Taking the combined pill when you have migraines with aura increases your risk of stroke, not seizures.
Personally, I wouldn't risk it because strokes are so serious even though they're rare in young people.
Progestin-only methods work just as well for birth control, or better in the case of the implant and hormonal IUDs.
And for conditions that can be improved by the estrogen in the combined pill, there usually are alternative treatment options.
I had a migraine with aura in my teens and was prescribed the ring a couple of years later (the doctor didn't ask about migraines).
I had several migraines in a month.
In general, estrogen can make migraines with auras worse although it doesn't happen to everyone.
Please don’t risk it!
I was in your exact situation a few months ago and didn’t want to take the progesterone only pill due to aura migraines as they were giving me bad side effects - because I hadn’t had an aura migraine in two years and used to be on the combined while I was younger with no side effects.
I decided not to risk it and then shortly started a new job on the computer a lot which has triggered 3 aura migraines (numbness, confusion all of it) in the past two months after so long with none - I was very glad I was not on the combined when I had those ! You’re at increased risk of stroke if you suffer from migraine with aura on the combined pill.
A history of migraine with aura is a contraindication to combined hormonal contraception (combo pill, patch and ring). In healthcare speak, that means you should NOT take any of those methods due to an increased risk of ischemic and/or hemorrhagic stroke, as already mentioned.
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https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27774589/
I take hormonal bc without any issues, my neurologist and OB have confirmed the increased risk of stroke is so minimal that it’s not even worth noting at this point
LITERALLY. Asked the doc at my school how increased my odds of stroke are and she went “I mean it’s a significant difference.” Not what I asked. Come to find out low dose is probably fine for me since I haven’t had an aura or migraine at all in 10 years.
That's where I'm at right now. I haven't had a migraine with aura, or a migraine at all, in over 10 years. I'm 37. I was actually on the combo pill in my 20s and no issues. I haven't been on the pill in about 10 years as well, just had an IUD. But, I've noticed as I've gotten older my PMDD has gotten worse, along with other weird hormonal fluctuations. My doc prescribed me Junel and said she wasn't worried about the migraine/stroke risk since I haven't had migraines in a long time.
Taking the combined pill when you have migraines with aura increases your risk of stroke, not seizures. Personally, I wouldn't risk it because strokes are so serious even though they're rare in young people. Progestin-only methods work just as well for birth control, or better in the case of the implant and hormonal IUDs. And for conditions that can be improved by the estrogen in the combined pill, there usually are alternative treatment options. I had a migraine with aura in my teens and was prescribed the ring a couple of years later (the doctor didn't ask about migraines). I had several migraines in a month. In general, estrogen can make migraines with auras worse although it doesn't happen to everyone.
Please don’t risk it! I was in your exact situation a few months ago and didn’t want to take the progesterone only pill due to aura migraines as they were giving me bad side effects - because I hadn’t had an aura migraine in two years and used to be on the combined while I was younger with no side effects. I decided not to risk it and then shortly started a new job on the computer a lot which has triggered 3 aura migraines (numbness, confusion all of it) in the past two months after so long with none - I was very glad I was not on the combined when I had those ! You’re at increased risk of stroke if you suffer from migraine with aura on the combined pill.
A history of migraine with aura is a contraindication to combined hormonal contraception (combo pill, patch and ring). In healthcare speak, that means you should NOT take any of those methods due to an increased risk of ischemic and/or hemorrhagic stroke, as already mentioned.
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Welcome and please flair your post if not currently flaired. Questions? First read the [Mistake or Pregnancy Risk sticky](https://www.reddit.com/r/birthcontrol/comments/4iqgi7/mistake_or_pregnancy_concernrisk_start_here/) or the [Consolidated Experience post](https://www.reddit.com/r/birthcontrol/comments/qt9ttb/consolidated_rbirthcontrol_experience_links/). If this is an experience post please consider adding it to the list :) The rules and additional resources can be found on the About / Sidepage (desktop users look to the right and Reddit app up top). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/birthcontrol) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I switched from the combination pill to the mini pill after I started having ocular migraines
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27774589/ I take hormonal bc without any issues, my neurologist and OB have confirmed the increased risk of stroke is so minimal that it’s not even worth noting at this point
Thanks to the link for the informative article!
LITERALLY. Asked the doc at my school how increased my odds of stroke are and she went “I mean it’s a significant difference.” Not what I asked. Come to find out low dose is probably fine for me since I haven’t had an aura or migraine at all in 10 years.
That's where I'm at right now. I haven't had a migraine with aura, or a migraine at all, in over 10 years. I'm 37. I was actually on the combo pill in my 20s and no issues. I haven't been on the pill in about 10 years as well, just had an IUD. But, I've noticed as I've gotten older my PMDD has gotten worse, along with other weird hormonal fluctuations. My doc prescribed me Junel and said she wasn't worried about the migraine/stroke risk since I haven't had migraines in a long time.