• Question: do hormones give you headaches

    Asked by imamidget to Amy, Craig, Laura, Partha, Saffron on 22 Jun 2015.
    • Photo: Amy Cameron

      Amy Cameron answered on 22 Jun 2015:


      Yes it does for some people. One of the triggers for migraines in women is their menstrual cycle which is controlled by female sex hormones. There is a strong link between these hormones and migraines. This also means some women get migraines from taking the contraceptive pill which contains these female sex hormones. Also if people suffer hypoglycaemia which is low blood sugar levels this can result in headaches and migraines. You can end up with hypoglycaemia if you do not eat enough or if you are type 1 diabetic and you inject too much insulin.

    • Photo: Laura Wales

      Laura Wales answered on 22 Jun 2015:


      Relating to what Amy said, a migraine is most likely to start in the 2 days before a period or the first 3 days during a period. It can happen because of the natural drop in oestrogen at these times.

      Other changes associated with periods could also be involved in migraines:
      – Changing levels of the sex hormone progesterone
      – Higher levels of prostaglandins
      – Lower levels of endorphins (the brain’s natural painkilling opiates)

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