Migraines and Breast Cancer

jameshoward

It is my hypothesis that low DHEA may be involved in the triggering of breast cancer, and other cancers, (Annals of Internal Medicine 2005; 142: 471-472).  It is also my hypothesis that high DHEA triggers migraines ("DHEA, Migraine and Epilepsy," copyright 1997, http://www.anthropogeny.com/Migraine and Epilepsy.htm )and that estrogen ameliorates migraines because estrogen reduces DHEA ,also the connection with breast cancer, ("Estrogen, Migraines, and DHEA ," copyright 2005, http://www.anthropogeny.com/Estrogen and Migraines.htm ).

I suggest the foregoing may be the explanation of these findings.

Toronto_012

This is interesting. I suffer from occassional migraines and have also had neurological symptoms (numbness in face, twitching) from them. After my first round of chemo I had migraines for seven days straight. My mother is also a lifetime migraine headache sufferer and also had bc. Her migraines completely stopped when she went on high blood pressure medication. How weird is that? Apparently a secret cure.

Is there a definite link?

Beesie

It's actually an inverse relationship between migraines and BC.  If you have migraines, you are something like 30% less likely to get BC.  I saw a report on this tonight on the news (Global Toronto).   I had migraines when I was in my 20s but then they stopped.  I guess I might have been better off if they hadn't stopped!

susan_CNY

my migraines started the summer after giving birth to my youngest son ( dx with cervical cancer at that time) I was 32 . At 45 I went through natural menopause which seemed to exacerbate my migraines, asked for HRT which I took for 2 weeks for hotflashes but had even more migraines so that was stopped. Tried the meds you take when attack starts but didn't help. At 50 I developed shingles out of the blue and migraines were unbearable. I was given nifedipine (a calcium channel blocker used for high blood pressure although my pressure is always low) this has cut my migraines down to maybe 10 in a year I am so happy to say. I was dx with stage 2 cc 6 months later and stage 1 bc the following year. This doesn't seem logical that migraines indicate a less than average chance of bc in my case.

irishdreama

I've had horrible migraines since I was 17. After the first AC treatment, I, like Toronto, had horrible, excrutiating headaches for about a week and a half. They did an MRI and found a thrombus, and then I was put on prednisone, which did work. After that I didn't have any more migraines. I'm a year and a half out of treatment, and STILL no migraines.

LibraGirl

I have had migraines since puberty, as did my mother, and we both got breast cancer.  I saw the same report as Beesie, but guess that if it is right, I must have enough other risk factors that outweigh the protection attributed to migraine.  Interestingly (and hopefully) enough, my mother's migraines stopped after menopause.  I didn't have true migraines during chemo, but did have some awful headaches days 3-5 for abougt half my treatments.  Now I'm in chemopause so I'm hoping my migraines will cease just like my mom's did.

Lucky you Irishdreama - I hope you continue to be migraine-free!

TorchSong

Also a life-long migraineur here...

I'm just starting chemo (FEC #1 last week), and i have had horrible migraines for the last few days--days #6 - 9). Sumatriptan works for me, but it's pretty expensive, even here in Canada (c.$15/tab).

Those of you who continued with the migraines--was it at the same place in the treatment cycle each time? Did they get worse/better over time? Anyone else on FEC experience them?

I can deal with fatigue, heartburn, constipation, hair loss even...but these headaches may drive me around the bend!