Hi jasper, good to hear from you.
I'm sorry, I have to admit I've read some of your posts but sometimes I worry that repeating my long, horrible experience to someone at the beginning of her journey may be terribly discouraging. Please know that not everyone will react as I have.
Anne introduced me to Diclofenac suppositories and that's another of her hot tips that have keep me sane. She also prescribed Motillium suppositories which in addition to controlling the shocking nausea and vomiting, also knocked me out so I was able to sleep through the worst of some attacks. Unfortunately Motillium supps have been withdrawn here.
So many docs prescribe opiates for migraine, Di-hyrodcodiene and co-codymol and others but she insisted that they be avoided for migraine because of the stasis problem. My vomiting was so violent at times that I would vomit these meds out seconds after swallowing them. Anal preps bypass the stomach and work much more efficiently and quickly. The French prescribe a lot of meds in this form, it seems pretty standard there. Using these is however, inconvenient at times: I have been known to have had to use them in the most bizarre and extreme of places! Diclofenac does come in gastro friendly tablet form now but they don't work nearly as well for me and I will only use them if there isn't a lavatory to hand!
My reaction to hormone change is immediate, always has been, though in peri, particularly late stage peri, it's been instantaneous. One benefit has been that the specialists I've seen could recognise exactly what was happening too. There was not a time that I didn't react immediately and very negatively to hormone manipulation. HRT had to be stopped but not before trying a number of adjustments.
My migraine initially appeared when the oestrogen dropped around menstruation but after the HRT trials when it became a constant, any hormonal change up or down triggered the migs. It seems that little is truly known about pure menstrual migraine and few studies and little research has been done world wide. When Anne started out on her specialism her set task was to prove that there was not a link between menstruation and migraine, she proved resoundingly otherwise! I searched the web extensively and was lucky enough to have family and friends passing me studies/research not readily available. It proved to me that we need to take control as some neurologists out there will rush to encourage removal of the ovaries when this can be hugely detrimental for pure menstrual migraine sufferers who can be plunged into hormonal mayhem.
Your peri may be very short and if you feel able to go into a natural menopause, it seems sure that all will improve with the migraines. I really don't know anything about Lyme and how it is affecting you but I'm sorry you have something else thrown into the equation to have to deal with. Before the migraine, I was fit and healthy, hugely active and able to juggle a million balls: I've learnt that you can't fight migraine, you just have to accept it and close down.
I was actually told that nothing else could be done a number of years ago and in some ways it helped because the chasing of a solution causes so much heartache especially when your brain can't compute properly! Acceptance did help me.
You may react totally differently from me, I don't know what you've tried. There may be another HRT combination that better suits you. I can only advise that you resist permanent solutions i.e. bi-lateral oophorectomy and do your research before agreeing to anything. These surgeons don't have to live with the results if all goes t___s up!! I know Anne would not advocate this course of action.
I'm sure as you've seen Anne she will have advised you to keep very accurate migraine and cycle notes. I was advised by another specialist to also include other symptoms of hormonal activity too, i.e. swollen breasts, bloating, cerv mucous changes and at some stages temperature changes. All of this documentation allows for a greater picture to be formed and more accurate analysis which may assist them in your treatment with HRT.
I really wish you well and truly hope you'll find a solution soon. x
