FAQ Episode 30: Low Thyroid and Migraines

Frequently Asked Questions about Natural Migraine Relief for Women

If we think about our cells being engines of production and repair, one could describe the thyroid hormones as the metabolic sparkplugs that every one of these ‘small engines’ needs to run the show and do their job.

If you are low on thyroid production, the cumulative underperformance can produce a variety of symptoms, including:

• sensitive to cold, or being cold

• constantly fatigued, even exhausted

• unable to respond to exercise, or to lose weight

• frequently constipated

• hair or skin is dry

• depression

• muscle aches or muscle weakness

• a loss of sexual libido

• new or worsening headaches

• tingling in the extremities

• an irregularity in your periods or having heavy periods

Studies have shown that:

• those with migraines are 40% more likely to have low thyroid as a promoting factor than the average person, and

• women are more likely than men to have a thyroid disorder. As a woman ages toward 50, she is estimated to have somewhere between a 35-65% chance of having suboptimal thyroid function.

If you are a woman with migraines, it would be advisable to check basic thyroid testing, maybe even on a yearly basis.  If you are low, or even in the ‘low normal’ range you may benefit from:

• more thorough blood testing, including TSH, Free T4, Free T3, reverse T3 and potentially a TPO antibody level to assess for an autoimmune thyroid source of dysfunction. If your doctor feels that the TSH level is “all you need to know” about your thyroid status, you may want to get a second opinion.

• checking your Basal Body temperature over several days to see if this useful sign of lower metabolism indicates a potential thyroid deficit: For more details see FAQ Episode 30b: Checking Basal Body Temperatures to assess the Thyroid/Migraine connection

• considering supplemental iodine or taking oral prescription thyroid, if its indicated. 

I’ve had multiple patients who have experienced a significant improvement with their migraines when even a moderate thyroid deficit was remedied. Like many of the other list of symptoms of a low thyroid listed above, the benefits may fall under the category of “I didn’t know how bad I was until I got better!”

If you are a Natural Migraine Relief paid subscriber, you can continue on to study or review Lesson 15 Hormone Root Cause factors in Migraine: Thyroid gland for further details and to fill in the individualized Migraine Action Plan applications.

Lesson 15: Hormone Root Cause factors in Migraine: Thyroid gland