Migraines caused by hormonal shift at patch change?

[Greigesofa]

I get migraines- not sure if it’s because of the end of the effective patch period, or once I put the new patch on? I also have a terrible memory and sometimes forget to change the patches at the right time, meaning I am guaranteed a migraine?

I am really prone to migraines anyway but hormones definitely seem to affect them. I normally manage to change the patches twice a week as advised, with the help of phone reminders. but I’d like to avoid the migraines just from using the patches as advised, and to understand if it’s the drop in hormones or the increase in hormones that’s causing it.

Is it possible to somehow keep a more consistent level of HRT with using patches- avoiding peaks and drops when changing patches and therefore avoid this migraine trigger?

That's interesting. I've always been told that estrogen dropping is the cause of menstral migraine - by absolutely everyone everywhere.

But when I started using continuous utrogestan instead of sequential, my migraines dropped by 2/3 every month. It was miraculous.

They did get worse on sequential utrogestan than no utrogestan at all.

I thought it was only the progesterone part of hrt (that converts to allapregnenolone) that promoted sleep and relaxation? As far as I know oestrogen doesnt have any calming affect.

Oh wow, thank you this is all really helpful. Lots to think about. Happy to hear that there are things that are working for some of you.
I have Mirena, about three years old now I think, so am now wondering if this could be a factor? Need to check exact date.
I’m also going for a 3 full days then 4 full days per set of patches, as per the GP instructions. So I could trt replacing them sooner than that. Just want to get rid of the headaches! I’m medicated for them- the standard protocol of daily Candesartan and then Sumitriptan during an attack if I can’t handle the pain on the day, but still seem to be getting more migraines per month than I have been getting.

My main reason for HRT was because of insomnia.
My consultant put me on estrogen-only for 3 months to get the dose right- it worked on my sleep within 2 weeks. The brain is very sensitive to estrogen and loss of it.

I've tried reducing it over the years and also stopping altogether (I don't use progesterone daily) and my sleep is disturbed quite quickly.
(This is a common experience.)

Only micronised progesterone has a sedative effect (in some women) which is why it's taken at night. That is actually a side effect not a reason for using it.
It can be a negative side effect because it can make some women very drowsy to the point of not being able to function. (But used vaginally it often reduces that.)