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[Debs165]

Hi all

Just wondered if anyone has had vision that doesn't seem to focus properly and headaches?  been to opticians and they can't see anything wrong.

Seems like the list of possible symptoms gets longer and longer 

D x

[Megamind]

Interestingly, my teenage daughter suffers from this a lot so I wonder if it's hormonal? She had an eye test and they said she had healthy eyes. She always says her eyes are blurry and she gets headaches around the time of her period but she also spends a LOT of time on her tablet!

I do get headaches just before a period and I quite often feel like my eyes are not focusing properly. I do suffer from dry eyes so I think it may be due to that.

[CLKD]

My eyes never seem to focus properly  with or without my reading or distance glasses    but I take lots of meds so put it down to those, never thought it might be hormonal 

[Debs165]

Hi Menomale

I'm 51 and these symptoms have been with me for about 2 months but seem to have got more frequent in the last few weeks, I started on Femoston about 5 weeks ago and not too sure if this has anything to do with it.

Dx

[walking the dog]

I found this thread interesting as I have had sore red watery eyes on off since June I put it down to hayfever and have been using over the counter eye drops but did wonder if it could be dry eyes as they sting and water and go red ! Blooming menopause! 😏

[Seniormoment]

Hi i have experienced the exact same problem. I do a lot of craft but some days can't focus close up. The last few weeks been feeling swimmy/dizzy usually worse in the mornings and the odd migraine from hell. Eye test fine have put it down to meno. Joy of joys 

[Annie0710]

Since being post meno I've developed


Double vision
Blurry vision
Higher than normal amount of floaters (diagnosed by optician)
Nocturnal dry eye


Annie x

[Annie0710]

Since being post meno I've developed


Double vision
Blurry vision
Higher than normal amount of floaters (diagnosed by optician)
Nocturnal dry eye


Annie x

Oh my, I thought post meno would put a stop in all this mess! 

Menomale I was actually looking forward to being post meno thinking everything would settle, but I've just swapped some symptoms for others, I would love a crystal ball and know when I'll feel normal again, but then again I might get told I'll never feel normal again

Annie x

[Debs165]

Hi Sparkle

I don't get gritty eyes and not really watery, the left one always seems worst and feels 'heavy' at times!  it does seem to be worse first thing and takes my eyes quite a while to adjust, seems ok close up but the problem seems worse when looking distance..

I also get spells of real detachment and wooziness, been tested for all sorts and no-one can explain!

Debs x

[Elizabethrose]

Hi Debs

Just read through your thread and wonder whether you get migraine? In prodrome, the build up period before the headache starts, my eyes struggle to focus, I can feel a bit woozy, in fact the list of symptoms is endless, though thank goodness they don't all come at once. Generally the headache starts after this build up phase.

My migraine started at the beginning of peri as pure menstrual migraine then gradually became chronic. The trigger for me has always been hormonal. Your symptoms sound very like prodrome especially if followed by a headache. HRT can make all sorts of changes to migraine; it improves it for some women, makes no changes for others and can exacerbate migraine for some too.

Just a thought as I don't know whether it's been considered.

Good wishes to you.

[Debs165]

Hi Elizabethrose

The list of symptoms really is endless!!  and so difficult to get properly diagnosed

I started HRT about 5 weeks ago and the difficulty in eyes focusing has definitely got worse and is happening every day, have never suffered with migraines but in the last few days (and worse today) have been getting headaches, like you say....endless!

Debs x

[Elizabethrose]

Oh it's such a bore isn't it, it sometimes feels like an uphill struggle. However, it helps if you know what is going on.

Check out these two links, the first may have more detail. To be honest there really is a massively long list of prodrome symptoms and I can't imagine anyone gets all of them. I have lots of symptoms, but they come and go and have changed as the years have gone by. Some of my symptoms are quite frankly ridiculous but migraine specialists have seen it all. It may not be migraine at all but unfortunately some GPs just don't have a wide enough training to recognise some of the weirder symptoms. Have a read through and come back and ask if I can help in any way.

Good luck!


https://migrainetalkblog.wordpress.com/about/the-5-possible-stages-of-a-migraine-attack/

http://www.migrainebuddy.com/migrainesymptoms-the-stages-of-a-migraine/

[Debs165]

Hi Elizabethrose

Thanks for these links and were interesting to read.

I look forward to the day (year!) when everything starts to settle and I can try and get some normality back into my life and continue doing the things that I used to do   

My poor partner has the patience of a saint and is so supportive although at times I think he is at a loss as to what to say /do! 

It just seems that the symptoms are continuing changing, you think you are getting over one and then another 3 take that place!!

This site is great and I am sooo glad that I found it, everyone is really helpful and friendly 

Debs x

[Hurdity]

Sorry to hear your headaches are continuing.

You mentioned earlier that your symptoms started about two months but you only started HRT 5 weeks ago? I presume you have had a withdrawal bleed? In the past 6 months before starting HRT what were your periods doing eg were they all approx 6 weeks apart or have you gone longer between them?

If you are in early peri-menopause (sounds like you are) then your own hormones will be rising and falling erratically, and some cycles you will ovulate and sometimes not - and this can give rise to horrible pms like symptoms, and low oestrogen is also well known to cause palpitations and apparent heart problems ( - even when there is nothing wrong.

Have you had the headaches checked out? For those who suffer from migraine, transdermal HRT is generally recommended as oral HRT can exacerbate migraine:

http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/atoz.php#GlossM

"Migraine is often triggered by hormonal fluctuations and therefore may occur around the time of a period. Such migraine may improve at the time of the menopause. Some women find that migraine may be triggered by the daily hormone fluctuations which can occur with oral (tablet) HRT so the transdermal (patch or gel) route is usually preferred with a history of migraine."


I never suffered from migraine until worsening headaches during late reproductive stage which were hormonally induced - I didn't know they were actually migraines until several years later. I still do get them now and again - sometimes from the HRT but sometimes with other triggers eg alcohol, driving into sunlight for a long time, and over tiredness. Mine are the classic type ( no aura) which I hadn't heard of - hence I didn't realise they were migraines. My gynae GP also told me that low oestrogen can lead to headaches too.

I wonder if it is your fluctuating hormones causing these? Did you feel any different during the combi tablets and then just after you changed back to the new pack (oestrogen only)? Maybe consider a change in HRT to a combi patch, or separate patch or gel and progesterone? That ways you would be able to increase the dose of oestrogen if necessary.

Alternatively if after a couple of months the headaches don't settle and your doc gives no other explanation - perhaps try increasing the oestrogen dose?

Sorry I can't help any further...

Hurdity x

[Mary G]

Debs165, I didn't suffer with migraines until my oestrogen levels dropped at menopause.  My migraines are unusual because they are silent which means I get migraine aura without the ensuing headache and unfortunately, this type of migraine often goes undiagnosed. 

I don't know if what you are experiencing are migraines but the symptoms you describe do sound like oestrogen deprivation. 

I would stick with the HRT because things might well improve but if not, you might want to switch to a different regime.  My migraines are triggered by all types of synthetic progesterone used in HRT preparations so I have to seriously limit its use and use transdermal Oestrogel.  If you suffer from headaches, you might want to look at a something similar because synthetic progesterone could make them worse.

Elizabethrose, thanks for posting those links, they were a very interesting read.