headaches and menopause

[slowandfrumpy]

I wondered whether you've noticed that as you go into proper perimenopause - I've got horrible hot and sweaty flushes at night and only two periods in the last nine months - I sometimes get terrible headaches. Right now I'm flushing on and off every twenty minutes and I've had a crushing headache since ten this morning - over thirteen hours. Is that normal or at last not freakishly abnormal? And if normal, was it helped by HRT?

Sorry to hear that slowandfrumpy. Am also in midst of hot flushes following hysterectomy and have occasional headaches. Might be worth checking with your GP just to eliminate anything else although it sounds likely. I recommend Marilyn Glenville's website and she has excellent book on natural solutions to menopause. On a more ideological, feminist point, I'm ensuring I mention I'm experiencing uncomfortable menopausal symptoms at work. I think it's ridiculous how these issues get swept under the carpet, just like menstruation. I don't bang on about it, but I won't deny it either. Hope you can find ways to alleviate your symptoms. Good luck! X

oh i do bang on about it. my poor brother had to sit while i discussed hot flushes with my sister in law today. i'll talk about it with anyone. if men went through this sh*t it would probably be seen as some kind of cross over to wisdom stage of life and there would be self cooling pillows and mandatory desk fans.

Ha yes absolutely. If men went through it there would be remunerated menopausal leave! I refuse to sweep all of this under the carpet. I had to have a hysterectomy due to precancerous cells. I wonder how men would feel minus parts of their internal organs and then be plunged dramatically into hot flushes, disturbed sleep, weight gain and then to find that such symptoms are slyly mocked. On a more practical note, I've found that reducing alcohol has helped. I stopped as my pre op preparation but continued because I noticed it helped me lose weight.