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[shrosphirelass]

Thanks Hurdity, I'll mention it to my dr, but I don't think he thinks they are real migraines. They feel like sinus headaches. My sinuses have been investigated, no problems there. The headaches are always at the back of my eyes, sometimes local to one but more often across both. They last a long time, days on end. I also often have accompanying stomach issues, light doesn't make them worse but noise does and movement. Had been less cyclic since starting HRT and less severe, but seemed to have ramped up recenly. I also occasionally get visual migraines, (aura without the accompanying headache or very mild headache). Luckily not too ofetn as although not painful, they are really disconcerting.

Yes Mogster, I am in Shropshire, managed to go for a quick walk around the block but its getting pretty stormy here now.

[Mogster71]

Hi Hurdity

Thank you for stopping by and for your kind suggestions. Triptans had come up on my preventative search, and I am going to talk to my doctor about this when I see him next. I had already been prescribed (but not taken) propanolol beta blocker but with an already low blood pressure I was not happy to take something which could slow me down even more! Do the triptans knock you out? I run my own business so I need my wits about me!

I have identified that they tend to appear either in the lead up to a period or in the pill free week whilst on HRT. I had a couple of months last autumn where I had a break from HRT and they were still present. I have been keeping a diary since last July. I've just read it all again and my last period on my own before this one was August, so if this was definitely a home-grown one then 6 months ago  I expect I am very late peri now at 48 and a half.

I am interested to find out about the triptans as it sounds like they have been very effective for you, although like SL I am not sure if they are true migraines x

SL we are very similar with our eye pain. I have had my eyes checked on a number of occasions but I was diagnosed in late October with narrow angle glaucoma (caused by a build up of pressure in the eye). I even put myself through a private procedure on it in the hope that it would solve my headache issue, but sadly it didn't.  I've also seen an osteopath in case it was a neck problem, several "Death Becomes Her" sessions and I know now that I have to watch my posture.

You'll be pleased to know that 2 x dispersable aspirin did the trick pretty quickly today

[catlover68]

Hi all

I also take zolmatriptan which is the same family as sumatriptan. Like Hurdity I find these really good but need to take early on or it may not be as effective. Mogster I was also prescribed propanalol but like you could not bring myself to take them. I find when I take the triptan I do feel a bit drowsy but not knock you out drowsy iyswm.

Regarding the hrt Mogster I had the coil fitted 18 months ago to take oestrogen along side. I tried a patch which gave me a migraine,horrendous dizziness,breathing difficulties and I generally felt awful on those. So I then tried oestrogel for 3 months which was even worse! I just felt so ill had dark thoughts and again really unwell so last February I stopped that and haven't taken any since. I thought I would feel awful after weaning off but the last year I've not been too bad other than these headaches,hot flushes and insomnia. Hrt can be really helpful to a lot of women but unfortunately not for me.

Hope you are headache free as I have been today thankgod! I'm sure when I'm back to work Monday bang I?ll get one🙄xx

[Mogster71]

Hi Catlover!

Interesting about the triptans, thank you for your input there. I do know what you mean about not being completely zonked out by them. Definitely worth a chat with the doctor about it when I go. You sound very similar to me in your experience regarding the patch, literally straight away I felt wired, anxious and jittery, I managed a week before cutting them in half but I had to go back up to full strength again when I started utro as it just floored me. I've had more headaches this month than any other but obviously in peri it's much harder to work out why you're getting them, when your own cycle is mucking about as well.

Do you mean you also had your Mirena coil taken out?

Ladies if you have ever had any success with acupressure then I just saw this (and bought) a gizmo called Aculief. I'm pretty sure that you might get the same results from a clothes peg but clearly a bit of a talking point at work haha. It's a little gadget that you slide on to your hand between thumb and forefinger, applying pressure to a particular point that brings headache/migraine relief. I will report back You can just press on it with your opposite hand of course, if you want to see if it works for you at home next time.

Regarding headache free yesterday, sadly not, ended up with 2 more paracetamol at around 5.30 pm and then yesterday evening I flaked out, slept through till 5.30 this morning. (I have cats and this is a good lie-in!!  ). I'm sure you can relate x

Stay safe everyone, this storm is still really strong this morning and those in the west country now have red weather warnings in place. No walking out today!!

[Hurdity]

Just to say re the triptans that they have the exact opposite effect on me. My migraines start with intense pressure - never had aura - mine are classic migraines, and foggy head, and progress to exhaustion etc. The most amazing thing about taking the triptans if I feel like this in the morning (after a restless night knowing one is probably coming on) - and I take one, is that my head completely CLEARS and I feel alert and awake and normal. I think they are fantastic! Like I said I have to be careful to take them very sparingly - not really as a preventative in the sense that you don't take them all the time. However I think I said if I take them daily during a migraine (just one first thing in the morning) I tend to get a rebound extra day when my head feels more pressure so it's a matter of tweaking....

I'm not sure what a real migraine is - like I said mine are classic ( which I had never heard of until doc told me my headaches that I'd had for years were migraines!). I always thought migraines meant auras, but the signs of light sensitivity and extreme sound aversion when one is coming on and during first part is absolutely characteristic. I also get carb cravings for some reason too.

Sorry your carried on Mogster71 - I hope some of you at least might benefit from asking for the triptans. Thing is my doctor never suggested them when I went about the headaches so I had several more years of putting up with them and trying paracetamol, aspirin etc including during the night as the heads would always wake me - but a friend suggested these so the doc prescribed them without hesitation and put them on repeat!

Also I seem to have a problem with my neck too - doing sit-ups and Pilates etc now brings them on so I've stopped doing that and get them less frequently - I get them at other times though when the trips really come in handy

Hope everyone is headache free today.

Hurdity x

[shrosphirelass]

Hi all, Unfortunately my headache has continued, pills have taken the edge off but it's still there. Ive got a drs appointment on Wednesday so am defintely going to ask about the triptans, thanks again Hurdity. My dr thinks my headaches may be aggravated by neck issues. I spend hours on end at a desk (I'm a mature student who has to work hard to keep up!) so am planning on making a physio / osteopath appointment, though a bit nervous about going as don't have any local recommendations. Worth a try I guess.
The wind is pretty strong here, hoping it improves a bit so I can get out and try and clear my head, though yesterday the movement made it worse.  So fed up of it now.
We generally have our bedroom door closed at night as our cat has no sense of the time to get up! Hope the headache clears Mogster and you continue headache free CL.

[catlover68]

Ha ha Mogster I've got four cats and it's like having kids😻they stay downstairs at night or they would all be padding on the bed wanting breakfast😂I love them to bits and wish I could have more but my other half would not have any of it! I'm always threatening to smuggle another one in😀

I have still kept the coil in as the doc said it may help even without oestrogen. I seem to tolerate the progesterone so much better this way than when I was having patches. I was so intolerant to the oestrogen for some reason and when I was on the progesterone patch that made me ill as well. Suppose I'm just not suited to hrt.

Shropshirelass and Mogster hope your headaches ease off today,it's crap when it's never ending🙄I shall look at that Aculief and try it as anything to help with these damn headaches!

Mogster I'm in the West Country and yes the weather is awful though was worse yesterday,fed up with that now as well🌧

[Mogster71]

Oh poor you SL...you just feel there's no let up sometimes. Definitely, 100% recommend an osteopath. I am not a gambler but I bet they find something jammed or unbalanced. I was amazed how it made an improvement.

If you're a Facebook user, do you have any local community groups? They are often a good place to ask for local recommendations. If not, I expect you can look on national osteopathy members website, then Google the reviews that way.

Catlover, I always say that my retirement job will be running a 5 star luxury cat hotel  I would have a house full too as I adore their quirkiness. (Massive dog fan too, in fact prefer animals to many humans!!)

My little mini-period continues, who knows what that means, could just be me tinkering about. I settled v quickly on femiston and I'm hoping I will again.

Love to you all, if you've not got a wheat bag that's a great thing to try  around your shoulders. Mine is lavender-filled so smells amazing too and good for headaches xxx

[shrosphirelass]

I haven't felt so bad for ages. Yesterday along with the pounding headache I started with the most intense nausea, couldn't move all afternoon and evening and spent the time on the sofa watching The chase and movies! I couldn't get up today and stomach has been really rough, a bit improved now and also the nausea isn't so acute but the headache is ongoing. What is going on? I don't know what to do, I just can't function. Have a presentation to prepare for Wednesday morning and I just don't know how I'm going to do it. Sorry for moaning, hope things are ok for you x

[Nattles]

Hi Shropshire Lass,  just checking up on you and wondering how you have been? Alas, I haven't been absent due to feeling better, just absent because sick to death of getting nowhere. So, I think last time I mentioned Id started continuous transdermal combined hrt, I was positive at first, but I think it was just my normal hormones  going through a good patch (wow a whole 7 days headache free in about 4 months, lucky me). Which does happen occasionally, your own hormones still continue on with transdermal hrt so they aren't over ridden. Well, I think mine need to be over ridden because I feel dreadful. They're still up and down and all over the place causing my usual migraines, migraines with aura and awful sinus headaches in the early hours. Did you know sinus headaches are one of the main types of headaches complained of during menopause. Also most severe sinus headaches (with no underlying sinus issues) are actually migraines?? Anyhoo, going to have to try something different next, not sure what. I could still try OCP because I actually still get a period it just worries me a little because what would be a real drag is to have a stroke and then still get migraines, lol, but then not be able to tell anyone I have a migraine. Eeeek, I know Im being a little dramatic, but I'm perimenopausal so it's my prerogative. Ha! Anyhoo, let me know how you are getting on. Cheers.

[shrosphirelass]

I had a dreadful month, but the last 10 days have been better, not fantastic but nowhere near as bad. I started physio for my neck and I don't know if its a coincidence but my headaches are much better. The physio said my posture was terrible and there were issues with the vertebrates in my neck. For me Ive always had hormonal headaches which were always cyclic so I'm hoping that the more continuous ones are related to my neck. I know I will still have hormonal ones, but being nearly 58 hoping the stability of conti will help.

I hope you get some relief soon Nattles