I was only 45. I had one ovary left. Statistically I should have had at least 5 more years before thinking about "the change." Average age for the onset of menopause is 51. And so I figured it was some other trigger. I'd always had migraines during changeable weather...quick changes in barometric pressure would bring one on. Or stress. Big, quick stress...like being late for a very important event.
I've had a prescription migraine medication for several years. Imitrex was my drug of choice at first. But the hangover I would experience after the migraine was gone sometimes seemed worse than the headache itself. There were many times I would opt for the stabbing pain of a cluster headache over the nausea and fatigue I would have from the medication.
In 2005 my doctor switched me to Relpax and that seemed better. I still have a hangover from it, but it doesn't seem to last quite as long and I seem to need fewer doses to chase away the migraine too. But I've also gotten a bit better about taking the medication earlier. I used to sit and analyze the pain my head, wondering if it was a migraine or just a regular headache. During those times of contemplation, a migraine would just get worse and worse, to the point where taking the medication really didn't help that much. Now I keep a log of my menopausal symptoms and so I can usually figure it out by checking the log to see if it's "time."
Here are some links to online info about migraines and menopause
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