How To Manage Migraines During Menopause

Hormonal imbalances, bodily changes, and migraines are closely linked in women. While many women experience relief from lifelong migraines after menopause, there is a chance that the hormonal changes the body undergoes as it encounters the stages of menopause can worsen the migraines before making them better. The correct treatment for migraines can help control them to reduce the pain and discomfort. 

How Are Migraines Different From Regular Headaches?

Most people think migraines are just headaches that are slightly more painful. Unfortunately, most people suffering from migraines experience far worse than simply a little extra pain. 

Along with pain, migraine can induce:

• Nausea
• Light sensitivity
• Aura (flashing lights that can glow or dim)
• Vomiting
• Throbbing pain (usually pretty intense) in the head

People who experience debilitating migraines cannot perform their normal, day-to-day activities and need to rest till the pain subsides. Many prefer controlling the pain with medications. These medicines help reduce the pain by slightly narrowing the blood vessels in the brain. Thereby preventing any pain signals from being sent to the head. You can try sumatriptan tablets to help reduce migraine pain before, during, and after menopause. 

How Are Migraines Triggered?

Many people have different migraine triggers. While you may have one or two triggers, there is a chance you may have all or none at all before the onset. Some of the usual triggers for migraines are:

• Lack of sleep
• Stress
• Peculiar smells or strong scents like perfumes
• Loud noises or sounds like sirens, club music, and more
• Hunger
• Foods and drinks

What Is The Link Between Menopause And Migraines?

A drop in oestrogen (the female hormone) can set off a migraine attack. Many women experience migraine headaches just before their monthly menses when their oestrogen levels drop below normal levels. This phenomenon is reversed during pregnancy when oestrogen levels rise in the female body – giving many women a welcome relief from the pain. However, migraines may return post-delivery as the oestrogen levels regularize. 

As women get nearer to menopause, hormonal levels in the body keep fluctuating, which could result in rapid onset and decrease of migraines, headaches, hot flushes, and more. Since the periods become irregular as the hormones fluctuate, migraines are closely linked to the menstrual cycle. 

Many women also start experiencing migraines as they get closer to menopause. Some others find that the migraines become less intense and less frequent. Since each female body is different, there is a chance the migraine will react differently to the hormonal imbalance. 

How To Manage Menopause Migraines?

Many women start making lifestyle changes as they get nearer to menopause. For some, this is a conscious decision, while many start making these changes gradually as they feel the changes in their bodies. 

• Start eating meals at regular intervals.
• Avoid foods that trigger migraines – some cheeses, chocolates, sweeteners, and more.
• Eat small meals throughout the day to control blood glucose levels and hunger.
• Maintain a sleep schedule that fits with the overall day and work
• Start light exercises like a brisk walk, on-the-spot jogging, stretches
• Start meditating to calm the nerves 
• Take regular massages to relax the body and mind and detox

These lifestyle remedies help reduce and control migraines and make them more manageable in the long term. 

How To Treat Menopause Migraines?

It is possible to treat menopause migraines. Thankfully, there are treatment options for women. Migraine medications usually fall under two categories – prevention and pain relief. However, there is a third category, which is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).

Ideally, you should opt for medicines to help with migraines. These are the ones that help relieve the migraine once it has started:

• Pain relievers: ibuprofen, acetaminophen, naproxen, and aspirin
• Ditans and Triptans: sumatriptan, frovatriptan, eletriptan, Lasmiditan, naratriptan, zolmitriptan, and rizatriptan
• CGRP Inhibitors: urogepant and Rimegepant

These medicines help prevent the onset of migraine headaches. 

• Anti-seizure drugs: topiramate, valproate sodium, valproic acid
• Blood Pressure Medication: calcium-channel blockers and beta-blockers
• Antidepressants: venlafaxine and amitriptyline
• Botox
• CGRP Inhibitors: These block the effects of the gene-related peptide molecules. (Your doctor can guide you with the correct ones)

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT):

Hormone Replacement Therapy helps treat the sweats and hot flashes that accompany the migraine. This treatment is usually prescribed for women who face intense migraines due to their increasingly fluctuating hormones. However, for women who cannot undergo the HRT, a blood pressure-lowering agent is used to help combat the hot flushes and sweats. 

It should be noted that many women do not respond positively to the HRT, and the migraines may worsen (not improve) with the treatment. In such cases, it is best to switch to transdermal hormonal gels and patches to alleviate the migraine symptoms.