The Cause of
Migraine Headaches
Migraine Headaches are exacerbated by Estrogen Dominance
Migraine headaches are made worse by estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance means too much estrogen
relative to progesterone. Estrogen dominance contributes to the cause of migraine headaches. Too much estrogen may come from xenoestrogens, prescription hormone therapy, or being 35-50 years old with anovulatory cycles (these cycles just have estradiol and no progesterone).
Estrogen excretion may also be impaired. Natual Progesterone opposes the effect of estrogen. Pastor Henry Wright claims
that having guilt from conflict, then fear causes seratonin and histamine hormone changes. This is why Imitrex works. Imitrex works
by decreasing histamine and increasing seratonin. These hormone changes
cause the arteries to change in size and then cause migraine headaches.
Progesterone cream helps decrease a migraine. However, if the migraine is NOT associated with
the cycle, the progesterone cream will NOT help.
The
solution is to take Natural Progesterone and cut out Estrogen in your environment. The other solution is
to go to a week long seminar at Pastor Wright's church to get rid of the underlying spiritual conflict of
guilt and fear. www.beinhealth.com.
by Elizabeth Smith, M.D.
3 Types of Natural Estrogen, and Many Fakes
There are 3 types of estrogen the body produces - estradiol, estriol, and estrone. There is one type of progesterone - progesterone.
The three types of estrogen fit into the estrogen receptor. Progesterone fits into the progesterone receptor. Estradiol is the most potent of the three. In contrast, estriol and estrone fit into the
receptor and stimulate it weakly. Thus, estrone and estriol can
"block" estradiol and its strong estrogen receptor stimulating properties. Prescription estrogens such as Primpro and Primarin are artificial
estrogens that are not found in nature and are patentable. Because these prescription estrogens are NOT found in nature they are patentable and much money can be made on them. Side effects from these artificial estrogens found in any Physicians Desk Reference
may be very serious. Also the follow up Nurse's Health Questionaire Study showed increases in breast cancer of 40-70% with artifical prescription estrogen use. Because of these large profits, expensive salesmen may be hired to
push these drugs on unsuspecting physicians.
1 Type of Natural Progesterone, and Many Fakes
There is only one type of bioidentical natural Progesterone the body makes. It is Progesterone or is now being called "Natural Progesterone". Pharmaceutical companies because of the profit motive again modify the natural progesterone to something unnatural such as Provera or Megestrol so that these drugs may be patented. Because the hormone is unnatural it does not fit into the receptor quite right and has dangerous side effects. These unnatural hormones are chemically different and do not have the same effects as Natural Progesterone.
Natural Progesterone cream opposes estrogen in the body. Estrogen Dominance can cause migraine headaches. Excess estrogen causes decreased thyroid function (body temp of 97 and perhaps thinning hair), fat gain around the hips, abdomen, and thighs, water retention and bloating, cyclical breast tenderness, depression, and decreased sex drive. Progesterone, in contrast, causes restored thyroid function, is a natural diuretic (for reducing bloating), reduces cyclical breast tenderness, burns off fat for energy, restores normal sex drive, is a natural mood elevator. Progesterone helps to burn off the fat off the hips, abdomen, and thighs. John Lee, MD makes the important point that progesterone cream can help with cyclical migraine headaches. However, if the migraine headache is NOT periodic with the cycle, then progesterone cream will NOT help.
The Solution to Exacerbation of Migraine Headaches associated with the Cycle
Take Natural Progesterone.
Avoid xenoestrogens.
Avoiding xenoestrogens may be even more important than taking progesterone cream. In fact, if you do not avoid xenoestrogens and take progesterone, the migraine headaches may even worsen while you are taking progesterone cream. This is because long term xenoestrogen exposure leads to down regulation of the estrogen receptors. In other words, you become less sensitive to estrogen if you already are over loaded with estrogen. The body tries to compensate as best as it can. However, when you take progesterone, the receptors are resensitized to normal sensitivity, and although the xenoestrogen load is the same.
If You Don't Quit Xenoestrogens. . .
Caution: Occasionally, a patient will take Natural Progesterone and the migraine headache will get worse temporarily while taking progesterone cream. Bloating and cyclical breast tenderness will get WORSE taking progesterone cream temporarily. The common reason why this occurs is that the patient still is taking in some xenoestrogens. This patient may still be heating food in plastic containers, or has difficulty giving up coffee. Constant intake of xenoestrogens causes the body to force itself to become less sensitive to estrogen out of desperation. So if you drink alot of coffee (a xenoestrogen), in time your body out of desperation will try to become less sensitive to it. However, when Natural Progesterone is taken by a coffee drinker, the estrogen sensitivity goes back up to normal. Thus, since the sensitivity of estrogen goes up to normal even though you are not getting more estrogen, the bloating will get worse, and it appears that you are getting more estrogen. If you do not cut out xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens and take progesterone your migraine will get worse.
Even more rarely, the patient will make a very diligent effort to get rid of xenoestrogens and still get worse. The problem is that the xenoestrogens are fat soluble and are stored in the body. For instance, when we stop Birth Control Pills, sometimes the periods are messed up for one year afterwards. Another example, years afterward, people still have bad trips from LSD. This is because LSD is fat soluble. When the person gets sick and does not eat for a while, the fat is metabolized, and LSD is released, and a "bad" trip happens. Another example, I have friend with Outward Bound. He takes drug addicts hiking in Colorado. Many times as they sweat they begin to get high from marajuana (THC) released from their fat.
The solution to get rid of your fat store xenoestrogens is to exercise or sauna so as to raise the core body temperature and sweat.
Constant low level anxiety or fear may also cause increased cell membrane rigidity and increased histamine with impaired excretion of chemicals (and also impaired estrogen excretion). If there is constant low level anxiety, the patient may have a hypersensitivity to smell and be sensitive to very small amounts of drugs as compared to normal people. This is like having a clogged toilet.
Some synthetic chemicals can mimic estrogen and/or block progesterone. Not many chemicals mimic progesterone very well. Most chemicals mimic estrogen, block estrogen, or block progesterone. It is hypothesized that these xenoestrogens (foreign estrogens) or Progestins (foreign progesterones) may compete for or block the receptors for progesterone and estrogen leading to an exacerbation of migraine headaches.
Thus, xenoestrogens and other synthetic chemical hormone disrupters have been implicated in pms.
The Solution to Exacerbation of Migraine Headaches NOT associated with the Cycle
Go through Pastor Henry Wright's free seminar at his church 1 1/2 hours south of Atlanta, Georgia. The church's phone number is (706) 646-2074. Wright claims that it is not just mind over matter; he claims that there may be spiritual dynamics involved.
First in these patients, comes conflict with another person. Then, the patient has guilt about the conflict. Then comes fear. These emotions and spiritual dynamics cause a decrease in seratonin and increase in histamine that change the artery diameter. The artery diameter changes cause the migraine headaches.
Chemical Foreign Estrogens (Xenoestrogens)
Around the world, there are approximately 100,000
different synthetic chemicals on the market. Some 
of
them mimic estrogen in the human body. One
classic estrogen mimic is DDT. In 1950, two Syracuse
University biologists, in an experiment, gave injections of DDT to baby roosters. The roosters grew up looking
like hens. Unfortunately, the U.S. still produces 96 tons of DDT a year (in 1991) and exports it to third world
countries. Then we consume DDT on imported produce. DDT is stored in the fat, notably the breast fat.
The
breast fat may concentrate a form of DDT (DDE) up to 700 times
than that of the blood. Blood levels of a form of DDT can typically be measured in the blood at several parts to
tens of parts per billion.
When I first saw levels of parts per billion, I thought it was too low to worry about. Unfortunately, our human
body operates on tens of parts per trillion. In other words, some of these chemical estrogens may be found routinely
at levels one hundred times the concentration of our own hormones.
Imagine a baseball glove representing a receptor for estrogen. Think of the glove waiting to catch a ball. DDT
is represented by one hundred shiny plastic balls. One watermelon representing your human estradiol. Which one
does the glove catch?
More Chemical Foreign Estrogens ( Xenoestrogens)
New research by
Soto, M.D. at Tufts University medical school in 1991 showed that chemical additives that make plastics last longer
have estrogen stimulating effects on breast cancer cells in the test tube at parts per billion. Plastic test tubes
with a new plastisizer stimulated breast cancer cells to grow wildly. Stanford University professors found a similar
effect from an additive, bis-phenol A, used in polycarbonate water bottles. Bis-phenol A is also used in dental
filling composites. Spanish researchers
even found that some of the varnish sprayed in food cans (to prevent the "metal" taste) leached into
the food. This slightly tainted food contained more than enough estrogen mimicking chemical to stimulate breast
cancer cells in the test tube to grow rapidly. The above chemicals with estrogen mimicking effects are a class
of chemicals known as alkylphenols.
English
researchers studied a
profusion of
hermaphrodite trout in the English rivers. They found that
the
sewage effluent draining into the river
contained detergent breakdown products that stimulated estrogen receptors
creating the hermaphrodite trout. Female trout were found in the rivers. No male trout were found - only trout
halfway between male and female.
Some
alligator populations are having
trouble reproducing because the male penises are too small (blush!). The
female alligator ovaries had used up all their eggs prematurely ("burned
out"). Could these female alligators have Polycystic Ovary Disease?
Researchers have implicated chemical hormone disrupters.
Agricultural Foreign Estrogens
Agriculture typically uses artificial
estrogen compounds to fatten up cattle and chicken quickly. Estrogen also stimulates the retention of water giving
a heavier weight and tender meat. Some proponents say that the artificial estrogen compounds disappear from the
urine in a matter of days and the animals are then free of artificial hormones. Other opponents say the artificial
estrogens are stored in the fat and then eaten by consumers. The European Union has banned U.S. and Canadian beef
from entering the E.U. for 12 years citing estrogen in the meat and the probable increase of breast cancer. Are
they right? Or merely being protectionist as the U.S. claims.
In 1970's and 1980's, an epidemic of early puberty girls as young as a year old in Puerto Rico began menstruating
after eating meat and dairy products with high amounts of estrogens. Some young boys developed breasts.
15% Girls aged 8 sprouting pubic hair and breast buds?
Women are now beginning to menstruate in the
United States at age 10. The age of menarche used to be 16. Authorities have insisted that this is normal for a
population with good nutrition. Is it? Herman-Giddons in a landmark study done in 1997 published in Pediatrics
showed that out of 17,000 girls, 15% aged 8 years old began to show signs of puberty in the United States. See
the Time
Magazine article! The Time Magazine
article points a finger at chemicals in our environment that mimic estrogen.
Chemical Phobia?
One
study showed that elevated levels of
DDT and PCB were not markedly higher in women that had breast cancer. An editorial
confidently labeled the new concerns as chemical phobia. However, these are only two chemicals. We don't know much
about chemical interactions nor all the other chemicals which are as yet untested.
The Bottom Line
In the last 5-10 years, new research
has shown that certain chemicals in modern society do mimic estrogen in the test tube. These chemicals can come
from sources that we previously thought were inert such as plastics that might be used to package food and detergents.
Some animals
in the environment also show evidence
of hormone
disruption.
Presently, we do not know what these test tube studies mean for us. Human bodies can act differently. Unfortunately,
only a small fraction of chemicals have been tested for estrogen mimicking effects, and these chemicals are active
at infinitesimal small quantities way below what was previously thought to affect humans. Estrogen mimicking chemicals
can also act synergistically to amplify each other or even block each other. This is widely known, but exact synergistic
reactions and levels at which they occur are virtually unknown.
Chemicals in our environment having estrogenic effects known as xenoestrogens are now being investigated by the Environmental Protection
Agency.