Hormones help

[Janine61]

I’m still having so many headaches connected to hormones. All help gratefully received

Thank you

[baileyboy7]

Aww me too so I’m following😉

[Mavary]

I can sympathise. I used to suffer terribly just before a period and for the first couple of days. . Having my Children helped and after my last one I needed a hysterectomy. I then went on hormone tablets which I took for twenty something years. In the end I had to come off them as my migraines were getting so bad. I'm now 74 and I very rarely get a proper migraine. I get headaches which won't go without taking my Naramig. If I leave the headache it would turn into a nasty migraine. I wish I could help more but when I was young we didn't have the help that's around now. I used to take phensic which I presume is similar to paracetamol which was the tablets of the day. They didn't even touch me.

[blinc]

Hi, mine have been getting totally out of control lately too (I'm 49). A female GP friend of mine (same age, so she understands these hormone issues), recently suggested I asked my own GP for a very specific HRT, having good results with her own patients. This is something I swore I would never do, but have been desperate.

The prescription is; one pump nightly of Estrogel, start on 'day 1' (of a 28 day cycle). Then on day 12-24, take one Progesterone 100mg capsule ('Utrogestan). It was explained to me that the Progesterone is to create a bleed, to prevent build-up (cancer risk). My surgery had never heard of prescribing this for migraine before, but did some research and were happy to try me on it. NB re the 28 day cycle, I hadn't had a period since June (and was given a FSH test which was very high), so I made the day I picked up the Gel as 'day one'. Within a month of starting this, looking at my migraine diary, I saw that I had gone from 3 days out for every 4 having a migraine, to be totally migraine-free for 3 whole weeks, and feeling terrific (back to my old self). Unfortunately I have had 4 during the last 9 days (very disappointing), but I have possibly done some aggravating stuff (often muscular skeletal), but am still extremely encouraged by the pretty sudden 3 week break from migraine (the longest by far all year). I feel it is still early days to really judge this, but am very hopeful. My GP friend explained the increased risk of breast cancer is tiny, and that's a risk I am happily prepared to take right now! I am an otherwise slim, fit and active person, and my blood pressure is great (they will be checking this every two months).

I just thought I would share this and hope it may help others. Apparently the idea is to level off wildly fluctuating hormone levels, while they are playing havoc - presumably it is not forever, and apparently it is not the case of 'putting off the inevitable at a later date' either. I will keep you posted.

[Kathybishop in reply to blinc]

Yes good advice. Something I should have done but too late now! I tried HRT but bled every two weeks and kept getting thrush so came off suddenly and got the worse migraine ever which lasted 8 days! The tell tale signs that the migraines are due to fluctuating hormones is that I was migraine free for nine months twice when I was pregnant which apparently stabilises your hormones. What us poor women have to put up with!!😬😬

[anisa80]

I've suffered with hormonal migraines since puberty and they got very frequent and intense for the last 10 years. I'm currently 37 and I have tried many treatment including bio-identical hormones, stem cell treatment, and I've tried many supplements over the years which are proved to relieve migraines with not much benefits. I recently tried PABA and the purpose was not for migraines but for grey hair and I noticed a big improvement in my daily headaches and migraines, I was taking 6 g but then reduced it to 2 g. After that I've started a supplement called the period vitamin and those just made things even better. Now my pain is not that intense anymore and I can function normally. I feel like I got my life back. Another thing that helped is the Stanton Protocol, search the net you'll her website, she also has a new book on Amazon and a free facebook support group. I highly recommend it.

I hope that helps.

[blinc in reply to anisa80]

will look at that- thank you. Yes, it was about 10 years ago that my migraines started to get very much worse and have year on year...definitely seems to be a bad time of life for many of us sufferers.

[KateEd]

HRT patches and progesterone tablets have worked for me too. Significantly reduced the frequency of the migraines that had increased to a max of 3 in 4 days to maybe a couple a month ( which was what I experienced before peri-menopause). It's not always the right solution for everyone but worth talking to your GP or consultant.

[blinc in reply to KateEd]

Again that's interesting and encouraging - thank you for sharing this.

[Kathybishop]

Nightmare isn’t it! Try Epsom salt baths, magnesium supplements, vitamin D 3 ( from sun, sun bed or supplements) lots of vitamin c. Carlson’s fish oils, strong coffee, triptan , plenty sleep , good healthy diet , no stress, paracetamol. Yoga brisk walks in the cold air. Migra relief ice cap. I still get them but less often

[blinc in reply to Kathybishop]

I like the sound of your list of arsenal against migraine! Yes, I buy Epsom salts by the kg!

Also interesting re hormones - when I look back to when I was pregnant and had small children too (some 20 years ago), my heads were nothing like they've become. i simply don't think i could have coped!

[nip76541]

Yes me too I'm going through menopause so mine all over place

Roughly having 5 a week.im on gabapentin increasing slowly,at my wits end.Jate not having a life.😠😠x

[blinc in reply to nip76541]

Horrible...Maybe think about HRT...? I’m defo having fewer... still the odd days, but more clear ones than bad ones now. Good luck x

[nip76541]

Thanks for your comment,I did try HRT about 3yrs ago but made my migraines worse, so doctor took me straight off them.x

[Bea66 in reply to nip76541]

I was taken off Premarin for the same reasons, but have now started on patches which seem to be better tolerated in general for migraine. Maybe worth looking into?

[alfie09]

I can sympathise completely with you all with the hormonal migraines. I'm 40 and my doctor said that I have probably started my perimenopause phase that could go on for around 10 years and that I'll just have to put up with it as there is nothing they can do. To try balance my hormones I have cut out coffee and wine for a while (I have read many pieces that say it messes with cortisol levels and hormones massively) and have cut out added sugar and am trying to just eat unprocessed real food. I also take a multivitamin daily and it all seems to be helping a bit so far. I am also on 40mg Amitriptyline tho so it's hard to tell if it's a combination of all of the above or one specific thing that's helping. The yoga sounds like a good idea too as might help with mood swings and anxiety. Hope everyone manages to find a way of reducing their migraines..roll on May when this new jab is licensed.