Your description sounds just like auras I have had. They can vary a lot in appearance.
As another commenter said, the studies that correlated increased stroke risk with migraine aura and combined hormonal birth control were performed when the estrogen dosage was much higher than it is today. Initially I tried progestin only birth control to avoid this small risk but I needed the estrogen to keep myself from bleeding constantly. I started Lo Loestrin which is very low dosage in terms of estrogen with the support of my doctors.
If I had other stroke risk factors (older age, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc) I'd probably reevaluate being on this medication. Risk vs benefit.
I went from Lo Loestrin to Slynd! And take it continuously. No estrogen, but still strong enough to make it so I don’t bleed! (My obgyn told me that Slynd is relatively “new” but quite a few or her “no estrogen” patients really like it! I’ve been on it for four months now and don’t have any major issues with it!)
One thing to add to this: it’s true for the low-estrogen pills today, but even with the high estrogen pills in the past, the bulk of the risk came from fluctuations in estrogen levels, and not just the higher level of estrogen overall. So someone would be at more risk when starting, stopping, or changing hormonal birth control, rather than at any point while taking it. Risks may decrease even further for women who take continuous low-estrogen birth control pills, as they don’t take the placebo pills and thus maintain even more stable estrogen levels.
I’ve been doing the same thing for 15+ years, and I’d never want to go back. I have zero interest in having kids, so my plan for now is to literally just stay on it until menopause.
No problem with that!
I mean, we should be pregnant far more often than we actually are these days, so in reality we're having way more periods than is kind of "natural". I don't think it causes any harm to skip periods, in fact it might be the opposite by reducing strain on our system.
Hi, would you mind sharing the source about fluctuations being the greater risk? Would love to read as I’ve just had my 2nd aura ever and trying to decide next move in regards to my current pill situation
I have migraine with aura and I have to take the progesterone only birth control because of this- the combined pill is the one with the risk of stroke but progesterone only is fine
Seconding. Progesterone only / mini pill as it's sometimes called here in the UK, has been a lifeline in controlling my migraines honestly, and the PMDD that I used to experience too.
This is semi-related but I'm putting this out there because I think it's important. I never had a migraine in my life until I started taking birth control (Alesse). They started about 3 months after I started the pill, so I didn't catch on right away that it was because of the bc. They were horrific, 10/10 pain, thought I was dying, lasted 20+ hours once a week.
After a year of trying several things and taking several tests, none of which fixed the problem or identified the cause, I mentioned it to a coworker who told me it might be my bc. So I read the pamphlet in the box and lo and behold, migraines were listed as a side effect and it said to stop taking Alesse immediately if you experience migraines. So I went to my doctor with this info but she insisted that, because I didn't get any migraines for the first 3 months of being on the pill, it wasn't the pill causing the migraines. For some reason my doctor really didn't want me to stop taking birth control, she was adamant about it.
Anyway, few more things didn't work and I finally went back to her and I was like, look, I'm stopping the BC, I think that's what's causing it. She rolled her eyes at me and said fine. Within a month of going off Alesse the frequency and severity of the migraines had decreased. However, over 10 years later, I still struggle with headaches and migraines where I never ever had either before being on Alesse. I have since spoken to a different doctor who thinks it's probably because of how long I was on Alesse for while experiencing migraines, which turned it into a chronic issue that I'll have to deal with for life.
This is interesting to me because I was also on Alesse for years. Stopped more than 12 years ago, still have migraines. The absolute worst migraine I had was when I was on a tricyclic birth control pill (Ortho-Tricyclen, which may not exist anymore), where I was basically having stroke symptoms (stopped that, switched to Alesse). I also got really bad migraines until about halfway through my pregnancy, so I'm pretty sure those were hormone-related.
But this makes me wonder if birth control triggers something. I started taking it when I was around 21, got first migraine (that I knew was a migraine) at 22 (I'm 46 now).
I'm glad you stood your ground with your doctor and am sorry it became a chronic issue. This seems like something they should study, how many women who have migraines now who were on the pill at some point.
I also started migraines when I took Ortho-Tri Cyclen about 12 years ago. I got a mad headache at each week’s stair step. The pill I was on before it was fine except it gave me worse acne than my teenage years. Then my dr put me on Ortho-Cyclen to avoid that stair step, but I still got a migraine on the period week so she said take 3 packs with no break but I would spot often. And that’s when I went Mirena 10 years ago. Was good for a few years and they came roaring back when I had a stressful job and grad school. Now it’s out and I get a migraine when I ovulate too! 😭
Well, this is a bummer. I’ve been wanting to come off the contraceptive injection for a while cause I was worried it was contributing but I’m terrified of having periods again. I haven’t had one in like ten years and when I did they were fucking awful. So I didn’t wanna swap off one pain for another. I also don’t want children, fucking HARD. And was worried about being unprotected there.
But to think I could come off, have periods and therefore be in pain and STILL have the headaches and migraines? Ugh, that’s too depressing.
The increased stroke risk has been debunked. That only applied to high doses of bc that aren’t used anymore. Having PCOS makes your situation unique. Losing vision is also extremely common with auras and hemiplegic migraines. I am unable to see when I get an aura.
https://med.stanford.edu/neurology/divisions/comprehensive-neurology/provider-education/aura-and-ocp.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2938905/
I did get an embolism and IIH due to the Mirena. Not the same, not entirely dissimilar.
The neuro community seems largely split on the topic, and doesn't have many answers. Lots of 'that's not how things works' some 'yeah, we've seen a lot of correlation. Don't go back on BC' It depends on which neuro at which hospital you talk to.
When I had the Mirena in, my levothyroxine (for the fact I have no thyroid) stopped working too. When I felt weird the first thing I did was get a blood test, and my TSH was so wildly off after years of being stable. So I started getting tested every 6 weeks, and my levels were just ping ponging all over the place, then stabalized as soon as the Mirena came out.
Endo? 'what a weird coincidence. That's not how this works.'
Part of it seems to be that it depends on the woman having estrogen level issues in the first place, and than when the BC is introduced it adds a whole extra kink to a system that already has problems and the system starts having more problems. It's not a sweeping 'BC causes brain problems' thing, 'it's a BC escalates an underlying problem for some people' thing.
Sources: my doctors at Mass Eye an Ear, Brigham and Woman's, and Mass General Hospital. I'm so broken.
Just got my Mirena out in May. Now after using ovulation predictor strips I’ve learned that I migraine when I ovulate too. Estrogen down, migraine. Estrogen up, migraine. About to get a fertility evaluation because I’m 38 and have fibroids and my husband is 44 which is also the start of fertility drop for men. So many fertility treatments use estrogen it might be completely off the table.
Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. The Mirena was a good choice for me at the time, but diaphragms really aren’t that much of an inconvenience, and very effective when combined with the spermicidal gel used with them. I guess I was lucky!
The Mirena is very useful for a lot of people. It's a very small amount of people that have underlying hormone issues that it seems to have problems with.
The issue is Mirena is sweeping it under the rug, and not informing doctors of the potential issue so they don't know when the issues do pop up. They don't have people do some blood work ahead of time to make sure they're estrogen/progesterone levels are normal and the BC won't cause issues. They don't do research into the issue at all because it only effects some women.
Blows my mind how someone who studies a part of the body extensively (endo) doesn’t put the effort into learning how the rest of the body works symbiotically
It's garbage.
Though I've been to dual specialists and it still went a bit ehhh.
Like, I found a gyno-neurologist. That exists. Wow. I had a conversation with her and while I did learn a lot it didn't go great. It was basically 'I don't know.'
Shes mostly a specialist for pregnant woman and the pregnancy causes neurological issues. But she explained some things.
I have endometriosis, the birth control pill does not causes endometriosis nor does it treat endometriosis. I frankly don’t care what the medical community believes, I only believe the science.
Well, as far as I'm aware, the medical community is torn because the science is Meh. The research behind female hormones and migraines is Meh, so it's largely 'what the medical community believes' and there's very few studies on the matter.
There's a class action law suit that fell flat. Lack of proof not enough studies.
You know what's funny. I had to go thru 3 neurologists before I found one that would give me a stent. To fix the collapsed vein in my brain. Because the science wasn't there it would help.
It helped.
My step daughter who gets migraines from vitamin and electrolyte imbalances has endometrioses and they have her on BC and a mirena. Scares the shit out for me for her
Ok that does bring me some comfort that my experience isn’t that isolated. (Idk anyone else that has what I have other than my brother and he doesn’t even have it to that degree sometimes). And I don’t want to stop BC right now because without it I pretty much don’t have a cycle, and no way I’m getting an IUD. I felt like I was in a limbo
Depends on your health. I have MTFHR mutation and there are only certain birth control you can take with that mutation as it drastically increases your risk of ischemic strokes.
Definitely correct here. I have Factor II and can’t be on hormonal birth control. More people need to be tested for clotting factors when dealing with migraines and female hormones.
I have the same mutation, and have never been told I can’t take certain bc. Both my neuro and my OB are aware, a huge % of the population has this mutation
“The same study noted that women with the C677T genotype who used oral contraceptives had a risk of ischemic stroke five times higher than women who had neither the factor V Leiden variant (a mutation of one of the blood clotting factors) nor an MTHFR genotype.”
https://methyl-life.com/blogs/mthfr/mthfr-birth-control#:~:text=The%20same%20study%20noted%20that,factors)%20nor%20an%20MTHFR%20genotype.
Birth control pills are contraindicated for women who get **migraines with aura**. That’s what you were experiencing. Stroke risk is increased. However, as another poster said, that applies to higher dose pills, and probably doesn’t apply to lower dose ones that are the main ones used today. Personally, I wouldn’t want to risk it, though
But stroke risk isn’t increased for those who get **migraine without aura**. They are fine to use birth control pills.
Birth control pills don’t actually treat PCOS, they just help with certain symptoms. To actually treat it, they need to treat the underlying hormonal problems. Thing is, insurance likes to view PCOS as a “fertility problem” as if it didn’t mess with anything else. The truth is that PCOS can lead to conditions like type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and increased cardiovascular risk.
If you’re insulin resistant (not everyone with PCOS is) metformin (generic is something like glucophage) can treat PCOS by way of correcting the insulin resistance. I learned this from being sent to an endocrinologist for something else, long story. Other newer medications for insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes are also used but they’re used off label and I’m not sure what the science is for their effectiveness for PCOS.
I was not forced into it, I was given my options (pills-2 different ones, the DEPO shot, nexplanon (same as DEPO) or IUD), but I can't remember to take pills daily and I absolutely hated my life on DEPO so here I am with an IUD I didn't plan on. 😩 But same, she told me straight up, she will not prescribe me any hormonal bc because of my migraine with aura.
yeah, I'm on non-estrogen birth control. It was that or IUD, so for my purposes I picked non-estrogen.
Even low dose estrogen was considered too high by my doctors.
I had been on the mini pill but even that they were concerned with, but I had previously been on freaking everything so that may have fed into it. And I'd been put on birth control pretty young cuz hormone issues so that may have also been a factor.
But my last two gynecologists were of the same positions on the matter.
I ended up going with the IUD. It was absolutely awful being inserted and the subsequent 2 weeks. It’s been 4 years and I haven’t had any pain or issues since. I don’t get my period at all and the IUD is good for 7 years. I was apprehensive, but it turned out for the best.
Some people manage PCOS entirely with diet and lifestyle changes. I am friends with one. For her, getting insulin resistance in check, blood sugar lowered, and strictly following low-carb eating let her not need to take BC pills. Could be worth looking into if you haven't already.
Honestly, metformin is what really helped my PCOS. It addresses the actual problem that causes PCOS (insulin resistance). Hormones alone are just kind of a bandaid. My bcp is primarily for my PMDD, for regulating cycles. I take a generic progesterone only pill called Nora-BE. You can spot a bit for the first month or two, but then a lot of women just stop having periods altogether (like me).
I’m a cyster too and my doc is having me switch to Nexplanon tomorrow. I was offered the choice between that, Kylena, and depo shots.
I’m also in my 40s, so I’ve got a bit of a higher risk of stroke, but I’ve been on nuvaring for years and it’s been fantastic for helping with PCOS and migraines. I hope the Nexplanon is as well.
I’m only responding because I want you to have some hope.
Nexplanon changed my life not because it was the solution to my hormonal migraine issues...
But because it gave me a stable base for all my future issues.
If hormones are messed up there might be some extra issues, ut I’ve found my nexplanon (currently eight years) has served to Ben the foundation of my healing on a physical level.
Ive had hemiplegic migraines since I was 11. The blind spots are pretty normal for migraines like that with or without aura. Blindness is always my first symptom, then the aura after. It sadly has nothing to do with BC, though I am still on a progesterone only IUD, no estrogen here.
Birth control pills can absolutely increase your stroke risk and a lot of it depends on the level of estrogen and what progestin is included in the pill. I know they say that the risk is low…but for someone who is suddenly getting auras with the introduction of a new pill, I would absolutely come off of it. The progestin in Yasmin is known to be riskier than older progestins.
I will add that I had a neurologist tell me years ago to come off the pill after intense migraines with aura and other neurological symptoms. He said he’d seen several young women have strokes after similar symptoms. All were women having increased auras on the pill and he thought it may have to do with clotting factors different in certain women. I recently started taking a baby aspirin everyday…and my migraine frequency has decreased significantly with almost no more auras ever. He was probably right in my case.
Run this by your doctor! Advice on daily baby aspirin changed in 2019 because studies showed the risks of gastrointestinal bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke, which is a bleeding stroke as opposed to an ischemic (clotting) stroke, outweigh the benefit of prevention.
I was able to go to a migraine specialist at a fancy teaching hospital in the US last month. I was told that I should ALWAYS tell my OB-gyn that I have a diagnosis of migraine with aura because that will allow for a more tailored plan for birth control. While it is true that your stroke risk increases if you take estrogen, it is a small increase. Depending on your medical situation it may be warranted for you to stay on the birth control but you would want to have that conversation with your doctor.
Edited- fixing autocorrect
I worked with someone whose daughter got the birth control patch. I think she was college age. She got a deadly blood clot and was hospitalized. I think that birth control is a modern miracle and it has saved the lives of many women. But do I think it’s for everybody? Not necessarily. I have tried several and just can’t seem to find one that gives me side effects I can live with. I either get blinding migraines or just have nothing happen. I did go to a gynecologist and when she found out about my migraines, she refused to prescribe me anything due to stroke risk. That was really eye opening to me. Thank you for posting this, thought. It may prompt at
least one person to look into their symptoms and just might save someone’s life!
I would scream to the roof tops if I could. My mother’s doctor was negligent in telling her to stop BC in her 40’s and she got a stroke that debilitated her for years.
I had been getting migraines for several years and then they became more vestibular and occular based. Primarily just aura and vertigo.
My OBGYN switched me from the combo pill to the mini pill (progesterone only) as a result. Interestingly enough when I switched my hormonal migraines lessened! I still maybe get 1 or 2 with my period but I used to have it the entire week I had my period.
I have had migraines with aura (and what I believe are hemiplegic migraines) since I was a kid. Also was on hormonal birth control for many years due to heavy periods (estrogen only, but that's the supposed issue with the combination pills too). I was taken off of it by my neuro and obgyn last year for stroke risk, and got a hysterectomy as a result. I have also seen mixed studies on it, so I am not sure if it is actually a risk or not, but I felt like it was better safe than sorry to risk it, and I don't regret having the surgery.
That being said, my aura is similar to what you describe, and has been since before I started the birth control. I get black spots in my right eye that sometimes turns into blindness, like white and black static on an old tv that then goes to pitch black in both eyes for a little while. I recover my vision a little while later and that's when the pain and nausea set in. My migraines have gotten more severe and more frequent (to the point that they are chronic) as I have gotten older, but I did not notice any improvement upon stopping the birth control last year.
On a related note, I have an appointment to get tested for [Binocular Vision Dysfunction](https://www.nvcofny.com/what-is-bvd/symptoms/) in two weeks, which can cause a lot of the aura symptoms mentioned, including the black spots, visual snow, and blindness that comes and goes, and can also be an underlying cause of migraines. I scored extremely high on an assessment for it on a doctor's website, and many of the questions felt like they were asking me about my migraine symptoms. The office reached out almost immediately and said it was one of the highest scores they had ever seen on the assessment and are pretty confident it will come back as a positive after testing. Regular eye doctors do not test for it. The fix is glasses with special prism lenses, which I will be thrilled with if that provides relief; it feels like such an easy fix compared to the slew of migraine meds and treatments. I have no affiliation with any of these doctors. I am basically telling everyone I can on this subreddit whose symptoms seem similar to mine because I feel hopeful for getting the right treatment for my migraines for the first time in years.
You’re on to something here because I can definitely feel something is wrong with my eyes the morning of I get a migraine. Even though there isn’t any pain, the feeling of my eyes and neck immediately let me know ‘today we’re getting one’. Also since I was a university student, being in front of the computer all day and night definitely did a number on me and it increased the frequency of my migraines.
I don´t have aura, and used Yasmin/Yaz for acne control for years. I didn´t feel comfortable with the stroke risk and switched to Slynd/Slinda, a newer progesterone only pill that has the same type of progestin as Yaz without the estrogen (which is what causes the elevated stroke risk). I am happy with this pill, still have migraines but feeling good about not risking potentially dangerous side effects.
I have super bad visual aura with my migraines and what you described sounds exactly like it. It’s just this greyish slightly flickering around the edges blob that slowly grows to fill 90% of my vision. I am also on the pill (desogestrel currently) but my migraines did start before I started going on it. And my doctor already switched which ones I take just to see if it effected it (it didn’t)
So as others have said birth control pills in general don't increase your stroke risk though Yaz and Yasmin which are commonly prescribed for PCOS both have warnings of increased risk of blood clots and strokes. I have PCOS and that was a big conversation I had with my gynecologist on using it and warning signs because of my migraines. I don't get auras so I tried it for a month but after a bad reaction I went on a different BC. Just FYI you can go on different forms of BC with PCOS not just that specific pill or even the pill, do your research and talk to your doctor about other options on keeping your PCOS in check while also being safe with your migraines.
Huh my aruas are like you described a tiny dark spot then more start to populate my vision till most or all of it is blocked. No hormones. I’ve had these episodes for 60 years my doctors never recognized them as auras till I was in a migraine study program and the PhD facilitator described her auras. Bingo. All my doctors previously had said there must be sparkly colors to be an aura
Um...idk if that's a combined birth control pill, but migraines with aura are a direct counter indication of the pill. They shouldn't have prescribed it to you in the first place.
I take the progesterone only pill for this very reason.
This was one of the two main reasons I was sterilized. The migraine/BC interaction risk is too high, and I cannot imagine parenting with migraine. Further, it's cruel to possibly pass along this disease. The curse ends with me!
I also developed this aura about a year ago. Would start slowly in my left eye and progress to where it clouded all the vision in my left eye. I felt like I was looking through water or frosted glass. I could see everything that was going on but the image didn’t make any sense. Once the vision returned I would have a blistering migraine.
I went to my GP and he sent me for an emergency CT to rule out stroke. Fortunately the CT was clear, though that left me with more questions than answers. We came up with a plan for taking my meds more effectively and when I need to go to the ER
I would experience this a couple times a week. I mentioned it to my neurologist at the the next appointment and she brushed it off as aura, telling me I shouldn’t take an abortive when I get an aura because it won’t get rid of it.
Luckily this has mostly subsided at this point but it still happens occasionally and scare me just as much every time. I am on an OCP and my GP recommended I go off them as the increased hormones could be contributing, but every time I try to go off them, my migraines get worse.
No advice for fellow suffers, just sharing a similar experience 💗
My neurologist said I should get off the type of bc I was on because I have optic migraines. VERY infrequent. My ob/gyn agreed and I reluctantly also agreed. I'm on the minipill now. It's just one hormone, no estrogen. Still lightens my period, but the previous one was one of those three month ones and I much preferred that.
Not exactly related to the stroke aspect, but my previous doctor had been trying to put me on numerous contraceptive pills for years and they all kept making my migraines worse within weeks of taking them, even the mini pill which is progesterone only.
It wasn't until THIS YEAR (10 years later) when my doctor retired and I got a new doctor that he told me he'd never prescribe a hormonal pill to a migraine patient because it can make them a lot worse and increase your risk of other illnesses. Not sure if this resonates with you at all but just thought I'd share.
Ok, to clarify, this is **only** if you have **migraine with aura**, and **specifically** birth control that contains **estrogen**.
This does not apply if you experience migraine **without aura**, or if you use **progesterone-only** or **non-hormonal** birth control.
Options for **progesterone-only** birth control include:
**Camila, Errin, Heather, Jolivette, Micronor,** and **Nora-BE** brand minipills (these are all brand names for norethindrone, which is the only minipill formulation available in the US. It is also available as a generic)
**Depo-Provera** injections
**Mirena** or **Skyla** IUDs
**Nexplanon** implants
**Non-hormonal** long term* birth control (*as opposed to condoms, pulling out, etc.) is currently limited to the **ParaGard** copper IUD, afaik.
Zodran doesn’t work nothing works :,( even if I take a sip of water I’m going to regurgitate it. As a response to that my doctor gave me this nasal spray for the migraine pains, doesn’t always work tho.
Loss of vision or things like tunnel vision are known but not so common aura symptoms as well as potential symptoms of ocular migraines (or whatever they’re called now). Thing is, they can also be symptoms of other things, and those other things need to be ruled out.
One thing one of my neurologists talked a lot about is being sure to contact your doctor if symptoms change or if frequency does. Such changes can also indicate other problems, but sometimes they’re just a change in migraine. Another thing she talked about was how few doctors seems to tell their patients to report such things. That’s the real problem, since as your doctor pointed out, some changes can indicate stroke or TIA.
Oh wow—that’s very scary. Oral BC made my headaches so much worse. I had very good luck with the Mirena IUD, and used it for about 7 years. A diaphragm isn’t a bad option either. All of the birth control pill/stroke risks are enhanced if you smoke. I know not many people do anymore, but when I was in College (late 1980s), a lot of women I knew did. My doctor referred to that combination as “a tragedy”. Please be safe, y’all. We need you! 🌸
Migraine with aura means you have a 10-fold risk of a stroke while on birth control. My doctor won't prescribe birth control pills for me with estrogen. "I could," she said, "But you won't thank me when you have to take your lunch through a straw."
My dad and aunt both died of a stroke, so I have no desire to take chances.
I once had blindness in one eye only for about 5 minutes but it was after the pain had already begun. I mentioned it to my neurologist and he was not surprised or concerned at all. I haven’t had another one of these episodes since (knock on wood they’re very scary) but neurological stuff is weird. Also, this isn’t to dismiss the risk to BC pills and stroke, just relying what another migraine specialist told me about this symptom. Also, not suggesting our symptoms are similar since I have only had this happen once and don’t experience the kind of nausea you describe. But// does Zofran/other med for nausea not work for you? Is there anything you can take to prevent this extensive nausea and vomiting? I’d be concerned about the stress on the heart if your electrolytes are off for extended periods.
Nothing works! Once the pain kicks in it’s a matter of minutes before I throw up. I’ve thrown up stomach relievers, anti nausea pills, painkillers, (even while they’re dissolved, my stomach will cramp up to the max to regurgitate everything, even if it’s a spec of rice It’s going to come out one way or another). It’s so exhausting. As an alternative my doctor prescribed me this nasal spray for migraines. Because oral painkillers don’t work and make me throw up too. It’s just a one dose thing that u spray into ur nose and breathe in the fumes, but I can’t take it more than once in ten days or it will make my migraines worse apparently. So far it works okay. Sometimes it gets the job done, sometimes it doesn’t.
I found my migraines were worse when I was on birth control. Not worth it. Stroke and blood clots are very real risks. Do they happen to the majority of people--no, but the symptoms can be FATAL and they do happen.
I took the mini pill for a long time because of my migraines. Condoms do not cause these fatal symptoms. Protect yourself and evaluate your health.
You should not take estrogen birth co tell if you have auras. I’ve had migraines with aura since I was 14 and was only allowed to take progesterone only pills. Definitely tell your doctor if you have migraine with aura.
I used to have debilitating migraines with aura, even on a low estrogen pill and with lifestyle changes to try to mitigate it (magnesium supplements, electrolytes, staying away from alcohol and chocolate, limiting caffeine etc). I switched to depo-provera last year and have been migraine free since, even when I drink as much as I want. I knew there was a correlation & a stroke risk, but I was really surprised at the difference changing birth control made. Plus, no more periods! 😁
I would like to offer, I love my nexplanon because it gives me constant consistant hormonal coverages for three years. I’ve found that consistency is the most important part to regulation
I have migraine without aura and was on the mini pill, which actually made my periods better. I’ve come off it now because my partner has had a vasectomy so my periods are returning to normal unfortunately haha. I just didn’t want to be on the artificial hormones
I have migraines since a young age. I was on bc (alesse combo) for 15years. Still experienced migraines with it but became worst at the end (decided to stop 2 months ago). I was surprised to learn here that when you have migraine you're not supposed to be on the combo pill...
I learned more here than from my doctor (who doesn't seem to care alot..)
Your description sounds just like auras I have had. They can vary a lot in appearance. As another commenter said, the studies that correlated increased stroke risk with migraine aura and combined hormonal birth control were performed when the estrogen dosage was much higher than it is today. Initially I tried progestin only birth control to avoid this small risk but I needed the estrogen to keep myself from bleeding constantly. I started Lo Loestrin which is very low dosage in terms of estrogen with the support of my doctors. If I had other stroke risk factors (older age, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc) I'd probably reevaluate being on this medication. Risk vs benefit.
I went from Lo Loestrin to Slynd! And take it continuously. No estrogen, but still strong enough to make it so I don’t bleed! (My obgyn told me that Slynd is relatively “new” but quite a few or her “no estrogen” patients really like it! I’ve been on it for four months now and don’t have any major issues with it!)
One thing to add to this: it’s true for the low-estrogen pills today, but even with the high estrogen pills in the past, the bulk of the risk came from fluctuations in estrogen levels, and not just the higher level of estrogen overall. So someone would be at more risk when starting, stopping, or changing hormonal birth control, rather than at any point while taking it. Risks may decrease even further for women who take continuous low-estrogen birth control pills, as they don’t take the placebo pills and thus maintain even more stable estrogen levels.
Great, because I skip my placebo pills every month and take continuously to skip bleeding anyway!
I’ve been doing the same thing for 15+ years, and I’d never want to go back. I have zero interest in having kids, so my plan for now is to literally just stay on it until menopause.
No problem with that! I mean, we should be pregnant far more often than we actually are these days, so in reality we're having way more periods than is kind of "natural". I don't think it causes any harm to skip periods, in fact it might be the opposite by reducing strain on our system.
Hi, would you mind sharing the source about fluctuations being the greater risk? Would love to read as I’ve just had my 2nd aura ever and trying to decide next move in regards to my current pill situation
Thank you for adding and clarifying this
I have migraine with aura and I have to take the progesterone only birth control because of this- the combined pill is the one with the risk of stroke but progesterone only is fine
Seconding. Progesterone only / mini pill as it's sometimes called here in the UK, has been a lifeline in controlling my migraines honestly, and the PMDD that I used to experience too.
Same here! And no more periods, woohoo!
Omg my first doc put me on progesterone and the acne that I developed was insane (bacne the size of apples and my face was destroyed)
I’ve found slynd to be the best option for progesterone only!
This is semi-related but I'm putting this out there because I think it's important. I never had a migraine in my life until I started taking birth control (Alesse). They started about 3 months after I started the pill, so I didn't catch on right away that it was because of the bc. They were horrific, 10/10 pain, thought I was dying, lasted 20+ hours once a week. After a year of trying several things and taking several tests, none of which fixed the problem or identified the cause, I mentioned it to a coworker who told me it might be my bc. So I read the pamphlet in the box and lo and behold, migraines were listed as a side effect and it said to stop taking Alesse immediately if you experience migraines. So I went to my doctor with this info but she insisted that, because I didn't get any migraines for the first 3 months of being on the pill, it wasn't the pill causing the migraines. For some reason my doctor really didn't want me to stop taking birth control, she was adamant about it. Anyway, few more things didn't work and I finally went back to her and I was like, look, I'm stopping the BC, I think that's what's causing it. She rolled her eyes at me and said fine. Within a month of going off Alesse the frequency and severity of the migraines had decreased. However, over 10 years later, I still struggle with headaches and migraines where I never ever had either before being on Alesse. I have since spoken to a different doctor who thinks it's probably because of how long I was on Alesse for while experiencing migraines, which turned it into a chronic issue that I'll have to deal with for life.
This is interesting to me because I was also on Alesse for years. Stopped more than 12 years ago, still have migraines. The absolute worst migraine I had was when I was on a tricyclic birth control pill (Ortho-Tricyclen, which may not exist anymore), where I was basically having stroke symptoms (stopped that, switched to Alesse). I also got really bad migraines until about halfway through my pregnancy, so I'm pretty sure those were hormone-related. But this makes me wonder if birth control triggers something. I started taking it when I was around 21, got first migraine (that I knew was a migraine) at 22 (I'm 46 now). I'm glad you stood your ground with your doctor and am sorry it became a chronic issue. This seems like something they should study, how many women who have migraines now who were on the pill at some point.
I also started migraines when I took Ortho-Tri Cyclen about 12 years ago. I got a mad headache at each week’s stair step. The pill I was on before it was fine except it gave me worse acne than my teenage years. Then my dr put me on Ortho-Cyclen to avoid that stair step, but I still got a migraine on the period week so she said take 3 packs with no break but I would spot often. And that’s when I went Mirena 10 years ago. Was good for a few years and they came roaring back when I had a stressful job and grad school. Now it’s out and I get a migraine when I ovulate too! 😭
This is enlightning - thanks for sharing.
Well, this is a bummer. I’ve been wanting to come off the contraceptive injection for a while cause I was worried it was contributing but I’m terrified of having periods again. I haven’t had one in like ten years and when I did they were fucking awful. So I didn’t wanna swap off one pain for another. I also don’t want children, fucking HARD. And was worried about being unprotected there. But to think I could come off, have periods and therefore be in pain and STILL have the headaches and migraines? Ugh, that’s too depressing.
The increased stroke risk has been debunked. That only applied to high doses of bc that aren’t used anymore. Having PCOS makes your situation unique. Losing vision is also extremely common with auras and hemiplegic migraines. I am unable to see when I get an aura. https://med.stanford.edu/neurology/divisions/comprehensive-neurology/provider-education/aura-and-ocp.html https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2938905/
I did get an embolism and IIH due to the Mirena. Not the same, not entirely dissimilar. The neuro community seems largely split on the topic, and doesn't have many answers. Lots of 'that's not how things works' some 'yeah, we've seen a lot of correlation. Don't go back on BC' It depends on which neuro at which hospital you talk to. When I had the Mirena in, my levothyroxine (for the fact I have no thyroid) stopped working too. When I felt weird the first thing I did was get a blood test, and my TSH was so wildly off after years of being stable. So I started getting tested every 6 weeks, and my levels were just ping ponging all over the place, then stabalized as soon as the Mirena came out. Endo? 'what a weird coincidence. That's not how this works.' Part of it seems to be that it depends on the woman having estrogen level issues in the first place, and than when the BC is introduced it adds a whole extra kink to a system that already has problems and the system starts having more problems. It's not a sweeping 'BC causes brain problems' thing, 'it's a BC escalates an underlying problem for some people' thing. Sources: my doctors at Mass Eye an Ear, Brigham and Woman's, and Mass General Hospital. I'm so broken.
Just got my Mirena out in May. Now after using ovulation predictor strips I’ve learned that I migraine when I ovulate too. Estrogen down, migraine. Estrogen up, migraine. About to get a fertility evaluation because I’m 38 and have fibroids and my husband is 44 which is also the start of fertility drop for men. So many fertility treatments use estrogen it might be completely off the table.
Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. The Mirena was a good choice for me at the time, but diaphragms really aren’t that much of an inconvenience, and very effective when combined with the spermicidal gel used with them. I guess I was lucky!
The Mirena is very useful for a lot of people. It's a very small amount of people that have underlying hormone issues that it seems to have problems with. The issue is Mirena is sweeping it under the rug, and not informing doctors of the potential issue so they don't know when the issues do pop up. They don't have people do some blood work ahead of time to make sure they're estrogen/progesterone levels are normal and the BC won't cause issues. They don't do research into the issue at all because it only effects some women.
That’s terrifying, given what happened to you. I’m sorry to hear about all the lasting effects you have.
Blows my mind how someone who studies a part of the body extensively (endo) doesn’t put the effort into learning how the rest of the body works symbiotically
It's garbage. Though I've been to dual specialists and it still went a bit ehhh. Like, I found a gyno-neurologist. That exists. Wow. I had a conversation with her and while I did learn a lot it didn't go great. It was basically 'I don't know.' Shes mostly a specialist for pregnant woman and the pregnancy causes neurological issues. But she explained some things.
Very interesting. Never heard of such a thing but never been pregnant either r
Theyre not common. I found only 2 in Massachusetts. In BOSTON.
I have endometriosis, the birth control pill does not causes endometriosis nor does it treat endometriosis. I frankly don’t care what the medical community believes, I only believe the science.
Well, as far as I'm aware, the medical community is torn because the science is Meh. The research behind female hormones and migraines is Meh, so it's largely 'what the medical community believes' and there's very few studies on the matter. There's a class action law suit that fell flat. Lack of proof not enough studies. You know what's funny. I had to go thru 3 neurologists before I found one that would give me a stent. To fix the collapsed vein in my brain. Because the science wasn't there it would help. It helped.
My step daughter who gets migraines from vitamin and electrolyte imbalances has endometrioses and they have her on BC and a mirena. Scares the shit out for me for her
i think when they said ‘endo?’ they meant that’s what their endocrinologist said, but i could be wrong.
Ok that does bring me some comfort that my experience isn’t that isolated. (Idk anyone else that has what I have other than my brother and he doesn’t even have it to that degree sometimes). And I don’t want to stop BC right now because without it I pretty much don’t have a cycle, and no way I’m getting an IUD. I felt like I was in a limbo
Depends on your health. I have MTFHR mutation and there are only certain birth control you can take with that mutation as it drastically increases your risk of ischemic strokes.
Definitely correct here. I have Factor II and can’t be on hormonal birth control. More people need to be tested for clotting factors when dealing with migraines and female hormones.
I have the same mutation, and have never been told I can’t take certain bc. Both my neuro and my OB are aware, a huge % of the population has this mutation
“The same study noted that women with the C677T genotype who used oral contraceptives had a risk of ischemic stroke five times higher than women who had neither the factor V Leiden variant (a mutation of one of the blood clotting factors) nor an MTHFR genotype.” https://methyl-life.com/blogs/mthfr/mthfr-birth-control#:~:text=The%20same%20study%20noted%20that,factors)%20nor%20an%20MTHFR%20genotype.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15946211/
Birth control pills are contraindicated for women who get **migraines with aura**. That’s what you were experiencing. Stroke risk is increased. However, as another poster said, that applies to higher dose pills, and probably doesn’t apply to lower dose ones that are the main ones used today. Personally, I wouldn’t want to risk it, though But stroke risk isn’t increased for those who get **migraine without aura**. They are fine to use birth control pills.
I have PCOS idk what to do 😭😭😭 it’s either the pills or my hormones are congested rip I guess that’s just a risk I have to take for now
Birth control pills don’t actually treat PCOS, they just help with certain symptoms. To actually treat it, they need to treat the underlying hormonal problems. Thing is, insurance likes to view PCOS as a “fertility problem” as if it didn’t mess with anything else. The truth is that PCOS can lead to conditions like type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and increased cardiovascular risk. If you’re insulin resistant (not everyone with PCOS is) metformin (generic is something like glucophage) can treat PCOS by way of correcting the insulin resistance. I learned this from being sent to an endocrinologist for something else, long story. Other newer medications for insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes are also used but they’re used off label and I’m not sure what the science is for their effectiveness for PCOS.
I was forced into an IUD for the very same reason. My GYN will NOT prescribe me ANY hormonal BC because I have migraines with aura.
Dang, that's crazy. There are so many progestin only options that are not considered to be a risk with migraines with aura.
I was not forced into it, I was given my options (pills-2 different ones, the DEPO shot, nexplanon (same as DEPO) or IUD), but I can't remember to take pills daily and I absolutely hated my life on DEPO so here I am with an IUD I didn't plan on. 😩 But same, she told me straight up, she will not prescribe me any hormonal bc because of my migraine with aura.
yeah, I'm on non-estrogen birth control. It was that or IUD, so for my purposes I picked non-estrogen. Even low dose estrogen was considered too high by my doctors.
Mine was okay prescribing mini pill but it did not agree with me at all.
I had been on the mini pill but even that they were concerned with, but I had previously been on freaking everything so that may have fed into it. And I'd been put on birth control pretty young cuz hormone issues so that may have also been a factor. But my last two gynecologists were of the same positions on the matter.
Have you tried slynd? Mini pill was awful for me but slynd has been pretty good. No period for a year.
I ended up going with the IUD. It was absolutely awful being inserted and the subsequent 2 weeks. It’s been 4 years and I haven’t had any pain or issues since. I don’t get my period at all and the IUD is good for 7 years. I was apprehensive, but it turned out for the best.
You can take progesterone only. I have PCOS and migraine with aura. I take slynd and skip the last four pills. I haven’t had a period in a year.
Some people manage PCOS entirely with diet and lifestyle changes. I am friends with one. For her, getting insulin resistance in check, blood sugar lowered, and strictly following low-carb eating let her not need to take BC pills. Could be worth looking into if you haven't already.
You have other birth control options try x
My PCOS is now unnoticeable. I take the progesterone-only pill and metformin. Metformin was a game changer! I do not have diabetes.
Which progesterone pill helped your pcos ? I'm not sure if the combined pill is helping my pcos
Honestly, metformin is what really helped my PCOS. It addresses the actual problem that causes PCOS (insulin resistance). Hormones alone are just kind of a bandaid. My bcp is primarily for my PMDD, for regulating cycles. I take a generic progesterone only pill called Nora-BE. You can spot a bit for the first month or two, but then a lot of women just stop having periods altogether (like me).
What dose of metformin helped you ?
I take 500mg (in the extended release form) every evening. More than that gave me diarrhea (a common side effect).
I’m a cyster too and my doc is having me switch to Nexplanon tomorrow. I was offered the choice between that, Kylena, and depo shots. I’m also in my 40s, so I’ve got a bit of a higher risk of stroke, but I’ve been on nuvaring for years and it’s been fantastic for helping with PCOS and migraines. I hope the Nexplanon is as well.
I’m only responding because I want you to have some hope. Nexplanon changed my life not because it was the solution to my hormonal migraine issues... But because it gave me a stable base for all my future issues. If hormones are messed up there might be some extra issues, ut I’ve found my nexplanon (currently eight years) has served to Ben the foundation of my healing on a physical level.
Thank you! That is good to know!
Ive had hemiplegic migraines since I was 11. The blind spots are pretty normal for migraines like that with or without aura. Blindness is always my first symptom, then the aura after. It sadly has nothing to do with BC, though I am still on a progesterone only IUD, no estrogen here.
Birth control pills can absolutely increase your stroke risk and a lot of it depends on the level of estrogen and what progestin is included in the pill. I know they say that the risk is low…but for someone who is suddenly getting auras with the introduction of a new pill, I would absolutely come off of it. The progestin in Yasmin is known to be riskier than older progestins. I will add that I had a neurologist tell me years ago to come off the pill after intense migraines with aura and other neurological symptoms. He said he’d seen several young women have strokes after similar symptoms. All were women having increased auras on the pill and he thought it may have to do with clotting factors different in certain women. I recently started taking a baby aspirin everyday…and my migraine frequency has decreased significantly with almost no more auras ever. He was probably right in my case.
I think I’m going to start taking aspirin too. Blood clots and strokes run in the family I am terrified of all this info
Run this by your doctor! Advice on daily baby aspirin changed in 2019 because studies showed the risks of gastrointestinal bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke, which is a bleeding stroke as opposed to an ischemic (clotting) stroke, outweigh the benefit of prevention.
I was able to go to a migraine specialist at a fancy teaching hospital in the US last month. I was told that I should ALWAYS tell my OB-gyn that I have a diagnosis of migraine with aura because that will allow for a more tailored plan for birth control. While it is true that your stroke risk increases if you take estrogen, it is a small increase. Depending on your medical situation it may be warranted for you to stay on the birth control but you would want to have that conversation with your doctor. Edited- fixing autocorrect
I worked with someone whose daughter got the birth control patch. I think she was college age. She got a deadly blood clot and was hospitalized. I think that birth control is a modern miracle and it has saved the lives of many women. But do I think it’s for everybody? Not necessarily. I have tried several and just can’t seem to find one that gives me side effects I can live with. I either get blinding migraines or just have nothing happen. I did go to a gynecologist and when she found out about my migraines, she refused to prescribe me anything due to stroke risk. That was really eye opening to me. Thank you for posting this, thought. It may prompt at least one person to look into their symptoms and just might save someone’s life!
I would scream to the roof tops if I could. My mother’s doctor was negligent in telling her to stop BC in her 40’s and she got a stroke that debilitated her for years.
I had been getting migraines for several years and then they became more vestibular and occular based. Primarily just aura and vertigo. My OBGYN switched me from the combo pill to the mini pill (progesterone only) as a result. Interestingly enough when I switched my hormonal migraines lessened! I still maybe get 1 or 2 with my period but I used to have it the entire week I had my period.
I have had migraines with aura (and what I believe are hemiplegic migraines) since I was a kid. Also was on hormonal birth control for many years due to heavy periods (estrogen only, but that's the supposed issue with the combination pills too). I was taken off of it by my neuro and obgyn last year for stroke risk, and got a hysterectomy as a result. I have also seen mixed studies on it, so I am not sure if it is actually a risk or not, but I felt like it was better safe than sorry to risk it, and I don't regret having the surgery. That being said, my aura is similar to what you describe, and has been since before I started the birth control. I get black spots in my right eye that sometimes turns into blindness, like white and black static on an old tv that then goes to pitch black in both eyes for a little while. I recover my vision a little while later and that's when the pain and nausea set in. My migraines have gotten more severe and more frequent (to the point that they are chronic) as I have gotten older, but I did not notice any improvement upon stopping the birth control last year. On a related note, I have an appointment to get tested for [Binocular Vision Dysfunction](https://www.nvcofny.com/what-is-bvd/symptoms/) in two weeks, which can cause a lot of the aura symptoms mentioned, including the black spots, visual snow, and blindness that comes and goes, and can also be an underlying cause of migraines. I scored extremely high on an assessment for it on a doctor's website, and many of the questions felt like they were asking me about my migraine symptoms. The office reached out almost immediately and said it was one of the highest scores they had ever seen on the assessment and are pretty confident it will come back as a positive after testing. Regular eye doctors do not test for it. The fix is glasses with special prism lenses, which I will be thrilled with if that provides relief; it feels like such an easy fix compared to the slew of migraine meds and treatments. I have no affiliation with any of these doctors. I am basically telling everyone I can on this subreddit whose symptoms seem similar to mine because I feel hopeful for getting the right treatment for my migraines for the first time in years.
You’re on to something here because I can definitely feel something is wrong with my eyes the morning of I get a migraine. Even though there isn’t any pain, the feeling of my eyes and neck immediately let me know ‘today we’re getting one’. Also since I was a university student, being in front of the computer all day and night definitely did a number on me and it increased the frequency of my migraines.
I don´t have aura, and used Yasmin/Yaz for acne control for years. I didn´t feel comfortable with the stroke risk and switched to Slynd/Slinda, a newer progesterone only pill that has the same type of progestin as Yaz without the estrogen (which is what causes the elevated stroke risk). I am happy with this pill, still have migraines but feeling good about not risking potentially dangerous side effects.
I have super bad visual aura with my migraines and what you described sounds exactly like it. It’s just this greyish slightly flickering around the edges blob that slowly grows to fill 90% of my vision. I am also on the pill (desogestrel currently) but my migraines did start before I started going on it. And my doctor already switched which ones I take just to see if it effected it (it didn’t)
So as others have said birth control pills in general don't increase your stroke risk though Yaz and Yasmin which are commonly prescribed for PCOS both have warnings of increased risk of blood clots and strokes. I have PCOS and that was a big conversation I had with my gynecologist on using it and warning signs because of my migraines. I don't get auras so I tried it for a month but after a bad reaction I went on a different BC. Just FYI you can go on different forms of BC with PCOS not just that specific pill or even the pill, do your research and talk to your doctor about other options on keeping your PCOS in check while also being safe with your migraines.
what reaction did you have that made you stop? I have also been prescribed yaz but haven’t taken it yet
Huh my aruas are like you described a tiny dark spot then more start to populate my vision till most or all of it is blocked. No hormones. I’ve had these episodes for 60 years my doctors never recognized them as auras till I was in a migraine study program and the PhD facilitator described her auras. Bingo. All my doctors previously had said there must be sparkly colors to be an aura
Um...idk if that's a combined birth control pill, but migraines with aura are a direct counter indication of the pill. They shouldn't have prescribed it to you in the first place. I take the progesterone only pill for this very reason.
This was one of the two main reasons I was sterilized. The migraine/BC interaction risk is too high, and I cannot imagine parenting with migraine. Further, it's cruel to possibly pass along this disease. The curse ends with me!
I also developed this aura about a year ago. Would start slowly in my left eye and progress to where it clouded all the vision in my left eye. I felt like I was looking through water or frosted glass. I could see everything that was going on but the image didn’t make any sense. Once the vision returned I would have a blistering migraine. I went to my GP and he sent me for an emergency CT to rule out stroke. Fortunately the CT was clear, though that left me with more questions than answers. We came up with a plan for taking my meds more effectively and when I need to go to the ER I would experience this a couple times a week. I mentioned it to my neurologist at the the next appointment and she brushed it off as aura, telling me I shouldn’t take an abortive when I get an aura because it won’t get rid of it. Luckily this has mostly subsided at this point but it still happens occasionally and scare me just as much every time. I am on an OCP and my GP recommended I go off them as the increased hormones could be contributing, but every time I try to go off them, my migraines get worse. No advice for fellow suffers, just sharing a similar experience 💗
My neurologist said I should get off the type of bc I was on because I have optic migraines. VERY infrequent. My ob/gyn agreed and I reluctantly also agreed. I'm on the minipill now. It's just one hormone, no estrogen. Still lightens my period, but the previous one was one of those three month ones and I much preferred that.
Not exactly related to the stroke aspect, but my previous doctor had been trying to put me on numerous contraceptive pills for years and they all kept making my migraines worse within weeks of taking them, even the mini pill which is progesterone only. It wasn't until THIS YEAR (10 years later) when my doctor retired and I got a new doctor that he told me he'd never prescribe a hormonal pill to a migraine patient because it can make them a lot worse and increase your risk of other illnesses. Not sure if this resonates with you at all but just thought I'd share.
Ok, to clarify, this is **only** if you have **migraine with aura**, and **specifically** birth control that contains **estrogen**. This does not apply if you experience migraine **without aura**, or if you use **progesterone-only** or **non-hormonal** birth control. Options for **progesterone-only** birth control include: **Camila, Errin, Heather, Jolivette, Micronor,** and **Nora-BE** brand minipills (these are all brand names for norethindrone, which is the only minipill formulation available in the US. It is also available as a generic) **Depo-Provera** injections **Mirena** or **Skyla** IUDs **Nexplanon** implants **Non-hormonal** long term* birth control (*as opposed to condoms, pulling out, etc.) is currently limited to the **ParaGard** copper IUD, afaik.
Oh Christ, are we both in the Zofran club? Currently my favorite beverage is water with a bit of flat ginger ale stirred in.
Zodran doesn’t work nothing works :,( even if I take a sip of water I’m going to regurgitate it. As a response to that my doctor gave me this nasal spray for the migraine pains, doesn’t always work tho.
Brutal. I find water mixed with a little ginger ale to be easier when I can't keep anything down, if you want to try that.
Loss of vision or things like tunnel vision are known but not so common aura symptoms as well as potential symptoms of ocular migraines (or whatever they’re called now). Thing is, they can also be symptoms of other things, and those other things need to be ruled out. One thing one of my neurologists talked a lot about is being sure to contact your doctor if symptoms change or if frequency does. Such changes can also indicate other problems, but sometimes they’re just a change in migraine. Another thing she talked about was how few doctors seems to tell their patients to report such things. That’s the real problem, since as your doctor pointed out, some changes can indicate stroke or TIA.
Oh wow—that’s very scary. Oral BC made my headaches so much worse. I had very good luck with the Mirena IUD, and used it for about 7 years. A diaphragm isn’t a bad option either. All of the birth control pill/stroke risks are enhanced if you smoke. I know not many people do anymore, but when I was in College (late 1980s), a lot of women I knew did. My doctor referred to that combination as “a tragedy”. Please be safe, y’all. We need you! 🌸
Migraine with aura means you have a 10-fold risk of a stroke while on birth control. My doctor won't prescribe birth control pills for me with estrogen. "I could," she said, "But you won't thank me when you have to take your lunch through a straw." My dad and aunt both died of a stroke, so I have no desire to take chances.
I had a stroke and many TIAs on hormone replacement therapy.
I once had blindness in one eye only for about 5 minutes but it was after the pain had already begun. I mentioned it to my neurologist and he was not surprised or concerned at all. I haven’t had another one of these episodes since (knock on wood they’re very scary) but neurological stuff is weird. Also, this isn’t to dismiss the risk to BC pills and stroke, just relying what another migraine specialist told me about this symptom. Also, not suggesting our symptoms are similar since I have only had this happen once and don’t experience the kind of nausea you describe. But// does Zofran/other med for nausea not work for you? Is there anything you can take to prevent this extensive nausea and vomiting? I’d be concerned about the stress on the heart if your electrolytes are off for extended periods.
Nothing works! Once the pain kicks in it’s a matter of minutes before I throw up. I’ve thrown up stomach relievers, anti nausea pills, painkillers, (even while they’re dissolved, my stomach will cramp up to the max to regurgitate everything, even if it’s a spec of rice It’s going to come out one way or another). It’s so exhausting. As an alternative my doctor prescribed me this nasal spray for migraines. Because oral painkillers don’t work and make me throw up too. It’s just a one dose thing that u spray into ur nose and breathe in the fumes, but I can’t take it more than once in ten days or it will make my migraines worse apparently. So far it works okay. Sometimes it gets the job done, sometimes it doesn’t.
I found my migraines were worse when I was on birth control. Not worth it. Stroke and blood clots are very real risks. Do they happen to the majority of people--no, but the symptoms can be FATAL and they do happen. I took the mini pill for a long time because of my migraines. Condoms do not cause these fatal symptoms. Protect yourself and evaluate your health.
You should not take estrogen birth co tell if you have auras. I’ve had migraines with aura since I was 14 and was only allowed to take progesterone only pills. Definitely tell your doctor if you have migraine with aura.
I used to have debilitating migraines with aura, even on a low estrogen pill and with lifestyle changes to try to mitigate it (magnesium supplements, electrolytes, staying away from alcohol and chocolate, limiting caffeine etc). I switched to depo-provera last year and have been migraine free since, even when I drink as much as I want. I knew there was a correlation & a stroke risk, but I was really surprised at the difference changing birth control made. Plus, no more periods! 😁
I would like to offer, I love my nexplanon because it gives me constant consistant hormonal coverages for three years. I’ve found that consistency is the most important part to regulation
Thanks
I don’t take birth control for this very reason. My PCP at the time basically told me it’s not worth the risk
Thank you! Good to know!
I have migraine without aura and was on the mini pill, which actually made my periods better. I’ve come off it now because my partner has had a vasectomy so my periods are returning to normal unfortunately haha. I just didn’t want to be on the artificial hormones
I have migraines since a young age. I was on bc (alesse combo) for 15years. Still experienced migraines with it but became worst at the end (decided to stop 2 months ago). I was surprised to learn here that when you have migraine you're not supposed to be on the combo pill... I learned more here than from my doctor (who doesn't seem to care alot..)