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  • Title: The relationship between vascular headaches and low-dose oral contraceptives.
    Author: Karsay K.
    Journal: Ther Hung; 1990; 38(4):181-5. PubMed ID: 2094059.
    Abstract:
    The relationship between migraineous headaches and the use of low-dose oral contraceptives, the monophasic Rigevidon and the biphasic Anteovin, has been examined. In the examined cases Anteovin of higher oestrogen content provoked more vascular cephalalgias than Rigevidon with it's lower oestrogen content. In one part of the cases both pills even had therapeutic effects. According to the opinion of the author classical migraine means a relative contra-indication of hormonal contraception and is a serious adverse effect requiring the discontinuance of oral contraception. The headaches develop during the adaptational period of oral contraception and the migraineous attacks occur in the premenstrual period or at the beginning of menstruation which refer to an oestrogen withdrawal character. It may be supposed that vasoconstriction of certain extent, which has existed during the use of the pills, changes over to relative vasodilatation in this period and the extent of the changes is dependent on the oestreogen content of the tablets. This article reports on a study concerning the relationship between migraine headaches and the use of the low-dose oral contraceptives Rigevidon and Anteovin. The objective was to examine how hormonal contraception influences vascular headaches and to what extent does it provoke such complaints. The study involved 138 and 441 women taking Rigevidon and Anteovin, respectively, 7.9-10.1% of whom already suffered from migraine headaches before taking the pill. Researchers observed the time of the development of the migrainous attack, its duration and intensity, and its course during each cycle. In the event of very intense headaches, the researchers changed the oral contraceptive to Ovidon or Continuin, or discontinued treatment (treatment was also discontinued in cases of increases in blood pressure). Of the women already suffering from headaches prior to taking the oral contraceptives, most of them suffered from a typical menstrual migraines caused by premenstrual syndrome which lasted for 2-4 days. The study found that the women on Rigevidon were less likely to suffer from vascular headaches than the women on Anteovin. While Anteovin caused classic migraine headaches on 0.98% of the women and atypical migraine headaches on 2.3% for the women, the figures were only 0.7% and 1.4% for women on Rigevidon. Researchers attribute these differences to the fact that Anteovin has a higher oestrogen content than Rigevidon. While the study does not explain the correlation between low-dose oral contraceptives and vascular headaches, it does point out the risk associated with oestrogen.
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