Headaches at the end or just after the end of your period..

If you tend to get one or more headaches per month, it's really helpful to keep a record of when you get them and of where you happen to be in your cycle when you get them.
There are many possible causes of headaches some of which may relate to your hormones.

Hormonal headaches or migraines will commonly show up mid cycle or just prior to or at the very start of your period.

If you tend to get a headaches or migraines towards the end or just after your period, it's worth having your iron and ferritin (stored iron) levels checked as being low in one or both of these may trigger headaches post bleeding.

In a 2017 study, researchers examining 85 female migraine sufferers discovered that more than one in three (35.3%) experienced their migraines at the end of their period or right after it was over.¹ The study authors argue that this a different type of cycle-related migraine, which they dubbed end-menstrual migraine (EMM).
(1) Anne H. Calhoun, Nicole Gill, “Presenting a New, Non-Hormonally Mediated Cyclic Headache in Women: End-Menstrual Migraine”, Headache, 57 (2017): 17-20

If your iron levels are already on the low side or you experience heavy bleeding with your period, the blood loss can lead to low iron resulting in this type of headache or migraine.

It's always best to try to get your iron through your diet, but sometimes an iron supplement is needed. It's important to always have your iron levels tested via a blood test before taking iron supplements as taking iron can cause issues if it's not needed.

Food Sources of Iron
Heme iron is found in meat and is more easily absorbed than non-haem iron derived from vegetable sources.
150g  beef steak 5.55mg
160g lamb fillet 5.55mg
20 mussels 15mg iron
2 large eggs 2mg
A cup of prune juice 3.15mg
1 cup of cooked silver beet up to 2.53mg
85gm sardines 2.1mg
85gm turkey 2.1mg
85mg chicken 0.7gm
85gm salmon/tuna/halibut/perch/haddock 0.7gm
30gm raw cashews 1.5mg
50g dried apricots 1.6mg
Tablespoon of molasses 3.5mg
Cup of cooked lentils 6.6mg
Cup of cooked spinach up to 6mg
Square of high quality dark chocolate (ideally raw eg, Loving Earth or Pana brands) up to 5mg
Cup of cooked quinoa 2.8mg
Cup of tofu 3.4mg
28gm of pumpkin seeds 4mg or a half a cup 17mg

If you'd like to have your iron and ferritin tested I can give you a referral at your next appointment.

Appointments can be booked here:

https://blossomwellbeing.as.me/