I dont see a normal condition having two menstrual cycles per month, even if this treatment has any benefit to migraine. So, I highly recommend a Gynecological consult to stop or at least change the treatment.
Then, migraine should be considered more carefully, and study a better strategy of therapy, which may need time. But, at this moment i think a GYN consult is necessary.
Hope this answers your question, please feel free for using health care magic again.
She needs to stop taking birth control pills
Detailed Answer:
Hello, I have been through your question and understand your concern.
Migraine, as you might have been informed, is a common condition among young adults, yet, difficult to find an optimal treatment.
The treatment of migraine is generally given by a neurologist, but even a GP can handle it. The problem in this history is birth control pills she is taking and even more the menstrual cycle increased frequency.
It is reported in several studies that low levels of estrogen hormones, which happen to be before the menstrual cycle, affects somehow migraine, acting as a trigger. That is why several pills with estrogen and/or progesteron are being perscribed to drug resistant migraine. I dont see a normal condition having two menstrual cycles per month, even if this treatment has any benefit to migraine. So, I highly recommend a Gynecological consult to stop or at least change the treatment.
Then, migraine should be considered more carefully, and study a better strategy of therapy, which may need time. But, at this moment i think a GYN consult is necessary.
Hope this answers your question, please feel free for using health care magic again.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Answered by
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