Throbbing in the head, nausea, vomiting and temporary dejection – one third of all women suffer from migraine. Fluctuations in hormone levels due to the female menstrual cycle appear to play a partial role in migraines among women, according to scientific evidence. For some women, migraines disappear with the onset of menopause, but for some, migraine symptoms get worse as menopause progresses.
Causes of migraine during menopause
As with migraines in general, it is not possible to say with any certainty which causes lead to the often excruciating pain of migraines specifically during menopause. On the one hand, fluctuations in hormone levels can upset the delicate balance in the brain and thus promote migraines. On the other hand, pre-existing conditions, age-related wear and tear of the cervical spine or depression can also lead to migraines during menopause.
First of all, it is therefore important to find the causes of migraine during menopause. If the symptoms are the result of another disease, this should be treated first. In most cases, the headaches can be treated well or they disappear by themselves.
Treatment is more difficult if no specific causes for migraine during menopause can be found. Since older people often suffer from other diseases, treatment of migraine must be individually adapted. Therefore, special therapies for older sufferers do not yet exist.
Treatment for moderate and severe attacks
Painkillers can help with moderate and severe migraine attacks. Nowadays, doctors have a whole range of substances available that can act against both the headache and the accompanying symptoms in a migraine.
These include triptans, for example. However, these have the disadvantage that they can constrict the blood vessels under certain circumstances. They may therefore be unsuitable for people suffering from coronary heart disease or circulatory disorders. In any case, the patient’s doctor should be consulted about taking them or about an alternative treatment.
Treatment for mild migraine attacks
If the affected person only suffers from migraine during menopause from time to time or if the individual attacks are not very severe, women affected by migraine can try to manage without medication. Simple measures often help to relieve the pain – such as rest in a darkened room or cooling compresses. Magnesium tablets can also be considered, as they have an antispasmodic effect.
Caution is advised with hormone replacement therapy: Hormone supplements, such as those prescribed to women who experience severe symptoms during menopause, can exacerbate migraines and, in some cases, cause them in the first place, according to a study by Harvard Medical School in Boston.
As an alternative, phytohormones may be tried to compensate for the hormone deficiency triggered by menopause. These replacement hormones are found in some plants and herbs and can help relieve migraines in some cases. These phytohormones include, for example:
- Monk’s pepper
- Yarrow
- Wild yam
- Germinated fenugreek
- Papaya seeds
