What helped manage frequent migraines, especially those linked to hormones?

Acupuncture timed around my period helped (I get them afterwards)

Hormonal contraception made mine worse
. Neurologist advised to cut out all caffeine and keep a food diary and get another appointment if they didn't improve. Ge said if they were hormonal he could give medication for before a period to help prevent

Also don't be disheartened if preventers aren't working for you. There are loads of them so likely there is one that will work for you, you just haven't found the right one.

You also have to have tried and failed on several before Neurology can offer you the newer specialised migraine meds.

same for me. It's a joy to be free of them!

Being medicated for high blood pressure.

Absolutely bizarre, I'd had migraines since my early 20s. Maybe it was just co-incidence.

Prior to that I had discovered that aspirin worked better for me than prescribed meds when I had an attack.

The Migraine Trust has helpful advice on menstrual migraine including the recommended triptan for this situation (frovatriptan). My GP has just switched me to these and my HRT is also going to be adjusted to try and help manage them better.

https://migrainetrust.org/understand-migraine/types-of-migraine/menstrual-migraine/#page-section-6

I'm on the mini-pill (Cerelle), pregabalin, nortriptyline, monthly erenumab injections (having had no success with Botox and another injectable whose name I forget), sumatriptan as a rescue med, and wear a mouthguard every night. This combination just about keeps my migraines down to a dull roar - they were almost daily for many years until I got to this point. I had to fight for a neurology referral and was then booted around between several neurologists until I eventually got referred to the headache clinic rather than a general neuro, but once I got there they were fab.

Now that I am too old for hormonal migraines, mine are mainly linked to stress, tiredness, bright lights and travel sickness. It is hard to avoid stress, but extra sleep, sunglasses and avoiding longer bus or car journeys helps.

ah I hope you find something that works for you. I’ve had three failures - Topiramate, Amitryptiline and one other (also had acupuncture which didn’t help) so the neurologist suggested Emgality injections last year. For me, it’s been incredible in terms of reducing very severe migraines many times a month. Also he has transferred me from Triptans to Rimegepant which again I tolerate better. But you have to fail three other treatments I think to get Emgality. Hope this helps!

Op, I cannot empathise more with you as a previous hormonal migraine sufferer but please please have a look into this https://daith.co.uk/ xx

Mini pill. Game changer for my hormonal migraines, and bonus no periods either!

Have you tried anti-CGRP medication? It’s a miracle for some sufferers.

My husband is on month 9 of daily migraine now. You have my sympathy. Nothing has worked. NHS has been a nightmare. Rimegepant is looking promising though.

HRT and Sumatriptan

Im on mini pill and take back to back to no periods. Only really get migraines when im very overly tired now.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture reduced the frequency of my migraines massively.

Identifying triggers really helped too. Mine included fluorescent lighting, some smells, eg certain paints and synthetic lemon scent, going too long without eating and stress.

I think hormones must have played a part, too, as I rarely get them now I'm post menopause.

Botox + Ajovy.

Second this. Hormones totally fuck up my migraines. Not been on pill since my 20s and no way in hell anyone is implanting hormones in me that are hard to get back out.
I take a long acting triptan called frovatriptan twice daily during my periods if migraines are striking. I also take daily high dose magnesium as recommended by neurologist which helped reduce migraine frequency. I've tried allsorts of preventatives, propranolol, amitriptyline, nortriptyline, topiramate, they all make me feel like a zombie. I had to scrape myself out of bed in the morning and could fall asleep at drop of a hat.

I started taking HRT and that vastly reduced mine.

Sympathy. I've had them monthly since 25, im now 56. Tteg stopped during pregnancy... I find frivotriptain excellent, reducing work stress, and no alcohol helps. They are alot better now...

So sad to see the hoops women are going through to try and live normal lives with debilitating migraines. No straight forward treatment and seems to be trial and error for everyone. I used to have hormonal ones or sometimes other triggers that would come on suddenly. Only cure for me was to take OTC ibuprofen, coke and sleep it off . So many more options now. Beta blockers and the nasal spray worked. Staying hydrated, avoiding bright or flickering lights , and getting enough sleep seems to have eased them off.

Mirena coil and Propranolol. Both which I did not to take but has been amazing for hormonal migraines. Hope you find something that helps as it is so awful and debilitating.

Mirena has stopped mine

HRT has made a massive difference for me - they got much worse, which was main symptom of perimenopause starting, but now 5 months in to HRT it has really improved. No difference on pill for me, they disappeared during pregnancy and were much less frequent while I was breastfeeding.

The only thing that worked for me was Topiramate. Changed my life!