FAQ Episode 4: Migraines and co-morbid medical conditions

FAQs for Natural Migraine Relief for Women

Hi! Jeff Baker here again, as the physician host for this channel: Frequently Asked Questions about Natural Migraine Relief for Women.  Today I’m going to discuss how migraines can overlap with other comorbid medical problems.

Comorbid. There’s a dreadful term that sounds like it should be in the subtitle of a mortician’s textbook.  But all it means is ‘the simultaneous presence of an additional disease or medical condition in a patient.’  Well, big surprise.  If you live long enough, you might just have TWO things on your Medical Problem List.  They may not be related, like having both a rotator cuff tear and a toenail fungus.  But…what if they are? 

Here are some relational options between co-morbid disorders: It is always possible that the relation between two disorders may be a result of chance. Or, one disorder can cause another disorder: Hypertension can cause kidney disease. Then again, two disorders might have shared environmental risks: A blow to the head could give rise to post-traumatic seizures, or a posttraumatic headache. Lastly and perhaps most applicable to our discussion would be where underlying genetic, situational, or environmental risk factors may produce a state that gives rise to both conditions, where there may be some common biological factors underlying both conditions.

Here are some relational options between co-morbid disorders: It is always possible that the relation between two disorders may be a result of chance. Or, one disorder can cause another disorder: Hypertension can cause kidney disease. Then again, two disorders might have shared environmental risks: A blow to the head could give rise to post-traumatic seizures, or a posttraumatic headache. Lastly and perhaps most applicable to our discussion would be where underlying genetic, situational, or environmental risk factors may produce a state that gives rise to both conditions, where there may be some common biological factors underlying both conditions.

There are several medical conditions that occur with higher frequency in those with migraines and it’s a long list.  Let’s see if any of them apply to you:

-hypertension

-irritable bowel syndrome

-restless leg syndrome

-depression

-anemia

-insomnia

-seizure disorders

-anxiety and panic disorders

-fibromyalgia and other musculoskeletal conditions; back pain, etc.

-chronic fatigue

-PTSD

-Vitamin D3 deficiency

-asthma, allergies, and eczematous skin conditions

-psoriasis

-interstitial cystitis

-heart disease and strokes

-female reproductive disorders like endometriosis or fibrocystic breast changes.

-PMS and other cyclic hormone conditions

-bipolar disorder, personality disorders.

Wow, that is a lot.   Why so many? Perhaps it’s because there are so many varieties of root causes for disease, and often they can overlap.

I think the most interesting question you could ask about the potential comorbid relationship might be: What if the two problems have a common root cause?  Hm’n…  Maybe we could smack two co-morbids with a common stone, so to speak. Admittedly, sometimes it’s a chicken and egg problem. Did the other health problem aggravate the migraine, or vice versa…or both? And what if they have more than one underlying and promoting root cause? That might provide options with even better synergy.  If that’s the case, how could we find out what those common elements are, and then what we can do for them?

There are many underlying genetic, biochemical, hormonal, cell energy-based, nutrient deficit, brain chemistry, and structural root cause factors that can combine to provoke both the listed comorbid conditions and your migraine headaches. If you understand which root cause factors apply most specifically to your story, it might predict which options lead to successful non-drug therapies. 

Let me give you an example. If over the years you have experienced endometriosis, fibroids, abnormal pap tests, fibrocystic breasts, or have a family history of breast cancer, you may have as an underlying factor some degree of estrogen dominance.  Or, you could be producing excess amounts of a pro-proliferative estrogen metabolite called 16-hydroxy estrone, or both could be an issue. Each of these factors can also underlie or promote migraine headaches.  For this discussion, I’ll go directly to the second case, that of excess pro-proliferative estrogen metabolites.  One simple measure that can assist in blocking these side effect-prone metabolites is found in concentrated extracts from cruciferous vegetables, like di-indoyl-methane (DIM) or indole-3-carbinol (I3C), which can dramatically reduce those ‘bad girl’ 16-hydroxy estrone metabolites.    I like the product DIM-plus by Nature’s Way, taken at 100 mg/day as an entry-level therapy specific to this situation.  I’ve used this version of therapy as a useful tool to simultaneously address migraine and reproductive organ system disorders many times over the years.

I have additional information and options for finding and addressing comorbid links. From my 35 years of experience in managing headaches and hormones, I’ve developed the online course Natural Migraine Relief which examines ten major root cause factors for migraine headaches, written specifically for women with migraines.

The Natural Migraine Relief course uses a unique Migraine Action Plan © tool to help you assess the potential overlap of 60+ health conditions and medical co-morbidities.  It will also direct you to which of 90+ specific non-drug intervention options are most applicable to your migraine story.

If in the process of reducing migraines, we can also find root cause factors that overlap with other health problems, we might just smack down some of your current co-morbid problems in the process.  You might become one of the “I didn’t know how bad I was until I got better” crew. Go to FAQ Episode 42: What can I learn from the Natural Migraine Relief course? to learn more about this course, what it offers, and how to get started.