Does anyone have any experience using progesterone to treat migraine related vertigo? I am 52 years old and have been menopausal for 18months. I used to get a monthly menstrual migraine for 30 years, never with vertigo. now I have very few headaches, but chronic vertigo. Dealing with this for about 10 months, saw a neuro-otologist at Dartmouth Hitchcock hospital in NH who believes I have MRV as my underlying condition. I did have vestibular neuritis and BPPV which have resolved with vestibular rehab and Epley maneuver, but this chronic vertigo remains, very hard to use my eyes, typing this post is challenging. This MD suggested progesterone. Any thoughts? Thanks.
Kathy
Hi Kathy,
I think hormonal balance is key rather than say blasting yourself with progesterone.
For example, I read a study done to examine the estrogen/migraine connection and the conclusion
drawn was blood serum levels of estrogen above 100 pg/ml is protective and below 50 pg/ml is in the migraine zone.
Well, menopaual women are easily going to be below 100 pg/ml unless they supplement estrogen.
I’m perimenopausal and I’m even below 100. I’m abnormally low, actually.
I too have vertigo problems and I tell ya, progesterone made me WORSE.
I took a 50 mg compounded oral pill of progesterone and I thought I was going to die.
But then that’s because I didn’t have enough estrogen to balance it.
One of the symptoms of excess progesterone is dizziness. (Picture blasting a fly with a cannon. Same effect)
I think the reason women get migraines from HRT is the dose of estrogen is too damn low.
I used a low dose estrogen patch a year ago and my head was pounding 24 hours a day.
Heather
Trial and error I think.
I am now 55 and post menopausal. I had a lot of problems in menopause, caused by too much oestrogen to progesterone. Yet, whenever I tried progesterone, I got worse heads, slept all day and dizzy. I also think it depends on what type of progesterone you use.
Now, my progesterone is rock bottom and my oestrogen was 42 last tested. I suffer from really bad insomnia now and I am wondering whether to try the progesterone cream in very small amounts.
Best Wishes
Christine
Christine,
Some women have tried the progest cream by Emeritus (spelling?)
It’s supposedly weaker than the heavy duty stuff. I have not tried it.
I 50 mg pill of progesterone knocked me on my ass. The whole damn room was swaying!
I’ll never do that again. My body is so sensitive to any drug it’s absurd.
Been trying oral estrogen and that is making my tremors and anxiety worse. Lol.
I mean, this is silly. There has got to be something my body will accept without wild side effects. 
Heck if you have a constant level of 42 pg/ml thats better than me and I haven’t even hit meno yet!
My levels have gone < 5. All hell breaks loose when my estrogen is so low. I may as well be in a coffin at that point.
Heather
Heather, if your body is like mine, there is nothing I can take without horrible side effects. I have a friend who was like this and reckoned it was weak adrenals and has taken hydrocortisone he for the last few years and can tolerate more meds, but I got bad reaction to that as well.
I tried 4 different HRTs which gave me nausea, bad heads, worse dizziness etc. when I was going through menopause. Tried the emerit
stuff, the oestrogel (my friend is good on that), not me. If you are talking about the internal jitteriness and anxiety at night, maybe palpitations, I found that 10 mg propanalol stops that (one of the rare things that helps and I can tolerate).
Best Wishes
Christine
One of things that has not stopped is the constant banging of what I can only assume is my heart through my back.
It drives me insane. I have not had any peace in a year since my hormonal crash.
I can’t even watch TV in peace. BANG BANG BANG. Then my body rocks back and forth on really bad days.
I mean just how screwed up can a woman’s cardiological system get?
Heather
you hear the bang or you feel the bang?
Feel it.
Just another type of motion I’ve had enough of. There’s got to be a cardiologist somewhere who knows why this is going on.
I can’t live with it for another 30 years. I am at my wits end after one year!
Heather
yea, but is it a cardio thing or is it another hypersensitivity in your body? like hyperacusis?
I could see the blood pulsate in my vision
I felt shots of adrenaline in my body all day long, yet my blood pressure and pulse rate were low
i don’t have to tell you about the auditory hypersensitivities
What IS your BP and HR?
Funny you ask. I have no business with a heart rate at 93 when A) I’m not even smoking anymore. B) I have Benzos in my body and Benzos bring down BP and HR.
I’m starting to wonder if I’m anemic. I pulled more vials of blood in the last month than you can imagine, testing hormones so frequently.
Christ, if I wasn’t using Benzos would my HR be over 100— I sure hope not. BP is 120/80 now, but mine is usually way too low at 90 or 85/60.
If aything I get low BP symptoms. When my estrogen is wildly fluctuating, My BP and HR fluctuate as well.
The heart thing started immediately after my hormones plummeted. It was one of the first symptoms.
When estrogen is taken from the body in a very rapid and abnormal fashion, it’s going to hit your cardio hard.
Most women don’t collapse on the ground from their hormones crashing. I did.
Heather
You’re a hormone anomaly
I’m in hormonal hell.
Interesting discussion. I too am going through menopause - scanty periods, hot flashes, night sweats…and this all started 6 years ago when I was 42. My MAV was diagnosed last December. I looked into hormone balancing as a possible help, and was seriously considering private help for progesterone treatment, convinced that all my symptoms were linked to oestrogen dominance. However, searching internet I found this article
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17609999 which seems, in my completely non-medical understanding, that MAV is actually linked to progesterone hormone. If anybody out there is an informed medical person, it would be interesting to have their feedback!! 
I am trying to get a full text of that article from pub med, I am a Nurse practitioner and have been searching for something to support using progesterone with MAV. When I can get access to the full article and read it I will re post my opinion.
Great! Look forward to your feedback. 
Hi Ali,
I did get the full text of the article on “Association of Progesterone receptor with MAV”. I have read it several times, and I am a nurse practitioner, but I am not a geneticist, so it was a bit confusing. My impression as well as my naturopathic doctor I see thinks that what they are saying is MAV is associated with people (women) who have more of the progesterone receptor genes. Since progesterone really drops off in menopause, these receptor sites are left empty. hence the vertigo symptoms. My doctor has suggested I try some natural progesterone in the form of Progon B (pellets). I think I am going to give it a try.
My vertigo symptoms started one year after having my last period. I used to get a migraine headache almost every month for 30 plus years just before menstruation, headaches got worse around my late 40’s then stopped after I stopped menstruating. Now I have daily vertigo for one year.
I am going to place a call to the Neuro-Otologist I saw at Dartmouth-Hitchcock hospital and get his opinion. He was the one who suggested the progesterone before trying something like Topomax. Interestingly, Topomax is really an anti-seizure medication, and progesterone was used many years ago to treat seizures.
I will keep in touch as I learn more. I hope you are heading to wellness.
I welcome anyone’s experience with treatment using natural progesterone, or you has read this article.
Kathy
Thanks for all the feedback on the MAV article. I would be really interested to hear about your experience if you try the progesterone supplement. I am currently (on advice from GP) coming off lamotrigine and it is pretty rough! Now I can’t tell if my symptoms are withdrawal from the medication, or the good old MAV symptoms shining through again …or a mixture of both. I’ve got an appt. at the Headache Clinic at the National Neurology hospital in London at the end of this month. I was referred there by the neurotologist consultant I’ve been seeing there since last December. Interesting to see what the headache guru’s suggest. I know I’ve only tried two meds. so far, but I do get concerned about side effects. Anyway, keep us posted.
Hi,
I wanted to let you know that Ii have started the natural progesterone in the form of Progon-B. I will post and keep you informed to my response. I am starting with a low dose, and I am working with a naturopathic physician. We’ll see. I am continuing to take magnesium as well as B-12, folic acid and Co Q-10. I have been having PT on my neck with craniosacral therapy… really hopeful there will be a change for the better. Welcome any other experiences.
Kathy
Thanks,
As you can see, we are all interested in alternative (other than preventative) ways to treat this monster.
Keep us posted!
Julie
Hi,
I had previously posted about using Natural Progesterone to treat MAV. As I posted, I have a thirty year history of menstrual migraine. I am 52 years old, and almost 2 years with no menstrual period. My monthly headache went away pretty much after my last period, but then almost one year after my last period I began with vertigo. I still have an occasional headache component to the MAV, but primarily daily vertigo, worse with visual provocation.
The Neurotologist I saw recommended progesterone, Itried it 2 weeks ago under the direction of a Naturopath. I used a natural source, Progon-B. I took about 50mg daily ( 4 pellets) and it was way too much. My vertigo worsened. I stopped and re-consulted with my Naturopath who suggested I try one pellet which is about 12mg. I have been taking it now for a week and I feel better. Much less vertigo, sleeping better.
I believe for anyone who had menstruation as a major trigger for their migraine activity, or is in perimenopause/menopause, Natural Progesterone could be helpful. Balance is the key, finding what is the right dose for you. Of course I am still doing everything else. good nutrition, sleeping regular hours, slowly getting back to exercise. The only supplements I take are Magnesium, B-12/Folic acid, CO- Q10, and Fish oils. Still doing PT for my neck stiffness.
I hope this information can help someone, and let me know your experiences with Natural Progesterone.
Kathy