Perimenopause and migraines
Hello everyone, I feel fortunate to only be dealing with migraines for a relatively short time compared to many others. For several months I also thought it was ovarian cysts vs the migraine causing the severe nausea and vomiting for 48 hrs. Imitrex does work. My pain always starts in my ears like a severe ear ache and have confirmed several times with ENTs no ear issues. I’m remaining optimistic once menopause starts they will stop, they start with in the day of my period which is now unpredictable. My ears ache other times of the month but if I don’t feel nausea it doesn’t turn in to a migraine and will respond to ibuprofen. I did start taking Magnesium, B2 a few months ago. I do feel the brain fog more often than not. Could be from perimenopause or after every migraine felt like I lost a few more brain cells. Saving grace was this started during Covid and working from home so I could lay down for a few days and my family is very supportive. Appreciate how disruptive migraines can be for families and especially woman!
SMarkham, women's fluctuating hormones can be a huge trigger for migraine attacks. I think it's great that you are taking magnesium and vitamin B2. There is scientific evidence that these can help those struggling with migraine attacks. I am attaching two articles that I hope you will find helpful. Keep us posted on your progress!
Peggy
Migraine.com team
https://migraine.com/migraine-triggers/hormonal-changes
https://migraine.com/blog/hormonal-migraine-the-basicsI have suffered with migraines since I was 13, officially diagnosed at 16. One of my main triggers is a drop in estrogen levels. I have a family history of early menopause, so I am getting my hormone levels checked. So you may want to try that. Also, my boyfriend suffered from cluster headaches for years. He went through migraine treatments for years until he was properly diagnosed. And he is prescribed oxygen to make the headaches go away.
I call the brain fog a migraine hang over. It happens to me every time the actual pain goes away. I wish you luck in your treatments.
Thank you so much for sharing some of your history to support others in our community. Many women do report that menopause can impact their migraine trajectory - sometimes leading to a decrease in the frequency of attacks. The term migraine hangover is one that has been used in our community before:https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-hangover
You might find this article of interest as well: https://migraine.com/living-migraine/chronic-bodys-slow-leak
Good luck with your hormone tests- we are thinking of you. Warmly, Holly (migraine.com team).
