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Cittenscollar

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Birth control and cluster headaches?
Jun 14^th, 2011 at 2:00am

According to my doctor, if you get "migraines with aura", taking birth control increases your risk of stroke (I don't know if this is true or not, whatever)

She asked me if I've ever had an aura with a cluster headache. I told her that once or twice my vision has been messed up. She then started saying that she didn't think that I should take birth control because of that.

...Has anybody else's doctor ever said anything like this?

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Batch

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Re: Birth control and cluster headaches?
Reply #1 - Jun 14^th, 2011 at 3:18am

Hmmm... That came out of the blue so I did some checking...

Increased Stroke Risk From Birth Control Pills, Review Finds

ScienceDaily (Oct. 27, 2009)

"There are about 4.4 ischemic strokes for every 100,000 women of childbearing age. Birth control pills increase the risk 1.9 times, to 8.5 strokes per 100,000 women, according to a well-performed "meta-analysis" cited in the article. (A meta-analysis combines the results of multiple studies.) This is still a small risk; there's one additional stroke for every 25,000 women who take birth control pills, according to the article.

But for women who take birth control pills and also smoke, have high blood pressure or have a history of migraine headaches, the stroke risk is significantly higher."

Unfortunately, the article doesn't give the figures for how much higher...

See the following link:

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You might try the anti-inflammatory regimen... It's made up of good healthy stuff...

3000 mg. Omega 3 Fish Oil, 10,000 I.U. vitamin D3 and 500 mg calcium in 2 calcium citrate tablets formulated with 800 I.U. vitamin D3, 80 mg. magnesium and 10 mg. zinc.

See the topic titled "123 Days PF And I Think I know Why" on New CH.com Forum at the link below:

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"Fish provide only about seven percent of animal protein found in an average American diet, while in Asian countries that portion is more than 25 percent. An April 2009 study published in the Public Library of Science ranked low seafood intake as the second largest cause of diet-related deaths in America, just behind high salt consumption. The study estimated 84,000 deaths in the U.S. are linked to omega-3 deficiency caused by Americans not eating enough fish."

See the attached pdf file on vitamin D deficiency...

Take care,

V/R, Batch

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You love lots of things if you live around them. But there isn't any woman and there isn't any horse, that’s as lovely as a great airplane. If it's a beautiful fighter, your heart will be ever there

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wimsey1

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Re: Birth control and cluster headaches?
Reply #2 - Jun 14^th, 2011 at 7:41am

Jeez, Batch, you're getting to be as Oracular as is Bob. Nice research findings.

Cittenscollar, as to the docs diagnosis about migraines with auras, is the diagnosis of migraines based solely on the fact that you have auras? Generally speaking, CHs do not come with auras, but according to responses on a thread I ran some time ago asking that very question, a significant minority among us do receive auras prior to the beast coming to visit. Bob Johnson did has some research available for that and could probably send it if you asked pretty please. I'd hate to see you misdiagnoses because you are among those of us who have some less common side effects, like auras. Just a thought. Blessings. lance

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Cittenscollar

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Re: Birth control and cluster headaches?
Reply #3 - Jun 14^th, 2011 at 8:05pm

wimsey1 wrote on Jun 14^th, 2011 at 7:41am:

Jeez, Batch, you're getting to be as Oracular as is Bob. Nice research findings.

Cittenscollar, as to the docs diagnosis about migraines with auras, is the diagnosis of migraines based solely on the fact that you have auras? Generally speaking, CHs do not come with auras, but according to responses on a thread I ran some time ago asking that very question, a significant minority among us do receive auras prior to the beast coming to visit. Bob Johnson did has some research available for that and could probably send it if you asked pretty please. I'd hate to see you misdiagnoses because you are among those of us who have some less common side effects, like auras. Just a thought. Blessings. lance

Oh no, I am diagnosed with CH. But the doctor thinks that because my CH has had auras once or twice, that I have the same stroke risks as somebody who has migraines with auras about birth control.

I really don't know the relationship between migraines and cluster headaches well enough to know if that would be true or not.

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Bob Johnson

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Re: Birth control and cluster headaches?
Reply #4 - Jun 15^th, 2011 at 9:58am

The medical literature I could find on migraine + aura + stroke summarizes: recognized; not well understood.

Could find zero on CH + aura + stroke or birth control.

But I don't say this representing it as a comprehensive overview.
====
We talk about medicine as a "science" often not appreciating that it's also described as being an "art".
Only the scientists/docs who are close to the research really appreciate just how little of our practice of medicine is grounded in solid scientifically established knowledge.

Your doc is extending her limited knowledge about birth control hormones and PG to Cluster (where there appears to be almost zip). No criticism intended; she is using the "art" of medicine to give you the best care. Always the struggle to balance risk of the disorder with the risks of the cure. (And, as laypersons, since we don't understand or appreciate this balancing, we find it so easy to criticize medicine/doctors.)

It appears that the short term risk is using the pill is not great but that picture changes when you are thinking about decades of the pill + Cluster -- for which there is no cure.

I can imagine that, if $ is available and using the pill is very important for you, that seeking a researcher in this area who could advise you on the latest science might help lead you to a comfortable decision.

The dilemma is: the risk of stroke vs. the solid data on the risk of pregnancy. Medicine is like the entirety of our lives: no free lunch on risk.

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Bob Johnson

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oxyrunner CH.com Junior Offline In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity Posts: 41 Kent UK Gender:	Re: Birth control and cluster headaches? Reply #5 - Jun 15^th, 2011 at 5:22pm Isn't the possibilty of having a baby just another kind of headache?!!!!!
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Graemel CH.com Veteran Offline I Love CH.com! Posts: 105 Taupo NZ Gender:	Re: Birth control and cluster headaches? Reply #6 - Jul 5^th, 2011 at 8:51am My wife had migraines when we first were married. she was on BCP. After she has kids the migraines disappeared and she was on and off the pill for years without problems. I think you should tell your quack you want to try it and see. and now you know a possible cure for the migraines as well!
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Jenny G

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Re: Birth control and cluster headaches?
Reply #7 - Aug 1^st, 2011 at 4:40pm

I am back after about a 5 year remission. I know this post is old but wanted to add insight on this issue.

Like all of you I've tried to find triggers or any rhyme or reason why/when we get these headaches. The only common denominatior for me was I only got CH while off BC, so I have stayed on it to keep the CH away. This cycle started shortly after forgetting to take my pill two days in a row and started spotting (sorry for the TMI). I am still on BC and will report if the cycle is shorter/less severe than in the past. Not sure if related but before staying on BC, I had CH every 18 months, and my last cycle was about 5 years ago.

I am disappointed after my remission that there are really no new advances in medicine to treat our condition.

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Batch

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Re: Birth control and cluster headaches?
Reply #8 - Aug 1^st, 2011 at 10:09pm

Jenny,

A new advancement in treating CH may be closer than you think...

You may want to consider giving the anti-inflammatory regimen a try as it's very healthy for us to take even if we didn't have CH and it's a far less invasive method of controlling your CH than taking BC pills.

I've kept a running total of the responses, and so far the efficacy of this regimen as a preventative is between 70% and 80% with most going pain free on or before the second week... It's discussed in detail at the following link:

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If you do decide to go this route after reading all 12 pages of comments, see your doctor to discuss this regimen and have your 25(OH)D level tested. It's the serum level metabolite of vitamin D3. What's beginning to emerge from comments on this thread by CH'ers who've had their 25(OH)D level tested, is they're deficient, i.e., < 100 nmol/L.

Take care,

V/R, Batch

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You love lots of things if you live around them. But there isn't any woman and there isn't any horse, that’s as lovely as a great airplane. If it's a beautiful fighter, your heart will be ever there

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heidalt

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Re: Birth control and cluster headaches?
Reply #9 - Sep 15^th, 2011 at 2:04am

i am new to forum but just wanted to add my 2 cents in the hope someone eventually connects the dots from our various experiences. my CH cycles started the year i started birth control pills at age of 35. prior to that i was on depo provera shots. in jan 2006 i started pills and 6 months later i had my first attack. i don't know if that is coincidence but i doubt it. when i realized this last year, i immediately stopped the BC pills. sad to report that the cycle was delayed this year but has returned with a vengeance in recent weeks. i have searched web and have only seen a minor nod to possibility that starting BC pills can cause headaches to start for first time. if anyone comes across similar experiences pls post so we might accumulate info on this... tx.

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foxxfury CH.com Newbie Offline I Love CH.com! Posts: 5	Re: Birth control and cluster headaches? Reply #10 - Sep 15^th, 2011 at 5:35pm I've heard that low testosterone can be part of the equation. It's possible that the sudden hormone change in women who take birth control very well may trigger attacks. But what about men? We obviously don't take bc, and yet, we get it also.
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Jamiekins82

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Re: Birth control and cluster headaches?
Reply #11 - Mar 3^rd, 2013 at 10:40am

heidalt wrote on Sep 15^th, 2011 at 2:04am:

i am new to forum but just wanted to add my 2 cents in the hope someone eventually connects the dots from our various experiences. my CH cycles started the year i started birth control pills at age of 35. prior to that i was on depo provera shots. in jan 2006 i started pills and 6 months later i had my first attack. i don't know if that is coincidence but i doubt it. when i realized this last year, i immediately stopped the BC pills. sad to report that the cycle was delayed this year but has returned with a vengeance in recent weeks. i have searched web and have only seen a minor nod to possibility that starting BC pills can cause headaches to start for first time. if anyone comes across similar experiences pls post so we might accumulate info on this... tx.

I too had my first CH cycle the same year I started birth control pills. I was 18 and am now 30 and still on the pill, and still suffering from CH. Always wondered if there was a connection with the BCP and CH but then thought more men get CH than woman so it didn't make sense. Then I did some looking back into past cycles...I have come to realize that my CH cycle, which usually lasts about 6 weeks or so, always ends on a week I start my placebo pills. So my 3rd week of BC pills is usually my last with intense CH (kip 8-10) and then the headaches dwindle over the next week and I am back to normal by the time I start up my next month of pills. Not sure if it really means anything, but we are all always looking for some sort of connection as to why we get this terrible pain. I will be stopping BC very soon to start trying for my first child with my husband, and am wondering if pregnancy may affect the headaches.

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