Are Your Migraines Hormonal?

Introduction

The effect of hormone changes on migraines cannot be denied since women suffer from migraines at a rate of nearly three times compared to males, develop the condition for the first time during or after the onset of puberty, and many frequently experience attacks during one's menstrual period. Currently many theories on hormones and migraines focus on hormones fluctuations - the rapid rise or fall of hormone levels.

What are hormones? Hormones are essentially targeted chemical messengers which are secreted by glands into the blood stream where then they affect metabolism, growth, sexual reproduction, organ behavior, and mood. The major hormone producing glands include the adrenals, pancreas, pituitary, sex glands, thyroid, and parathyroid glands.

How Do You Know You Migraines Are Hormonal?

Ask yourself - Do you frequently get migraines two days before, during, or up to three days after your menstrual cycle? Do you frequently get migraines half-way through your menstrual cycle (ovulation)? If the answer to any of the above question is yes, then you may be experiencing hormonal migraines. If you don't know the answer for sure, consider keeping a migraine journal in order to see if your headaches correlated with your cycle.

Treatment for Menstrual and Menstrual-related Migraines

Western Medicine Approach:

An outdated approach to treating hormonal migraines was to put women on oral contraceptives to "normalize" supposedly abnormal hormone levels. It is now though that it is the rapid rise or fall of hormones that can cause problems. Many women have good luck switching to low estrogen pills, and from triphasic (each week has a different hormone level) to monophasic birth control pills (each pill contains the same amount of hormones) to ensure that hormone levels remain constant twenty-one out of twenty-eight days. Another approach is to try the new menstrual suppression oral contraceptives, which allow one to go months without experiencing a period.

Women who experience regular, predictable periods can take preventative prescription medication either daily or a few days before you cycle (according to the advice of your doctor.) In general, people who experience three or more migraines per month are advised to take a daily medicine. Those who experience fewer migraines will usually do fine taking medications starting a few days before they know for sure they will get a migraine.

Women who have unpredictable menstrual cycles may need to rely on prescription medication (such as triptans) which will abort an oncoming headache. Some women also report success using non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs during this time.

Wellness approach:

Many women have found their menstrual-related migraines respond very well to taking magnesium supplements.