"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, two of which we are most interested in when researching the cause of migraines in both men and women: Lutenizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) both of which occur and are released in both the male and female bodies). Our body's internal timers for the release of hormones often correspond to the occurrences of migraines.
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, by phone (1-866-367-5953) or you may contact us online if you prefer.