Hi Kay,
I am a 56 year old woman and I have suffered from headaches and migraine since I was 16, therefore for about 40 years of my life. I have recently had a breakthrough but I will just tell you a bit about my history first. Throughout the four decades I have suffered from headaches and migraine, I have tried virtually everything as follows, and in rough timeline order: Anti allergy injection in case I was allergic to something; head X-ray; CT scan; acupuncture; healers; literally a head-full of botox; virtually every anti-migraine tablet and/or pain killer on the market, including beta-blockers. There has only ever been one pain killer that ever worked for me and until that came onto the market about 25 years ago I was in a terrible state. I was vomiting virtually every day and therefore could not keep down any food hardly and I started to become anorexic. I know this because my periods stopped, and the vertebrae on my back started to stick out. Then, luckily the painkiller I mentioned above became available in the UK - first on prescription (which was difficult because I needed so many of them), and then luckily it became available "over the counter". I moved to Australia 13 years ago and for years was having it posted out by family until I realised it was available here but under a different name, which was much easier, as you can imagine. (I don't think you have the same product in the US because I didn't find it in Hawaii).
Anyway, four years ago I went through menopause and I hoped that the headaches and migraine would get better, but in fact they got worse. My sister recently went to see a doctor who specialised in women's problems and hormones (she saw her about her thyroid) and she mentioned me and my migraines to the doctor and the doctor said it could be that my hormones were out of balance and they could have been all my life. So I had blood tests done and this doctor prescribed me a hormone cream and another hormone tablet based on my own personal readings, and within four days my headaches/migraines had improved to the following extent: In the past couple of months, instead of getting one headache every day, I was getting two. I would have one in the morning, take my normal selection of tablets, it would take the edge off the headache but not take it away completely, and then by the afternoon I would have another one and then another load of tablets. Sometimes through desparation I could have up to 14 tablets a day, and now I am down to one or two. I still get a headache every day but since being on this hormone medication I can take some medication and it will go. I am obviously thrilled to bits, but why did it take over 40 years for this? Why has no doctor EVER said to me "let's check your hormone levels"??? I know this may not help the men much, but ladies, please get your hormone levels checked. I didn't have any really weird hormonal problem, just an imbalance. For instance I had no problem falling pregnant with my two kids and I didn't have a beard! Sorry for the lengthy post but I am hoping that this may help someone else out there.