Upcoming hysterectomy 4/26: Weighing pros/cons of removing ovaries - migraine issues

I am 35 and am extremely wary of having my ovaries removed, but I suffer from pretty severe migraines. I can basically pinpoint on a calendar the exact week I will have a migraine every single day, and it is 100% related to my menstrual cycle.

I plan on asking my doctor about this at my appointment next week, but has anyone else been in the same boat? If you kept your ovaries, did you find you still experienced negative symptoms like you did during your menstrual cycle?

Part of me thinks that if I'm going to go through all of this, it would be a shame to continue on with these awful headaches if my hormones are contributing...

Question:
Do you happen to be on the birth control pill?

I had migraines every month, like clockwork the week of my period, and they were getting more and more severe. And sometimes twice a month. This is what originally sent me to my doctor, along with some heavy bleeding, which is when they found my huge fibroid which ultimately led to my hysterectomy.

I was 46, had healthy ovaries, and in no way shape or form was I willing to go thru surgical menopause for no reason. With my fibroid diagnosis, I went off the pill right away and then had surgery 6-8 weeks later I believe.

Guess what? I have not had a migraine since I went off the pill March 2015. Not a single one, and I suffered for over 10 years. It blows my mind that not one of my doctors brought up that the pill can cause migraines. I was 46 years old when I stopped taking it, and I was on the pill for 30 years.

Hope this helps!

	Quote:
Originally Posted by KellyB1969 Question: Do you happen to be on the birth control pill? I had migraines every month, like clockwork the week of my period, and they were getting more and more severe. And sometimes twice a month. This is what originally sent me to my doctor, along with some heavy bleeding, which is when they found my huge fibroid which ultimately led to my hysterectomy. I was 46, had healthy ovaries, and in no way shape or form was I willing to go thru surgical menopause for no reason. With my fibroid diagnosis, I went off the pill right away and then had surgery 6-8 weeks later I believe. Guess what? I have not had a migraine since I went off the pill March 2015. Not a single one, and I suffered for over 10 years. It blows my mind that not one of my doctors brought up that the pill can cause migraines. I was 46 years old when I stopped taking it, and I was on the pill for 30 years. Hope this helps!

Thank you! I forgot to mention I can't take birth control specifically because of migraine with aura. I had a Mirena for a while before my second pregnancy and THAT was quite a nightmare as well.

This is sort of related. I didn't have migraines related to my period but I did have horrible pmdd. I had my uterus and one ovary removed at 37. Now I'm 45 and the symptoms have suddenly all reappeared. I was told not to have both ovaries removed because of the future health problems (cardiovascular and bone density) that are related to early menopause. I'm now on my way to getting the other ovary out. Have you considered trying Lupron? It will suppress your estrogen temporarily and might help you figure out if the the estrogen going away permanently will help your migraines. Hope some of that helps.

Hi and welcome,

Kudos to you for considering all your options as this is a very difficult decision.

I've read that many doctors (including neurologists) do not recommend removing the ovaries for women with hormonal migraines. I had pre-cancerous cells, so keeping my ovaries was not an option. While I can't say I have more migraines now, they certainly did not decrease after my ovaries were removed :/.

Perhaps after your surgery, prophylactic medication may be an option?

If you haven't done so already, please get other medical opinions from gynecologist/surgeons and neurologists. You deserve to know all of your options to make the best decision for you.

Hugs and we are here to support you on your journey.

Thank you for all the replies! It took me over a year to decide to actually HAVE surgery, so I've definitely been carefully weighing all the pros and cons. I think yesterday I felt a bit more desperate because I HAD a migraine.

I hear you!

Hugs