Oestrogel side effects

[HelloDaisy]

Hello.

I wonder if any of you can give me some guidance. I am on Oestrogel which I first started in February, initially just one pump a day. Then in May I started getting constant headaches which were always there, at times worse than others, and often needing pain relief. I am on 2 pumps a day which I put on at night.

Anyway, GP advised me to stop HRT and see if there was a difference so I did. The menopause clinic didn’t think it would be the gel causing the problem though.

The headaches lessened so I didn’t need any meds but I did occasionally have them still, albeit not every day, so I restarted last week. They could have been wearing away and perhaps I didn’t leave a long enough gap to know..

I am now back to having bad headaches all across my forehead and back of my neck/head and find them really intrusive.

Should I stop HRT or is there anything else I can do to help myself? Any thoughts or experiences you have are very welcome.

What progesterone are you using?

I feel I agree with the meno clinic (why did you go there, out of interest?)

Not sure what you have tried before, but could your GP start looking at other reasons for headaches, rather than assume it's the HRT?

eg have you had your eyes tested? Has anyone suggested it's migraine or anything like that? Can your Gp refer you to an expert to look into the headaches?

Thanks for replying.

I am on utrogestan 2 tablets 12 days a month.

Gp suggested trying without HRT just to see if it made a difference really as nothing else flagged up. Bloods all ok, ferritin is higher than it’s been for a long time, and all other neurology testing ok. Had eyesight tested recently and have new glasses. I’ve spoken to a few doctors at the surgery and they all think it’s tension headache but can offer no solution to managing it. They said I will need to see a neurologist privately and pay for it myself as there is no hope of seeing one within a year through NHS!

I went to the meno clinic as have been suffering with peri symptoms for a long, long while and thought they would give me better care than GP as specialists in the subject. Main symptoms are health anxiety, nausea, joint pains and dizziness.

If you are an anxious person, maybe look into things like yoga, mindfulness, meditation etc? Sounds if as perhaps you need to 'switch off' and de-stress.

I think that’s exactly the problem. I was never anxious before perimenopause started so do struggle to switch off and manage the anxiety….

JinglingHellsBells sorry to bother you but one more question- would going onto patches make a difference to the gel?

My headache is back today although I’ve not used the gel for 3 days so I am doubting if it is that causing the problem but wondered if the patches were any better?

I seem to have so many peri symptoms that I can’t think clearly any more…

No. The type of estrogen in the same in patches and gel.

Why not download some apps like Headpsace and try to destress a bit?

Sorry to divert from topic but saying you won't see a neurologist within a year is outrageous! If your headaches are persistent and affecting your day to day life they need investigating. I do feel that is all to easy to put symptoms down to stress when the patient is female. I don't want to worry you or be over dramatic, but I was told my headaches were tension / stress after I had my first child. I actually had a brain tumour & I'm all ok now (it is very unlikely you have this) but causes should be excluded ! I'd go to a&e next time it is bad - you're more likely to get a scan / referral from there.

Also - back on topic, was the menopause clinic private ? Would you recommend it? My GP is useless for that.

Thanks for your reply. I will have a look at Headspace and see if that helps and perhaps it is best to stay on the gel for a while and see how I get on.

I don’t feel stressed today though, at all, and have no idea why the headache started this afternoon. I don’t think I appear stressed or anxious to anyone around me and can function fully in life, albeit am not as easy going as before peri started.

The oestrogel was really helping me with all symptoms and energy levels until these headaches started so I don’t want to be stopping and starting all the time.

I just want to get rid of these pesky headaches!

I get tension headaches from literal physical tension in my neck and shoulders. Only massage really helps. I’d strongly advise a good well qualified massage therapist (at a physio clinic or similar not a “spa”)

Sowhatywhaty. That is my concern really- that something is causing the headache and could be sorted if I knew what it was.

I did see one gp who did lots of testing, ie close my eyes and touch my nose, one hand on top of the other etc and seemed to think all was ok.

I have no other symptoms bar the headaches which change where they are on my head and also have a stiff neck at times. They started at the beginning of May and are almost daily but haven’t got any worse in that time.

I have a private appt for September with a neurologist who specialises in headaches so hopefully he will sort it.