Migraines and menopause
Hello there and I'm so glad that there's a place to understand my migraines and that I'm not along with this problem. Since the beginning of my menopause, I've had migraines every month for seven days at times. Is there an association between the two? I've been evaluated by my doctor and neurologists and they are perplexed by this as I am. I've also had blood tests, cat scan, and a MRI all to be negative. This has been happening to me for almost tens years now and I still wake up with this pain needing Advil every four hours at a time due to this severe pain.
They can definitely be related to hormones. I would suggest talking to your OB.
Migraines often change at menopause, so that part isn't unusual. What has me stumped is that you started getting a week of attacks every month at the start of menopause. That's a typical cycle for menstrual migraines, but I'm unaware of a similar cycle that doesn't begin until menopause. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen, just that I'm not sure how to help.
I recommend seeing a headache specialist (you can find some good lists here: https://migraine.com/blog/looking-for-a-migraine-specialist/). General neurologists treat a wide range of disorders, so they may not have the specialized knowledge necessary to know how to treat an unusual presentation of migraine like this.
In any case, there are better treatments available than OTC painkillers. It could be that if you take a migraine abortive as soon as you notice the migraine coming on, it will keep it from continuing for days on end. Triptans (a migraine abortive drug) are sometimes used preventively for menstrual migraine, which might also work in your case.
Please keep us posted on what you learn!
