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[Spangles]

Hi Ladies
 Does anyone still get anxious whilst taking HRT? I seem to go through 'blips' where I feel anxious for no apparent reason. I do suffer from anxiety and depression and take AD's for it and just lately I have felt ok on HRT until the last few days.  Would it be normal to get like this as my cycle changes? Are you still supposed to get PMT on HRT? I was lead to believe that HRTwas a wonder thing and would alleviate all these symptoms?
Sorry ladies if I have so many questions but this week is so different to last week!
Thanks
Shellb
xXx

[andius]

You didn't say how long you have been on HRT....that makes a difference.  If it is early days, you may need to hang in there a while.  If a long time, maybe meds need to be adjusted.

To much estrogen can make me feel "keyed up", sort of like too much coffee.
If I change my patch around dinner time, I can't get to sleep that night very well....with all things running through my head.

Progesterone is the calming hormone....I take it about an hour before bedtime and it helps!
If you are low on progesterone relative to estrogen, it can make you feel anxious.

Do you still need the AD's with HRT also?...maybe a discussion with your doctor is in order. Unfortunately we are all different in our needs so only you can judge what you "need".

A

[Spangles]

Hello Andius
Thanks for your reply, I have been on this particular HRT for six months now and was feeling really settled, I've been on the AD's for 11 years! I was wondering really if its normal to still get PMS symptoms on HRT?
Thanks
Shellb
xXx

[Taz2]

I have dreadful PMT on HRT Shellb. This has been one of the downsides of it for me but because it only lasted for around 10 days of each cycle it was still better than all of the other symptoms which HRT cured.

With me the progesterone Norethisterone definitely made me feel much worse. I'm not sure how you can say that progesterone is the "calming" hormone andius as for lots of women, me included, it is the progesterone element of HRT which does give a lot of women the PMT and anxiety symptoms - just as when you have "real" PMT before a period?

Taz

[Spangles]

Thanks Taz
That all sounds so familiar to me, I have always struggled with the prog phase, however I have found that the past couple of months the oestrogen phase has been worse? At the moment I feel I can hang in with it for a little longer as I really don't want to change again! Hopefully when I get up in the morning I may feel a little calmer, problem is with me though the anxiety feelings always upsets my tum and this takes ages to settle   :-
Thanks
Shellb
xXx

[andius]

Well, dizziness, drowsiness, depression and feeling like a "slug" is one of the most common side effects of progesterone. It is recommended to take it at night because of this reason. I am talking here about micronized progesterone and not the progestins. Many women can't even take the m. prog because they feel sedated from it.  I definitely felt that way on a combined HRT with norethindrone which I think is the same as norethisterone, but it is not much of a problem for me with m. progesterone.

Maybe the PMT is really from the drop in estrogen you get on the cycle, which is made worse by the rise (overriding) of progesterone? I never really had PMT, just some bloating before periods.  I am on a continuous regimen and haven't had a period in 3+years. 

A

[Taz2]

One of the good things for me about going further into meno was the cessation of PMT and when it started up again on HRT I just assumed that it was mimicking my natural cycle so it didn't seem such a bad deal really as I was used to it. The norethisterone eventually gave me really black moods though - partner used to call the second half of the month "The Mr Grumpy Patches" 

Taz