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Menstrual Migraines and Hysterectomy

Hi, this is my first forum post and I hope I'm in the right area for this question. Basically, I'm having a hysterectomy for what looks like adenomyosis and, since I'm either menopausal already or very close, my doctor suggested I have my ovaries removed as well. The thinking is that it may finish off the menstrual migraines I get.

I started getting migraines immediately after a back surgery, but noticed a few years later that some of them were different and occurred right before a period. As the periods have mostly gone away now, I've noticed that those migraines are much less severe, but still cause a few days of nagging pain, vertigo, exhaustion and foggy thinking. I have been reading up before the surgery to make sure, but it seems like if mine are slowly diminishing I probably won't be hit by horrible migraines due to a sudden drop in hormones, as my ovaries are not producing a huge amount, anyway. And the menstrual migraines have been lessening to reflect that. I would just hate to have them taken out and then find I'm in worse shape when they slowly would have gone away within the next few years, anyway!

If anyone has had experience with this, I'd love to hear your feedback. Thanks!

  1. I had a total hysterectomy specifically for migraines at 41 (with no kids). It helped some but not a lot. I still suffer from them, it is just that I can't pinpoint when I will get the monthly one. I used to know exactly what day I would end up in the doc office to get a shot.

    1. But I have had nothing bad happen from it. As a matter of fact it was the best thing I ever did (other than marrying my hubby 😀)

      1. Thanks for your input! I'm sorry yours didn't go away completely. I have heard MANY friends tell me that I will feel so much better after the surgery, too. They didn't have migraines, though.

        1. Koch,
          I've heard some women it gets better and others it doesn't change. It's really hard to know. I found 2 articles from a neurologist that discusses what will happen to your body after a full hysterectomy. It seems that the Migraines can actually worsen for a period of time right after the surgery due to the dramatic change in hormones. He suggests a specific hormone therapy to try and prevent this. You may want to ask your doctor about it.

          https://migraine.com/blog/hysterectomy-and-migraines

          I hope this info helps in making your decision.
          -Katie
          Migraine.com Moderator

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