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[Jenlou]

Hello. I'm hoping for some advice. I will ring my doctor tomorrow morning but I'm not sure what to do today.

I had my ovaries removed in august and have been on hrt since mid Sept. I started on femoston 1/10mg but found that it wasn't enough so have just this month started 2/10mg.

At first it was fine. The second week I have had lots of headaches and have had to take my migraine pills twice. Yesterday I started the second half of the pills (prog) and I had some odd symptoms. I went out on my bike and had no energy, could barely ride it. But what worried me most was I had a wavey lines/ coloured lights kind of migraine. I have never had one of these before. On reading online it says if you have a change in your migraine symptoms, not had before, then stop taking it.

I suppose what I'm asking is do you think I should take today's pill and hope for the best til I speak to the doc tomorrow or just not take it?

Thanks in advance for your help and reading through all that. Apols for typos as I'm on my kindle.

[Dancinggirl]

Hi and welcome to MM
If you are a migraine sufferer, then the HRT combined patches would probably be better for you.  Pop to the GP and ask for these - look under TREATMENTS on this site and print off the information to show your doctor. DG x

[Jenlou]

Thanks for taking the time to answer. Do you think I shouldn't take today's pill?

Will ask about patches tomorrow and look at the info on here

JL

[Dancinggirl]

It's up to you - you could find that the migraines settle over time but if they are really bad, then I would stop. DG x

[Sunnydays]

SOrry to hear  about your migraines. I was told on good advice that patches can be a better alternative if a migraine sufferer.
I don't know how high your dose is but when I was first on hrt, the GP gave me a medium strength continuous regime and even though it was a patch I had such terrible headache/migraine that I pulled the patch off. When I researched and took advice I was told that to go straight in at that dose was too much and  I was suggested to cut the patch and build up slowly - this proved to be better for me. The beauty of the patches is that you can cut them.
Good luck.

[Mary G]

Jenlou, first of all, don't worry, migraines are a very common side effect from the progesterone part of HRT and from what you have said, this is what is happening to you.  This issue comes up regularly on here and women like myself who never suffered from migraines pre-menopause often start having them when they hit the menopause.  Mine are caused by all types of progesterone used in HRT preparations in conjunction with low oestrogel levels - I am not progesterone intolerant per se and didn't have problems with my own.  There needs to be more research to establish why this happens to so many women. 

I started suffering from silent migraines (visual disturbance without headache) once my oestrogel levels dropped (I had a Mirena coil at the time which contains synthetic progesterone) and after many consultations  with various specialists and a lot of time, I now know that the only way to stop them is to severely minimise my progesterone intake.  I am a very extreme case but I am lucky enough to have unlimited access to uterine scans with my gynaecologist meaning I know I can take a very low dose of progesterone and still get adequate womb lining clearance and thinning.  The standard NHS dose would be completely out for me so now I just take a few Utrogestan capsules vaginally and fortunately it is enough but of course you might not be the same so you will need to find out. 

In order to feel good and eradicate all menopause symptoms, I need a high dose of oestrogen and I find that Oestrogel (you rub it on your skin) works brilliantly alongside low dose vaginal Utrogestan so you might want to read up on it - check out Professor Studd's website.  Migraines are definitely not a contraindication for HRT, you just need to get the dose right but it might take some time.  If you suffer with migraines, it should be possible to ask for a similar low dose progesterone regime on the NHS or you might have to seek advice from a menopause specialist. 

I hope that helps.

[Jenlou]

Thank you all for replying.  I was so caught up in the worry of surgery and ovary removal that I didn't really prepare myself for this bit.

I was always told I couldn't go on the combined pill due to my migraines and have read today that if I get new/different migraine symptoms on the femoston then I should stop taking it.  I shall revisit my gp and go from there.

Patches may be the way to go.  I haven't actually had a bleed as such since I've been on the hrt, only very light spotting.  Before the surgery I suffered from very heavy periods so this is quite a change.

Thanking you all muchly 

[dahliagirl]

https://thebms.org.uk/publications/factsheets/migraine-and-hrt/

Found this - it might have something useful on it.

[Jenlou]

Well I have been back to the doctor and she has given me Evorel Sequi patches for four weeks.  Apparently my bp was up so she wants to see me in three weeks.

I am suffering with the patches though.  Bad head again, feeling sick and I feel like I'm on drugs if that makes sense.  Last night (before I was due to change the patch today) I was having terrible flushes and I had a episode of palpitations.  So as you can imagine I am a little frustrated and waiting for a call back from the doc.  I don't really feel like I can function properly and what with xmas round the corner I would rather stop and try again in the new year 

Possibly the dose is too high still?  Husband has taken the kids out to give me a break but I just want to curl up into a ball and cry right now...

[Rhiner]

Hi, I was in the same position as you, had ovaries removed, then after 2 weeks went on Femoston Conti, after 7 weeks got bad headaches. Then saw a meno specialist who put me on Oestrodot, made sure I got the dose sorted with this , eventually settled on 75ug, which took about 9 weeks before starting the prog part. I then started 100mg utrogestan and been OK a little bit of headache initially on the prog but not bad and soon settled. Not sure about Evorel, but the prog in utrogestan is not synthetic so think this makes a difference.
Rhiner

[dangermouse]

The professor who has been working on the new migraine injection was on TV this week and he said that the reason that women find their migraines disappear in pregnancy is due to stable oestrogen levels.

Any volatility with oestrogen, including new HRT, with a hit or oestrogen or progesterone, and your op of course, would explain these migraines. It may be case of waiting for oestrogen levels to settle and become more stable. Perhaps use the HRT that gives the least side effects for now so you may need to try a few different ones or let things settle without HRT.

[Jenlou]

I think dangermouse is right.  The doc has now given me the low dose of femoston that I started on before that gave me the least side effects and I must admit I feel more 'normal' again.  I am due to see them again on Thursday but it would appear that I can't cope with the higher dose of estrogen.  The femoston 2/10mg is too strong and so were the patches.

I will just have to see what the doc says next week and possibly seek advice from the gyny specialists at the hospital as we don't have a menopause clinic any more apparently.

Thanks all for replying.  Hoping to get through christmas without too many flushes that don't involve gin 

Happy christmas
Jenlou