Dihydrotestosterone may contribute to the development of migraine headaches
Check, J.H.; Cohen, R.
Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics and Gynecology 40(2): 217-218
2013
ISSN/ISBN: 0390-6663 PMID: 23971241 Document Number: 576370
To evaluate the possibility that dihydrotestosterone (DHT) may play a role in the etiology of some people's migraine headaches. Finasteride 5 mg daily was given to a young woman with chronic migraines. The chronic migraine headaches almost completely disappeared shortly following therapy. However, symptoms returned shortly after stopping the finasteride due to dry eyes. DHT may be an etiologic factor in causing migraines since finasteride suppresses DHT secretion. Alternatively, the benefit could be related to some other property of finasteride possibly by increasing testosterone which may compete with estrogen at the blood vessel level.