Hormone Replacement Therapy and Migraines: Is There a Link?

Surgical menopause immediately places the female body in a state of stress. The instant removal of the hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone can harbor the bodies ability to heal after a hysterectomy. For this reason many gynecologists will advise patients to begin hormone replacement therapy the day of their surgery to stop the body from dealing with the stresses associated with a lack of hormones in conjunction with the healing process. But, what if you begin to experience migraines after beginning hormone replacement therapy? Could your hormone replacement therapy be causing migraines?

For many women, migraines are a part of everyday life. But, for those who have never suffered before having a hysterectomy and beginning hormone replacement therapy, the question of cause will most likely come up very quickly. With a ton of negative data surrounding hormone replacement therapy, a recent hysterectomy patient may believe the therapy the cause of the migraines. But, things may not be that simple.

When a woman undergoes a hysterectomy or surgical menopause, the body immediately loses all ability to manufacture its own estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. After surgery, most of the time even before you are awakened in post-op, the introduction of artificial estrogen is begun. Artificial is the key word here. Even though women undergo blood testing and the doctors have a pretty good idea of the level of estrogen a patient will need to be started on, there is no way to fully know how a woman's body will react to the new regimen. Estrogen levels will need to be tweaked and until the perfect level is found, there may be unexpected side effects.

One unexpected side effect of low estrogen levels are migraines. The menopause migraines as they are called can be far worse than any headache or migraines felt before surgery. These migraines are most common in women who have undergone a hysterectomy and can be treated.