When my wife and I first got married, she used an oral contraceptive. It was also during that time that she experienced frequent headaches and migraines.
Although some dietary changes she made improved things, I now believe that the birth control played a role in inducing the headaches.
Anecdotal evidence: my wife has been off of oral contraceptives for a few years now and hasn’t had a migraine. She gets mild headaches maybe a couple times a year.
More anecdotal evidence: my sister-in-law has suffered from chronic headaches for years. So much so that it’s become a point of frustration for her and her husband (my brother).
Recently, my sister-in-law stopped taking oral contraceptives and had an IUD (Intrauterine Device) inserted. Since then, her chronic headaches are no longer chronic. In fact, she now rarely has headaches at all.
Some non-anecdotal evidence: the American Council for Headache Education says this about the relationship between oral contraceptives and migraines…
Many women with migraine who take oral contraceptives (OCs) experience no difference in their migraine pattern. One third of women may actually experience fewer attacks or they may be less severe (and about one third have more severe headaches). However, significantly more women start having migraine when starting OCs than when not using OCs, suggesting a causal relationship.
If you are female… you take oral contraceptives… and you experience chronic headaches or migraines—consider using a different form of birth control like condoms or an IUD. This simple change may rid you of your headaches for good.
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