That does it

[georgiegone]

I've just wasted the time of a very nice Neurologist, and am left feeling like I have to wait for menopause (am 23!) to see if hormonal change alters the pattern of my migraines.

Time to get myself to the NMC methinks, tired of being powerless.

[teadrinker]

I can sense your frustration! Did the neurologist put your migraines down to your hormones and nothing else then? Some people have more than one trigger. No, you don't need to put up with this for years to come. Good for you for taking action.

(You ddn't waste the neurologist's time, they're paid to see patients).

[Frodo]

The neurologist I saw recently said he 'did not know about hormones'. A GP who is also a migraine sufferer explained to me that hormone fluctuations can set off migraine, thus menopause can make them much worse as levels rise and fall, and for some people they don't clear up after menopause. Mine have become much, much worse and more frequent as I have got older. So that neurologist has fobbed you off. My migraines also increased during pregnancy but improved for a few years afterwards. Sorry for the bad news - don't waste your time looking forward to the menopause!

[Gambit62 in reply to Frodo]

My family history (grandmother, mother and myself) is one of migraines starting late teens/early 20s - getting worse in 40/50s and then decreasing/disappearing afterwards.

[sckd69]

Have you tough about controlling your migraines through stabilising the hormones? I recently embarkes on the progeterone only ("mini") pill, cerazette. It hasn't cured the migraines, but it has reduced them. And, as I'm sure you will agree, any improvement is most welcome. I also find large doses of vitamin B complex help. And very recently I have started taking CoQ10. I haven't really noticed any difference with CoQ10, but it also hasn't done any harm. I tried magnesium and found it did nothing, and made me depressed (which seems to be a side effect experienced only by me so that's a bit odd).

Failing all of the above, what about botox?

[WellTodayGirl]

Hi. I would recommend Botox too. It is the only thing that has helped me.

My migraines are mainly triggered by hormones and I have spent years and years trying to find a remedy. I think that I have tried everything medical and alternative, including 2 artificial menopauses. I am now in my early 50's and still waiting for my body's own natural menopause. Still waiting.... So please, don't be fobbed off. I remember a neurologist saying the same thing to me in my 20's. Don't try and endure them please! There are so many new treatments out there.

[1stgls]

My gp tried me with contraceptive.pill and then HRT both made my menstrual migraine worse ..however I have had a Myrena hormone coil in for 2years and it has helped. I personally think the hormones in it are less aggressive so seems to be a better way to go hormone wise

[georgiegone]

I recently got Mirena, migraines have been worse since but I put this down to the crazy settling-of-hormones that my body seems to do every time I switch contraception. Previously I have Implanon, and the migraines were very good for the first few months. Prior to that I was on Cerazette and don't recall the effect on my migraines although during that time I think my aura got worse and occured more often without the headaches.

Constant juggling of contraceptive needs and migraine symptoms, hurrah(!)

[Golf-Ski]

I believe it is time for me to contribute to this forum. All the posts I have read since joining 4 months ago have been very helpful to me, so I want to give back.

Firstly, I turned 50 in May and my migraines are definitely hormonal, no doubt about it! I paid for a private MRI to rule out anything else it could be first.

My migraines started slowly last December, every time I was having a glass of wine, I felt the following day like I had drunk the entire bottle. ( and it wasn't even red wine, it was white)...Then they started lasting 2 days, and then three.... Advil, Tylenol, nothing worked!

My Family physician (who is the best thing that ever happened to me, she is an awesome doctor, she used to be an ER physysian and is amazing, unfortunately for you, I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada).

She first prescribed anti- migraine medicine from the Triptan Family, tried three of them and the last one was Maxalt. It worked very well as long as I took it at the first signs of migraines, if I waited too long, it was useless. But you are not supposed to take them daily, In June, my migraines had become a daily event, starting anywhere between 8:00 and 3:00. So, I developed a bad side effect from using too much Triptan and had violent chest pain, I had to go to the ER by ambulance thinking I was having a heart attack. It was from the meds.

So, I went back to my doctor again and said: What do I do now? Can't live with daily migraines?

So, we tried a blood pressure medication as a preventative ( MAVIK) for 2 weeks= No change.

Then she tried propranolol- 20 mg. it worked for 5 days after a week, but then the migraines came back.

So, I kept taking it, but added amitryptyline 10 mg. ... It was hard for my small body to adjust to that medication lots of drowsiness, took 3 weeks for my body to not feel side effects anymore( she put me on a medical leave of absence for 3 weeks during that period.

I had to play a lot with the timing that I took those pills at. You are supposed to take Amytriptyline at bedtime, but my physician figured out that my body takes a long time to metabolize the medication, so Intook it at 17:30 before dinner. I was going to bed by 9:30. Couldn't take propranolol at the same time, too many side effects together. So, I changed the timing and now take 20 mg. propranolol at 9:00 am, and able to take Amytriptyline at 19:00 now, without being drowsy in the morning. It all worked extremely well for three weeks. From end-September till mid-October,I felt like a normal person again, but then my periods appeared after 44 days and the week before and during, my migraines came back ; not the headachy part, but the facial pain part and heaviness on top of head plus some nausea. I had tried bio-identical progesterone cream in July, but it didn't work by itself. Now, we tried it again, with propranolol and Amytriptyline.

It has been 3 weeks now, and I finally feel great. But it took a lot of patience, time ( the whole process took almost 6 months)

I am also taking supplements to try and balance my hormones with the help of a naturopath who tested all my hormones through blood tests.

I bought the CEFALY device as well to help with migraines. I find that for me it works to help me relax, but not taking the migraines completely away.

During three weeks straight in July , I used Excedrin Migraine( got it from USA, not sold in Canada)... Worked for me exactly like Triptan medicine, but without the chest pain. That was a life savior as a rescue medicine while trying to find a preventative medicine that works. My doctor gave me a medication to take daily to protect my stomach while taking those ( Excedrin Migraine contains Aspirin, Tylenol and caffeine)

My migraines were horrible, as I got everything : aura, facial pain, nausea and bad headaches). I lost 7 pounds during the summer, as I was so nauseated that I was living on soda crackers, Perrier water and ensure.

I have an appointment here in Calgary at the headache clinic that my doctor referred me to, but I tell you they treat animals better than migraine sufferers . My Family doctor sent in my referral at the end of July 2013, I will have an appointment next year in December 2014!!! 1 year and 1/2 wait, that's useful for daily migraines, right?

It's weird because now it has been 38 days since my last periods and I can sometimes feel twinges of facial pain coming and going for a few minutes here and there, it's almost like I could feel my stupid hormones fluctuating.

Never had migraines before this peri menopause hit me like a vengeance but it could last for 2/3 years until it's over, so I had to find a solution: 3 medication later and it is working.

So to all of you out there who continue to suffer, please continue to try other preventative medication with the help of your Family physician because you will find something. I am small, I weight 100 pounds, hence why my doctor said I had to keep my dosages low, otherwise I get too many side effects from medication. It's worth trying and not giving up, I feel normal again.

Ps: I also tried eliminating all the food triggers for three months this summer: cheese, processed meat, wine etc, but it made no difference for me. Mine are really linked to hormones.

Also taking B supplement, CQ10, magnesium daily.

Tried butterbur supplement also, but it did nothing for me.

Hope this helps!

France

[Gambit62 in reply to Golf-Ski]

I used to get daily migraines and was able to treat them very well with rizatriptan but I never took a full wafer - usually took just a quarter wafer and that did the trick - so never suffered from any overdosing from that (though did accidentally mix some triptans on another occasion and that was weird!) - mind you also meant that GP didn't realise that getting through one prescription of 6 wafers a month meant I was actually using them almost constantly until I pointed it out and asked to be referred to a specialist