remedy for semiregular post menopausal monthly intense migraines

[Avi]

Hi, I'm stumped, would appreciate any of your comments/assistance here:

67 yr old woman client [menopause, mid fifties], gets regular migraines on left, about once every month, intensely, for abt 2-3 days. was dx w/hashimoto's [for 'a while'], says sleep is regular, abt. 6 hrs uninterrupted [workdays]; very cold, discolored dry hands often in winter indoors; toes too, sometimes are dark-purple [dx reynauds]. also +TMJ discomfort sporadically, recently recurred. palpitations, only once in a while 'not a lot'. about average height/weight, cardiologist says shes slightly underweight. also was dx. with tricuspid valve prolapse for 10+ years.

medications:

armour thyroid, [for past 10-15+ yrs.], topical hrt cream - testosterone, progesterone/estrogen combination [for past 10-15+ years].

supplements:

vit d3 5000 iu/dy, vit c [for a long time, she took super bio c 1000 mg then mercola liposomal, now is on amla 300 mg day], 'greens today' greens, douglas labs pea protein powder [several x/wk] [past 2-3 years], cranberry supplement also takes regularly, since this past summertime [uti painful on/off] prophylactically, mag. glycinate, coq10, max stress nano b [quantum] [not daily].

recent history:

her migraine began yesterday with visual lines/floaters, but no h/a until today. shes noticed its been about a month, since the last headache, and likewise the same for previous one. also told me they sometimes happen during inclement weather [today is the day before a larger snowstorm; im inclined to think its nothing to do w/weather, just a guess though].

migraine qualities:

[far-sighted, wears bifocals]. copious nasal mucous, blocked nostrils during h/a, starts on right as dull; then migrates to left, when it becomes intense and sharp sometimes reducing but always returning, over a 2 to 3 day timeframe. "feels like a knife", often, chills come on during the headache - regardless of time of year [northeastern us], feels sick, sometimes also vomiting during the migraine.

current remedies:

acupuncture sometimes helps relax nervousness and headache, but often it comes back full force hours later. photophobia definitely involved. says she used to take feverfew few years ago for sx, mildly helped but no lasting difference. also used to take grapeseed extract for the headaches more than a few years ago, provided short lived relief. doesnt like excedrin or aspirin wants to avoid these. ice packs dont work strongly or for long, [but help slightly, when pain is high].
I suggested nettle and mg. malate about month+ ago; her labs i dont have atm but recall lr enzymes were normal, only tsh was low. also considered giving her a modified herbal formula of 'xiao yao san' with some kidney-supporting herbs also.

She is reluctant to try herbal combinations for fear of interactions [based on some of her previous experiences] ; today, she took 2 tablets of douglas labs chelated magnesium [mg glycinate] today, no result. no difficulty reported today with going to the bathroom. feels fatigue mostly when she gets headaches. her husband feels she ought to get an mri... she did have her dental amalgams removed 9 or so years ago, replaced w/porcelains. AND, had 3 route canals [1 on left, 2 on right side], which was almost 2 years after the fillings were switched. im wondering also if if dental ozone would help somehow; maybe for cleaning tooth infections - [no clue there either].

sometimes says, she'll do enemas and it'll help reduce headache intensity, but said relief is inconsistent; ice packs sometimes help a little, but basically nothing shes tried really has helped in any lasting way. [neti-pot w/filtered, warm salt water][nasal strips at night][increasing her daily water intake]

Diet:

eats poultry, various [farmed] fish, eggs, potatos, brown rice instead of bread or wheat, never drinks coffee but does eat feta cheese with meals, salads every other day, says shes '50/50 with organic food', cooks vegees, lentils [with some ginger], turkey [no red meat] too. rarely goes to restaurants. eats green apples, pineapples or pears, non-organic blackberries also. said she eats ginger cookies rice cakes, sea-vegee crackers frequently [at work] for snacks . . . clearly the dairy and potatos and spinach pumpkin seeds, flax in the morning, arent helping. or the non-organic produce [which ones might affect her the most?] actually she just switched from flax to chia [grinds it up], also mentioned her job, [past year or so] the air ducts sometimes 'smell' a little bit.

[James]

(01-01-2014 11:13 PM)Avi Wrote:  Hi, I'm stumped, would appreciate any of your comments/assistance here:

67 yr old woman client [menopause, mid fifties], gets regular migraines on left, about once every month, intensely, for abt 2-3 days. was dx w/hashimoto's [for 'a while'], says sleep is regular, abt. 6 hrs uninterrupted [workdays]; very cold, discolored dry hands often in winter indoors; toes too, sometimes are dark-purple [dx reynauds]. also +TMJ discomfort sporadically, recently recurred. palpitations, only once in a while 'not a lot'. about average height/weight, cardiologist says shes slightly underweight. also was dx. with tricuspid valve prolapse for 10+ years.

medications:

armour thyroid, [for past 10-15+ yrs.], topical hrt cream - testosterone, progesterone/estrogen combination [for past 10-15+ years].

supplements:

vit d3 5000 iu/dy, vit c [for a long time, she took super bio c 1000 mg then mercola liposomal, now is on amla 300 mg day], 'greens today' greens, douglas labs pea protein powder [several x/wk] [past 2-3 years], cranberry supplement also takes regularly, since this past summertime [uti painful on/off] prophylactically, mag. glycinate, coq10, max stress nano b [quantum] [not daily].

recent history:

her migraine began yesterday with visual lines/floaters, but no h/a until today. shes noticed its been about a month, since the last headache, and likewise the same for previous one. also told me they sometimes happen during inclement weather [today is the day before a larger snowstorm; im inclined to think its nothing to do w/weather, just a guess though].

migraine qualities:

[far-sighted, wears bifocals]. copious nasal mucous, blocked nostrils during h/a, starts on right as dull; then migrates to left, when it becomes intense and sharp sometimes reducing but always returning, over a 2 to 3 day timeframe. "feels like a knife", often, chills come on during the headache - regardless of time of year [northeastern us], feels sick, sometimes also vomiting during the migraine.

current remedies:

acupuncture sometimes helps relax nervousness and headache, but often it comes back full force hours later. photophobia definitely involved. says she used to take feverfew few years ago for sx, mildly helped but no lasting difference. also used to take grapeseed extract for the headaches more than a few years ago, provided short lived relief. doesnt like excedrin or aspirin wants to avoid these. ice packs dont work strongly or for long, [but help slightly, when pain is high].
I suggested nettle and mg. malate about month+ ago; her labs i dont have atm but recall lr enzymes were normal, only tsh was low. also considered giving her a modified herbal formula of 'xiao yao san' with some kidney-supporting herbs also.

She is reluctant to try herbal combinations for fear of interactions [based on some of her previous experiences] ; today, she took 2 tablets of douglas labs chelated magnesium [mg glycinate] today, no result. no difficulty reported today with going to the bathroom. feels fatigue mostly when she gets headaches. her husband feels she ought to get an mri... she did have her dental amalgams removed 9 or so years ago, replaced w/porcelains. AND, had 3 route canals [1 on left, 2 on right side], which was almost 2 years after the fillings were switched. im wondering also if if dental ozone would help somehow; maybe for cleaning tooth infections - [no clue there either].

sometimes says, she'll do enemas and it'll help reduce headache intensity, but said relief is inconsistent; ice packs sometimes help a little, but basically nothing shes tried really has helped in any lasting way. [neti-pot w/filtered, warm salt water][nasal strips at night][increasing her daily water intake]

Diet:

eats poultry, various [farmed] fish, eggs, potatos, brown rice instead of bread or wheat, never drinks coffee but does eat feta cheese with meals, salads every other day, says shes '50/50 with organic food', cooks vegees, lentils [with some ginger], turkey [no red meat] too. rarely goes to restaurants. eats green apples, pineapples or pears, non-organic blackberries also. said she eats ginger cookies rice cakes, sea-vegee crackers frequently [at work] for snacks . . . clearly the dairy and potatos and spinach pumpkin seeds, flax in the morning, arent helping. or the non-organic produce [which ones might affect her the most?] actually she just switched from flax to chia [grinds it up], also mentioned her job, [past year or so] the air ducts sometimes 'smell' a little bit.

Migraines can be triggered by various things. Progesterone for one. So her hormonal therapy could be a contributing factor. They can also be brought on by allergic sensitivities, which would be adrenal related.

Here is my write up on migraines:

http://medcapsules.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=2629

Magnesium is great for migraine prevention, but not stopping them once they start. Magnesium is best supplemented on a regular basis to prevent migraines. I prefer magnesium malate over the glycinate.

Here is information on building the adrenals:

http://medcapsules.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=2462

And on balancing the hormones:

http://www.medcapsules.com/info/Hormone_Balance.htm

Glad she switched from flax to chia. Most people are unaware that flax suppresses the thyroid.