NuvaRing for Migraine Management in Perimenopause

By Kerrie Smyres

1 min read

I was surprised to discover that the NuvaRing, which I use continuously for migraine management, is the same treatment a women's health specialist would recommend for managing migraine in perimenopause. In fact, she recommended it over other types of hormone replacement therapy. In this video, I share what I learned about using NuvaRing in perimenopause.

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ckhdesign Member
 Thanks so much for posting about this! I can't tell you how unhelpful my gynecologist has been about the Nuvaring and menopause. This is wonderful to hear that it is used as hormone replacement therapy, and that I don't need to stop it instantly. I'm 51 and have been using the Nuvaring continuously for about 20 years, after a fantastic gynecologist said it would be a great help with my migraines. I've since moved and my new gyn insists that I've gone through menopause and "just won't admit it" or that I'm having hot flashes "and just won't tell her." It's so aggravating, as I am not the sort to hide what's going on from a doctor. I dread my yearly exams because we'll have exactly the same conversation. Her final sally is always that I have to get off of the Nuvaring because it's too dangerous to take at my age. Except that I don't smoke, I don't have high blood pressure, I'm not obese, nor do I have any of the other factors that make blood clots more common. Plus Nuvaring has a very low incidence of blood clots compared with pills because it is released locally. I never thought to ask my migraine doctor for a gynecologist recommendation. You were smart. I had been planning to talk to a different gyn who is qualified by NAMS (North American Menopause Society), since most medical schools don't spend much time on menopause. Now I don't feel quite so "under the gun" to do so. Again, thanks for posting. It's such a confusing world out there when it comes to menopause, and migraines make it even more confusing. There's no way I could go back to the life I led before Nuvaring. It was brutal. Take care, Charlotte 
1. ckhdesign Member
 <inline-mention username="Melissa.Arnold" user-id="3827796"/> Thanks, Melissa. You're right. I definitely will not go back to this doctor. Time to move on!
2. Melissa Arnold Community Admin
 We support whatever choices you make, chk. Wishing you all the best in your search -- definitely keep me posted! -Melissa, <a href='https://migraine.com' target='_blank'>migraine.com</a> team
Kerrie Smyres Moderator & Contributor
<inline-mention username="ckhdesign" user-id="3704026"/> Thank you for sharing your experience! It's nice to know I'm not alone in this, too. Finding a new doctor who knows more about menopause sounds like a great idea. It's so frustrating to be dismissed, especially when you're the only one who knows what the migraine attacks were like before you started the NuvaRing. 
1. ckhdesign Member
 <inline-mention username="Kerrie Smyres" user-id="3788609"/> Thank you for making the video and sharing your experience. It's invaluable information. I had to go on birth control because otherwise I might get 3-4 periods a year, tops. Instead of being PMS free for a couple months, it meant I had continual PMS with migraines. Hah! It's amazing when you realize what you once put up with. When I was watching the World Migraine Summit a month or so ago, I don't remember any talks on migraine and menopause or perimenopause. That would be a great topic to have a specialist address next year. 
2. Nancy Harris Bonk Moderator
 <inline-mention username="ckhdesign" user-id="3704026"/> Thank you for your kind words!! Good to hear Kerrie's video resonated with you. Good idea to bring this up at MWS. Wishing you a low pain day, Nancy Harris Bonk, Patient Advocate/Moderator