I have always had migraines associated with my periods. I get terrible headaches, vomiting, and fatigue. I am 51 years old, and for the last 4-5 years they have changed into a drawn out event, with a less painful headache, strong nausea and exhaustion that can last for up to 6 days. I am a busy community nurse and I drag myself to work. This is a week that I now dread. I rely on caffeine (though I never normally drink any caffeinated drinks), and ibruprofen. I have been prescribed amyltriptaline but it gave me palpitations so I have stopped taking it. My periods are every three weeks or every six months. Some months I have no headache symptoms, which is a relief, but makes me wonder why? Any thoughts? I have given up on my GP as I don't like the side-effects of proscribed medicines. Will these symptoms increase with the menopause?

Period migraines are often cause by fluctuating levels of oestrogen affecting the blood vessels, which in turn, cause them to spasm and then trigger a migraine.

Unfortunately, in the menopause, the fluctuating levels of oestrogen are usually more pronounced which can make the migraines worse.

The months where you have no period will be the months when your oestrogen will be particularly low, so there may not be enough to trigger a migraine. This may indicate that once you are through the menopause, the migraines will stop!

Anything that helps to balance oestrogen may help you here. You could look at Menopause Support, or Black Cohosh, or Red Clover. Magnesium can often help as well, so a magnesium citrate supplement of 200mg twice a day would be worth trying.

Acupuncture is also known to help balance the hormones at this time, so it might be worth looking into.

Eileen Durward