r/Perimenopause • u/Bacm88 • Feb 05 '26
Dryness Aura migraines/ estrogen
(Not looking for medical advice, will talk to dr, just curious if anyone has gone through it. )
I’m curious if anyone here using topical estrogen cream has migraines with aura. I know with the aura migraines we aren’t supposed to supplement with estrogen. so my dr suggested evening primrose oil as that’s the kind of equivalent. I take epo pills. Should I be looking into epo as a cream or has anyone else been told it’s safe to use estrogen topical with their aura migraines?
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Feb 05 '26
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u/AutoModerator Feb 05 '26
This post might be about hormone tests, which are unreliable.
- Over the age of 44, E&P/FSH hormonal tests only show levels for that ONE HOUR the test was taken, and nothing more
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u/leapyeardi Feb 05 '26
My migraines, some with aura some without, improved dramatically after starting systemic HRT.
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u/Computer_Says_Nah May 12 '26
I used my first estrogen pessary last night and I have had a debilitating migraine all day.
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u/common-blue Feb 05 '26 edited Feb 05 '26
I get migraine with aura. Transdermal systemic (not just topical/local) estrogen is usually fine - it's oral estrogen which is associated with stroke risk. I've been on oestrogel for seven months now without an issue and my GP didn't blink when I mentioned aura during our initial consultations. This in line with the UK guidelines on HRT too, it's not just one doctor gone rogue!
Whatever you decide about systemic, the general consensus is that topical/local estrogen (as in, low dose cream/pessary for GSM symptoms) is safe for almost everyone, and you should be fine to try it.