Managing Migraine Headaches

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How the Menstrual Cycle Affects Hormonal Migraine

Experts believe that there is a relationship between hormonal shifts and occurrences of headaches. Findings seem to support this belief since sixty percent of women with migraine feel pain just before or during their period of menstruation. Although other factors my cause the migraine attacks as well, the line between these two is hard to ignore.

The shift in levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body seems to be the main culprit in triggering hormonal migraine. For some reason, estrogen is closely linked to serotonin, a brain chemical which plays a major role in causing migraine.

At a certain stage in a woman’s menstrual cycle, the estrogen level drops and there is also a corresponding decrease in serotonin. This time of sudden change is also the time when hormonal migraine occurs. Although the change is not the main cause of the migraine, it is the trigger that starts the chain reaction.

Hormonal migraine attacks usually begin on the days close to the onset of the menstrual period. Some may appear as early as seven days prior and ends when the period begins. Other episodes happen one or two days before and may continue even after the period has stopped.

A headache is only a single symptom of hormonal migraine. The attack could very well be accompanied by other symptoms as well. For women who suffer from other migraine types, they are often more severe during this time.

The most common treatment for hormonal migraine is the prescription of NSAID’s, a collective name for drugs which are classified as non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory. Triptans, which target serotonin, are also usual medications.

For prevention, a popular alternative is estrogen therapy, which is done to keep the estrogen in the body at a stable level. Methods for therapy include skin patches, gel and implant.

Some women have opted for a hysterectomy to cure hormonal migraine but its success has been questionable since there are documented cases of attacks getting worse after the procedure. 

Other women have tried to take oral contraceptives, which affect hormonal levels. However, results have not been uniformly successful because adverse effects were felt by some.

Hormonal migraine is something that many women experience but the degree of suffering is varied. At one end of the spectrum are females who have it but do not need treatment. At the other end are those whose lives grind to a halt whenever an attack occurs.

Because of the complexity of how hormones work, it is not easy to provide relief for someone who has hormonal migraine.  Fortunately, there are many treatments that women can choose from to manage the disease and live fulfilling lives.  Most importantly, though, the best treatment is the prevention technique of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and staying stress-free.

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