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[Bunny23]

Hi, I have been using Gina HRT for vaginal dryness for nearly a month. I have started to get a muzzy head and headaches intermittently for about the last 10 days and wondered if anyone has had the same. I spoke to a nurse this morning who has advised me to stop using Gina and to let her know if the headaches continue. As headaches were listed as a possible side effect I thought this must be the reason, but am a bit concerned in case there's another cause

[Joaniepat]

Hi Bunny23, welcome to the forum.
As Gina is an extremely low dose of estradiol, and is only absorbed locally, it is highly unlikely that it would give you a headache. There should be no systemic absorption. However, headaches can be a menopause symptom. Are you on any HRT?
The leaflet that comes with Gina and all other oestrogen products applies only to old-style, oral HRT. It badly needs updating and is inappropriate for local oestrogen. I suspect this will take a long time to change, though.
If you stop using Gina your VA will revert to square one. VA needs lifelong treatment and maintenance.
JP x

[KaraShannon]

Bunnie23 and Joaniepat

Here's my experience, though Joaniepat I really, really hope the info you've been given is right because I want it to be right, but my experience is that I'm getting migraines with vaginal estradiol.  I'm not using Gina, but it does look like the ingredients are the same as my prescribed vaginal estradiol. 

Bunnie23, what I can tell you is when I first started using vaginal estradiol I got migraine and sensitivity to sound.  Each time I stopped using it, it went away. 

With that said, I've got migraine at the moment, for the last 5 days and I'm not using vaginal estradiol.  I have been told my oestrogen is too high, so I'm reducing the patch, then I'm hoping I might be able to use vaginal estradiol again, but I definitely got a reliable pattern before with it, and hence not using it. 

At the same time, there was a 5 month period where I tolerated it well. 

Not wanting to contradict Joaniepat, I know what she's saying has also been said to me by a doctor.  But it's just not my experience.  I hope I'm wrong, I want to be able to use it.  Just sharing my experience. 

[Joaniepat]

KaraShannon, I'm so sorry to hear about your migraines. It's all very difficult, isn't it? At least you had five months when you did tolerate your product, so I hope those times will return. Is Ovestin instead any good for you?
VA itself is enough to give one a headache (although migraine is a different ball game of course). I hope you are able to manage the VA somehow.
Best wishes,
JP x

[KaraShannon]

Joaniepat

I'll ask about ovestin, I've got an appointment next week about something but I'll ask about that too.

I've had some strange head stuff going on, it first started with the vaginal pills, but then I tolerated them every few days.

Then I had my estradiol patch increased and at some point stopped tolerating the vaginal pills again. 

I stopped them.

Then I find out my estradiol level is way too high, so am gradually reducing the patch.  And have had the odd migraine that I can't attribute to the vaginal pills as not using them.

So it's the estradiol, too much of it, and maybe right at the beginning the little bit that entered my bloodstream from the vaginal pill tipped me over the edge, maybe.  It doesn't make sense, but if my levels were already too high?  It started with them and a definite pattern, as on the days without them my head felt better.  But now can't blame them for it.  So it must be too much estradiol overall.

Hoping once I've reduced my patches right down I'll be able to re-introduce the vaginal tablets