Full Moons and Migraines

By Holly Harding

2 min read

The impact of the full moon on migraines, while not properly or thoroughly researched, is generally accepted within the patient community. I have certainly noticed that the full moon brings an increase in the severity of my migraines and have heard from others who share the experience.

There may be several reasons why full moons result in a rise in migraine activity.

How is menstruation related to the moon?

Women's menstrual patterns can cycle with the full moon (similar in length to the lunar phase), leading to a potential double whammy of hormonal shifts along with whatever impact comes with the full moon itself.^1,2 Hormonal shifts are a well-known trigger for many women who struggle with migraines.

How are sleep patterns affected?

Studies show that the full moon can alter sleep patterns which can make it more difficult to both falls into and maintain a full night's sleep.^2,3 As we all know, sleep disruption is a well-known trigger for migraines.

How do lunar phases affect serotonin levels?

The full moon impacts serotonin levels, a chemical in our bodies that regulates mood, among other things.⁴ Its imbalance could be the cause for the wide-ranging reports from emergency rooms during full moons regarding the increase of incidences involving migraines, alcoholism, epilepsy, menstrual cycles, car accidents, anxiety, depression, sexual activity, homicides, insomnia, and diarrhea.

Is water composition in the body a factor?

With 50-70% of the human body being composed of water, it has also been proposed that if the moon's gravitational force is sufficient enough to cause the oceans to rise, it may also affect our bodies.^4,5,6

How can you be proactive with migraine?

With migraine triggers lurking around every corner, it can be tricky to keep track of them all. That said, the full moon is one trigger that we can anticipate. Proactively taking the full moon calendar into account might help us avoid migraine or at least decrease its severity and/or frequency. For example, if you believe the full moon is a trigger for you, you might talk with your doctor about the idea of proactively ramping up your preventative treatment strategy in anticipation of the date. Additionally, you might use the calendar when planning for a trip or other special event in an effort to decrease the likelihood of having a migraine.

Does the full moon affect you in any way? If so, how? Have you learned ways to navigate around any challenges it presents to you?

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The Migraine.com team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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ado6d6 Member
Hmmmmm I might have to track this ...... full moon last night and bad migraine last night as well. I do remember quite a few nights having severe pain and unable to sleep so I sit at the window watching the moon and it's normally full or almost. Would suck to have another unavoidable trigger but I could at least plan around it easier than pressure changes in the weather.
1. Holly Harding Moderator & Contributor
 Hi Tamara- Thanks for sharing. Yes- the timing of this article release is perfect as the full moon was last night. Great idea to begin paying attention to see if it might hold some connections for you. And you're right- perhaps there may be some ways to treat yourself preventively around those times if it is an additional trigger for you. Best of luck! Warmly - Holly Baddour (moderator/patient advocate- <a href='https://migraine.com' target='_blank'>migraine.com</a>).
Elizabeth Roberts-Zibbel Moderator
Hi Holly! I love the fact that we both wrote articles about this at the same time. I have edited mine to mention yours and link to it. Yours is more scientifically based and mine is more poetic, which I think is cool 😀 Here is the link to my post which was published yesterday. <a href='https://migraine.com/living-migraine/the-full-moon' target='_blank'>https://migraine.com/living-migraine/the-full-moon/</a> Great migraine minds!
1. Holly Harding Moderator & Contributor
 Hi Elizabeth! This is a wonderful coincidence! When I was first considering the content of this piece, I searched the site and saw there was not much on the subject. I agree that it's very cool that we both chose the explore it in depth at the same time. I loved your piece and thanks for linking back to mine. Very warmly- Holly
david901 Member
Please be aware for most of us that the full moon does cause migraines. The "new moon" is just as bad if not worse. Please check that out for yourself you will probably find the same thing..
1. Holly Harding Moderator & Contributor
 Hi <inline-mention user-id="3796841" username="david901"/> - Really glad you shared this information. I'll definitely look into this and pay attention. I also notice that some full moons cause much more intense pain than others. No idea why this is the case. Grateful for your input and your presence in our community. Please stay in touch.
CommunityMember1858 Member
Back when ER's and medicenters used to give narcotic shots and anti nausea shots, like stadol and phenergan, or demerol and vistril, etc. I noticed that when I went in with a bad migraine that they often were busy with other migraine patients that I got to recognize, with the same very bad migraine, on the same first day of a full moon. I asked the triage nurse at several places about it, and he or she always said that they could almost always count on 4-6 migraine patients coming in on that night with a bad migraine, that they suffered with all day, and then come evening around 8 pm of so, not being to take it any longer and heading it for treatment. Of course, by the time we made it there, it was usually too late to try any treatment other than a heavy dose of a pain killer and a strong anti nausea drug, like zofran or phenergan. Some doctors were ok with using that, even back then, but some didn't believe in that treatment no matter what. But by the time we made it to the ER, it usually was too late to try some doctor's personal favorite combination. At 100$ copay, being given benadryl, compazine, and perhaps tordol, which never worked for me, yet was given to me several times, only worked to cause me agitation, with no relief from the migraine. It is a struggle still, but with the anti CGRP drug Vyepti, plus a nerve block every 6 weeks, I have gotten relief by about a third, instead of a migraine every day. As every migraine patient of any long term likely understands, we don't seek complete cures, but a treatment that lets us get back part of our lives. So I am looking at this as a success.
1. Nancy Harris Bonk Moderator
 <inline-mention username="CommunityMember1858" user-id="4847228"/> Thank you for sharing your journey with us. Good to hear your current treatment plan is beneficial. Not everyone who takes an anti CGRP medication will experience a complete reduction in migraine. These medications work to prevent attacks, and any reduction is good in my mind! Migraine is thought to be a neurological disease, falling on a spectrum from mild to severely debilitating and everything in between. You're absolutely correct - getting the proper treatment allows us to function! How are you doing today? Nancy Harris Bonk, Patient Leader/Moderator <a href='https://migraine.com' target='_blank'>Migraine.com</a> Team 
2. Holly Harding Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="CommunityMember1858" user-id="4847228"/> Hi there- thanks so much for sharing with us- I did want to chime in to say I, too, would experience agitation with that newer drug cocktail at the ER (I was told that some people have an opposite reaction to benedryl - in that for most it makes them sleepy but for some - like us, I suppose, it makes us want to crawl out of our skin). It would make me want to rip the IV out of my arm but didn't do anything to help with my migraine. So, in addition to the attack, I suddenly also felt like the Hulk! Just wanted to resonate with you on that. Fascinating insight about the uptick in migraine patients on full moon nights. I'm not surprised. Thanks again for being with us! Warmly- Holly <a href='https://-migraine.com' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>-migraine.com</a> team.
wirr Member
There is a study by the University of Basel that found a significant sleep disorder during the full moon. However, this is not meaningful with only 33 subjects. A study by the Max Plank Institute found no differences in 1,200 subjects. However, I found an interesting sentence: Belief in a full moon affecting sleep can also become a self-fulfilling prophecy: If you go to bed already expecting to sleep poorly, this (unconscious) stress can affect your sleep. In fact, stress is one of the main causes of insomnia. And since we as migraine sufferers have nothing to do with stress (/irony off) we are alarmed at every little change anyway, I can well imagine that. As for the moon thing, seas are a lot more massive than humans. And then you have to ask yourself why we have 2 high tides on earth and no second moon. According to Newton's law of gravitation F=G*m1*m2/r^2 one can easily convince oneself that this speculation is very improbable. m1 = 80kg (that's me fat pig - luckily I still look relatively slim next to the pacific ^^) m2 = 7.346+10^22kg (mass moon according to NASA) r = 380000km (I have chosen an average distance to the moon. Of course, that is not quite correct, because every person is somewhere else on earth and there are also forces from the rotation of the earth itself, but that is negligible.) G = gravitational constant If you use this now, you get: F = 6.674*10^-11m^3/kg*s^2 * 80kg*7.346*10^22kg/380000000^2m^2 F = 0.002716kg*m*s^-2 ≙ 0.002716N That would correspond to about 0.0002769kg I may have totally miscalculated and/or made a typo here, since I can neither think nor look clearly due to migraines, but even then it doesn't come out much more or less. Convince me otherwise. 😉
1. Holly Harding Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="wirr" user-id="3682405"/> Very logical theory- and fascinating too! Thank you for sharing with us, as always! Warmly- Holly <a href='https://-migraine.com' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>-migraine.com</a> team.
2. Nancy Harris Bonk Moderator
 <inline-mention username="wirr" user-id="3682405"/> You're not pushing me at all!! I love interacting with you - no guilt allowed!! How goes it today? Nancy Harris Bonk, Patient Leader/Moderator <a href='https://migraine.com' target='_blank'>Migraine.com</a> Team
Stamhow Member
<inline-mention username="Holly Harding" user-id="3755969"/> After I dosed myself with a concoction to battle the migration that woke me at 5AM, I researched migraines and full moms again and found your article. My husband started tracking my migraines years ago. It would always fall a day or two before, the day of, or the day after a full moon. My cycles were never routine so it never alone to that. I'm pre-menopausal after a hysterectomy 6 years ago, so it's hard to say if I'm affected by my cycles or not. I do occasionally get a migraine outside of a full moon, but the full moon is a for sure thing. It perplexes me that the findings scientifically are so dismissive of this possibility. 
1. Cody Leach Community Admin
 Welcome to the community, <inline-mention username="Stamhow" user-id="6198529"/> 😀. It's great to hear that this article resonated with you! I truly wish there was more info out there on how the cycles of the moon may impact our migraines. How long do your migraines typically last after experiencing a full moon? Additionally, how awesome that your husband was willing to track your migraines for you! Did you glean any other helpful patterns from this on top of finding a potential connection to the moon cycle? Hope to hear more from you soon! Warmly, - Cody (Team Member)
2. Holly Harding Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="Stamhow" user-id="6198529"/> So glad you found us and that you've unearthed this pattern in yourself. The full moon trigger is a strong one for many of us. And one of the harder ones to manage as it can't be avoided. There are many triggers that can be avoided (loud noises, bright lights, etc). But weather changers, hormonal shifts, and full moons are among those triggers that we cannot avoid. Therefore, the best way to handle them, is to do what you and your husband are doing - track the full moon calendar and perhaps proactively treat your migraine attacks in the days leading up to, during, and following the full moon. I'm not sure if you are being evaluated and treated by a migraine specialist. We do encourage folks who experience chronic migraine (15 or more attacks a month) to pursue evaluation and care from a migraine specialist. If you are interested in some referrals to a specialist in your area, let us know and we can send you a link to some names. If you are happy with your doctor, we'd encourage you to speak with your doctor about creating a proactive preventative treatment plan to put in place around the schedule of the full moon. For instance, there is a class of medications, known as triptans: <a href='https://migraine.com/migraine-treatment/triptans' target='_blank'>https://migraine.com/migraine-treatment/triptans</a>. They are normally taken as rescue medications (taken at the onset of an attack). With a doctor's blessing, they may also be taken as a preventative on a short-course (not regularly) to help steer off an impending attack. If not that, there are plenty of other preventative options out there. You mentioned a concoction - so perhaps you already have something like this in place? Are you already taken a preventative or rescue medication? You've got a lot of dynamics at play with being pre-menopausal and having had a hysterectomy, plus migraine. We are here for you as you navigate these challenges - to provide information and support anytime. Please feel free to reach out whenever you are moved. Thinking of you. Warmly - Holly (team member)
Stamhow Member
<inline-mention username="Holly Harding" user-id="3755969"/> & <inline-mention username="Cody Leach" user-id="4536970"/> Thank you for your response. Since I don't have 15 or more migraines a month, the doctors don't see my case as severe. But it's okay. We manage. When I'm paying attention to the moon cycles, I ťry to be ready. My doctor has given me Rizatriptan, but I haven't used it yet. I'm a little afraid of side affects. Years ago I went to a headache clinic and they gave me Topomax and I had a severe adverse reaction the first and only time I took it. Has anyone in this group had good experience with Rizatriptan? 
1. Holly Harding Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="Stamhow" user-id="6198529"/> Thanks for circling back. I mentioned above the use of a triptan- rizatriptan is one of those drugs. The brand name is Maxalt and I have taken that before and found it great and for me, without side effects. Topamax, on the other hand, is known to be heavy with side effects. Triptans have been around for decades and are known to be relatively safe drugs (see the above link I sent you). Here's a link to a general article on Maxalt/rizatriptan: <a href='https://migraine.com/migraine-treatment/maxalt' target='_blank'>https://migraine.com/migraine-treatment/maxalt</a>. Please let me know if you have any specific questions I can answer. Warmly - Holly (team member) 
2. Melissa Arnold Community Admin
 <inline-mention username="Stamhow" user-id="6198529"/> It's also worth noting that Topomax and Maxalt/rizatriptan work in two different ways, so that might increase your confidence if you decide to give it a try -- you're taking a completely different kind of medication. And while I haven't taken either medication, I do want to mention that we do see a fair number of people here struggle with the side effects of Topomax, even if it helps them. So, you're not alone. Ultimately, we always have to weigh the positives of any medication against how well we can tolerate it. My fingers are crossed for you, and we support whatever you decide to do. Good luck! -Melissa, team member