Headaches and HRT - help!

[Jojotodd]

Hi all,
two years ago I started taking HRT(2 pumps of estrogel and progesterone for 12 days of my cycle) mainly because I was suffering from hormonal headaches during ovulation and during my period. These headaches make me feel tired and nauseous and can last for 2-3 days.
For the first 3 months my headaches pretty much went which was amazing but then they came back so I was told to go to 3 pumps of the estrogel - which again, helped a bit but the headaches are back.
I don’t know what to do. Every time I go to my gp, they just say to give it some more time. Does anyone have anything that they have tried that helped their headaches?
I only take nurofen/paracetamol which doesn’t do much really.
what are my options re. HRT? Go up to 4 pumps?
any advice would be so appreciated as I am really in a low spot and sick of feeling sh*t all the time 😕

When do the headaches occur?

Are they migraine?

It's common to get a headache when the progesterone levels fall, before the bleed.

Going up to 4 pumps isn't likely to solve anything and if you do that you also may need to double the progesterone.

@JinglingSpringbells they occur usually around ovulation and start of my period - not severe migraines but more like a hormonal headache e.g some pain, nausea and fatigue but I can still go to work but I feel terrible.

That just sounds like a mild (menstral) migraine. They're not all a 10 on the pain scale, it can be a 3/10 and still be a migraine.

Not everyone gets an aura (with the flashing lights etc).

Can you ask your GP to see if a Sumatriptan stops one? I think you can buy it over the counter now too.

migrainetrust.org/understand-migraine/types-of-migraine/menstrual-migraine/

Try Riboflavin (vitB2). I’ve been taking every day and my hormonal migraines have gone bizarrely (am also in perimenopause).