Migraines

[Hallelujah2020]

Any advice or experience much appreciated

I’m 48.5yrs old and apart from regularity of periods altering and heaviness I’m still having them monthly.

I’ve never been on pill.

Used to get one or perhaps two migraines a year that would last 12/24 hrs at most.

Last four months however I’ve had migraines that have lasted three days at a time, totally different to prev ones as been getting additional neuro symptoms affecting left side and headache only affects left side.

Brain MRI normal and started on Sumatriptan but because I wake up with them it’s not hugely effective. So I’m now on daily preventative medication also.

But worked out when I ovulate migraine for three days and then as soon period started I got headache and then second, fifth, sixth and seventh days migraines. As soon as period properly finished migraine went, head now feels clear finally and can concentrate.

I’ve mentioned to GP a few times now that I feel hormone related and want it looked into but she doesn’t seem very proactive re this but I can’t continue like this.

It’s good your mri came back fine. I suffer hemiplegic migraines and I’m in my 40s. They used to last 3 days. With me losing sight with auras for hours on end. I then read somewhere if you put your feet into a bucket with the hottest water you can bare it will make them disappear and it worked for me I was back to normal within 10 minutes. Sorry I’ve got no other advice and it might not work but might be worth a shot. Take care

See a neurologist. It's life changing! There's SO many treatments available there's no reason they can't stop your pain. Even a regular GP can figure something out. It's absolutely insane how western healthcare minimizes women's pain.

Hormone induced migraines are treated the same way any other root cause for migraine is. Don't mention it, demand medicine.

Earlier this year I was getting lots of migraines (felt like every other day) with a big one lasting 3 or 4 days just when DD had her period (which are very regular so I knew it must be related to monthly cycle somehow). With these long migraines no painkillers would even touch them and I was forced to postpone life basically to try and relax/sleep it off. It was the painkillers not working that made me finally twig that they were hormone related and I begged my GP for HRT.

Because of the migraines she said patches would be best and I did a 3 month trial of Evorel Sequi, which worked for some other symptoms I'd been having but not the headaches.
Evorel Conti (doesn't cycle so a level supply of Progestin to counterbalance my obviously fluctuating Estrogen) has been much better so far. Am 3 months in on that now too.

Our local osteopath has migraine clinics. Have you considered this?

I am your age and went on the mini pill for hormonally-induced migraines. It has stopped my periods and evened out my hormones and made a big difference. I take it alongside propranolol and sumatriptan.

Cefaly device is really useful. There are cheaper alternatives at Lloyd's chemist.

There are different Triptans with different half lives, meaning if you take them before you anticipate a migraine they are effective. I suffered weekend migraines for a time so used to take the triptan on Friday night. I'm sorry I can't remember the name of it though.

Acupuncture is very effective too, proper Chinese Acupuncture.

When it's really bad...triptan, paracetamol, ibuprofen and half a litre of full sugar coke.

I was like this. Tried lots of meds but they made me feel rotten.
Had 8 sessions of acupuncture in a row then occasionally top ups. Very very occasionally get a migraine now.

Second going on the mini pill. I was getting up to 3 migraines a week and realised that they were hormonal after marking them in a calendar. I was on beta blockers too. After going back on the mini pill I haven't had one in at least 4 years.

Spoke to my GP today. She’s putting my on the mini pill (progesterone only) in the hope it will stop my periods and therefore stop migraines.

She’s also changing Triptan to one that is specifically for menstrual migraines

That's progress! Good to hear.

Let us know how the mini pill goes, was a godsend for me.

Will do

Next step if this doesn’t work is HRT

I just had a three- week migraine. I use sumatriptan and dihydrocodeine it lessens it but not always completely takes it away

I didn’t realise my migraines were linked to my hormones until I started HRT a year ago and they disappeared completely. I was having multiple, weekly migraines.

The patch completely fixed them for me.

I had the same. It has been resolved with HRT for me.

Try magnesium supplements, different magnesiums do different things so it’s a bit trial and error but it can really help (from one who since going on HRT has much worse migraines than before). I’m currently on magnesium threonate next up is magnesium malate (Dr Mindy Peltz writes about working and eating with your hormones and this is one of her suggestions for migraine).

Just picked meds up. On reading leaflet I’m not sure if I start them now or if I wait and start taking them on first day of period as you would if you were using as a contraceptive aid which obviously I’m not

Can anyone advise?