HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Correspondence: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Correspondence are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by SOMERVILLE, B. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by SOMERVILLE, B. W.

Estrogen-withdrawal migraine

II. Attempted prophylaxis by continuous estradiol administration

Division of Neurology, School of Medicine, and the School of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of New South Wales, Australia.

Prophylaxis of menstrual migraine was attempted in five women, using estradiol implants. The treatment was successful in suppressing ovulation and in producing high, although fluctuating, levels of estradiol in the plasma. Clinically this was associated with severe menstrual disturbance. The regular periodicity of the headaches was lost, but clinical benefit was unpredictable, with some patients actually experiencing more headaches than before the treatment. The administration of progesterone against a background of prolonged exposure to high estrogen levels did not provoke migraine, nor in any case did its subsequent withdrawal result in migraine. These findings cast further doubt on the importance of progesterone withdrawal in the etiology of menstrual migraine.

This work was supported by the J.T. Tweddle Grant of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

Received for publication August 22, 1974.

Reprint requests should be addressed to Dr. Somerville, Honorary Associate Physician, Prince Henry Hospital, Little Bay, N.S.W. 2036, Australia.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. A. MacGregor Review: Menstrual migraine: therapeutic approaches Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders, September 1, 2009; 2(5): 327 - 336. [Abstract] [PDF]

				E. A. MacGregor, A. Frith, J. Ellis, L. Aspinall, and A. Hackshaw Prevention of menstrual attacks of migraine: A double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study Neurology, December 26, 2006; 67(12): 2159 - 2163. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. A. MacGregor, A. Frith, J. Ellis, L. Aspinall, and A. Hackshaw Incidence of migraine relative to menstrual cycle phases of rising and falling estrogen Neurology, December 26, 2006; 67(12): 2154 - 2158. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Diogenes, A. M. Patwardhan, N. A. Jeske, N. B. Ruparel, V. Goffin, A. N. Akopian, and K. M. Hargreaves Prolactin Modulates TRPV1 in Female Rat Trigeminal Sensory Neurons J. Neurosci., August 2, 2006; 26(31): 8126 - 8136. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. L. Brandes The influence of estrogen on migraine: a systematic review. JAMA, April 19, 2006; 295(15): 1824 - 1830. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M.-G. Bousser Estrogens, Migraine, and Stroke Stroke, November 1, 2004; 35(11_suppl_1): 2652 - 2656. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. M. Case and R. L. Reid Effects of the Menstrual Cycle on Medical Disorders Arch Intern Med, July 13, 1998; 158(13): 1405 - 1412. [Abstract] [Full Text]