Sidelined by Migraines?
- janlindquist
- 1 day ago
- 8 min read
Getting to the Root of Headaches & Migraines.
Headaches and migraines can be debilitating and I used to experience all kinds of migraines. Since the age of 8, my life was altered by the threat of a headache, forcing me to miss out on life.
As I grew, my headaches became hormonal driven both during ovulation and right before my period. I held out great hope for relief by choosing a full hysterectomy, but unfortunately my headaches continued. I eventually ended up using powerful pain medications and even a specific migraine drug to allieviate the pain.
Today, I hope to shed some thoughts around the “why”, which I now believe can move us all toward becoming headache-free.
There are a number of different root causes of headaches and migraines and the reason it’s helpful to identify your root cause is that it will help you identify how to address them in the first place.
Common Causes of Headaches & Migraines.
hormonal shifts/imbalances
stress
lack of sleep
low blood sugar/skipping meals
dehydration
hypothyroidism
mineral imbalances
histamine intolerance [often related to gut health or mold]
oral contraceptives
changes in barometric pressure
Hormonal Shifts & Imbalances.
Headaches and migraines that appear around ovulation or right before/during/after your period are typically related to hormonal shifts in estrogen.
Estrogen controls certain chemicals in the brain that impact the sensation of pain. For example, an increase in estrogen is associated with an increase in serotonin, which can lead to more pain.
Both a drop or rise in estrogen can trigger headaches and migraines, this is why it’s common to experience them around ovulation, because there's an increase in estrogen leading up to ovulation, which then turns into a drop in estrogen.
There’s another increase in estrogen during the luteal phase, then a drop in both estrogen and progesterone right before menstruation begins. Estrogen levels then start to rise at the end of menstruation, which can also trigger both headaches and migraines.
Shifts in estrogen can lead to headaches and migraines, so it’s easy to see why oral contraceptives can also contribute.
Birth control pills with synthetic estrogen, progestin, and progestin-only pills can all cause headaches or migraines [typically, the progestin only pills contribute less].
How to Reduce Hormonal Headaches & Migraines
Since shifts in estrogen are a major culprit of hormonal headaches and migraines, supporting healthy estrogen and progesterone levels is where to begin focusing, because our hormones are the last thing to change
.
Support Strategies:
Thyroid Function: we need a healthy thyroid and enough active thyroid hormone in order to have strong ovulation and healthy progesterone levels. This also supports optimal digestion and gut health, which helps avoid estrogen excess.
Digestion & Gut Health: in order to avoid disruptions in gut bacteria and immune system function, we need adequate digestive juices [this is why the thyroid is so important for gut health]. We also have what is called the estrobolome, which is a collection of gut bacteria that are capable of controlling estrogen metabolism and can impact our circulating levels of estrogen, making an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase, which is important for breaking down complex carbs, reabsorbing micronutrients, and reabsorbing estrogen.
Bile & Liver Detoxification: most of our estrogen is metabolized in the liver, combining with bile, and then it’s excreted into the gut to help break down and absorb fats properly.
Stress: as cortisol increases, estrogen also increases, and over time, progesterone gets depleted leading to further imbalances in estrogen and progesterone.
Minerals: imbalances in minerals like copper, iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium can all contribute to excess estrogen.
5 Nutrition Strategies:
Eating enough. A body will be stressed if it doesn’t receive adequate nutrition. This supports healthy blood sugar and thyroid levels. Eating regularly ensures that active thyroid hormone levels are stable.
Balancing meals with protein, fat, and carbs.
Adding digestion-supportive foods early in the meal like bitter foods-arugula, raw carrots, or ginger or ginger tea.
Include fiber-rich foods. Fiber helps bind to bile to enable toxins to excrete through the stool.This helps eliminate toxic bile and reduces toxic burden on the body. Fiber also supports beneficial bacteria in the gut to keep a stable and healthy microbiome.
Include- beans, raw carrots, oats, cooked greens, sweet potatoes, and potatoes [especially cooked and cooled for the resistant starch].
Liver-supportive foods like dandelion greens, artichokes, and beets.
Alternatives to Pain Medication.
Vitamin E for both hormonal and general migraines. Use of vitamin E therapy [400 iu/daily for five days during menstruation or taking 1-2 400 iu capsules when a headache or migraine is beginning can have amazing results. Taking an additional 1-2 capsules of vitamin E (400 iu) right at the beginning of a headache or migraine can reduce the length and severity.
Headaches and migraines are a stressor, and interestingly enough the stress of them can contributes to their chronic nature.
Common Stressors.
Physical Tension- this is known as a tension headache or migraine. Upper back muscle that are tight, which then tightens the neck and then can lead to a tension headache or migraine. Migraines specifically have a few other trigger areas. Brow muscles where the supraorbital nerve branches weave together, have been shown to trigger migraines when tension builds. Back of the head where the occipital nerve gets pressured by tight neck muscles-a common trigger for migraines Interestingly, tightness and tension in these muscles and the impact it has on the nerves is why botox can be effective for some that have migraines, since they can inject the Botox right into these areas. I am not recommending botox for migraines, but this is why it can work by reducing the tension by blocking the body from receiving certain chemical messengers from the nerves and not allowing the muscle to tighten.
Stress Hormones. Stress hormones can increase tension a contributor to the physical aspect of headaches and migraines. Stress also impacts many other areas of our health by causing an increase in estrogen and a decrease in available thyroid hormone in the body, both of which can contribute to migraines. The loss of magnesium during the stress response also contributes to migraines.
Paying attention to what makes your body feel more stressed is a great first step in addressing headache/migraine prevention. Focus on nourishing your body and hydrating to help make you more resilient to stress.
Adding 500mg of Magnesium Oxide has been shown to be as efective as Valproate Sodium a migrane medication at reducing migraines.
Migraines sufferers are also more sensitive to stress and excrete 50% more sodium in their urine[meaning that they lose 50% more sodium] than people that do not suffer from migraines.
Low or depleted sodium during the stress response is commonly found on a hair tissue mineral analysis -[htma].
Blood sugar imbalances can also be stressful and it impacts sodium loss as well. It’s important to reduce sugar consumption and optimize the sodium to potassium ratio, along with and an increasing water consumption to significantly reduce migraine days.
Sugar & Sodium.
The ideal sodium dose for migraine prevention is far higher than the USDA recommended dose of 2400mg daily.
Check Out This Study>
A study to see the effect of both sugar to increase migraines and sodium to diminish migraines, showed that participants who eliminated all sweeteners until migraine free, before consuming a sugary dessert then experienced another migraine.
The participants then added 1/8th teaspoon of salt on the tongue with a sip of water to experience migraine relief within 10 minutes.
It’s important to mention they did not remove all carbs, but all sweeteners [both natural and artificial]. They even tested the theory after to see how participants would react to sugar. Pretty amazing!
I don’t think everyone who struggles with migraine headaches needs to avoid all sugar, but focusing on eating protein foods first and having a little sea salt with sugary desserts might be a good strategy.
Histamine Intolerance.
Looking at those that specifically struggle with migraine headaches and histamine intolerance, there is a clear connection.
87% of migraine sufferers have a deficiency in diamine oxidase [dao] which is the enzyme responsible for histamine breakdown. Therefore, supplementing with a dao enzyme can reduce migraines. Another concept in relation to histamines and migraines is the fact that people with chronic migraines have higher levels of histamine in their plasma and increased histamine-releasing brain mast cells.
If you think histamine intolerance could be at least part of your root cause for migraine headaches, consider this:
Supplement with a Dao Enzyme. First talk with your doctor to see if this is a good fit for you, because if you’re one of the 87% of people with migraines that does have a dao enzyme deficiency, it could be a huge help.
Check Out Other Possible Root Causes for Histamine Intolerance:
History of gut/digestive issues?
Hormonal symptoms like pms, period pain, or headaches/migraines around ovulation or your period? If estrogen is part of it, do hair mineral testing [htma] in order to figure out what’s causing the high estrogen. https: //www.janlindquistntp.com/reveal-hair-analysis
Nutrient deficiencies. Copper, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin A are essential in order for the dao enzyme to work properly.
Minerals & Migraines.
Magnesium: magnesium deficiency is a known contributor to migraines.
Sodium: migraine sufferers excrete 50% more sodium in their urine -[meaning they lose 50% more sodium]than people that do not suffer from migraines.
Low Copper or Vitamin A causes poor activation of the dao enzyme necessary to breakdown histamines which alleviates a migraine response.
Vitamin C & B6 in optimal ranges. This protects the body from stress and inflammation.
Iodine helps to decrease histamine production. When iodine levels are sufficient, it helps to keep histamine in check.
Eat These Foods.
Copper & Vitamin A Foods: organ meats, oysters, chlorophyll, spirulina, cacao,chickpeas, shiitake mushrooms, dairy, egg yolks, salmon, cod liver oil.
Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Iodine Foods: beef liver, eggs, dairy, tuna, salmon, poultry,
chickpeas, carrots, and brewers yeast, citrus, kiwi, papaya, strawberries, rose hips, guava, peppers, camu camu, acerola cherry, kelp, seaweed, all seafood, dairy.
Get Curious.
There are many possible contributors to headaches and migraines.
Remember this, it’s not about addressing everything at once, but chipping away slowly and seeing what helps you feel better.
The most important thing you can do when dealing with any health concern, is to begin to get curious.
Pay attention to when symptoms occur and look for patterns. This can bring you closer to what will make the most significant change for you.
My journey through migraine suffering actually led me to this new career path as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. Because I was never given a reason for why I had headaches frequently or what steps I could try to reduce or even eliminate them, I continued to medicate. This proved to be a pain management solution that left me groggy, foggy brained, and many times isolated.
Brain pain is hidden and although I looked fine, I was not! I believe my brain stem stroke was a result of my medicated journey in migraine management. Experiencing a stroke was the beginning of my true recovery into a headache-free life. I have discovered a deep connection between stable blood sugar, fueling my body with whole, real foods, prioritized sleep, and getting outside to move is foundational to both my health and honestly for the many clients I work with.
Do you suffer from headaches or migraines?
I can help you find real relief by focusing on a root-cause approach. This process puts you in control of your health, which is exactly where you will find answers to your many questions.
Thanks for reading,
Jan
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