Migraines worsening in peri menopause?

My migraines have gotten more violent over the years but farther apart. When I get one now, I always have to go to the hospital and get IV meds. I’m in peri-menopause

I suffer from hormonal migraines too and the neurologist suggested switching to a different triptan as your body gets used to one. And that helped! So maybe talk to your doctor to see if a different med might help

Hello 😊 migraines do tend to worsen in perimenopause for some people due to the increased hormonal fluctuations. Careful use of transdermal regulated HRT often helps. Using a continuous progesterone regime may be more useful in stabilising hormones, and it may be a bit of a balan ING act but is often successful in alleviating this awful symptom... This might be a good read for you: https://www.nationalmigrainecentre.org.uk/understanding-migraine/factsheets-and-resources/migraine-menopause-and-hrt/ 😊💕

Mine have always been there, and had certainly worsened; be that due to stress or hormones, I couldn’t say. I’m taking Topiramate as a preventative medication. It’s been a journey, starting on the lowest dose, and gradually increasing while monitoring for any side effects. I’m currently at 75mg/day. I used to get migraines maybe once a week - now I might get one every 3 months or so.

I've always had migraines since a teenager but they started getting really bad about the age of 41, I was getting a couple a week and was completely wacked by them but since being on hrt I'm down to about 1 a month now

Thanks for all your comments! My journey has been a long one: got my first migraine 4 mos after my second baby. Tried beta blockers, antidepressants, went to the headache clinic (didn’t help), been on 4 different triptans (zomig and axert are most effective for me), did acupuncture for a year, went on birth control (even tho I have an IUD). I was on amitryptaline (anti depressant - though I do not have depression) for 2 years. When they started increasing 12-15 in Jan (and when my periods went out of whack), my GP wanted me to double my dosage of amitryptaline. He said it was safe but i feel like it wasn’t a good long term solution for me. The meds made me crazy and unemotional, but it did reduce my migraines a little. It took me 2 months to wean off of then which was really hard. That’s when I turned to homeopathy. The program I’m on is intended the balance estrogen and progesterone levels so they are more consistent and reduce overall nerve inflammation. I’m on week 6.

@Shawna Been there for sure. The steroids seem to help in the IV as well. I hope they don’t get worse!

Has anyone tried CGRP treatments like Aimovig or Emgality? They can only be prescribed by a neurologist and weren’t available in canada until recently.

@Kat thank you. I have had migraines since age 9 or so. I fell out of a tree and hit my head on a branch. Knocked myself out for 3 days. I don’t know if the concussion brought the migraines on but could be. I am also extremely sensitive to perfumes, cologne, exhaust, and chemical smells. When I was young I had a migraine almost daily but back then I could go to my dark room and put a cloth over my forehead. I would usually fall asleep then I would wake up good to go. It wasn’t till I was about 24 and I went to Las Vegas with my boyfriend, that I had my first migraine where it made me physically Ill it was brutal. Everytime since has been brutal. Feels like I’m having an aneurism. Or what I would imagine that would feel like. I’m been lucky enough to go 6 months without. It’s my current run lol. I’m sorry that you seem to know what it’s like. Hang in there sweetie

@Kat I should ask my dr about those. I usually take maxaran (sp?) but it doesn’t really work lol.

@Kat they can be prescribed by a family physician (GP). My doctor offered Aimovig to me, though I opted against it.

@Shawna omg, thats horrible! Every time I talk to anyone about my migraines, I always find that there are other ppl worse off and it makes me feel so sad! I use an herbal oil on my forehead (peppermint, lavender) then put a warm wet cloth over top. The hot and cold makes me feel better.

@Valerie hmm ok. My GP told me he wasn’t allowed to give the prescription. Then put me back on the neurologist waiting list. Maybe I need a second opinion!

@Kat yeah - even talked about how it was an injection, and so we’d need to sort out the logistics of that on an ongoing basis (I suspect that meant that I would need to get the needles and inject it myself as administering meds isn’t covered by OHIP, but we didn’t get that far because I opted against it).