Going through perimenopause is difficult enough. It’s one thing when your age is just a number that won’t seem to stay down, but when your age starts to manifest itself in the form of perimenopause, it can become an existential dilemma. There are many health issues associated with menopause, such as: weight gain, memory loss, depression and much more. There are so many symptoms to keep track of, it’s understandable to feel overwhelmed. A natural response would be to surrender yourself to perimenopause and to just deal with the symptoms. If you’re beginning to have migraines more frequently during perimenopause, you might feel that it’s just par for the course. Yet, many treatments that have been shown to help treat migraines in perimenopausal women. Such as hormone replacement therapy which has been shown to help alleviate migraines in perimenopausal and menopausal women, “Since the decline of estrogen begins in perimenopausal period, giving hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in this period is considered an effective method to treat migraine.”[1]
Low Estrogen and Migraines
Countless studies have shown that low estrogen levels can contribute to migraines, “Perimenopause and migraine are closely linked. The hormonal instability during the perimenopausal period not only causes vasomotor symptoms and mood disturbances, but also increases migraine incidence.”[2] When you’re perimenopausal your estrogen levels may start declining more rapidly, resulting in a higher frequency of migraines. “Evidence supports estrogen ‘withdrawal’ as one of the important triggers of menstrual attacks of migraine.”[3]
How Hormone Therapy Can Help
Hormone replacement therapy has been shown to help prevent and treat migraines in perimenopausal women, “hormonal fluctuations can be stabilized with hormone replacement therapy (HRT), while simultaneously improving the migraine.”[4] Hormone replacement therapy helps treat menopausal migraines by stabilizing fluctuating hormone levels. Another study stated, “HRT is used to ease climax symptoms during menopausal transition. It seems to have a significant influence on migraine course.”[5] An additional benefit of using hormone replacement therapy to treat perimenopausal migraines, is that can help treat other perimenopausal symptoms.
When to Act
If you’re over 35 and you’re suddenly experiencing migraines at a higher frequency, you might want to meet with a doctor to have your hormone levels checked. Although an endless number of things can cause migraines, if you’re at a perimenopausal or menopausal age, your hormones might be the culprit.
How We Can Help
If you’re at a perimenopausal or menopausal age and you’re experiencing more migraines than usual you might want to meet with a doctor to have your hormone levels checked. A blood test will be able to pin down if any of your hormone levels are irregular. If they are medically irregular, a doctor may recommend bioidentical hormone therapy or BHRT for short. Bioidentical hormones are man-made hormones that are chemically similar to hormones produced by humans. Many argue that BHRT is a more safe and consistent form of hormone therapy.
BHRT therapy is done by implanting hormones under your skin. Implanting hormone pellets is a simple and non-invasive procedure, typically taking less than five minutes. This treatment is called pellet-based therapy and is quickly becoming one of the preferred methods of hormone therapy for both providers and patients. Essentially, a provider will subcutaneously place hormone pellets in your skin. This subcutaneous placement of hormones allows patients to receive a steady flow of hormones 24/7. This constant flow helps you potentially avoid unwanted side effects.
If you’ve decided to pursue Hormone Therapy, it’s critical you find a provider that will dose hormones effectively, and every provider that works with Simpatra™ has access to our cutting-edge dosing technology. This technology eliminates the guesswork when it comes to dosing and allows physicians to dose patients based on each individual’s unique health records — ensuring that your treatment will be efficient and effective. Simpatra™ will also provide additional tools that allow for your patient journey to remain consistent throughout the whole process.
Simpatra™ is the technology leader in the bioidentical hormone therapy industry by putting a sharp focus on pursuing and maintaining innovation to the benefit of providers and patients. Your provider recognizes these advantages and has chosen to take the necessary step in going the extra mile for your health by using a technology-based approach for your Hormone Health.
Hormone replacement pellets must be of the highest quality to ensure the best results, and all Simpatra™ providers receive their pellets from highly reputable and respected manufactures. To learn more about BHRT or to find a provider near you, visit us at www.simpatra.health.
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Disclaimer: The Simpatra website and blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Content from the Simpatra website and blog is not intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. The information provided on this website is intended for general consumer understanding only. The information provided is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. As health and nutrition research continuously evolves, we do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any information presented on this website.
[1] https://bmcmedimaging.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12880-018-0272-6
[2] Macgregor, E. A. (2012). Perimenopausal migraine in women with vasomotor symptoms. Maturitas, 71(1), 79–82. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2011.11.001
[3] Macgregor, E. A. (2012). Perimenopausal migraine in women with vasomotor symptoms. Maturitas, 71(1), 79–82. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2011.11.001
[4] Ibrahimi, K., Couturier, E. G., & Maassenvandenbrink, A. (2014). Migraine and perimenopause. Maturitas, 78(4), 277–280. doi:
[5] Delaruelle, Z., Ivanova, T. A., Khan, S., Negro, A., Ornello, R., Raffaelli, B., … Reuter, U. (2018). Male and female sex hormones in primary headaches. The Journal of Headache and Pain, 19(1). doi: 10.1186/s10194-018-0922-7