Headaches - Femostone?

[Cherryblossom200]

Hi there,

I'm not usually a headache/migraine sufferer. However I'm into my 5th month of using Femostone 1/10 and I've started getting terrible headaches. I can't quite work out if it's the HRT or stress as I'm changing jobs soon.

Seems a bit odd to get the side effects after 5 months, I thought I'd get them early on.

I've been cutting the pills in half because I found the first half of the pack is too strong for me, I felt like I was on drugs and had heart palpitations. It was awful, plus I wasn't able to sleep. I think the dosage was too high for me. Since cutting the pills in half it's solved the problem. But now I have an issue with headaches which has come put of nowhere.

I'm chatting to the doctor about it next week, but just wondering if this is normal? Im 46, and still get my periods. The HRT has been amazing and changed my life for the better. However the migraines have been awful, Im concerned I will have to stop taking them.

Can you clarify?

Are the headaches all through the cycle, (pack) or only when you move onto the 2nd half of the month when the tablets contain progestin?

You need to monitor the days!

If it's only in the 2nd half of the month it sounds as if you have reduced the estrogen too much and you have too much progestin.

The estrogen/progestin ratio is quite delicate and if you have halved your tablet that's only 0.5mgs of estrogen. Very low dose.

It started at the end of the second pack, literally the last two days before the end. Then I had a week on the progesterone pack (dark pills) and the headaches started.

They start as a dull ache on the right side of my head. Then creep up my neck, up the side of my face, through my teeth and end up in my eye. I literally can barely see for a few hours and feel shattered I can hardly stay awake. Painkillers don't work it's so bad. Then about 4-5 hours later it passes.

I'm a bit unsure of what you mean@Cherryblossom200
The pack starts with 14 days of estrogen only. That is followed by the 14 tablets that are estrogen +dydrogesterone.

www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/5523/smpc

The end of the second pack would be the combined estroge+progestin.
The start of your new pack would be estrogen only.

I don't know about colours as I've never used this, but the ingredients and colours are on the link above.

I'm unclear which tablet you are halving. Both low estrogen or low progestin can bring about migraine if it's a change to what you are used to.

Sorry I'll explain a bit better.

For three months I kept the tablets whole, but realised they were affecting my sleep etc so on the fourth pack I started cutting all the pills. Both the estrogen side and the estrogen/progesterone side and felt much better.

However the problem occurred last week at the end of the estrogen side of the pack. I had two pills to take before I changed to the estrogen/progesterone side. It was the day I had my period and woke up with a migraine which went in the evening.

I was fine for a week on the estrogen/progesterone side until I woke up on Saturday and had another migraine. They follow the same routine. I wake up and feel ok for a few hours, I take my tablet and gradually my headache gets worse until it's a full blown migraine and I have to sleep. Then late in the afternoon I feel better again.I can't tell if it's the HRT which triggers it or just a tension headache which will go on its own.

I was going to try not taking the tablet tomorrow to see if it is in fact my HRT, so something else. Otherwise I don't know what I should do 😬 should I up the dose again? I don't want anymore headaches!

It's probably not a good idea to chop pills in half. Having a tiny dose of estrogen can give a headache (I've had headaches when I've reduced my dose, but it's gel so it's 'allowed' and easy to do.)

Likewise, a reduction in progestin can create headaches and many women find they have this before a normal period (not on HRT.)

Also, by losing half the progestin in those tablets, you may not be getting enough. Longer term, you might get spotting.

If you feel the estrogen dose is too high on Femoston, (it's 1mgs) then maybe ask to swap to a patch with a lower dose, or gel + utrogestan, where you can easily experiment with the dose of gel.

Jingle Bells I was thinking about maybe trying the gels instead so I can change the dosage easier. I wasn't sure if you were allowed to do that!

Do they tend to have less side effects then?

Going back to your first post, where you said this

I've been cutting the pills in half because I found the first half of the pack is too strong for me, I felt like I was on drugs and had heart palpitations.

It is quite possible that the estrogen you were using was not high enough.

Those symptoms are classic peri which are helped by HRT.

I know it's easy for me to say but many drs would have advised someone your age to increase the estrogen, not reduce it.

It's really not a good idea to mess around chopping pills up, because you are not necessarily getting the right ratio of estrogen: progestin.

Gel- yes, you can adjust the dose easily. You would also have to use micronised progesterone for 12 days per month.

Have a chat with your dr? Good luck :)

Hey!

I've spoken to my doctor this morning. She's told me to come straight off the HRT and lets things settle down. I have no migraine today so it's definitely the HRT. I am sensitive to estrogen as I had issues on the contraceptive pill. Apparently it irritates my blood vessels and can increase my chances of a stroke. So I can't take this particular HRT at all. The doctor said halving the amount wouldn't of caused the headaches.

Next week we're going to discuss perhaps a gel and maybe the merina coil which I've had before and has no issues.

Fingers crossed as I want some form of HRT 😬