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[my2boys99]

Hello,

I will be 45 in June and have been experiencing some perimenopause symptoms for the last few years.  I also have interstitial cystitis, so I already have bladder problems.

My gyno recently had me try vagifem.  I have tried it on and off for over a week and every night I use one, I wake up with a horrible headache that lasts all day.  I remember back in my 20s, I tried birth control pills and they also greatly affected my headaches.  I guess I must be very sensitive to estrogen.

I'm surprised that the estrogen is going into my system enough to cause headaches because I thought it was just a localized estrogen.  I was wondering if I might do better with an estrogen cream (estrace) so I can use less of it and maybe it wouldn't cause the headaches. 

Anyone else have headaches from vaginal estrogen??

[Dancinggirl]

Hi and welcome to myboys99
Vagifem can be really good for Vaginal atrophy and bladder problems but headaches are a very unusual side effect!!! So little oestrogen is absorbed around the body when using Vagifem, I doubt this is the cause.  The very cold weather lately has made me have far more headaches as the extremes of cold outside and then hot dry central heating inside will often trigger headaches for me.  It is also very common to get more headaches in the peri meno stage and this is due to hormonal fluctuations.
The most important thing is to use Vagifem as prescribed - the leaflet should explain that it is vital to use it every night for 14 days and at least twice a week after that or it won't have a positive effect. You won't get the full benefit by just using it now and again - it is supposed to directly deliver oestrogen to the areas that have atrophied, plump them up and help them to function in a more healthy way. REguarl consistent use is very important or symptoms will return.

I find the oestrogen creams messy and the fillers in them aggravated my interstitial cystitis , making my urethra rather sore and burning.

If your periods are erratic and you are getting flushes, then at your age full systemic HRT may well be appropriate and would certainly help your bladder.  The hormones in most HRTs are now more natural and not like hormones in BCPs so are less likely to give headaches.  Do discuss this with your doctor - I would recommend you try a low dose HRT e.g.  Femoston 1/10.  Femoston has the natural/bio identical oestrogen and the progesterone is less harsh so this HRT type is often tolerated well by many women.  Using Femoston with the Vagifem together might speed up the recovery from the bladder issues and improve your quality of life as well!!!???   Dg x

[Hurdity]

Hi my2boys99

 

What have your periods been doing - are they irregular? If so I agree with Dancinggirl and you need HRT as well as Vagifem to help protect heart and bones, at your young age.

Re Vagifem absorption. If your body is lacking in oestrogen and you have vaginal atrophy and associated bladder problems - then your tissues will already be very thin.  In situations like this, when you first use the Vagifem, a little oestrogen will be absorbed into the system but hardly any and I doubt it would be noticeable unless you were post-menopausal and not used to oestrogen at all. Once you have used it every day for at least 14 days (maybe more if atrophy is severe) the tissues gradually thicken up so almost none is absorbed - so little that not even progestogen is needed to protect the womb lining.

I presume you are not in UK as we don't have estrace here so not sure what it does and whether it is a form of vaginal oestrogen?

Headaches are listed as a common side effect (between 1 in 10 and 1 in 100 women reported them from a trial) from Vagifem but the product info states that if present this would be most likely at the beginning of treatment - hence the importance to keep going as Dancinggirl says - until you're through it and you should be fine!

Hurdity x

[my2boys99]

Thanks for your help, and no, I am not from the UK, I am from the U.S.

My periods are still very regular (although they have slowly shortened over the past 5 years from 33 day cycles to 27 day cycles).

I wanted to update you to let you know my Dr. prescribed Estrace Cream (basically a cream form of vagifem).  It does NOT give me headaches like vagifem did.  I am using a very small amount twice a week and it is helping.

Thank you!