Hi moonbeam121167!
Sorry to hear you're feeling awful. I wouldn't assume the headaches are caused by high estrogen.
"A headache can be triggered any time there is a fluctuation in estrogen levels, including when there is a dip in estrogen levels around the time of your menstrual cycle. Women may also experience more headaches around the start of menopause and when they undergo hysterectomy."
I wish you'd had a blood test to check your estradiol level while you were on transdermal to see how well you're absorbing. Some of us don't absorb well.
I'm a poor absorber. When I was on Estradot 50, my estradiol was <40 pmol. I wasn't absorbing, so I was switched to 2 mg oral estradiol. As an experiment, my new meno doctor switched me to Estrogel. I had a blood test earlier this week. After 3 months on 3 pumps of Estrogel, my estradiol was <40 pmol. I'm not absorbing it either. I think that rules out transdermal estrogen for me. I switched back to oral estrogen this morning. I have a doctor's appt in Jan, so I'll be re-evaluated at that point.
I don't know where you are in your meno journey. If you're postmeno and using transdermal estrogen, blood tests can be very useful to your doctor. When I called the meno clinic and told the nurse that I didn't think I was absorbing and described my symptoms, she emailed me a lab requisition for the blood test. It's important that you keep your doctor informed about your symptoms so they can understand how you respond. You're a unique puzzle and what you're experiencing is a piece of that puzzle.