I never thought I'd say childbirth is easier than dealing with migraine...

Hi, I am 62 and have suffered with migraines since I was 17 and only 3-4 times a year and manageable but for the last 20 years they have become increasingly worse in frequency and intensity.

At the moment, I am on Amitriptyline as a preventative but still get 2 or 3 a week which are mostly relieved by either paracetamol with aspirin or if that doesn't work sumatriptan. I don't have any specific triggers but being out in hot weather can sometimes trigger them despite wearing sunglasses, a wide brim hat and keeping hydrated.

After trying almost every preventative and having an MRI scan, if this is the best that it gets, I'm prepared to live with it but would prefer not to have to suffer.

Good luck to you.

Weather is my main trigger. On rainy days or with cold fronts, I always get a migraine. I used to have them 1 time a month. Now it’s 5 out of seven days a week. I’ve been on most of the preventives but little help. I think you mean amitriptylene which is an antidepressant.  

There is a new preventative out in US. It’s made by Amgen. It’s called Aimovig, an injection, and supposed to significantly reduce frequency.  I’m waiting to get it. Good luck to you. 

   

Hi

Like you have suffered with migraines for many years and as i reached my late 40's they became much more severe and often. 2 years ago i went onto hrt and what a difference. I truly believe that as you reach the menopause and your hormone level of oestrogen drops your migraines get worse. 2 years on and i can count on one hand how many migraines i have had. Hrt patches have changed my quality of live. Hope this helps

Yes - I am also one whose migraines worsened during peri-menopause and now menopause. I didn't get migraines until I was 30 something. They would always precede the start of my period. I would never get them other than that. Now I get one every 10-12 days. They vary in intensity. Some brutally awful - others not as bad. They tend to last 24-36 hours and affect my whole system. I get nauseous and my neck pain is terrible. I don't take prescription because I also get heart palpitations/racing heart and am afraid of the side affects of the triptans. So I rely on tylenol, magnesium and a muscle relaxer. It gets me through but doesn't make it go away - just dulls it. I am seeing a neurologist next month to discuss other meds that may be an option.

YES!!! So much conflicting information out there. One gynecologist told me they would stop when I went thru menopause. Either she was lying or misinformed because they got much worse. I've learned quite a lot since then. Any dramatic change - be it in weather, hormones, sleep, stress, activity, etc can bring on a migraine. The body strives for homeostasis. I personally have had success using the alternative approach. I hate the side effects of drugs. Check for any imbalances - magnesium, serotonin, progesterone can all be low in menopausal women suffering from migraine. I also use essential oils - peppermint, lavender, and rosemary. Ice for the head and neck. And just plain R &R. Menopause is a HUGE transitional period especially if you have had a lot of trauma in the past. The body is trying to adjust to everything shifting at once. You WILL get thru this. Hang in there. Keep trying different approaches. Identify your triggers. The drs want to take the easy way out and throw a prescription at us, which does not get to the root of the problem. Too many of us have suffered, sad to say. But we are fighters who want to be healthy. You will be too. Keep us posted!

 

They are absolutely worse than childbirth! Not menopausal yet, but mine were also set off by hormones (pregnancy, and oddly, not even my first one). I did notice weather and chocolate made it a little worse, but when I stopped eating chocolate, I had two good weeks and then the headache came back. I have really low blood pressure that takes forever to go up in the morning, and it kind of seemed like the migraine was worse if I got up too fast. It was bad on weekdays and on the weekends when someone dragged me out of bed at seven-why-o'clock, but better if I miraculously got to sleep in. Never had a chance to get to a neurologist and figure out a treatment, because there's not much I can take and anyway it went away after three months. I hope that yours gets better once the hormones stop jumping around, and you find something that helps in the meantime!