Natural Treatment For Menstrual Migraine Or Hormones In General

[diamondcut]

My migraines are pure evil from the day before my period starts until about 4 days in, i usually spend atleast 2 days in bed becuase its not just the cramps its the migraine and general yucky Pots symptoms that are multiplied by1000!!!

Im currently taking a lot of new meds so i am wondering as there is a proven link between estrogen and migraine what i could take, even on that bad week of my cycle I am told its becuse to much estrogen is around when you have your periods? Is this correct? If so can anyone advice on natural tablets, do homeopathic things work well for this? I cant not go on standard contraceptive as i am allegic to Dianette and many others as i found out the hard way as a teenager!!! (late teenager i would like to add lol)

Any suggestions what has worked for you ladies???

[DoozlyGirl]

Diamondcut,

Have you looked into bioidentical progesterone cream? This is different than synthetic birth control, and is considered natural, because the progesterone cream is identical to what your body makes. I have found great success with progesterone cream in balancing out my estrogen. I take it on days 14-28, spread a bit of the cream on my neck, lower neck or inside of my arms.

You can learn more on this site. Dr Lee is often credited with coining the term estrogen dominance, which describes when progesterone levels fall (possibly due to lack of ovulation, because ovulation triggers progesterone production and the next month ovulation does not occur if progesterone levels are low.) and estrogen levels are unopposed. Reminds me of when sympathetic nervous system is dominant and overtakes parasympathetic system. Neither can dominate, and both have to play well in the sand box.

http://www.johnleemd.com/

Best wishes,

Lyn

[Hoosierfan]

Diamondcut, I'm looking into this issue right now with my holistic doc -- going through cycle hormone testing. We've already done a snapshot test and discovered that my estrogen levels are high; now we are looking at the whole cycle. I don't have POTS, but NMH, and my symptoms get really bad right the same time yours do -- headaches,dizziness, bp tanks, fatigue, etc.

I'll keep you posted on what my doc recommends and if you try the progesterone and have some success with it, let me know!

[Hoosierfan]

Diamond, I just saw also that you are on Klonopin -- know that benzos interfere with your hormone levels. I was on Klonopin awhile back and when I tapered it, my period was reactive to that tapering. I was put on Ativan earlier this year (BAD mistake), and my PMS symptoms just got worse -- from a little fatigue and a headache to being debilitated for up to a week. I'm off of it now, and hoping I'll see some improvement, but as I said my doc is looking into my levels just the same.

[Katybug]

Here are a couple different graphs to help you understand the hormone changes throughout your cycle. I can't help you with any natural treatments.

http://faculty.stcc.edu/AandP/AP/AP2pages/reprod/female.htm

http://catalog.nucleusinc.com/generateexhibit.php?ID=10405

[diamondcut]

Diamondcut,

Have you looked into bioidentical progesterone cream? This is different than synthetic birth control, and is considered natural, because the progesterone cream is identical to what your body makes. I have found great success with progesterone cream in balancing out my estrogen. I take it on days 14-28, spread a bit of the cream on my neck, lower neck or inside of my arms.

You can learn more on this site. Dr Lee is often credited with coining the term estrogen dominance, which describes when progesterone levels fall (possibly due to lack of ovulation, because ovulation triggers progesterone production and the next month ovulation does not occur if progesterone levels are low.) and estrogen levels are unopposed. Reminds me of when sympathetic nervous system is dominant and overtakes parasympathetic system. Neither can dominate, and both have to play well in the sand box.

http://www.johnleemd.com/

Best wishes,

Lyn

Thank Lyn

I shall give it a try its certainly no big effort if i see some improvement. Is this a cream you can buy in a natural medicine store or is this something you need from your local GP with prescription?

[diamondcut]

Diamond, I just saw also that you are on Klonopin -- know that benzos interfere with your hormone levels. I was on Klonopin awhile back and when I tapered it, my period was reactive to that tapering. I was put on Ativan earlier this year (BAD mistake), and my PMS symptoms just got worse -- from a little fatigue and a headache to being debilitated for up to a week. I'm off of it now, and hoping I'll see some improvement, but as I said my doc is looking into my levels just the same.

Please do let me know how you get on with this.

I am thinking of going to a homeopath maybe for hormone issues, i have to try becuase its almaost an entire week out of every month feeling so so bad!!! Not that the other 3 are great but you understand!!

As for the Klonopin, thanks again for telling me. I dont think i have been given a single tablet in the last 5 years even if it was for GI issues that i wouldnt say doesnt effect my hormones. Im having to weight up the benefits at the moment and Klonopin and so far i will stay on it. But again thanks for letting me know.

[diamondcut]

Thanks Katie for the graph too, so both hormones decrease once periods start...

[DoozlyGirl]

Diamondcut,

My primary doc, who is a DO and also trained in a integrative medicine tested my saliva for progesterone, estrogen, LH, FSH, DHEA-s, testosterone, cortisol and a few others, then prescribed the progesterone. My estrogen was really high and all the rest were low or nonexisistent. I get my progesterone cream compounded, and it requires a prescription. There are alternatives out there, some which you can buy at a hfs, but I shyed away from those.

Cholesterol is converted into all those hormones and if one is low, it can hamper the production of a bunch of them.

Lyn

[roxie]

I take evening primrose oil pills for pms.

They help lesson it but I still have more symptoms with my period

[diamondcut]

So you have to be tested before you can try the progesterone cream i am pressuming from what you have said. I will ask my GP about it next time i see him.

[humbled_pie]

My personal solution was not hormone related even though my migraines definitely had a hormonal pattern. I can't say why it worked, only that it did, but going gluten free has left me nearly migraine free. Don't know that it would work for anyone else, but it has been a life saver the past 1.5 years.

[Hoosierfan]

Diamondcut,

My primary doc, who is a DO and also trained in a integrative medicine tested my saliva for progesterone, estrogen, LH, FSH, DHEA-s, testosterone, cortisol and a few others, then prescribed the progesterone. My estrogen was really high and all the rest were low or nonexisistent. I get my progesterone cream compounded, and it requires a prescription. There are alternatives out there, some which you can buy at a hfs, but I shyed away from those.

Cholesterol is converted into all those hormones and if one is low, it can hamper the production of a bunch of them.

Lyn

This is the testing that I'm doing with my integrative / functional medicine doc right now and Lyn is right on. Cholesterol is the beginning point. In my case, my tests so far show that I am estrogen dominant, and then I have a genetic defect where my body doesn't detoxify the estrogen correctly -- if you will, the estrogen gets "stuck" at high levels in my body b/c I don't produce the enzymes that break it down and get rid of it.

So far, what my holistic doc has me doing (until we get the full cycle test completed) is: (1) eating 1 c. of cruciferous veges a day; (2) eating a serving of whey protein per day; and (3) taking Methylguard (a supplement of Bs). The veges, protein and Bs are precursors to, and help my body produce, the enzyme that is lacking. So, ahead of starting any hormones, this is another avenue to discuss with your doc.

I've been doing it for a month now and I can't say I see any improvement yet, but I'm also in the midst of Ativan withdrawal (eeeeek!), so even if it was helping I wouldn't notice. I should know more and can report back more in the next couple of cycles.

[diamondcut]

Is there a name for the condiditon where the defect in you isnt breaking down the estrogen? Ive just had my GP run tests on my renin and aldosterone and i am waiting back on those results. should i now ask him if he can test my all the hormones we are discussing here or is this when you need a referall to a Gyno? Endo? Im waiting to see a geneticist in the coming months but i dont suppose this is their field?

[Hoosierfan]

Is there a name for the condiditon where the defect in you isnt breaking down the estrogen? Ive just had my GP run tests on my renin and aldosterone and i am waiting back on those results. should i now ask him if he can test my all the hormones we are discussing here or is this when you need a referall to a Gyno? Endo? Im waiting to see a geneticist in the coming months but i dont suppose this is their field?

Yeah, its a "detoxification" issue. I doubt that a GP would be familiar with it, and maybe not even a Gyno or an Endo -- I started seeing an Endo the same time I got in with my functional / holistic medicine doc, and when I told him about the detoxification testing my doc was doing to look at hormones, he looked at me like I had 5 heads. But, maybe some more sophisticated Endo's might be familiar with it (I've since dumped that Endo).

I'll try and simplify it, but basically your body produces estrogen (and any natural substance) and it has to go through 2 phases of detoxification -- first phase is where the estrogen gets oxygen added to it (this is where you hear the term "free radicals" or "antioxidants"), and then in Phase II your body produces enzymes that break down the estrogens. There are several different types of estrogens. The genetic tests can show you if you produce the necessary substances to convert the estrogens into the estrogen + O, and then convert the estrogen + O in a form where the body gets rid of it. In my case, I don't get some of the estrogens past Phase I (so I have high estrogens), and then I ALSO lack the enzyme that converts them past Phase II (so I end up with a lot of oxygenated estrogens running around). So I get a double whammy, b/c both are not good to have.

The specific tests my functional medicine doc ran were from Genova Diagnostics -- first was a detoxification profile, which gives you the base genetic info. Second was an "Essential Estrogens" test, which shows all the different types of estrogens in my system and was a one day urine test. Now we are running a Rhythm Test -- which shows all your hormone levels (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone) over a 30 day period.

PM me if you want and I can send you the graphs my doc gave me from the test results -- it's a little complicated!!!