---
title: Is migraine linked to menstrual hormones? | Niyora
description: Migraine is linked to the menstrual cycle in some women. Women with migraine have higher hormone levels during the cycle, but no specific hormone change trigg
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/migraine-and-reporoductive-hormones-throughout-the-menstrual-cycle-1975/
---

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- Is migraine linked to menstrual hormones?

Survey study, 1975

# Is migraine linked to menstrual hormones?

Migraine is linked to the menstrual cycle in some women. Women with migraine have higher hormone levels during the cycle, but no specific hormone change triggers attacks.

 Early or limited evidence

142 women without other health conditions; 22 in hormone study (8 menstrual migraine, 6 other patterns, 8 controls).

## What they did

They surveyed 142 women about the relationship between their migraines and menstruation. They also measured hormone levels throughout the menstrual cycle in a smaller group of 22 women (8 with menstrual-linked migraine, 6 with other patterns, and 8 without migraine).

## What they found

Of 142 women, 24 had migraines that started when they began menstruating. Only 13 had migraines occurring regularly just before or during menstruation, and 11 had migraines linked to menstruation and other times. Women with menstrual-linked migraine were more likely to have weight gain and breast tenderness, and to improve during pregnancy. In the hormone study, women with migraine had higher oestrogen and progesterone levels than women without migraine, especially during the late premenstrual phase. However, no specific hormone change was linked to when migraine attacks occurred.

## What it means for you

Migraine is connected to menstruation in a minority of women, and women with migraine have different hormone patterns. However, the exact hormone changes that trigger attacks remain unclear. This study was too small to distinguish what makes menstrual-linked migraine different from other migraine patterns.

142

Women surveyed

13

With regular menstrual-linked migraine

22

Women in hormone study

## About the study

Original title Migraine and reporoductive hormones throughout the menstrual cycle Authors Epstein MT, Hockaday JM, Hockaday TD Journal Lancet (London, England) Year 1975 Study design Survey study Participants 142 What was tested None; observation and hormone measurement. Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(75)91558-5](https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(75)91558-5)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Perimenopause and menopause](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-perimenopause/)[Migraine](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-migraine/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/)

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