Estradiol topical and Headaches: What Users Say

• Man...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 12, 2021

Vagifem (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "Worst 'medication' I've ever had. Horrific headache, couldn't even get up out of bed safely the day after one and only application, extreme nausea and dizziness, next few days spotting, vaginal pain, burning for the next two weeks until I took some acid regulators. Subsequently have been sleepless, extremely low on energy, cystitis, cold sore - basically everything saying the body's taken a beating. One pessary. Still battling it four weeks later. Never again."

• Lea...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 13, 2020

Imvexxy (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "I have been taking Imvexxy 10mg twice a week for about 10 months now. I had dryness on the outside of my personal area, more so than the inside dryness. I'm 64 with a healthy sex life. My husband thought it made me too lubricated and he didn't care for it. After two months, I noticed night sweats and some hair loss along with slight headaches. Mostly the night sweats were my big problem. I adjusted to 1 time a week of the 10mcg for a month, but still had night sweats. Now, I have been totally off Imvexxy for two weeks and noticed the night sweats have lightened up a bit. I am going to continue to stay off for 6 weeks to see if there is a big difference with the night sweats, hoping they disappear completely. I did not have this problem before I was on Imvexxy. The reason I was checking out these reviews was to see if anyone else had these same side effects. Please let me know if you do."

• InP...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 28, 2019

Estrace Vaginal Cream (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "I am 53 and had a complete hysterectomy 27 years ago and have been taking oral Premarin. Dr. Put me on the Estradiol patch which gave me headaches, so we just stopped all HRT. A few weeks later, I developed a UTI and had extreme vaginal and urethra pain. I was put on Estradiol Cream which irritated all of my skin, so they switched me to Estradiol vaginal tablets. I have been using it for 10 days and I am burning, aching, and it feels like something is stuck in me. I do not like this cream and am wondering if the Premarin cream would work better. I keep wondering if this pain will ever go away. Has anyone had symptoms for over 10 days while using the cream?"

• Gal...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 18, 2020

Vagifem (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "I am in my late 60s and for the past few years have suffered at least 6-7 urinary tract infections a year. The urologist suggested using Vagifem as directed and apart from headaches and nausea for the first few days, I have not had any problems. My urinary tract infections have dropped significantly to 1-2 a year. I now only use it once a week and find this sufficient for keeping everything comfortable. I live in the UK, so my prescriptions are free. I will continue using it for as long as my general practitioner is happy to prescribe it."

• Kim...
• September 16, 2020

Imvexxy (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "After dealing with atrophy following a total hysterectomy, my doc suggested Imvexxy. Let's start with the positives: It DID what it was supposed to do, painful sex vanished after using it only a week and a half and I felt better in the nether regions. Now for the 'not so' positives: I noticed my hair thinning and had a slight headache. In the second week, I noticed a rash on my arms (elbow down) and legs. My family doc treated me with steroids, but it started right back following treatment. I decided to stop Imvexxy on a hunch, and after nearly two weeks, the rash began to fade. When I mentioned this to my gyn, she said you must be allergic to coconut oil... I use coconut oil every day with no issues. The ONLY thing different before all this mess was starting Imvexxy. Bottom line, if anyone did have a rash after this medication and was told 'That's not the cause.' by their doc, you are not alone. I am trying another (non-hormonal) product as it had some good reviews... just to see."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 6, 2012

Vagifem (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "At first I didn't have any side effects, but the longer I have taken this medication, I have been experiencing headaches. I never used to get headaches before, and I have had bloating in my abdominal area."

• Anonymous
• February 20, 2012

Vagifem (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "Vagifem greatly helps me with my atrophic vaginitis. I was having extreme burning and pain. I only wish I did not have to take this the rest of my life like my doctor advised me. The medication sometimes gives me a slight headache."

• Sas...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 13, 2020

Imvexxy (estradiol) for Dyspareunia "I have been taking Imvexxy 10 mg twice a week for 6 months now at night before bedtime. It has not helped at all with painful intercourse and dryness. My dr told me not to expect instant results and to try it for a few months. I had also hoped for at least a small bump in libido, but nothing. I usually get a slight headache the day after using, and there is some external burning as well. My hair feels thinner. I don't like having to insert the capsule manually; it's awkward and I never feel that I've inserted it far enough. Have not had any of it come out, though. I also feel that I may be starting a yeast infection. This is not for me, and I will discontinue after this month."

• Anonymous
• July 14, 2009

Estrace Vaginal Cream (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "I'm a 41-year-old woman who went into early menopause two years ago. Vaginal dryness and all the other wonderful symptoms of menopause are not something that I would like to deal with at my age, but sometimes we can't control. So, my doctor prescribed Estrace, and I use 1mg 2x a week. I was told that it would take about 6-8 weeks before seeing a difference. At the end of that time frame, I saw only a slight difference in vaginal dryness but many side effects. I had headaches, dizziness, bloating, and calf pain."

• Sus...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 26, 2023

Vagifem (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "I used Vagifem for atrophic vaginitis for 8 years. I experienced hair loss, weight gain, breathlessness, painful headaches, and extreme shoulder pain resulting in limited mobility in my arms. I have also developed an abnormal heart rate resulting in atrial fibrillation and high blood pressure. My doctor advised me to stop using it. On stopping, all of the above symptoms disappeared. I think this medication is highly toxic for some women and should be monitored more closely by your doctor."

• ABK...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 24, 2020

Imvexxy (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "My Dr. wanted me to take this every night for two weeks. I had to discontinue use after 4 nights. When I would get up in the morning, there was so much discharge. I had a horrible headache the entire four days that I took it. It made my rosacea flare up. I felt tired and run down, and my body felt sore."

• old...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 15, 2014

Vagifem (estradiol) "This medicine helped my dryness greatly, and I can once again enjoy great sexual relations. However, being a migraine sufferer to begin with, this medicine has really magnified my headaches and the number I get each month. I would love to continue using it for the effectiveness, but can't be nonfunctional due to the number and severity of my migraines."

• Gen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 4, 2021

Vagifem (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "I am 65 years old, and my last period was 12 years ago. I never had any real issues with menopause, one of the very lucky ones, I realize. I was prescribed Vagifem 2.5 months ago. I did the prescribed one tab daily for two weeks, then one tab twice a week. It was prescribed to address a prolapse from the rectal side of my vagina. I was hesitant because of the amount of breast cancer on my dad's side of the family (daughters of his brothers). I was also warned about breast density on the report of my last mammogram. The doctor and intern basically blew off my concerns, saying it was a very mild medication. So, since then: I have this awful yellow discharge, which I never had before; I am gaining weight and am very bloated; I now wake up at 3 a.m. with massive headaches and a pounding heart; I cry easily now. None of those things bothered me before. I've been using 5 mg melatonin for sleep most nights and always had really good sleeps until I took this stuff. I am taking myself off of this."

• Tam...
• October 12, 2020

Imvexxy (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "I’m 51 and been in menopause for a few years. Imvexxy and progesterone 100 mg have helped me 100 percent! I have been taking both for 2 weeks, and intercourse is comfortable and pleasurable. I had a few headaches the first week. No other side effects. My husband and I couldn’t be happier with the results of Imvexxy. He thinks my breasts feel larger than before too. Thankful customer."

• Swe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 5, 2020

Imvexxy (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "I just started my 3rd month of using the 10 mcg insert of Imvexxy. The dryness has been completely reversed, which in turn stopped my chronic BV. Yay!! However, I've been feeling nauseous and crampy with a mild headache for the past 6 weeks. I also seem to be experiencing more hot flashes and night sweats. I don't want to believe it's the Imvexxy causing this and the low back pain, but since nothing else has changed, and I take no other medications, I can only assume it is the Imvexxy. I am almost 60 yrs old and have been in menopause for 8 yrs or so. I keep thinking these symptoms will go away, but they actually may be worsening. I'll likely finish using the rest of this prescription but not renew it."

• Mar...
• December 9, 2020

Vagifem (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "Have been using Vagifem pessaries for 12 days. Experienced headaches initially, but these seem to have disappeared. I now have severe lower back pain, like period pain, which I haven’t had since my periods stopped 6 years ago. The pain is so severe I cannot bend down or lower my body. I also seem to have flu-like symptoms and am incredibly thirsty. I bought this product as I cannot have sex without great discomfort and wanted to try it out. I have informed my GP, as I wanted to be prescribed these pessaries if the outcome was good. On the plus side, my vagina is plumper and becoming moist, so lubrication is a lot better, but unfortunately, the lower back pain is intolerable. I think I may be extremely sensitive to these pessaries even though they are a low dose, 10 mcg. I will no longer continue using Vagifem as I feel very debilitated. I wish there were some kind of alternative, one that doesn’t cause severe lower back and period pain."

• Not...
• October 7, 2015

Estrace Vaginal Cream (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "I have been using 1 mg every night for 12 days and am not sure if I can tolerate my side effect symptoms much longer to see if the cream actually works to diminish extremely painful intercourse due to dryness. I now have very tender breasts, a constant mild headache, and swelling, tenderness, and dryness of the external genitalia almost since the first day that I started using the cream. The only good effect so far is that my libido does seem to be heightened. So now I feel 'sexy' again but can't do anything about it because of all my discomfort! I plan on continuing to use the cream at every third day intervals for 2 more weeks to see if my side effects subside. If I am still miserable, I will stop the medication and look for a non-prescription vaginal moisturizer as my last hope for a continued sex life."

• Hys...
• September 27, 2017

Estrace Vaginal Cream (estradiol) for Atrophic Urethritis "Yesterday was the first time I used Estrace Vaginal Cream. I have experienced burning and throbbing. I will not use it again. My co-pay was $146.73. Wish there would have been samples. I could have saved the money."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 21, 2020

Imvexxy (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "I tried Imvexxy for 4 weeks and then tried Intrarosa for 4 weeks and decided on Imvexxy. I have been on it for 2 months now and am very pleased. The first 2 weeks, I had a mild headache pretty immediately after using the drug, but thankfully I no longer have this side effect. A big bonus has been much better sleep since taking Imvexxy. The Intrarosa also worked for the vaginal dryness, but also was more cumbersome with daily usage requirements and also made it hard to fall asleep at night."

• Lic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 2, 2019

Yuvafem (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "I took one dose of this medication and thought I was having a heart attack or stroke. Severe anxiety. Profuse sweating. Nausea. Awful headache. Insomnia. Racing heart. Shortness of breath. Worst thing ever. I will never ever use this again. I have reported to the FDA."

• Von...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 8, 2021

Vagifem (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "I started Vagifem 10 mg 7 days ago for pain and dryness down below. It has not helped, in fact, it’s made it worse: painful back and stomach, sore head. I spoke to my GP about the issues I was having and was told it can’t cause backache, etc. I’m not convinced after reading some of the reviews here, so I am not taking it anymore to see if it stops. If it is the cause of this, it’s a horrible drug. I will come back with an update. Take care, everyone."

• MsJ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 13, 2019

Estring (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "This product might work for some, but I found it so uncomfortable I removed it in a few days. I did get cramps and a headache too, but the discomfort was the reason I took it out. Also, the $90 for 3 months with insurance was too much. ($500 without insurance!) I will try something else."

• Dda...
• March 18, 2019

Estring (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "I have had side effects of cramping, lower abdominal tenderness, and bloating. Some dryness relief but not all. Slight headache. Not the best after 3rd week, I will give it at least 6 weeks, then I'm done. A little disappointed since I've tried everything and can't afford laser treatment."

• MBC...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 12, 2021

Vagifem (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "I've been using Vagifem off and on for over 20 years. I suffer from severe vaginal atrophy, pain, burning, itching, constant discomfort. Sex is impossible. I can only use it when things get really bad due to previous breast cancer. But if I could, I'd be on it all the time. I sometimes get headaches from it, but it's well worth it to me."

• KBA...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 24, 2021

Estring (estradiol) for Atrophic Vaginitis "So far, so good! I'm 63 and started using Estring as an alternative to either the dryness and severe vaginal irritation, or the headaches and hot flashes I was getting from using Estrace vaginal cream. I felt that the cream always was either overdoing it or underdoing it. With Estring, so far, I feel fantastic! No problem inserting, and I do not feel it. No headache for me, plenty of lubrication, and feeling good!"