Migraines and BCP...and depression

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Migraines and BCP...and depression
4
Thu, 08-05-2004 - 1:06pm
Hi, I'm new here...I'm 23 years old and getting ready to start med school in two weeks. I have a question about birth control...I had been on the pill for about 5 years to control my severe monthly pain and nausea. But a few months ago, I realized that some of the migraines I was getting were triggered by the pill, so I went off of it...and haven't had a migraine in a while now.

I've been to the doctor once since to ask about some other options for dealing with the period pain, but the doctor said that since all the pills contain hormones, all would be likely to trigger migraines in me. Fortunately I've been able to deal with the physical pain with lots of Advil before and during my period...

But I have a bigger problem...I've been depressed pretty much constantly for years, and I've been on many different antidepressants and spent a lot of time in therapy. Since going off the pill, though, I've noticed that I seem to become very severely depressed in the week before my period. I do take low doses of two antidepressants, and I raised the dose of one as the doctor suggested, but nothing has seemed to help.

So I'm considering asking again about trying the pill...I definitely don't want migraines again, but I'm getting desperate. I guess I was just wondering if anyone has had experience with migraines and BCP, and which kinds are least likely to cause migraines. Also, has anyone had experience with PMDD (pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder), and if so, did going on the pill help?

Thanks so much,

Rose

Avatar for kimokaki
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-05-2004
Thu, 08-05-2004 - 2:47pm
I am so glad I am not the only one. I am 24 years old and started BCP in 11th Grade or 10th Grade. It is then that I can remember I started to get migraines.....I was switched to Aleese, a lower dosage pill but the migraines occur almost weekly. I have been to doctors, had a CT Scan. I do know they run in my family but I have this feeling that my BCP is a BIG contributor to it. So as of tonight I am stopping my pills and going to see how I am for 2-3 months. I noticed yours stopped mostly after you went off them. Are you still doing ok?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Fri, 08-06-2004 - 8:52am
Some women only get migraines on certain pills, other women will get them on any pill, it really depends on your own body chemistry. Were your migraines occurring in the inactive week or all through the cycle? For menstrual migraines, some doctors prescribe Mircette because during the inactive week, 5 of the pills have a little bit of estrogen to prevent the estrogen withdrawal that can sometimes cause migraines. We do have a Migraines board at iVillage Health: http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-bhheadaches

It's a hard decision, I know! It's hard to suggest where you should go without knowing what you were taking before, but if I had to wing it I'd probably try to start with as low of doses of both hormones as I could get away with. Nuvaring is the lowest currently available on the US market, particularly the estrogen dose. You could also try Alesse if the other member hasn't scared you away from it, and Mircette is a very low estrogen pill but it's got a decent amount of progestin in it as well.

As far as PMDD, I can refer you to the PMS and PMDD board: http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-bhpms , but I would think that getting back on hormones would probably help there too.

Good luck, please feel free to keep us posted!

Judie
Co-cl for Birth Control
Judie Cl for Birth Control 
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-04-2004
Sat, 08-07-2004 - 6:41pm
I have had some good results with Mircette in helping my headaches decrease. Although, the side effect I am trying to get rid of now is having an extremely low sex drive. I was on Alesse before and I had bad side effects, like severe mood swings, headaches, and depression. I switched to Mircette which is supposed to help with the headaches that I have always suffered from. Ask your dr. Good Luck!
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-01-2004
Mon, 08-09-2004 - 7:53am
Hey ladies-

I had the exact problem that you guys had. I had migraines as a child but took medication for a while to prevent them. I hadn't had one for three years when I started BCP last year. It was a lower estrogen pill but it didn't make a difference. The minute I stopped taking the pills, the migraines went away. My doctor put me on the nuvaring and I have had no problems for going on four months now. Try it, not only is it low estrogen but its also extremely easy: No pill everyday. I love it.

Abby