Migraines can affect the quality of your everyday life
Menopause symptoms affect everyone differently. If you’ve started to notice migraines, there’s help available so you can address them. Find out how hormonal and non-hormonal treatment can help you feel better throughout the day.
Reviewed by: Tanisha Malhi-James, Digital Pharmacist
Published: November 2025
Next review: November 2028
Menopause is the stage of life where you stop having periods (at least 12 months). This change happens as you reach the end of the reproductive period of your life (the time when you can have a baby) and your body produces less of the hormones called estrogen and progesterone.
The reduced levels of these hormones in your body can cause a range of symptoms that affect your physical and mental health.
For some women, migraines become more common.
Migraines during menopause are caused by changing levels of estrogen. For some women, menopause might be the first time they have migraines. For others, it might result in more frequent and severe migraines.
Migraines cause a range of symptoms, including:
- Pain in your head
- Light sensitivity
- Sensitivity to sounds and smells
- Auras (seeing flashing lights)
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Nausea (sickness) and vomiting
They can vary in length, but on average, they can last for 3 to 4 hours. Some migraines cause symptoms for up to 24 hours. You might also start to feel unwell or notice visual disturbances hours before you begin to have head pain.
If your migraines are affecting the quality of your life, it’s important to speak to your GP about it. They may suggest that you begin to take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to manage your symptoms. HRT works by replenishing your estrogen and progesterone levels.
HRT is also useful in treating other symptoms of menopause, including hot flushes, vaginal dryness, anxiety and sleep problems.
Some people cannot use HRT. This could be due to their personal choice or existing health conditions that make it unsuitable for them. If you can’t take HRT or don’t want to, your GP might recommend the use of SSRI or SNRI medications like escitalopram or venlafaxine. Even though these medicines are often prescribed as antidepressants, they are effective in treating migraines in people with or without mood or mental health conditions.
Yes. Adding regular exercise to your weekly routine can help reduce the severity and frequency of your migraines. If you are overweight, aiming to reach a healthy weight can also help.
Being overweight or obese can put your body into an inflammatory state where it produces more pain-related hormones. These hormones are associated with the pain you feel during a migraine. If you are able to reach a healthy BMI, you may be able to prevent your body from producing an excess of these pain-related hormones.
If you need help making changes to your lifestyle, you should talk to your GP or local pharmacist about it. They may be able to suggest approaches that work for your current routine.