Menstrual Migraine - Your Questions Answered

Reader questions on how to better prepare for, manage and reduce risk of attack before/during and after your period.

Last week I shared a blog on Overcoming Menstrual Migraine and my approach to balancing my hormones, aligning with my menstrual cycle with each season and the giant leaps forward with menstrual migraine that I started to experience in year 3-4 of my journey.

I’ve been asked a few questions from readers who experience menstrual migraine. However, the answers apply to all women who would like to ease symptoms during their period and bring about better balance in their hormones, body, and life.

Photo by Javardh on Unsplash

Here are the first few questions so far:

What foods should I avoid?

4 years ago, I cut gluten and sugar out of my diet a few months after stopping drinking alcohol and caffeine. Though I still suffered horrifically with 2 severe menstrual migraine attacks for a long time after this, my periods themselves improved significantly. Blood flow was much lighter, no period pain at all (just a mild discomfort in the hours before my period started).  My periods themselves had never been this healthy and this easy going until I made these changes.

It was 3 years later before I noticed a change to menstrual migraine. However, at the time of starting making dietary changes, I was completely disabled by illness. Menstrual migraine is now known to be the most challenging and difficult of all migraine types to overcome. They are also the most disabling and debilitating. Add to this, the most treatment resistant too.

On this basis – and for its many other benefits, including improved mood – I would recommend following an anti-inflammatory way of eating and drinking. I share more about this approach on my podcast Episode 4: Adopting an anti-inflammatory way of eating (substack.com)

Over time though, I have reintroduced small amounts of sugar and caffeine into my diet and do have the occasional alcoholic drink if I fancy one. So more recently, I have adopted Claire Baker’s recommendations in 50 Things to Know About Periods.

She suggests the week before your period (autumn week), to cut down on alcohol, caffeine and scrap sugar completely. Staying hydrated so that you can give your liver a helping hand, as it works hard to eliminate excess hormones during this time in your menstrual cycle.

Over your period – also considered winter week – she recommends keeping your blood sugar levels stable by eating regular meals and staying hydrated.

I’ve found this really helpful to work with the more I’ve felt my hormones come into some sort of balance. It helps me feel good and like I have some influence over how things pan out.

Back in the day, though I noticed a correlation between my period and migraine hangovers, I was a weekly binge-drinker and so there was no way I was prepared to make any changes back then. Whilst I have no regrets – I had a lot of fun – making changes to what I eat and drink at this stage in my life has brought about the biggest benefits health wise and overall, I experience more joy and gratitude in my life than I did before as well as health, energy and mood.

Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash

What foods can help my period?

Dr Claudia Welch, author of Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life, recommends eating carrots, ginger and onions to help with balancing hormones so I’ve been sure to incorporate more of these foods into my daily diet. They also – especially the ginger – help with reducing inflammation in the body.

For those pre-menstrual sweet cravings, Claire Baker (50 Things) advises opting for medjool dates, banana smoothies and dark chocolate.

I’ve been eating 85% dark chocolate since changing my diet and a lot of people say to me, they don’t like dark chocolate when I suggest it. But how about starting at the lower end and increasing the % each time you buy a bar?  Gradually making the change if dark chocolate isn’t your immediate thing? The one thing I’ve noticed in adopting an anti-inflammatory way of eating is that my taste buds have changed drastically and what I couldn’t stomach before (things like bone broth), not only have I grown to be able to eat/drink it, but I’ve also come to love it!

That reminds me, bone broth is great for hormonal health too! Boil then simmer your leftover chicken carcass for an hour or pick up some bones from the butchers. Add it to your soups and drink it if you can. Also great for your organs, skin, hair and health!

I find peppermint tea is a god send when I’m on my period. I find it really soothing and it’s great for digestion and bloating.

I don’t have the luxury of taking time off during work, how can I manage pain so that I can carry on with work?

The best thing to do around work is to factor in more rest.

Plan around your cycle – the week before your period and over your period – say no to any extra plans outside of work.

Schedule in plenty of me time.

Get more sleep and increase its quality by having an early dinner, switch your phone to aeroplane mode and dim the lights in your house.

Take a social break over your period, or just before as well. I like to take one for 48 hours during ovulation too.

Alongside this, do a series of the following practices throughout your day – at the beginning, in the middle and at the end for example:

-          A ten-minute YouTube meditation

-          Connect with your breath and take long slow deep breaths for a few minutes

-          Check in with where you’re at physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually

-          Journal your feelings and insights

-          Walk in nature

-          Some gentle yoga

-          Gently massage your belly with essential oils like clary sage and lavender (I use a massage oil)

-          Castor oil packs (before your period and after, not during)

Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

Although it’s more of a longer-term approach to managing and reducing pain, the benefits do come. The longer I’ve been at it, the more they keep coming. Severity, frequency and duration have all dramatically reduced.

Reading up on hormonal health and making changes in respect of tracking my periods and aligning with my cycle has to be up there with one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life.

Not only have my periods improved as well as my health, but I’m also starting to experience more energy and better moods. I feel a lot more confident about the onset of menopause coming in years to come. My hormones feel more balanced than they ever have in life.

As always, please let me know if you have any more questions. I’d love to hear your feedback and what’s worked for you.

Ask me anything and share away.

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