The Mindful Migraine

You may or may not know that The Mindful Migraine Blog has a CONTACT page that you can use to send me an email – you can ask a question or just say “Hi!”

About two weeks ago, I received three emails back-to-back.

The first was from a musician asking to have his music added to my Healing Music For Migraines playlist on Spotify. It’s happened a few times now, and so the playlist is always changing slightly – I like to keep it to 888 songs because that seems extra lucky (as triple infinity). When I add a song, I delete another that has become too “ding-ding-y” in my ears. The aim is to have a playlist that is super gentle and long enough to keep you company all the way through a bad migraine…

The second email was from a man thanking me for the blog as he tries to support his wife who has migraines. The comment made me so happy-tears-happy, that I went ahead and made a whole page on my blog for positive FEEDBACK – it’s a bit boasty, no doubt, but I’m all about celebrating our victories along the way as we heal AND revealing how we are all part of a community – so pop over and read the comments (whilst I haven’t included people’s names, you might still recognize one of the comments as yours), or, feel free to send me more blog-love in the comments, and I’ll keep screenshotting the comments and adding them to the collection; Yay Team!

The third email was a query about whether we had discussed the relationship between hysterectomies and migraines… we had not… so I promised to find out what I could – and hopefully readers can add comments (anonymously if you like) for some extra real-life feedback on the subject.

So, before we get started talking about migraines and hysterectomies:

Disclaimer – I’m not a doctor – please be sure to speak to your health care provider to get information that suits your specific situation, and don’t make any changes to your lifestyle or treatment options until you do!

For me personally, when my migraines first started to get really obnoxious in my early 40s, I had already had two children and didn’t plan on having any more. So, it seemed like common sense (to me) to offer up my womb to reduce my menstrual migraines. Three separate doctors and specialists said ‘nope’ (we can pretend they did so in more detailed or scientific terms, but mostly it was just an adamant ‘no’ without any explanation). Back then, I didn’t feel particularly empowered to push back or ask for more information on why – I just accepted their ruling: nope.

Today, I’m more inclined to go looking for answers. Here’s what Migraine Canada says [if the image doesn’t work, the answer to the question “should I have my uterus removed to help my migraines” is “No.” – No fullstop… i.e. “nope”.]:

The next section on the site does, sort of, explain why the ‘nope’. The way I understand it, if you ALSO have your ovaries removed at the same time as your uterus, the surgery can lead to perimenopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes, insomnia, estrogen fluctuation… and MORE MIGRAINES. The site then suggests that if you do have the surgery, you should talk to your doctors to see if hormone supplements can be taken safely to mitigate the side effects.

When I went to another site, National Migraine Centre, they were equally blunt about the relationship between hysterectomies and migraines: “All research points to the fact that hysterectomy worsens migraines.”

Their advice suggests that when you menstruate, your brain and your body are in sync: “ok, time to shed the lining of that womb of yours” and hormones are released to help the process (my phrasing not theirs). The problem is, when the womb disappears, the brain goes, “hey you ready to shed… anyone… anyone?” and when it gets no reply, the brain gets worried and sends not just the regular hormones to get the job done, but EXTRA – it goes into overdrive… and that massive surge of hormones then bounces back and creates an “oh-no” in our sensitive migraine-brains that can trigger an attack. The website suggests that it can take a couple of YEARS for the body and brain to get back in sync and for the migraines to calm the heck down (again – my words not theirs). They also suggest that hormone replacement therapy might be a suitable option in the interim.

Migraine.com notes there are several types of hysterectomy (relating to what is removed). They suggest that some forms equate to “surgical menopause” – in other words, due to the hysterectomy, the body undergoes the normal age-related changes ahead of schedule. They suggest that if you are 65 or over (presumably already in menopause) then the effects of a hysterectomy on your hormones and migraines are likely to be low. For those who undergo surgery earlier than 65, however, then, depending on the type of hysterectomy you have, the migraines might get worse, and you might need hormonal assistance.

One last site, The American Migraine Foundation, said similar things to the previous three, but also gave this slightly… frustrating (?) cryptic (?) additional advice [some people get better / some get worse / some stay the same]:

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Remembering that I’m not a doctor, the bottom line seems to be, if you’re thinking of having a hysterectomy ONLY as a way to reduce your migraines, the answer you’ll probably receive from your doctor will be “nope” – because the surgery alone is unlikely to improve the migraines and MAY make them WORSE.

If you’re having a hysterectomy for OTHER reasons, and you are prone to migraines, then be sure to talk to your doctor about whether your hormones might be affected by the type of surgery you are having, AND ask what plans you might be able to put in place to help you if the migraines get worse. (Some version of Hormone Replacement Therapy appears to be the most common response plan – but is NOT suitable for everyone).

Bottom-bottom-line: try to do your own research before you see your doctor so you can speak to them in detail about your options, and forward plan your treatment together as much as possible.

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Here are the sites I read that talk about the link between hysterectomies and migraines:

Should I have my uterus removed to treat migraine – Migraine Canada™

Migraine, menopause and HRT – National Migraine Centre

Will Your Migraine Attacks Worsen After a Hysterectomy?

Hysterectomy and Migraine: What to Expect | American Migraine Foundation

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I know this was a bit of a “how long’s a piece of string” type of blogpost, which didn’t offer up any obvious answers, but I hope it helps a little bit.

Take care (hormonally), Linda x

PS – I have a separate post about Menopause and Migraines that comes from information I heard at the Migraine World Summit: here.

PPS – I recently heard a joke that perimenopause is puberty’s wicked step-sister… I kind of agree…

PPPS – if you have had a hysterectomy and feel comfortable to share the effects it had on your migraine (anonymously or otherwise), pop a comment down below to help me and others understand what might be going on… thanks xox