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Migraines and Birth Control
December 10, 2007
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Janice Sickels has suffered from migraine headaches since she was a teenager. She
says,
“It only hurts on one side. And then it’s just a real bad headache and it
hurts and noise makes it feel worse, light makes it worse. I just put ice on my
head and lay down in a dark room.” Over time Janice learned that things like eating
hot dogs or drinking red wine triggered her migraines. She
now knows to keep certain
foods and drinks out of her diet. “Sulphites seem to be what triggers it for me.
I have been able to eliminate them by staying away from that stuff,” says Janice.
One thing Janice thought she wouldn’t have to stay away from is her birth control
prescription. But after talking with her Gynocologist she found that was not the
case. Janice says her ob/gyn informed her that, “there’s been research that women
who have auras with their migraines can increase their
risk of cancer if they’re
on birth control pills for a long time, there’s a connection there.” Physicians
say that may not be the only possible connection between birth control pills and
health risks. Dr. Alan Tannenbaum is a physician
with Lee Memorial Health System. “I think it’s a good thing when a patient and a physician can come to the realization
that a birth control pill or hormone replacement therapy may be causing or contributing
partially to migraine,” says Tannenbaum. He adds that in general women are more
susceptible to migraine headaches making the birth control connection fairly common.
If you think your pills are a migraine trigger you should talk with your physician
or Gynocologist to find a solution. Other common migraine triggers include certain
types of chocolates and unusual smells like perfume or cologne. |
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