Early Morning and Late Afternoon Migraines
are Both Linked to Hormone Changes in the Body
"What time of the day do your migraines start?" is one of the first
questions we ask when someone calls about migraine. The answer tells us a great
deal about what is happening inside the body
to invoke a migraine.
The most common answer is "during the night." When
we ask for the exact time, most reply, "Around 4 AM." The other
two most frequent replies as to when a person gets a migraine are "Shortly
after getting up in the morning" (full-blown by noon) and "Sometime
in the late afternoon."
Why 4 AM? Our research shows that the migraine time patterns coincide
with specific hormone changes in the body. For example, the hormones that fluctuate
or change around 4 AM or in the early morning hours and also in the late afternoon
are the hormones melatonin (secreted from the pineal gland) and the hormone cortisol
(from the adrenal gland).
The body begins producing melatonin (the hormone that helps us sleep) generally
around 4 PM and it stops producing around 4 AM. Even though we see that this
corresponds to times of migraines, we cannot jump to the conclusion that this
hormone is a cause of migraines; rather, we must look at the actions of this
hormone to see their effect on migraines.
The level of melatonin in the body affects the release of other hormones in the
body, two of which we are most interested in when researching the cause of migraines
in both men and women: Lutenizing Hormone (LH) and Folic Stimulating Hormone
(FSH) both of which occur and are released in both the male and female bodies).
These hormones are produced in cells that contain the known DNA gene for migraines.
Since we already know that actions of these cells can invoke migraines, we can
reason that we are dealing with a familiar reaction that causes these times for
migraine occurrences.
Now
that you know what is happening, you may be asking what can be done to help?
The first thing is to make certain you are taking Tuliv Migraine Defense
to prevent migraines. For anyone
who may have break-though 4 AM type migraines while on Migraine Defense, adding
Tuliv time-released melatonin at bedtime works synergistically
to keep these headaches from happening.
What about a migraine that begins after you get up in the morning?
Well, just as melatonin helps us sleep, the hormone cortisol helps us wake up
and start the day. Cortisol is a powerful hormone used by the body to make us
more alert, especially while under stress. Research has shown that
cortisol may be the underlying cause of stress headaches and may also be the
reason for the other morning migraines.
When we trace how cortisol works in the body, we see that it also has an effect
on the LH and FSH hormone producing cells containing the "migraine gene" and
so we again feel we are dealing with the same set of principles that are at the
center of the cause of migraines.
For
the most part, Tuliv Migraine Defense prevents migraines no matter what time
of the day; however, when it fails to completely do the job, we may recommend
adding the
supplement 5-HTP. 5-HTP is used to help increase serotonin or at least
stabilize the depletion of it.
The time when migraines occur reveals a great deal of information about what
is happening in the body and points to the cause of migraines. By understanding
and using this information, we can find natural ways to help prevent migraines.
At Tuliv, we are dedicated to helping you find your best solution for a migraine-free
life.
What time of the day do most of your migraines start? If you are unsure of any
pattern, then please print
a copy of our Migraine Diary and track your migraines for the next month
and see what you find. We will be happy to go over the results with you,
either by phone (1-866-367-5953) or by email Questions@Tuliv.com