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[Delilah]

Hi all,
New to the site and desperate for some info please   I'm 49, married with 4 children and started on HRT last September after a very difficult 10 months of feeling like my life was over.  I had the symptoms that most women associate with the menopause and thought very naively that that would be it   Then the anxiety attacks/adrenilin rushes started and I honestly thought I was going mad, I just had no idea how bad these can be. I've had days of constant crying and just not knowing what to do with myself.  At the moment I'm taking Trisequens HRT and Mirtazapine for the anxiety.  I've had a good run of 5 weeks feeling 'normal' and now suddenly have had 5 days of crying, waking with adrenilin at 3am and feeling terrible.  After looking through the list of HRT preps I've noticed that mine contains 2mg of Estradiol for 22days of the month but then drops to 1mg for the last 6 days which is during the time I get a period.  This has coincided with my 5 days of feeling awful so I'm now thinking of asking my GP to change to Femoston 2/10 which is a constant 2mg Estradiol.  Has anyone else been on Trisequens and had this problem and can anyone also let me know how they are getting on with the Femoston 2/10. 

I really appreciate any help as I'm sure like everyone else this menopause thing has really turned my life upside down.
Thanks so much for any comments, this site is a godsend.

[Joyce]

    &   

Goodness poor you.  I'm only on oestrogen as I've had a hysterectomy so don't know much about your HRT.  Though sure someone will pop by soon with good advice.  You're in the right place.  Lots of advice & support.

[smudgesmum]

I am on Femoston 2/10 and it keeps me on an even keel most of the time but I still have blips now and then with anxiety etc

Smudgesmum x

[Bette]

Hi Delilah
 
I'm on Femoston 2/10 and doing very well on it. Norethisterone (the prog. in Trisequens) causes problems for some ladies and many seem to find the prog. in Femoston "kinder." I hadn't realised that there was an HRT with different amounts of est. at different times of the month - seems a bit strange. 
I'm a bit "odd" as I realised that I felt more anxious when on the est.-only part of my HRT, so my gp put me on the prog.only mini-pill as well and the combination suits me. It also acts as a contraceptive. 
I well remember the adrenaline rushes during the night - horrible.  Pre_HRT, I was getting that every hour but steady est. seems to have sorted them.
I'd say that it's worth trying Femoston and keeping a symptom diary to see how you get on. When I changed to it, I did have a few "blips" during the first couple of months but they settled.
Bette x

[Hurdity]

Hi Delilah

Welcome from me too!

I think the Trisequens is designed to mimic the natural cycle a bit more - during the last week of the menstrual cycle the oestrogen and progesterone levels drop dramatically so this is what happens on the red tablets. It may just be the progesterone withdrawal giving classic pre-menstrual symptoms that is causing you to feel bad - I would be surprised if the reduction in oestrogen would cause this so quickly, but of course we are all different. The prog reduction will cause symptoms in most women who suffered pms - and to be expected when we are still having a cycle - even though artificially maintained!

If you always feel OK on the white tablets ( the ones with norethisterone) then maybe you are not sensitive to this progestin itself (as many women are - can cause headaches), but just the withdrawal.

As Bette says - worth trying another one and if you feel bad during the prog phase - then that HRT doesn't agree, and if you feel bad after withdrawal as with Trisequens ( ie soon after you start the oestro only - when your bleed will occur) then you'll know it's that ( ie the prog withdrawal). But at least you will then have a constant higher oestro dose - which is good. In our natural cycle the actual oestor levels are much higher than on HRT so it's not as if you will be giving yourtself unnaturally high doses! Many of us would like to use more if we could!

Hurdity x 

[darklady121]

hi im on elleste solo 2mg plus have the mirena coil fitted which gives me the prog i need,these seem to work well for me,i still have the occasional anxiety attack and adrenalin rush in the early hours but nothing in comparison to the way i was,i like you seriously thought i was going mad,nobody told me it would be like this lol xxx

[Delilah]

Thank you everyone for your kind welcome and advice.  I'm actually having a good day today (touch wood) and hopefully this will last now until the end of this next cycle.  I've decided to see my GP tomorrow and ask if I can swap to the Femoston 2/10.  I'm convinced that its the drop to 1mg of oestrogen thats causing my symptoms to recur.  I've kept a diary for the last 3 months and there definitely seems to be a pattern, I'm fine on both the 2mg oestrogen and the oestrogen and progesterone phase, but towards the end of the 1mg oestrogen only I feel like I'm back to square one. I hope changing to a different progesterone doesn't cause any problems.   Nothing seems to be plain sailing with this menopause does it.  I was feeling so well I thought I'd cracked it and it definitely knocks you back when all your symptoms reappear.  I like to plan ahead and know whats happening in my life not have all these unexpected curve balls being thrown left right and centre.  I dont know about the rest of you but its certainly given my confidence a massive knock.  I feel like I've aged over night and just don't feel like the same person anymore. 
My doctor told me my symptoms were a bit extreme when I first saw him but from what I've read on here there are others who are having just as difficult if not a far worse time of it than I am and there are probably a lot more women out there suffering.  I'm amazed how little I knew about something so life changing and how this just doesn't seem to be talked about.

Anyway enough of the self pity, I'll keep up to date and let you all know how I get on.  Thanks so much everyone who replied to me I really appreciate the help. 

[alibongo]

hi delilah, i am also new to this website, readin your post i can sympathise with how u feel especially with the adrenalin rushes and anxiety during the night, im slightly different because i had partial hysterectomy 4 years ago and my symptoms started 12 mths ago , i know what you mean about ageing i compared some photos i had taken at xmas time and back before i had my hysterectomy and i look like ive aged 10 years so much for being in the prime of your life i feel like im ready for the knackers yard lol.
keep smiling
alibongo x

[Tracy Wood]

Hi Alibongo,

Welcome to the site.  Are you on any HRT at the moment?  I hope you get as much help and laughter from this site as I do.  Tx

[JJ]

Hello Allibongo, meno is the pitts isnt it. Youll get lots of help here x

[Christine662]

Hi Delilah

 

Stumpy xx

[ruth]

it does seem like people need several tries at hrt before they find the right one. if this isn't working for you you can only move onwards (and, i hope, upwards). Good luck.

[Delilah]

Good morning to everyone and thanks so much for your replies.  I'm going to sound really dramatic now but please can someone tell me theres a light at the end of this tunnel.  I feel like I'm back to square one, so much for my positiveness a couple of days ago.  I'm back to that terrible feeling of dread first thing in the morning when I wake up, a mad rush for the loo, wretching but not being sick and a feeling of everything being wrong with the world.  Does this really get better, is there someone who's been in this boat and is now back to 'normal'? Please tell me this isn't it for the next 5 years or so.  As I said I've been on HRT for 4 months and also take Mirtazapine which is an antidepressant for these anxiety attacks and was feeling much better but about a week ago everything went backwards.  I dont know whether I'm coming or going.  My daughters just told us she's expecting twins and I'm so pleased but this is stopping me feeling like I know I would normally.  I need to be on top form for her but I just feel like a wreck.  Is it just a matter of waiting for the HRT to really build up or should I be trying other things as well.  I'd really appreciate some positive thoughts from anyone.  Sorry for rambling 

Delilah x

[Bette]

I had all those symptoms (and then some), Delilah and yes, they all went once I'd settled on HRT and two years down the line, I'm feeling great. 
The improvement on HRT was gradual, though. Some things improved quickly but things kept improving for at least a year and "blips" became gradually less regular. The emotional symptoms did take longer to go. I had the rushing to the loo and wretching thing and think that it was connected to my (longterm) IBS and the anxiety which I developed with peri.
I do think that it might be worth you trying Femoston 2/10 from what you've said in your other posts.
Bette x

[darklady121]

hi delilah,there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel,just hang on in there,i was exactly the same last year,i was a gibbering wreck,im not 100% yet but im getting there thankfully xxxx