Simmy, I'm sorry to hear about your migraine, I am a fellow sufferer.
I started having silent migraines (aura without headache) in the lead up to the my menopause and long story short, mine are caused by general hormone instability (which is caused by all types of synthetic progesterone and too much Utrogestan) and oestrogen spikes so it's a complex chain of events and it took me years to work it out. I did not have migraines during my reproductive years because my hormones were stable.
Generally speaking, hormonal related migraine with aura is caused by oestrogen spikes and migraine without aura is caused by progesterone spikes or progesterone withdrawal.
Your clinic sounds singularly unhelpful but I would take charge of the situation myself and try taking 100mg Utrogestan vaginally every other day and see if that helps. If you can take 100mg for 14 days every month on a cyclical regime then it's OK to take 100mg every other day.
I think you are probably taking too much Utrogestan since changing to a continuous combined regime. I take 50mg progesterone every day and found it was enough with two pumps of gel - I have since reduced the oestrogen dose. The Newson clinic prescribes 100mg vaginal Utrogestan every other day although they suggest an annual uterine scan to check the womb lining.
Have you had migraines before? How old are you and are you post menopause?
Thank you so much for your reply Mary.
It’s the Newson clinic I’m with. I wonder if I should go to 100mg every other day - that does sound like it would help.
My migraines with aura (and the rest!) started at age 40 and were my first noticeable sign of perimenopause. They went away when I got settled on my HRT regime almost 2 years ago (my utrogestan then was 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off).
Recently I noticed that I felt better on my Utrogestan fortnight and my Dr at Newson Health said I could try continuous Utrogestan. I’ve now been doing this for nearly 3 months. I had some spotting and then everything settled nicely. Then, last Thursday, a migraine, and I still feel I’m in postdrome. I’ve not come back yet. I feel drugged and spaced out, plus lots of other migraine-type awfulness.
About 4 or 5 years ago, utrogestan was a big problem for me when I went to a menopause clinic through the NHS. Hence me wondering if now, after 3 months, daily Utrogestan is just a step too far for me.
I’m 47 and not post menopausal as far as I know.
I definitely think I’ll try the every other day regime. Or, is that the right thing to do, as you mentioned that migraine with aura (which is what I have) is caused by oestrogen spikes?
Thank you again, so very much, for your advice. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.
X