Fore! – Headaches, BHRT and Golf

Beyond the benefit of increased endurance and muscle strength from being optimized, as described in the previous blog post, many of our patients have experienced benefit in areas not typically thought of as being hormonally related.

One such area is the relief of chronic headaches. In the group of patients we have who have been affected by chronic headaches, one particular patient comes to mind. This patient had experienced debilitating migraine headaches and pursuit of relief even extended to going to a prestigious, nationally known Headache Clinic. Unfortunately, even the management prescribed there brought no relief and life typically required the daily use of a migraine medication, Imitrex. Life was manageable, but Imitrex was always necessary to have on hand just to make it through the day.

This particular patient came to us for other symptoms, but in the course of the consultation I mentioned that headaches frequently are reduced in frequency or alleviated. Naturally, that ‘tidbit’ was received with hope, but also skepticism, considering the fact that nothing else had helped.

When I called to review the follow-up post pellet (BHRT) labs several weeks later, the voice at the other end of the phone was one of excitement because during the 6 weeks since receiving the pellets, only once was Imitrex needed, and even then the headache was comparatively mild and precipitated by 18 holes of golf out in the sunshine!

So, being optimized helped a chronic health problem not typically considered hormonal. I don’t know, however, if it improved this patient’s golf handicap or driving distance. I guess I’ll have to ask that at the next appointment!