Hormonal Migraine Awful awful pain- What works best for your hormonal migraines please？

[mechanicalpencil]

I am 46 , perimenopausal.

It is a very specific piercing pain on one side, like a drill, 48 hours plus.
Comes a couple of days before period due.

I am on amitriptyline which was prescribed by a neurologist but it doesn’t seem to help the hormonal headaches at all , although slightly helps the non hormonal migraine I also suffer from.

I used to keep Solpadeine max for these occasions but that doesn’t work anymore.

I was planning on mopping and cleaning the house today to get it ready forNY.

Triptans...but also max dose of aspirin can be surprisingly effective if taken early enough...if you know the signs a migraine could be coming pop some aspirin...it won't do you any harm to take it around that time of month. Whereas triptans...I wait until I know a migraine is coming, because they can be nasty (increase risk of heart attack etc).

I have tried Pizotifen with limited success but it made me fat(ter). I also tried Sumatriptan but these make me feel worse than the migraines.
I have had most success with taking magnesium and Vitamin B2. This hasn't stopped my migraines but it has definitely decreased the intensity, pain and length of attacks.
An fun side-effect is that your wee and tears are the colour of a florescent yellow highlighter pen!

Mini pill. Just eliminated my cycle so no hormonal migraines anymore! Or periods- don’t see the point in them if you aren’t trying to get pregnant.

Rizatriptan (brand name Maxalt). Is the only thing that works for me.

We can buy 5mg wafers over the counter in Australia but 10mg wafers have to be prescribed.

I take one when the migraine hasn't responded to standard pain meds. Have a lie down and usually when I wake the headache is gone.

double espresso with extra sugar
double dose of ibuprofen (800mg)
triptan

go to bed listen to binaural beats for migraines - I use this one

use the Cefaly device (expensive but worth it for me)

@Everyreason do you get any side effects with the topiramate? This would be my next option but wasn't keen on the weight gain side effects

I can't recommend this enough as a PP has said, go to your GP and ask to be put on the mini pill. I'm on cerelle and haven't had a migraine in five years. I was getting up to 3 a week and they had taken over my life. Takes a couple of months to reduce and then stop, completely life-changing.

This.

Aspirin is the only non prescribed pill that helps mine

This again. Works, end of.

I haven't tried topirimate yet (probably next in line after failing propranolol and amitriptyline), but it tends to cause weight loss rather than gain - a lot of people feel nauseous / have less of an appetite. Could do with the weight loss after piling it on with amitriptyline, less keen on the brain fog / cognitive issues reported by so many!

I took isoflavones supplements and they really decreased the frequency of my migraines. I didn't notice at first so stopped taking them after the jar was empty and the pre-period migraines came back so restarted the supplements and they worked. Not 100% full proof as when I was tired and stressed I'd sometimes get a migraine but still much better than before.

I found topiramate massively disappointing on the weight loss front - I'd been promised weight loss! It did not happen.

It worked for me but the dose I needed gave me side effects which were difficult with work - I'm a doctor so suddenly losing the word I wanted to say was an issue.

However with migraine you just keep trying preventers until either you find one that works or you are eligible for a neurology referral and the golden ticket of Botox or Aimovig. Both are awesome - I've had severe chronic migraine for 20 bloody years and now none at all.

But if your migraines are only hormonal - do you need the periods? Mini pill is fantastic.

Just a word warning the mini pill mate mine 10x worse, to the extent A&E had to check I wasn’t having a stroke as I lost speech etc. Was horrific (and it’s an awful place to be with a migraine, so loud and bright).

i have tolerated the mirena better but I’m still not ‘right’ but it’s much better than the mini pill or implant were for me

I’m on Vydura now and after 30 years of chronic pain I never thought I’d be pain free. It is an absolute miracle. Not prescribed in my trust though and it’s expensive but I couldn’t be without it now.

I have exactly the same OP. Nothing seems to help much.

I'm actually considering going back on the pill. I was on it for years with no ill effects but came off because I thought I should. I'm now out of action for a day a month, plus my periods seem to get heavier and heavier. God being a woman is great.

I have this too!
Mid 40's, already on propanolol daily to help general migraines. Have Mirena already.

Now am getting a roughly monthly hormone type head and nausea, similar but different to my general migraines. NOTHING I usually do shifts it for 48hrs, and afterwards I'm left aching like I've been in a fight!

Definitely different to my 'standard' migraines which do respond to full fat coke/anadin/aspirin.
I'm sorting a GP appt as can't do this all the time, wasn't sure if HRT might help....

I wasn't going to bother with HRT but found every time I had a hot flush I had a migraine.

Not doing that for years, thanks, was on HRT straight away.

I am on amitriptyline but I also have sumitriptan described particularly for hormonal migraines. It can make you feel worse for the first hour but then the relief is incredible. Nothing else works for me.

Ibuprofen to hand, I even take a couple at bedaround the days I am very likely to get one as the worst migraines I get are the ones that start while I am asleep. I up my caffeine as well and like those chilled sweet ones in the can.

I'm on the mini pill which does help my hormonal migraines but it also makes them very predictable which definitely makes them easier to manage.

thank you everyone, so many great suggestions here!
sorry to hear so many of us are struggling with it

I have just spotted how may typos were in my post. My struggle to write and remember words while talking is irritating but a sure sign I am getting a migraine!

I am also going to suggest acupuncture. I thought it was absolute nonsense when I decided to give it a go but it really reduced the frequency of them when I was getting several a month.

Zomig - a triptan.

I took toprimate for years, no weight gain. In fact the most common side effect is weight loss and it is often prescribed for weight loss.
I didn't lose weight on it either, but it was helpful for my migraines for a long time.