I have been on HRT for just over 2 years. I am on Novofem and perimenopausal. I had been having hot flushes and night sweats but no bleeding. When my GP prescribed HRT I mentioned my concern regarding migraines. I have a history of having hormonal migraines and have only been able to use certain contraception like Depo. She told me not to worry as the HRT is replacing lost oestrogen. She mentioned that my period would also resume. She wasn’t keen on my having any contraception except Mirena, which I have tried and had to have removed.
My bleeding is so heavy, I need to change my doubled up sanitary protection within two hours.
Migraines show up a day or two towards the end of my HRt pack.
Night sweats, hot flushes, brain fog etc…have worsened.
I work term time, some distance from my GP and so it’s difficult to get appts on an ad hoc basis. I have spoken to my GP over the phone in the past and been prescribed Tranxenimic (sp?) acid for the bleeding but at the time had been diagnosed with a suspected blood clot in my eye so did not take them. I was also given Propanolol to prevent migraines even though I told them I had them in the past and due to my low bp, they made me feel faint.
Things are complicated by hypothyroidism.
I made an appt to see my GP today,. They could only do an appt over the phone and I was speaking to a practice nurse who was so dismissive of me. My usual practice nurse is lovely and so I was disappointed in the way I was dismissed by this one.
She said that to work out if it was HRT causing my migraines I would have to come off it and so I asked about how that would affect my other symptoms and she said that if I wanted to know if Hrt was causing my migraines I would have to suffer the other (currently worsening) symptoms! I asked if I could take anything to treat the migraine or prevent them as I hadn’t said anything about needing to know the cause and she suggested aspirin.
Then I asked about the bleeding and she had seen I had been under investigation for ovarian cancer and had an internal ultrasound in December that was clear of anything that may be causing the bleeding. I acknowledged this and asked if I could take the Tranx acid despite the raised vein in my eye and she said she didn’t know and I would have to ask my optician! But my GP had prescribed it?!
So far , no help.
She talked about a blood test for iron and fbc, but didn’t pursue it.
She has now said she wants to see me next week to ‘feel my tummy!’ Why???? An ultrasound as identified that everything is clear!
Since yesterday I have had one of the most terrible migraines yet and tomorrow the heavy bleeding will start and so far a medical professional has fobbed me off, once again. I walked away with the conclusion that I would need to trade off my symptoms by deciding whether or not to come off HrT.
Has anyone any advice for me? Surely this can’t be right.