Menopause symptoms can number in the dozens. Migraines are one of the more difficult symptoms with which to cope. Natural remedies for menopausal migraines focus on the entire woman and balancing hormones.
Many factors come together to make menopause a difficult season of life. A woman's body is going through multiple changes causing internal physical stress. Additionally, women in the menopause season are often dealing with many other changes, including an empty nest, aging parents with demanding needs, a full time job, and possibly helping with care or raising of grandchildren. If a woman has had years of a poor diet, that will begin to catch up with her now, as well.
During this busy season, most women do not have the option to take a few months sabbatical to focus on health renewal. But making some dietary adjustments, adding in some stress-relieving/health promoting activities, and adding some natural remedies to the routine may just be the solution to several menopausal challenges, including migraines. While it would be convenient to have a one pill, one size fits all remedy for migraines in menopause, it is likely that a multi-prong approach to relieve this malady will be necessary.
Most people know that stress and lack of sleep are bad for your health in general. Few people do much about it. But if you are dealing with menopausal migraines, dealing with these issues is a must. While you have many demands on your time, none of those needs will be properly met if you feel terrible.
Quality Sleep
Sleep deprivation is a recipe for a headache no matter what season of life you are in. Unfortunately, many women have sleep troubles during menopause. Make an effort to improve your sleep.
Stop using the computer 2 hours before bedtime. Learn to enjoy reading (not on a computer) before bed.
Sleep in the dark. You should have no other light in your bedroom other than any residual moonlight. Lights from computers, phones, night lights and phone chargers need to be off. The light in your room affects your sleep and your hormones.
Take a magnesium supplement at bedtime. This will help you to relax and will supply much needed magnesium. Begin slowly with a new magnesium supplement though as too much magnesium will cause diarrhea.
Chamomile tea before bedtime can help with relaxation.
Avoid using alcoholic drinks to help you sleep as they can contribute to migraines, especially red wine.
Healing Baths
Baths can help you to relax and can also deliver healing to the whole body through the skin. If you are prone to hot flashes, take a "just warm" but not hot bath. Epsom salt baths before bed can help you to sleep soundly, too.
Baking soda baths with a drop of lavender and peppermint essential oil can be cooling, relaxing and alkalizing all at once. Baking soda and citric acid (available in bulk online) combined make a wonderful healing and alkalizing bath. Add 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup citric acid. This combination will fizz up a bit.
Exercise
If you are not in the habit of exercise, this is the time to get into the habit. Not only will exercise help your body to cope better with stress and sweat out toxins, some light weight bearing exercise will help keep your bones strong. If hot flashes are a problem, swimming can help to cool you off. Walking with small hand weights is ideal for keeping bones strong.
Hydration
The mantra of "drink more" can become a little wearisome. But dehydration is a common cause of headaches. Your body needs plenty of fluids to feel well and to flush out toxins.
Reduce the intake of coffee, soda and energy drinks. Drink green tea or other herbal teas. If you are prone to hot flashes, cold peppermint tea is delightful.
Try an alkalizing drink. Alkalizing drinks help your body to work better in addition to proving adequate hydration.
- Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water, or
- Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to a glass of water, or
- Add 1 tablespoon of lime juice with 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to a glass of water.
Dietary Changes
Clean up your diet where you can. You don't have to become a recluse on a strict diet of twigs and roots, but do make the effort to eat whole foods as much as you can. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
During this season you may need to reduce your intake of animal products. Even organic animal products contain hormones (naturally, because the animals have hormones) and these hormones can affect your hormones.
Seek out foods that are nourishing. These will often be simple. A banana, an avocado or a bowl of oatmeal are all tasty, nutritious and simple. Cold watermelon is refreshing for women with hot flashes and also is good for the kidneys.
Ground flax seed is a good addition to your diet at this time. It helps to balance hormones and is high in nutrition. It can be added to smoothies, salads, or your morning porridge.
If you have not yet developed a taste for seaweed, this may be the time to acquire it. Seaweed provides important nutrients like iodine.
Clean Up Your Liver
Your liver has been working hard for more decades than you may care to admit. Sometimes it has been overtaxed in the process of removing toxins, especially if you have frequently taken over the counter drugs for headaches (or anything else) in the past.
Giving your liver some healing and repair will help it to keep working well for you during the next several decades. It will also help it to deal with excess hormones now.
Dandelion tea, milk thistle supplements and castor oil packs are all ways to heal your liver. These can easily be incorporated into your current health routine.
You may have noticed that all of the above mentioned remedies aren't much about healing migraines, at least at first look. However, working towards the health of the whole woman will do more to prevent migraines than one or two remedies will do to get rid of one once it begins.
Herbs for Migraines in Menopause
There are herbs that can be taken during menopause to reduce menopause symptoms, including migraines. You may notice with these herbs a reduction in several aggravating symptoms. It may take time to experiment with what helps you the most.
Motherwort - If anxiety or a racing heart are part of your menopausal life, motherwort may be a help to you. 15-30 drops of motherwort tincture first thing in the morning can help even you out for the day. The dose can be repeated once or twice during the day if that "everything is driving me crazy" feeling should begin to arise. Motherwort may help prevent migraines if it helps you to cope better with stress.
Black Cohosh - Black cohosh is an anti-inflammatory herb with sedating properties. Because it is a mildly estrogenic herb, it is helpful for a variety of menopausal complaints.
Vitex
Vitex, also known as chasteberry, is a hormone balancing herb for women and it can help with difficult menopause symptoms. Because migraines in menopause are often related to the fluctuating hormones, the balancing of hormones may be the solution to the migraines. Vitex can be taken in a tincture - 30 drops 2-3 times a day. Or 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon of the dried vitex berries can be slowly chewed throughout the day. Vitex has a peppery taste and can even be put into a pepper grinder and added directly to food.
Sage
Dried sage, the kind in your spice cabinet, makes a great tea for the menopausal years. It is indicated for headaches caused by hormone fluctuations.
Feverfew
If you have not yet tried feverfew for migraines, this may be the time to try it. One capsule of dried feverfew, taken daily, helps to prevent migraines for many people.
Nutritional Supplements For Menopausal Migraines
Blackstrap Molasses is an all around natural vitamin. This nutritional powerhouse will help restore lost minerals in your body. A tablespoon a day is easy to take right off the spoon, or in a mug of tea or coffee.
To prevent migraines, you body needs to be well nourished and supplied well with necessary vitamins. Some important supplements to consider are the following:
- Vitamin C
- Zinc
- B-Complex
- Vitamin E
Have you dealt with migraines in menopause? Do you have a natural cure for them? We would love to hear about it!
