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[kerrieann]

silverlady,  i have been reading through some of your posts and set me wondering  iam 56 have never used hrt, been given patches but never used them i was too afraid as i smoke and iam over weight, my flushes have more or less stopped now only the occasional one which is nothing but my anxiety is never ending and i get so down, the other problem i have is back and joint pain (on another thread)  and so iam wondering if a very low dose patch would benefit me at all?   i havent had a hysterectomy  and have had no periods now for about 6 years, wonder what are you thoughts please.  thanks kerrie

[honeybun]

I am sure SL will reply when she looks in.

You would have to oppose the oestrogen with progesterone and use a conti patch. I presume by what you say that your periods have stopped so they would not give you a sequi HRT.
Using HRT could help your anxiety but be careful what progesterone you chose because it can increase the anxious feelings.
If you have a look at the green menu on the left it will let you see what is available for post meno. It could also help with your joint aches.

Honeyb
X

[kerrieann]

the joint pain is my major concern as its stopping me walking about without pain and as my blood tests have shown that its not arthritis and only some degeneration of the lower spine i dont know what else to think but hormones.   i have the patches upstairs so will go and see what they are and then find out if i could cut them down.  kerrie

[honeybun]

Why would you want to cut them. If they are the right ones...ie a conti patch then you would be best to try a full patch for a while. Don't think a reduced amount would make much difference.

Honeyb
X

[kerrieann]

i dont really understand all about the patches but i was reading on another link where silverlady was explaining that she was on a very low dose and some ladies mentioned cutting them down so as i said before i was very worried about using them as i smoke  i thought the smallest dose possible would be worth trying.   kerrie

[Rowan]

Kerrieann I am on a very low dose patch but as  have had a hysterectomy I don't have to use progesterone/progestin. To be honest I still have joint pain as you know, estrogen is very good at preserving bone along with a good diet and exercise and it is said to reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis, but I have still had some problems.

My blood tests came back with no sign of inflammation too, but I have a feeling that osteoarthritis (wear and tear) does not show up in the tests.

I did mention to you that Boron increases hormone levels naturally, probably in the same way that alcohol does.

I think you should go back and see the GP who prescribed your patches and ask him for the lowest dose combined HRT which is progesterone friendly.

We don't have Menostar yet in the UK which is 0.14 and can be used without progesterone and those ladies who have not had a hysterectomy, in theory you could cut a .25 patch in half, if you are using a Matrix patch and not a Reservoir one , but its always best to check with your Doctor.

Smoking is not a good thing and you are probably fed up with hearing this, but it does use up your natural estrogen  and is not good for collagen at all.

Your doctor must have known you smoked and he still prescribed HRT for you so as I said you should go back to see him and discuss it.

Not sure if I have been of much use in this post.

When I said "alcohol" I meant what it contains e.g.  resveratrol, or hops.

[Taz2]

Kerrieann - although overall joint pain can be due to menopause you  mention "degeneration" of the spine. Most degeneration as we get older is caused by osteo-arthritis. Your blood tests would have been for rheumatoid arthritis which is a different condition. Which painkillers do you use for your joint pain?

Taz x

[kerrieann]

hi taz the gp first gave me tramacet  tramadol and paracetamol but and i will be honest i know of 2 people on them and they are having problems getting off them so i didnt use them and now they have given me 15/800 cocodamol which do space me out so i dont take the full dose of 2 four times a day.
i dont know if you read my other thread but iam still waiting to see a consultant for my back after they have decided that iam not in their system even though i have seen one consultant for my shoulder, so iam very frustrated waiting for my gp to sort this out they havent rung me today with any news so i will call them on monday.  kerrie

[Taz2]

If you are only taking half the dose it could be that you are not getting enough of the painkiller building up in your system to overcome the pain kerrieann. I can't take co-codamol as it makes me feel very spaced out too and I was also worried about becoming hooked on them. Maybe there is a different painkiller you can have if you explain how they make you feel?

I hope you get some good news on Monday about your back appointment!

Taz x

[kerrieann]

taz  never been certain how painkillers work i just take 2 paracetamol if i get a headache, if it doesnt go then i take 2 more, now, with this back and hip pain its constant, so question is do i have to just keep taking them every 4 hours to keep them in my system ?  ive not tried doing this as  i am not keen on taking pills all the time but would it make a difference if i took them constantly ?

What does everyone else do re. constant pain ?

[Hurdity]

Hi kerrieann

Sorry to hear about your pain - and I can't help with this although I understand it may be better to vary painkillers due to rebound effect ( they stop becoming effective after a while?).

Re the tiny dose of HRT. It would always be important to discuss with your GP about cutting patches to achieve this small dose - as silverlady suggested.

In fact even in America where Menostar is available it still recommends the use of a progestogen every 6 - 12 months together with a scan/biopsy at the slightest sign of any untoward bleeding - to prevent the possibility of endometrial cancer.

This is what is says in the prescribing leaflet for Menostar:

It is recommended that women who have a uterus and are treated with Menostar receive a progestin for 14 days every 6 to 12 months and undergo an endometrial biopsy at yearly intervals or as clinically indicated.

Many of us find that even 25 mcg patch (double the Menostar) is not sufficient to eliminate some menopausal symptoms. I have just reduced from over 6 years on 50 mcg patch to 37.5 mcg and I am just wondering if this is affecting my sleep - although it could just be the hot weather.

Hurdity x