Topamax was what my dr. wanted to put me on, it's dangerous Actually for epileptic seizures. I told him after they took MIdrin off the market(compounding pharmacies will sometimes make it) I wanted to try what 100 hrs of research on Internet told me. Children can not be given Imitrex as too dangerous so they have found that they can give even a 3 month old baby an herb from Germany called Butterbur, it has to be purified or could cause problems but my dr. didn't think much of it but I've gone to him for almost 40 yrs so he said he would look into it. He called back that night & said he had also found 3 more very reputable studies & recommended by American Pediatric & Surgeons Academy& said yes by all means try it & see how it works. It is supposed to take 3 mos to work. 1 week later I noticed when I put lotion on my hands that they weren't sore as usual(broke wrist while back) that was nice but didn't think it was helping with headaches but gradually I was able to reduce prescription med. So went from 8 Midrin(generic) down to about 4 a day & as summer came I could tolerate a little AC. still allergic to any kind of smoke, cigarette,BBQ, forest fire, they still messed over me good. But after being on butterbur for 2 yrs & 3 mos I sometimes don't need any to get through the day, if humid or in AC 1 or 2. Strange thing too, my hair as kid gave me headaches as so thick, I wore 3 ponytails 1 under the other to ease headaches, Often had stomach aches, but just thought it was sick mom, taking care of 4 little bros. etc. Didn't know anyone if family had migraines until went to specialist ,several actually & then found out 3 cousins on dad's side ,his 3 sisters, & his mom all had them. Was told to avoid all the triggers I could & I was like "bubble boy"(wonder if he ever got out of that thing) I could not figure out why when 100 degrees out I would be down flat sick for 2 days or more. Finally I heard same thing on news often enough that it rang a bell- strong winds coming up coast of Mexico expected to move on out towards Hawaii by later today- UH! Why am I sick every time storm off coast of CA. Nobody recognized that weather & barometric changes could make you sick. I kept insisting to point I would tell dr. storm was coming even before news reported it ,I told friends it was going to rain or get windy & they laughed & then came back & said" How did you know" So even with keeping track of what you eat staying away from nitrates,msg,bananas, all the things, there are unseen things like smoke or chemicals or weather changes that some of us can't deal with without getting migraine. Interesting that 3 mo. old baby has migraines(guess it's not imaginary as child too young to dream a migraine up- they can tell from MRI) So if you look up Butterbur get it at Whole Foods grocery by co. called Solaray out of Park City Utah. Health food stores didn't have it except mixed with feverfew(allergic to that) & I don't want any more junk in my body than I have to have to feell good. Oh, about the hair, got really thin with all the medicine, well about 3 mos ago I noticed I had hair flying around all over & everybody said, wow, your hair is getting long around your face(rest in bun) so I am getting more hair in on my head. What butterbur does is stabilize blood vessels so they don't go up & down all day & clears a lot of inflammation out of them. My sore veins from broken wrist no longer hurting showed me that it was actually working some after 1 week. It smells like a weed even through the clear capsule & comes in 50 mg ones. Take 3-4 a day I take with meals & it doesn't not react with anything else medicines or foods. Outside of adjusting to smell it's terrific. I'm about 80 % better than I was 2 yrs ago & I have been through so much stress with sick & dying parents, hospitals, rehab, etc Had I not started butterbur I would not have been able to care for my dad & now my mom. I've had 2 headaches bad enough to put me in bed for hours since 1st of year. Back then it would have been 2 times a week! It is reasonably priced also. Bottle of 60 last 20 days for little under $20. Since I don't use much prescription drug I get to keep all that money that went for it. I did see big bottles by this company on Dr. OZ 1 day & so probably easier to find it. Check it out yourself & if you have a child with migraines this is what they need to take & not bunch of prescriptions(will need them for awhile until this herb gets working in their system)

That sounds awful, that sounds like a good idea to at least look into taking it. The Mirena IUD is something else you could consider too. I've been having heavier and increasingly awful cramps and finally went to the doctor about it. She just told me to take more ibuprofin before my period started and to consider getting the Mirena IUD. I felt a bit brushed off, she gave me a pelvic exam but didn't test my hormone level or anything else. I hadn't heard about your periods getting worse when you get older-I'm forty one. Jen

Wow, its been almost 2 years since I originally posted..( I am this thread creator, my name was Mtn-Grl) .My periods are still the same, one month its just 2-3 days, very light, just spotting, and then after 2 weeks I get the heavy one that lasts 14-20 days. Very unconvienient, I am soaking through very fast. So I got my insurance back, went to the doctor. He sent me to the specialist. Checked for fibroids, turns out, they're too small to operate, the doctor didn't think its necessary to remove them. He found something else. The very thick layer of my inner uterus lining. He said its abnormal and in few weeks I'll be going to the surgical center, so they can get samples of my uterus. It freaked me out. Especially after my doctor said he did not like it. And, although this is the different doctor, he says I am not in peri stage yet. I really don't get it. I have all the symptoms. Plus even more now - my skin itches all the time. ( I moisturize it and take good care of my skin) but it itches every now and then. All over my body, my shoulders, my calves, my back etc. And the panic attacks, they got worse, too. I am at work, talking to the customer, smiling and joking, friendly conversation and suddenly BAM, I feel tingling in my face and this weird feeling in my head like I am disconnected from the world around me. So I rub my forehead in embarrassment ( I have a feeling that people could see my fear ) drink a lot of water ( which I have with me at all times, it helps) and try to convince myself "Its just a stupid panic attack" Sometimes it goes away, sometimes it lasts longer. I am terrified of passing out and losing consciousness , it happened to me before - for no reason at all. SO I am always scared it will happen again. Sometimes I cannot take a deep breath, my stomach hurts and I have to run to the bathroom. And everything seems to be all right, my blood sugar, my blood pressure and heart rate. I would be really happy to know that I am entering perimenopause, then I could blame everything on it but the doctors say that's not it. Well, lets see what they say after they take my uterus samples. For now I just have to live with it. Trying to think positive :)

Hi Linda, Sorry for your problem. Dizziness is awful. Do you think you need a second opinion? Did you fall and hit your head before the dizziness started? Is there an ear-dizziness expert in your area? the doc I went to specialized in dizziness. Sometimes, it can be a problem with the otoliths in your inner ear. They are little pieces of gravel that help keep our balance. If they have gotten shaken out of place, you can remain dizzy. They are able to manipulate your head to get them back into place. I had sooooo much dizziness during perimenopause. It did seem to be related to my sinuses. I've heard alot of women going through perimenopause complain about their sinuses. I had a dizziness work up a couple years ago too. It started up after I had a colonoscopy. Long story short, it seemed to be caused by my GI tract losing all the good bacteria during the clean-out. After a couple months on a probiotic, the dizziness went away. I have since realized that when I abuse my GI tract, I get dizzy. Go figure. Anyhow......if I were you, I would get a second opinion. I can't make any promises, but I would be encouraged if I were you, that this might all correct itself, as you finish with perimenopause and stop having big fluctuations in your hormones. Good luck Linda!