Taz - when you lay it all out like that it is no wonder you are feeling grumpy and miserable! What an unlucky run of illnesses and conditions.
The physical discomforts returning though lack of HRT (oestrogen) alone are enough to make anyone feel depressed, never mind all the other things - which may or may not have arisen because of stopping the HRT, but could also have been due to the stress you mention, which cannot help.
I would suggest what you are feeling is only natural and is not depression as such - but feeling low because of a multitude of things. I think it is important for you at the moment, to concentrate on one thing at a time - because otherwise all the problems and health worries can seem overwhelming, and lead to your wondering if you will ever feel lively again.
Personally I would steer clear of ADs because there are reasons for your feeling like this and when you have sorted them out, from what I know of you, you will surely feel much better. It would be a pity to come off HRT and then need to go on ADs in place of oestrogen.
So - do as much as you can to take care of yourself - your diet, exercise etc (I am sure you do a lot of the latter with all the school kids!) and then just look to the next thing. The kidney scan will let you know whether there is anything wrong there, and if all OK, you can then look to sorting out what might have caused the post-coital bleeding. Maybe an iron tonic would help build you up if you haven't eaten so well over the weeks you have been ill and under the weather?
In the meantime - yes you will definitely be very tired from having a long infection, antibiotics, a virus and a tooth infection - more than most people have in such a short space of time.
I really do think stopping HRT will have contributed to some extent - and I am puzzled as to why you and others on this thread are talking about having to stop at 60 but I realise it is absolutely a personal choice but you are very well aware of the benefits and current thinking is for the risks to equal the benefits between 60 and 70. As long as it is your choice not the doctor's! The longer you are off it the more diffcult it will be to persuade the doctors to allow you to re-start - but any woman who has to hold down a job should surely be entitled to continue with HRT? From what I have heard the more enlightened doctors understand this.
As for this being the new post-HRT you - it is far too early to say because of all your other issues! However I think several of us discussed on here - maybe a year or two ago - about how even the low dose of HRT we are on (those still on it) doesn't quite give us back the same zest for life as formerly but eliminates the worst symptoms and helps to prevent some of the health conditions due to oestrogen deficiency. I certainly don't have the same enthusiasm as I used to nor experience the same surges of excitement - but I would dread not being able to have my HRT!!! I do have plenty of energy still and that keeps me going (although I don't think I'd ever have the energy to go to the pub that often and be lively and sociable!!).
You shouldn't have pmt now that you are post-meno - the hormones just won't be surging any more and you have almost no progesterone. If you are having food cravings etc have you had blood tests for other things - have you had thyroid tests recently?
I do hope you begin to feel better soon - perhaps friends can come to you for that glass of wine instead until you feel up to the pub again?
Take care
Hurdity xx
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Topic: I am SO grumpy without my HRT! (Read 7820 times)