--- title: Are migraine attacks during the menstrual period worse than at other times? description: Yes, migraine attacks during the menstrual period are more disabling, last longer, and are more likely to return within 24 hours compared to attacks at other url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/characteristics-of-menstrual-vs-nonmenstrual-migraine-a-post-hoc-within-woman-2010/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Are migraine attacks during the menstrual period worse than at other times? Non-randomised trial, 2010 # Are migraine attacks during the menstrual period worse than at other times? Yes, migraine attacks during the menstrual period are more disabling, last longer, and are more likely to return within 24 hours compared to attacks at other times. Moderate study design 153 women aged 18 or older with regular 28±4-day menstrual cycles and frequent menstrual migraines ## What they did 153 women with regular menstrual cycles and frequent menstrual migraines were tracked for 1 month during usual migraine treatment at 21 US medical practices. Researchers compared migraine symptoms that occurred during the menstrual window (2 days before to 3 days after period start) to migraines at other times of the month. ## What they found Women reported 212 menstrual and 146 nonmenstrual migraine episodes. Menstrual episodes were 1.65 times more likely to cause functional impairment, lasted 1.68 times longer, and were 2.66 times more likely to return within 24 hours compared to nonmenstrual episodes. ## What it means for you Menstrual migraines appear to be a distinct and more severe type of migraine. However, this was an open-label study where everyone knew they were being tracked, which could have affected results. The findings may not apply to all women with migraines, only those with frequent menstrual migraines. 153 Women tracked for 1 month 1.65 Times more likely to cause impairment 2.66 Times more likely to relapse within 24 hours ## About the study Original title Characteristics of menstrual vs nonmenstrual migraine: a post hoc, within-woman analysis of the usual-care phase of a nonrandomized menstrual migraine clinical trial Authors MacGregor EA, Victor TW, Hu X et al. Journal Headache Year 2010 Study design Non-randomised trial Participants 153 What was tested None Read the paper [doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-4610.2010.01625.x](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-4610.2010.01625.x) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Migraine](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-migraine/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Review, 2013 What causes migraines linked to your period and how can they be treated? Randomised trial, 2011 Does sumatriptan-naproxen help women with period migraines and period pain function better? Survey study, 2026 Do women with menstrual migraine have worse PMS and PMDD, and does coping strategy affect headache burden? Survey study, 2023 How common are migraines linked to the menstrual cycle in women with PMS? Survey study, 2018 Do women who get migraines during their period have more PMS symptoms? Study, 2011 Does the migraine medicine sumamigren work the same way for menstrual and non-menstrual migraines? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗