A new analysis of more than 13 million women shows a strong link between migraines and endometriosis. The conditions occur together more often than medical records typically show, researchers say. This gap in recognition affects how women get diagnosed and treated.
Research Reveals Overlap
The analysis was presented at the American Neurological Association’s annual meeting. It pooled data from 35 studies spanning 50 years. Researchers compared migraine rates among 207,675 women with endometriosis and nearly 13 million women without it.
Women with endometriosis had 2.3 times the odds of also having migraines. The method used to find this overlap changed the data significantly. Studies using one year of insurance records identified migraine in fewer than 5% of women with endometriosis. Studies tracking longer claims found rates between 18% and 43%.
When researchers interviewed women directly about their symptoms, the rate jumped to between 54% and 78%. The conditions are treated by different specialists and tracked in separate systems. This means short-term records may miss up to 90% of women who have both.
A Possible Shared Connection
Chronic pelvic pain and the nervous system are connected. Researchers suspect a specific shared pathway may explain the link. Calcitonin gene-related peptide, or CGRP, is a chemical messenger that helps carry pain signals and can trigger inflammation.
CGRP’s role in migraine is well established. Its part in endometriosis, which involves inflammation and nerve issues, is still unknown. This possible link opens a new treatment option. CGRP-targeting medications are already used to prevent migraines. The findings support studying if these same drugs could help with endometriosis pain.
What This Means for Your Care
If you have severe pelvic pain and migraines, this research suggests treating them as separate issues may be wrong. Bring up all your symptoms with your doctor, even if they seem unrelated to the appointment.
A gynecologist may not ask about your headaches. A neurologist may not ask about menstrual cramps. But that information is important. Keeping a log of when migraines and pelvic pain occur in relation to your menstrual cycle can help your care team connect the dots faster than records alone.