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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Do Hormonal Changes Due To Birth Control Cause Persistent Headaches?

Hi Dr. My name is Dana. I m 18 years old and have been experiencing a constant headache for the last 11 days. I was in the hospital for 2 days. I received 2 CT scans of my head, and 1 CT of my chest and abdomen. I also received an MRI, MRV, and MRA. Everything was normal; no clots, no tumors, no bleeding, no stroke. There were also no clots in my lungs or in my legs. While I was in the hospital I spiked a temp of 101.8 degrees Fahrenheit. The doctor suggested a lumbar puncture to test for viral meningitis, but my family refused because I had the vaccine and they did not want me to have the procedure done at that certain facility. The fever eventually went down and I have been monitoring it. Sometimes it goes up to 99.5 but I think it may be because of stress. I also have no other symptoms of meningitis; no neck stiffness or rash. I have lost over 10 pounds in a couple of weeks. I have no appetite anymore. Occasionally I feel dizzy and nauseous. I was on the birth control called NuvaRing, and the doctors believe that the hormones could have caused migraines, since I do have a family history. However, I have never suffered from migraines before. I therefore quit the birth control 5 days ago hoping for some relief. I am still having the headache, which consists of pressure and pain mainly towards the back and top of my head. I don t have sensitivity to light or sound. Medication does not seem to help. If it is the hormones from the birth control, I don t understand why it hasn t gone better. I am worried it is something else. Do you have any ideas?
posted on Mon, 14 Nov 2016
Twitter Sat, 26 Jan 2019 Answered on
Twitter Mon, 28 Jan 2019 Last reviewed on
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General Surgeon 's  Response
Hello,

Combination pills can cause a headache due to vasodilation.

You can opt for progesterone only pills (POP) which are devoid of these side effects.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards,
Dr. Shinas Hussain,
General & Family Physician
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Do Hormonal Changes Due To Birth Control Cause Persistent Headaches?

Hello, Combination pills can cause a headache due to vasodilation. You can opt for progesterone only pills (POP) which are devoid of these side effects. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. Shinas Hussain, General & Family Physician