Women and Migraine
Understanding how migraine affects women
Women are 3 times more likely to suffer from migraine than men—and hormonal changes could be a factor.
How do hormones affect migraine?
During menstruation
Two days before your period and in the first 3 days after it starts, you may experience migraine attacks, which are likely triggered by hormonal changes related to menstruation.
This is due to changing estrogen and progesterone levels, which can result in longer and more intense attacks.
During pregnancy
Many people have reported that their migraine symptoms improved during pregnancy, most notably during the last 6 months.
After giving birth, hormone levels either increase or decrease, which can intensify migraine attacks.
To better understand the connection between your hormonal changes and migraine attacks, consider keeping a journal to document your symptoms and their timing. This information can be invaluable when discussing potential solutions with your doctor.
Changes in hormone levels and migraine
Changes in hormone levels can directly affect migraine severity. Take a look at how different hormonal stages can affect migraine symptoms.
Perimenopause is the stage right before your body begins menopause
As your hormones fluctuate and estrogen levels drop, your periods become more irregular. This can result in longer and more intense migraine attacks.
Menopause is the stage right after perimenopause
Your periods will stop permanently after your estrogen levels go through a sudden decline at the end of perimenopause. Once you enter menopause, hormone levels become stable and remain low. Many people find that their migraine attacks become less frequent or go away completely once their periods stop.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which usually contains estrogen and progestin, can be used to treat symptoms brought on by menopause
HRT for treating menopause raises estrogen levels, which may cause migraine symptoms to get worse. On the other hand, research shows that HRT can reduce the frequency of attacks in people with migraine who are triggered by fluctuations in hormone levels.
People on HRT for gender-affirming therapy may experience a change in the frequency or severity of their migraine attacks.
Nearly 2 out of 3 women with migraine experience attacks while on their period
If you know the pain of migraine while being on your period, you’re not alone. Get ahead of migraine attacks triggered by menstruation with a few helpful tips.