Do these sounds like migraines to you?

[ElbasAbsentPenis]

I think I’m perimenopausal, and one of the things that has changed about my body is that I now get what I think are migraines every time I have a period, and sometimes at mid-cycle as well. Generally I have 1-2 days of almost unbearable pain behind the bridge of my nose and eye sockets, followed by several days of fatigue, physical malcoordination, low mood and a strange spaced-out feeling like I’m looking out of my eyes from the back of a long tunnel. I rarely get nausea though and have never had visual disturbances. Could this still be migraine? I’ve had to take 2 days off work this week as I could barely get out of bed and felt so weird and fuzzy.

If this sounds like migraine, I may try to go to the GP about it, but if it doesn’t I probably won’t bother as they are staunchly anti-HRT at my practice & generally unsympathetic to hormonal malaises.

Oh dear, ‘do these sound’ not ‘do these sounds’

Yes, to me it does sound like a migraine. I get similar types of pain behind bridge of nose and eye socket and often on top of my eyes.

Go and see your GP. There is a lot of different types of medications you can have to help with symptoms.

Thanks, that’s helpful! Any particular meds that helped you?

Yes sounds like it, I describe mine in stages so the main pain stage (1-2days) where I literally want to massage inside my head and behind eyes to try and feel better, then the 'hangover' foggy stage of recovery. I can sometimes work through the latter (although at home and not as effective) but no chance of doing anything on the former.

I swear by full fat coke and dissolvable aspirin, and this freezer skull cap thing off amazon as find the cold helps my head, I have two on rotation so one is always frozen!

And a cool dark quiet room although that's not often possible...

My migraines completely went once I started on bio identical HRT.
I was low in oestrogen, causing migraines.
I became peri menopausal at 43.

Interesting @ihatethecold - I am about to turn 43. GP will not consider prescribing HRT. But I suppose I could go private.

I'd say it's an individual thing dependingon a lot of things... I spent years being ok with over the counter pain medications (pre DC), then moved on to Sumatriptan which is good, if you catch the migraine early. Than had an "experiment" phase on and off over 3 years with different medications. I am now on something called Pizotifen that I take regular, this has transformed my life. I still have migraines, but I can function during the day. I then go to bed early and wake up fine!! (Compared to 8-14 days crippling pain.)

Yes it does sound like migraine to me too.

Visual disturbance isn't always present with migraines. DH never gets visual disturbance with his. I do suffer from aura (visual disturbance) migraines - but my hormonal migraines are without aura and as I understand it, that's quite typical. I never used to suffer nausea either, that's recently changed which is an unwelcome development! Do you experience light sensitivity during the headache phase - that's quite common too so worth mentioning to the doc if you do.

Your postdromal symptoms of spaciness and fatigue sound very typical of migraine.

Definitely go see your GP to confirm if it's migraine and discuss prescription medication. There's lots of options. For me, triptans allow me to continue to function most months (unless the migraine starts while I'm asleep and has got too strong a grip before I take the medication).

Op. Your GP can’t refuse to prescribe hrt because of your age.
Have a look at the menopause matters website. There is a forum plus the NICe guidelines around HRT.

I always get pain in the bridge of my nose with a bad headache. Is your sight test upto date OP? Of not it may be worth seeing an optometrist, just to check your vision. See your GP.

Interesting OP.

I'm 47. I've not been officially diagnosed as being Peri-menopausal but I'm sure I must be. I've always been a 'headachy' person. Suffered terribly throughout pregnancy and always used to have a 'fuzzy' headache the day before my period.

This month however has been atrocious. At least 3 separate days of severe headache - spaced out, vertigo feeling. This was mid cycle too. Now my period is due but I've had terrible backache and cramps for nearly 2 weeks.

I'm guessing migraine but I've probably had symptoms for years and just ignored them. I didn't think I could take HRT during Peri-menopause. I think a trip to my GP is in order.

For what it's worth I've always found Syndol migraine pain relief works for me. Makes me tired though.

Will try the GP again & in the meantime give Syndol a go. Have found Migraleve doesn’t scratch the surface but Solpadeine Max does help a bit.

www.menopausematters.co.uk/

Fab website with lots of knowledgeable women on the forum.

And yes, women can have HRT when peri menopausal