When Hot Flash Hell Meets Headache Hell
Migraines and Menopause
It is beyond unfair that when someone with menstrual migraines is finally heading into menopause and no longer has to worry about monthly headaches, the perimenopausal hormone roller coaster kicks in, and those migraines ramp up instead of letting up. And when the hot flashes start, she is often told that because of her migraines, she is not a candidate for hormone therapy.
The connection between migraines and hormones is well established but not fully understood. While migraines can start at any age, for a lot of women, the misery starts when menstruation starts. Menstrual migraines are triggered by the drop in hormone levels that occurs with a monthly period. Migraines generally decrease during pregnancy, when estrogen levels are sky-high. It appears that the issue is not that estrogen is high or low, but changes in estrogen levels. The theory is that since estrogen is a vasodilator, and migraines can be triggered by a change in blood vessel diameter, a change in estrogen changes blood flow to the brain. The migraine follows.
There are 5 issues when it comes to migraines and menopause.
What happens during PERIMENOPAUSE when hormone levels are fluctuating
If it is safe to take a low-dose birth control pill during perimenopause
What happens POST-MENOPAUSE when estrogen is absent
The IMPACT of menopausal hormone therapy on migraines
If it is safe to take menopausal hormone therapy with a history of migraine
