Hi Mrs Bennet
UTI type symptoms without infection are very common when menopause hits - I've had this for many years. Vagifem and vaginal moisturisers are crucial - many women become very anxious about using any hormone treatment and this will cause tension and inevitably headaches are therefore more likely to happen. Do add in either the YES Vaginal moisturiser or SYLK to your daily regime as this can help get the vaginal flora back to normal and alongside the Vagifem this can help to prevent the UTI symptoms - that burning sensation is so horrid. I suspect the headaches is more to do with dehydration and recovering from the antibiotics - I doubt it has anything to do with Vagifem. Your gut will be out of balance due the antibiotics so eating lots of vegetables, whole grains etc will help this get back to normal - when the gut bacteria are not working well then this can sometimes cause headaches, especially if you are not drinking enough water.
Avoiding caffein, alcohol and fruit juices is a good idea as these are bladder irritants and can cause urethral burning and can make you more dehydrated. Drink lots of water and add in a little bicarbonate of soda once or twice a day for 2-3 days to neutralise the urine. You may have had a headache which coincided with using Vagifem so now, each time you use it, you physiologically trigger a headache by tensing the neck and shoulders. Do you drink a glass of water with half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda mid evening? If you have been using Vagifem daily then there might a small reaction e.g. cramps. I suffer badly with headaches but have never found that Vagifem makes them worse. There is so little oestrogen in Vagifem and virtually none is absorbed systemically so there are very few if any side effects. If you were using progesterone then headaches could be a side effect.
Try upping your water intake, if you can get to a Pilates class to help with relaxation and strengthening of the tummy and pelvic floor this might also help. When in pain with our ‘lady bits' and bladder it is natural to tense the neck, shoulders and back and this will cause headaches.
Sadly when menopause hits, things like headaches often increase. You may in fact need full HRT, if you are not already using it.
It takes time for Vagifem or any hormone treatment to work it's magic. Keep going. DG x