I have had frequent migraines for the last 10 years or so...1-2 times per month.  I know some have them far more often, but any migraine is one too many.

But after coming out to myself about 6 months ago, the migraines just stopped completely.  Today was my first migraine in 6 months, and it was relatively minor...only lasted a couple hours and I didn't even throw up.  Yay? 

The women to men ratio is something like 3 or 4:1.  So it's pretty rare that I, as a cismale, get them.  And anecdotally it seems like a lot of MTF trans people get them, and I think I remember reading that a larger than normal percentage of trans people get them.  Has anyone else read that or found it to be true?

I'm also curious to know how often FTM's get them.

Honestly, the medical community knows next to nothing about migraines, so at this point I trust anecdotal evidence just as much as scientific evidence.  So what do you all think?

I have had nothing but constant migraines ever since I came off of my first cycle of progesterone a month ago. It is getting annoying.

When I was a kid I had constant migraines that made me sick. It was so bad that my parents even hospitalized me to try to find the cause (they didn't find anything). When I grew into my teens I seemed to grow out of it.

I'm a trans man and I get migraines. Every once in awhile, I get minor ones from dehydration, but the worst ones I've had were estrogen related. I could not go on birth control because they caused huge migraines for example.

Idk if I get migraines or not, but it seems like once a month for the last few years, I'll get a bad headache for no apparent reason. It always starts in the back of my neck and works its way up. Trying to lay down or sit up straight makes it feel worse. It usually goes away after one or two doses of pain killers.

I get migraines too. Most of mine currently seem to be precipitated by photosensitivity triggers, dietary triggers (I can't eat grapefruit without erupting into headache, weirdly), and dehydration or exhaustion.

However, I got migraines most frequently when I went through puberty and my estrogen kicked in. Back then I had a migraine every other day; it was horrible beyond words.

I do notice even now that I'm more prone to migraines on my period. So, I don't know if it's the estrogen itself (as you said the, the 4:1 ratio is telling)... or the fact that my body shouldn't really be running on estrogen in the first place. I've read about TS people experiencing an odd "ringing" in their brains while on the incorrect hormone; headaches could easily be an offshoot of that.

One final thought- another reason trans people might be more susceptible to headaches in general is the exorbitant rates of stress and anxiety within the TG community. I've read extreme stress can cause migraines as well as tension headaches- and since extreme stress and dysphoria are often inherent pieces of our lives, higher migraine rates would def be conceivable.

I ran low on estrogen lately (post-op) and I started having pretty serious headaches. 

May I ask what you mean about being a cismale and coming out? 

I believe the OP just meant to say she was MAAB and that migraines are much more common among FAAB people? I could be wrong but that was my impression. 

I've heard that hormones can influence migraines, but there seems to be little inconstancy in how.

When I first started researching HRT, one of the warnings about estrogen was that migraines could be worsened, that being said I read the same thing about testosterone.

Interestingly enough, I've talked to two women who had their migraines disappear completely while pregnant.

For me, my first migraine hut me at about age 12. HRT (with and without progesterone) hasn't really changed the frequency or severity.

For me one major trigger has been stress. I'm certain that one I had yesterday was triggered by a major dysphoric episode I've been going through the last couple days.

Since coming out, how's your overall stress level been? Could your drop in migraines be from some relief from coming out to yourself?

Quote from: katiej on March 01, 2014, 06:43:46 PM
I have had frequent migraines for the last 10 years or so...1-2 times per month.  I know some have them far more often, but any migraine is one too many.

But after coming out to myself about 6 months ago, the migraines just stopped completely.  Today was my first migraine in 6 months, and it was relatively minor...only lasted a couple hours and I didn't even throw up.  Yay? 

The women to men ratio is something like 3 or 4:1.  So it's pretty rare that I, as a cismale, get them.  And anecdotally it seems like a lot of MTF trans people get them, and I think I remember reading that a larger than normal percentage of trans people get them.  Has anyone else read that or found it to be true?

Sounds a lot like my experience.  In my previous life I was having several headaches every week and migraines 3 or 4 times a year.  Then I came out 11 years ago and haven't had a migraine since.  And regular headaches are pretty rare as well.  Amazing what happens when you stop denying who you really are. 

I used to get migraines at least once a fortnight, often more and used to take migraine medications. After starting HRT they quickly reduced to once a month, then gradually almost disappeared - maybe one every 6 months or so. Told my doctor about it and he laughingly suggested that this "treatment" may not be to every male's liking.
But this is fine by me!

I got my first migraine at the age of 11 just when puberty began to start.  I've had them ever since, usually triggered by bright lights, or by stress.

I've been on HRT for two months and I haven't had a migraine since.  It may be coincidental, but everything seems to be running much more smoothly

It is incredible that so many of you had improvements in migraines by coming out or starting HRT!

I too have migraines. 1-2 times a week before preventative meds. Now maybe 3 or 4 a year. I just cane out and will start hormones this month.

I am hopeful!

I've never had a migraine (FTM).  My dad, however, is plagued by migraines (or was before they came out with drugs for them).  He was even turned away from the draft for Vietnam due to migraines.  Bet he never thought he'd be happy about them until then. =p

 

Migraines used to be a part of my day-to-day life when I was a kid.  I'd get them 4-7x/week.  After a while of this going on, trying out cutting different foods from my diet and so on, I finally started getting chiropractic care.  This significantly reduced the migraines I got.  Eventually I started under a NUCCA chiropractor and that's pretty well eliminated migraines until, well, two days ago I think I got a bad one, but to be fair I was due for an appointment.