[00:00]
Welcome to the Migraine Heroes podcast, a podcast where we share real stories from real
[00:07]
people suffering and battling with migraine disease.
[00:12]
In this podcast, we seek to provide support, hope, holistic health, advocacy and inspiration
[00:19]
for those who suffer from migraine disease.
[00:24]
Welcome back to the Migraine Heroes podcast, a podcast where we deep dive into the world
[00:29]
of migraine health and wellness.
[00:31]
I'm Diane Ducarme, and today's episode is all about the relationship between hormone
[00:35]
replacement therapy, or HRT, and migraines.
[00:40]
If you're experiencing migraines during menopause, or if you're already using HRT and wondering
[00:45]
if and how it's affecting your migraines, this episode is for you.
[00:50]
Hormones play a massive role in migraine patterns.
[00:53]
And for those going through hormonal changes, understanding how HRT may impact migraines
[00:59]
can be incredibly helpful.
[01:01]
Today we'll explore what HRT is, why it's used, and how it interacts with migraines.
[01:07]
Let's get started.
[01:08]
So to begin, let's break down what hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, actually is.
[01:14]
HRT involves supplementing hormones, usually estrogen and sometimes progesterone, to relieve
[01:20]
symptoms related to hormonal decline in perimenopause and menopause.
[01:25]
For many, it's a powerful way to manage symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and even bone
[01:32]
Now you might be wondering, why are we talking about HRT on a migraine podcast?
[01:37]
Well, migraines and hormones are closely intertwined.
[01:41]
In fact, many people notice migraines worsen, or even appear for the first time during perimenopause
[01:47]
or menopause, due to fluctuating hormones, especially estrogen.
[01:53]
Studies have shown that estrogen plays a key role in migraine patterns.
[01:57]
When estrogen levels drop or fluctuate sharply, like during the menstrual cycle or menopause,
[02:03]
migraine frequency and intensity can increase.
[02:06]
HRT is one way to address these changes.
[02:09]
But the relationship between HRT and migraine isn't always that straightforward, at least
[02:16]
in the West, and it's required really Eastern medicine to also bridge the gap and understand
[02:21]
those nuances and those places of holes.
[02:23]
So what does the science tell us about how HRT affects migraines?
[02:28]
To put it simply, estrogen's effect on blood vessels and nerve pathways are essential to
[02:33]
understanding this connection.
[02:35]
Estrogen is known to influence blood flow, including in the brain, and also affects the
[02:39]
release of certain chemicals that play a role in pain processing.
[02:42]
This means as estrogen fluctuates, it can set off the cascade of events that triggers
[02:48]
In people sensitive to these shifts, even slight hormone changes can lead to increased
[02:55]
Different types of HRT, including estrogen-only combined, estrogen progesterone, and bio-identical
[03:02]
HRT, each interact with migraines in slightly different ways.
[03:06]
Some people find HRT actually reduces their migraines by stabilizing hormone levels, while
[03:11]
others may experience an increase in migraines, especially with certain types of progesterone.
[03:18]
And here's an interesting point.
[03:19]
Studies suggest that the way HRT is administered matters.
[03:23]
A lot of migraine sufferers find that low-dose transdermal estrogen, such as patches or gel,
[03:30]
provide a steadier release of estrogen, which can reduce the chance of triggering migraines
[03:35]
compared to pills, which cause larger fluctuations in hormone levels.
[03:39]
So when it comes to HRT, there is no one-size-fits-all.
[03:43]
Different delivery methods, like patches, pills, gels, and creams, have unique effects
[03:48]
on hormone levels and subsequently on migraines.
[03:52]
Transdermal options, like patches or gel, have become a popular choice for migraine
[03:57]
sufferers because these form of estrogen enter the bloodstream directly through the skin.
[04:01]
They don't need to go through the liver, leading to more stable hormone levels.
[04:06]
HRT can be especially beneficial if you're sensitive to fluctuations, which often plays
[04:10]
a role in migraine frequency and severity.
[04:13]
Progesterone, the other hormone oftentimes included in HRT, can also affect migraines.
[04:19]
Natural progesterone is generally better tolerated, but synthetic forms, called progestins, may
[04:24]
trigger migraines in some people.
[04:27]
Understanding how your body reacts to these different hormones and delivery methods is
[04:30]
key to finding the balance that works for you.
[04:33]
If you're considering HRT or adjusting your current therapy, it's essential to work closely
[04:38]
with a healthcare provider who understands migraines and really whose specialization
[04:44]
This is where a tailored approach really matters, because it can mean the difference between
[04:48]
relief and worsening symptoms.
[04:52]
Now let's talk about the broader picture here.
[04:55]
HRT offers many benefits beyond migraine relief.
[04:58]
So for example, it's known to support bone density, to improve heart health, to enhance
[05:03]
quality of life by easing menopause symptoms.
[05:05]
However, as with any medical treatment, there are risks involved, such as increased risk
[05:10]
of blood clots or breast cancer for certain individuals.
[05:14]
When managing both migraines and menopause symptoms, it's critical to weigh these benefits
[05:18]
and risks carefully.
[05:20]
Working with a healthcare provider who understands both HRT and migraines will help you strike
[05:25]
They'll consider your migraine frequency, your overall health, your personal preferences,
[05:30]
and can guide you in making the adjustments needed.
[05:35]
With migraine disease, we only have each other to make a difference.
[05:39]
If you know of someone suffering from migraine attacks, share this podcast with them.
[05:46]
So based on my experience, I think the two main tips I would have if you're considering
[05:50]
HRT are you need to pick someone who's specialized.
[05:53]
Being a healthcare practitioner, even though it has a good diploma, but does not day-to-day
[05:58]
deal with HRT and women in peri-menopause and menopause is not always the good choice.
[06:05]
Try to go with a practitioner that just does that, that just focuses on that aspect of
[06:10]
health as it's been evolving quite tremendously over the last few years.
[06:15]
The second advice is revisit your dose of HRT every three to five years.
[06:21]
Your body is constantly evolving and your peri-menopause and menopause status is not
[06:26]
static and therefore what may have worked for a number of years may not work in the
[06:31]
future and therefore needs to be reevaluated.
[06:34]
Again, if the dose of the hormones that you've been prescribed does not suit you, it may
[06:40]
worsen your migraines and this is the last place where you want to be.
[06:44]
So that's what it is for today in HRT.
[06:47]
I just want to briefly link that to a broader concept.
[06:52]
I might do a full podcast dedicated to that as recently in the West, we've discovered
[06:56]
a new organ-like system in the physical body called the interstitium and the interstitium
[07:03]
is imagine a massive, vast network of spaghettis that surround your digestive system, namely,
[07:10]
and will hold all of these hormones as well as your collagen and your ileolinic acid.
[07:17]
And so this sundari system that was recently discovered in the West is extremely important
[07:22]
and vehiculates some liquids that are yellowish, thick and a bit sticky.
[07:27]
Now this would prove the existence of what is called in the East, yin.
[07:32]
In the East, HRT or hormones themselves are only a component of what is being less and
[07:39]
less available in a female's body during peri-menopause and menopause, which is yin as a noble substance
[07:45]
that not only irrigates the digestive system and therefore the bowel movements, also irrigates
[07:52]
While a lot more research is done for me as well, this system needs to be lubricated as
[07:59]
a whole picture in order for the brain to be well.
[08:02]
The way to know that this system works really well is when the bowel movement on a Bristol
[08:07]
chart of 1 to 7 is a type 4.
[08:10]
So let me quickly describe what the Bristol chart says.
[08:13]
The Bristol chart describes a type 1 as a rabbit-like form of constipation.
[08:18]
Type 2 might be a slightly more agglomerated form of hard to push bowel movement.
[08:25]
Type 4 will be a perfect banana-shaped bowel movement and then type 5, 6, 7 is increasingly
[08:32]
And so the more your bowel movements are towards a type 4, the less bloated you are, the more
[08:37]
yin circulates in your intestine, the happier your brain is and the more the hormones circulate
[08:44]
In the West, we put a lot of emphasis on the hormones, which we can measure, but there's
[08:48]
this whole other system that has been again recently discovered in the West that explains
[08:54]
how these hormones circulate or that starts to shed light on how hormones actually circulate.
[09:00]
And I think it is with that broader picture that we can explain Meniere's disease, vertigo,
[09:05]
dizziness, etc. etc.
[09:07]
This is something that while we don't do HRT, we do days in and days out.
[09:13]
I want to alert your attention, we have in the Migraine Heroes, our goal is to help to
[09:19]
abort, de-trigger, untrigger and prevent migraines.
[09:23]
And we have launched a new app, Migraine Heroes, and that app has a freemium where you can
[09:28]
track your migraines.
[09:30]
If you notice that you have a lot of dizziness, vertigo, that you have migraines with aura,
[09:35]
that you have something called Meniere's disease, that you feel dizzy, dizzy when standing
[09:39]
up fast, see blurred, a blurred vision at night, etc.
[09:43]
All of these are signs that potentially some of your yin liquids are lacking, which is
[09:48]
possible to correct.
[09:50]
If you track that on the app, there's a lot of things that we will track specifically
[09:54]
on this app that is designed to do this, what we've done for the last five years, and will
[09:58]
help us very fast assess whether or not this is what you're lacking and what measures to
[10:06]
HRT will certainly help, and I strongly encourage you to consider that.
[10:10]
It is likely not going to be enough.
[10:13]
I hope this is going to help,
[10:15]
all the best with the HRT supplementation.
[10:18]
This is a new chapter, own it, own your age, be proud, be strong for a society that truly
[10:25]
needs mature and elder women able to guide us with more wisdom.
[10:32]
If you're looking for a community, we'd love to have you join us in our Facebook groups.
[10:38]
Migraine Heroes is a community all about creative expression and open conversations around migraine.
[10:44]
We have a second group called Migraine and Comorbidities, where we support each other
[10:48]
through the unique challenges of living with migraine, alongside things like IBS, ADHD,
[10:56]
Just check the links in this description, we'd be very happy to welcome you there.
[11:00]
The content in this podcast should not be considered a substitute for medical professional
[11:05]
advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
[11:09]
Always consult with your health care provider for any health related concerns.
[11:13]
And remember, everyone and every situation is unique.
[11:18]
Remember, sharing is caring.
[11:21]
Share your story with me, take my free test and let's connect to help you gain a deeper
[11:26]
understanding of your migraine profile.
[11:30]
Learn about the underlying imbalances that could be contributing to your genetic predisposition
[11:36]
Join our community of Migraine Heroes, all the links in the description below.
