---
title: What is menstrual migraine and how common is it? | Niyora
description: Menstrual migraine is migraine linked to menstruation more often than by chance. It affects 20-25% of women with migraines in the general population and 22-70
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/menstrual-migraine-a-distinct-disorder-needing-greater-recognition-2021/
---

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- What is menstrual migraine and how common is it?

Survey study, 2021

# What is menstrual migraine and how common is it?

Menstrual migraine is migraine linked to menstruation more often than by chance. It affects 20-25% of women with migraines in the general population and 22-70% of people seen at headache clinics. These migraines cause more disability than non-menstrual migraines.

 Moderate study design

Women with migraines in the general population and people presenting to headache clinics

## What they did

This is a review of research on menstrual migraine. The authors examined how common it is, how disabling it is, what causes it, and how it is treated.

## What they found

About 20-25% of women with migraines in the general population have menstrual migraine, and 22-70% of people who come to headache clinics have it. In women with menstrual migraine, attacks around the time of the period cause much more disability than their other migraine attacks. Two mechanisms have been identified as possible causes: estrogen withdrawal and prostaglandin release. However, treatments that target these mechanisms do not have strong evidence that they work well.

## What it means for you

Menstrual migraine is common and causes significant disability, but it is not well understood. More research is needed to figure out how it develops and to find better treatments.

20-25%

Prevalence in female migraineurs (general population)

22-70%

Prevalence in headache clinic patients

## About the study

Original title Menstrual migraine: a distinct disorder needing greater recognition Authors Vetvik KG, MacGregor EA Journal The Lancet. Neurology Year 2021 Study design Survey study What was tested None—this is a review of research, not a test of a treatment Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(20)30482-8](https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(20)30482-8)

## Topics

[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Migraine](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-migraine/)

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