Main takeaways
Sometimes, hormone fluctuations during the menstrual cycle can cause headaches. Hormone headaches and migraines typically happen within a few days before or after the day you start your period (when estrogen levels drop sharply).
Headaches and migraines can also be a side effect of hormonal birth control. For some, they may go away after the body adjusts to the new hormones (usually within 2 to 3 months). For others, they may linger.
If you have migraines with aura, tell your provider. They may want to avoid prescribing birth control with estrogen due to potential health complications.
Birth control pills help keep hormone levels steady throughout the menstrual cycle, which may improve headache and migraine symptoms.
Skipping your period with the use of birth control may help avoid the drop in hormone levels that can cause headaches.
If your birth control is still causing headaches or migraines after 3 months, it may be time to switch your method or dosage.
There are so many birth control options out there. The Pill Club can work with you to recommend the one that works best for your headaches or migraines.
Birth control and headaches: what to know
Not many things can crash a good day as quickly as a throbbing headache or migraine. It’s even worse when you’re not sure what’s triggering your symptoms. If you notice your headaches returning around the same time each cycle—namely, around the beginning of your period—hormone changes may be to blame. If your head pain started around the same time you began a new birth control, the headaches might be a side effect of the hormones in your prescription.
Quick note: Our medical team recommends sticking with a new birth control method for 2 to 3 months before switching brands, unless your birth control side effects are persistent or severe. It takes time for your body to adjust to the hormones in a new prescription. Once your body’s used to the dosage, some symptoms may decrease or go away completely.
Read on for our breakdown of the link between hormonal birth control and headaches.
Can birth control cause headaches?
Hormone changes, including ones caused by birth control, can cause headaches for some people. Hormonal headaches are typically triggered by the natural dip in estrogen that happens right before your period. People with hormonal headaches and migraines usually have the most symptoms around the first day of their period.
Headaches are also a common side effect of hormonal birth control. Whether you use a combination method (one with estrogen and progestin) or a progestin-only one, it may take some time for your body to get used to the extra hormones you’re taking every day.
As your body adjusts, your birth control may cause or worsen headaches. It can take up to three months for your body to adjust, and many symptoms (including headaches) can minimize or go away during that time.
Make sure and keep your provider in the loop about any new symptoms you’re experiencing, even if you’re not sure they’re connected to your birth control. If your headaches don’t go away after three months, it may be time to talk to your provider about changing or adjusting your prescription.
Migraines and birth control
Migraines, like normal headaches, can also be caused by hormone fluctuations. Since birth control, like the pill, affects your hormone levels, it may also impact the severity and frequency of menstrual migraines.
Sometimes, hormonal birth control can improve migraine symptoms by keeping estrogen levels steadier throughout your cycle. Sometimes, it can make them worse, especially during placebo or pill-free weeks (due to the drop in estrogen that happens during that time).
Migraines with aura and birth control
Migraines with aura come with a set of sensory warning signs that happen before or at the same time the headache strikes. This “aura” is different for everyone, but it may include:
Blind spots in your vision
Shimmering stars or spots
Zigzag lines floating across your field of vision
Other changes in your vision or vision loss
Tingling in your face or hands
As a rule, people with migraines with aura should avoid birth control with estrogen. Combination birth control may increase the risk of blood clots, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. Let your provider know you have migraines with aura when you’re talking about your birth control options!
If you already have headaches or migraines, can you still take birth control?
Many people who experience headaches are still able to take hormonal birth control. In fact, the pill may actually improve headaches and migraines (even if there’s a slight adjustment period in the beginning). This is because combination birth control pills—the ones with estrogen and progestin—help minimize the drop in estrogen that happens right before your period.
Talk to your healthcare provider to determine the best option for you.
Important caveat: As we mentioned, combination birth control pills generally aren’t recommended for anyone that has migraines with aura.
What can you do if birth control is causing headaches?
If you notice your birth control making your migraines or headaches worse—especially if you’ve been on it for 3 months or more—bring it up to your provider. They may suggest:
Switching to a pill with a lower dose of hormones
Switching to a pill without breaks or placebo days
Decreasing the number of placebo days
Taking an estrogen supplement on placebo days
Switching to progestin-only birth control
Switching to non-hormonal birth control, such as the copper IUD or barrier methods
There’s a huge variety of birth control options (here at The Pill Club, we carry over 120 brands!). You should be able to find one that fits your lifestyle without causing unwanted side effects.
If you can’t switch your birth control for whatever reason—insurance, cost, worse side effects with other methods—ask your provider for advice on minimizing your headache or migraine symptoms. Taking your pill at the same time each day may help decrease hormone fluctuations. Over-the-counter pain medications may also help, especially when taken at the first sign of a headache or migraine.
Are any birth control brands better or worse for headaches and migraines?
It all depends on your unique situation. Everyone’s different, and there aren’t any types of birth control that improve or worsen headaches across the board. A birth control pill that helps with your friend’s migraines may make yours worse, or vice versa.
The important thing is that you communicate honestly with your provider about your symptoms. And don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself if your birth control is negatively impacting your quality of life!
Conclusion
To sum things up, you probably won’t know how birth control will affect your headaches until you try it out. Don’t give up if your first prescription doesn’t work out! It may take some trial and error to get things right, but finding your perfect-fit birth control is worth the effort. When you’re ready, the The Pill Club medical team is here to talk you through your options. Sign up to learn more about how we can help you find birth control that works for you.
At The Pill Club, our goal is to provide the most up-to-date, objective, and research-based information to help readers make informed decisions. Articles are written by experienced contributors; they are grounded in research and evidence-based practices. All information has been fact-checked and extensively reviewed by our team of experts to ensure content is accurate and on par with current industry standards. Articles contain trusted third-party sources that are either directly linked to in the text or listed at the bottom to take readers directly to the source. Learn more about our editorial process.