If you get menstrual migraines without aura – a neurological occurrence in which your vision is lost or blurred by flickering lights, spots or lines – taking birth control pills for pregnancy prevention can also improve migraine symptoms.
But don't use them if your migraines are accompanied by aura, or if they get worse. If that happens, see a neurologist or a headache specialist, Dr. Milosavljevic says.
For some women, taking birth control pills can improve migraines. But for others, the pills worsen symptoms.
For these women, migraine attacks usually occur during the last week of their cycle. That's because the last seven pills in most monthly pill packs don't contain hormones; they're there to help women stay in the habit of taking the pills every day. Without the hormones during that last week, drops in estrogen can trigger migraines in some women.
Migraine treatment #4: Avoid food triggers
Steer clear of foods that can act as migraine triggers, Dr. Isaacs says. These vary from person to person, and may include chocolate, monosodium glutamate (MSG), processed meats with nitrates, dried fruits with sulfites, aged cheese, alcohol and red wine, and caffeine.
Eat meals at regular intervals too.
"Skipping breakfast can trigger a migraine," Dr. Isaacs says.
Another tip: Keep a journal to track your diet and when you get symptoms. It will help you identify the foods that are migraine triggers for you.
"It's a lot easier to identify what triggers a migraine and avoid [it] than getting a migraine and trying to treat the symptoms," he says.
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