Perimenopause & Migraines: What You Can Do About It

Perimenopause comes with many new symptoms and if you suffer from migraines, your transition into menopause might just make them worse. Migraines are just one of the many health conditions women face more than men and that’s because our hormones play a large role.

So, what’s the connection between perimenopause and migraines?

Estrogen not only impacts our menstrual cycle, it influences brain activity and as women approach menopause, estrogen levels become unpredictable before declining significantly. These hormonal changes can exacerbate migraines.

During perimenopause, women often experience more frequent and severe migraines due to erratic hormone levels. When menopause is reached and our estrogen levels are more stabilised, a lot of women find relief from migraines, while others still suffer, and this is mainly due to sleep quality.

Make sure you check out our guide on how to get a good night's sleep to help with this! 

There is a significant link between poor sleep and migraines and unfortunately during perimenopause as our hormones begin to spiral, we often find ourselves with broken sleep. Estrogen plays a role in regulating sleep by influencing serotonin and other neurotransmitters that impact sleep quality, so having lower levels can disrupt sleep by making it difficult in falling and staying asleep. 

We also experience a fluctuation and decline of progesterone, a hormone that has a sedative effect and promotes relaxation. Declining levels of progesterone can contribute to insomnia and broken sleep. 

Migraines can be debilitating, and they can be hard to manage as they don’t respond as well to over-the-counter medication like headaches do.

Here are our top tips on what you can do to relieve a migraine:

• Rest & Relaxation: Light and noise can often worsen migraine symptoms, so minimise your exposure to light by staying in a quiet, dark room to rest. Deep breathing and meditation can also help to alleviate stress and reduce pain.

• Heat Or Ice Pack: Apply an ice pack to your forehead or the back of your neck to help numb the pain and reduce inflammation. Alternatively, some people find relief with a heat pack, placing it in the same areas which can relax tense muscles.

• Hydration: Keep your fluids up! Dehydration can trigger or worsen migraines, so getting enough water is essential.

• Caffeine: When taken in small amounts, caffeine can help relieve migraine symptoms in the early stages, but too much can lead to rebound headaches so moderation is key! Have a look at these foods to help ease migraine symptoms. 

If you suffer with migraines especially around the time of your periods they might worsen as you reach the perimenopause stage. The hormonal fluctuations that come with this transition affect cholesterol and weight loss too! But migraines can be managed and once you’ve reached menopause you’ll likely find relief.