A lot about hormones

Well.  Interesting today. 

As you know, I decided since the majority of my headaches were hormonal, I would take a hormonal approach.  I increased my intake of soy foods and began taking some phytoestrogens (plant estrogens).  They work as an estrogen, with far fewer side effects. 

Traditional estrogen is made from the urine of caged, pregnant, horses.  That's not something I want to endorse, even if I felt such a product would be beneficial. 

Traditional estrogens have plenty of health concerns, phytoestrogens do not. 

At any rate, for as long as I can remember, I have had horrific headaches all week, leading up to the day of my cycle.  The day my cycle starts I got an even worse migraine, if possible.  Hideous. 

This has been going on for years, at least as long as the hot flashes, etc.  I have blamed all of this on "medication".  However, I'm concluding it might be hormonal after all. 

"Hormones" - seems like such a cop-out, something a weak woman would use to explain emotional behavior.  Or, as I saw more than once, an excuse a woman might use to get the day off.   "I have terrible cramps, I have to go home" - and the male boss, alarmed, consents. 

They'd always crow about it the next day as I viewed them with internal disgust.  I always thought "using" your uterus like that was a cheap and manipulative shot. 

As you know, I have heavy cycles, but I make that work anyway.  I thought it was funny recently when the other blind vendor accidentally wandered into our area and nearly opened my tampon container!  We would have had a good laugh, as I offered him one. 

As it was, when he asked, I said "Girl things" in an ominous tone.  He dropped it like it bit him and scampered away!  

Anyway, I thought, I clearly have some hormonal components.  When my estrogen is lowest (the week before, and especially the day of cycle), I have horrible headaches.  Why not try to build that up with some plant estrogens? 

It would either work, or not.  The extracts come from a yam, and a bean.  Pretty darned safe.  I would get some benefit just from eating certain foods I liked anyway.  If it worked.  

I began my campaign this week.  I got this, and this.  I take one capsule of each, every morning.  I got soy milk, and soy flour for baking (haven't done the baking yet but the soy milk is pretty good).  I'm eating more of my soy nut butter (fake peanut butter - real peanuts are a migraine trigger and a possible allergen). 

Results?  No headaches, not even today (when I started my cycle!).  Impressive!  Even better, while I still have hot flashes they seem to be more subdued.  Considering many remedies take months to work, I'm truly impressed with the results I got in just a few days. 

I'm glad I went this route.