Estrogens and migraine
Abstract
A worsening of migraine headaches has been associated with estrogens, given for birth control and menopausal syndrome. It is suggested in this case history report that the same may be true in the male migrainous patient, in whom estrogens are rarely used. 1 week following surgery for prostatic carcinoma a 75-year-old white man who was started on stilbestrol 5 mg daily began to experience severe bifrontal, throbbing headaches with nausea and occasional vomiting. The headaches lasted 4-6 hours and appeared 3 or 4 times weekly. Fortification spectra in both visual fields and language disturbances occurred during the headache period. Stilbestrol was discontinued 4 months later, and the headaches improved. After 1 week without headaches, stilbestrol was begun again and similar headaches promptly recurred. Stilbestro was again discontinued, and the headaches immediately improved. 1 month later the patient was free from headache and has since remained so. Between the periods of headache, neurological examination was normal. The patient had a history of moderate common migraine, but following estrogen medication his symptoms became those of a severe clsssic migraine. The case raises the possiblity that the relation between estrogens and migraines is not limited to a fall in estrogen blood levels; steady or rising levels of estrogens possibly produce a similar effect.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Calcium Ions in the Physiology and Pathology of the Central Nervous System
- AI-powered in silico twins: redefining precision medicine through simulation, personalization, and predictive healthcare
- In silico functional, structural and pathogenicity analysis of missense single nucleotide polymorphisms in human MCM6 gene
- In Silico drug repurposing pipeline using deep learning and structure based approaches in epilepsy
- Targeting serotonin receptors with phytochemicals – an in-silico study
- In silico exploration of anti-prostate cancer compounds from differential expressed genes
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.