Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Tamol]

After much consideration I have decided to try HRT. I am just 51 and no periods for 8 months.
 My dilemna is should I go on cyclical or continous HRT.
 First MD said because you are not 1 year without a period go on cyclical, the other said well your almost there ( do you really want periods back) so go on continuos.
I dont mind having periods back if its a safer/better option to start with cyclical. I just want to make the best choice and will be going with patches...
Symptoms in order of severity INSOMNIA, Mood swings, Sweats, pelvic pain ( investigated all ok Gynae and Urological) , loss of memory, frequency and urgency, poor concentration.....Any help would be really appreciated.....Many Thanks..

[Hurdity]

Hi there Tamol

 

I would definitely try cyclical first given the choice. For one you are still not post-meno so could still get bleeding at odd times if put onto conti. Also it gives you the best chance to try out how you feel on the oestrogen only and then on the combi patch. If you feel unwell or unwelcome side effects on the combi then you can try a different progestogen. Bear in mind many women get pmt symptoms for a few days after coming off the progestogen and sometimes mistakenly think the side effects are due to the oestrogen itself. If you use patches with separate progesterone such as Utrogestan you get to take the prog for a shorter time (12 days max) than with the combi patches - which have progestogen for 14 days.

Hope this helps - HRT should improve if not eliminate those symptoms very quickly.

Hurdity x

[Tamol]

Hurdity,

Many Thanks for your reply. HRT is a bit of a minefield to figure out at first but at least I am narrowing it down now and want to get started soon. So is cyclical an oestrogen only patch and then a combi oestrogen/progesterone patch for 12 days per month? When do you eventually know when to go on continuos?
A work colleague mentioned an oestrogen only patch and then progesterone delivered by the insertion of a Mirena coil....I guess this is a form of continuos?
Sorry about all the questions!!! Im in the throws of it all at the moment!!!
I have been thinking about this for at least a year as my symptoms are going on that long and now reaching unbearable.
Ive tried estroven it helped for a while. I have not read through the forum but will do. My doctor gave me this website to look up....so got on to it straight away...
Thanks again....

[Hurdity]

Yes cyclical is as you say but the proprietary patches available (Femseven sequi and Evorel sequi) have prog in them for 14 days ( presumably to make it easier to remember re changing them over)

Look at menu on left under HRT preparations - peri-menopause, then scroll down to non-tablet.

Utrogestan is separate prog - taken for 12 days per month - orally but some of us use it vaginally.

Usually you could be put onto conti HRT when you reach age 54, and started cyclical HRT before you reached meno, as 80% (or similar - maybe more) have reached meno by this time. However some of us opt to continue with cyclical because we prefer it that way and have either bled at odd times on conti (even when post-meno) or don't like being on continuous prog ( like me and I'm 60).

Mirena is one option - some women love it, others react to the synthetic protgestogen and experience side effects. This is a form of continuous but given to women at any time as it is desgined to treat heavy periods. many women find periods actually stop with this - again no way of knowing when you actually reach menopause though!

Hurdity x

[pansypotter]

hello Tamol,
can't help you as really only you and your doctor can truly sort out which you should be on.Take her or his advice.