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[Lizziep]

Morning Ladies,

Hope you're all coping well.

I've got a bit of a problem which I hope you'll be able to help me with.
I've been on the patches now since August and I can honestly say they have worked in reducing the hot flushes and I even get a good 4-5 hours sleep a night now 

But, the bleeding /periods I'm getting are awful, especially when I've only had 2 small bleeds in the last 18 months.
This week it's been so bad that I've had to get up and change my pad in the night.
Is this normal?
I don't think I've had period pain like this since I was a lot younger

I'm seriously considering stopping putting the patches on and going back to having the sweats and sleepless nights and no bleeding 

I seriously thought my days of having heavy periods were over.

Thanks in advance,

Lizziep

[Dancinggirl]

Hello and welcome Lizziep
For starters it would be great to know a bit more about you so we have the bigger picture.
How old are you ? Are you post or peri meno? What HRT are you on?
When I was on an HRT sequence through my peri-meno stage( so had withdrawal bleeds each month) i did find I had quite bit of period pain.  I used to suffer with bad period pain when young but went on the pill at 17 to cure this - it was great!
I was peri-meno from mid 30s.
When I reached 49 i stopped taking HRT because of all the scares about breast cancer at the time and because of the period pains i got. I was post meno by 49 & suffered 3 years of terrible flushes, night sweats, aching joints etc…… and eventually gave in at 52 and went back on HRT.  At this stage I was able to use continuous HRT - so potentially no bleeds.  I tried various conti HRTs but none suited me.  Eventually I was given a Mirena coil and used Oestrogel for the oestrogen.  Oestrogel is great because you can start with a small amount and increase until you find the right level you feel good on. The Mirena is given to young women to stop painful & heavy periods as well as for use as a HRT in combo with oestrogen. The Mirena will mean you don't get regular bleeds (but you do get some break through bleeding/spotting for the first few weeks or months) but you then have around 4 years with nothing to worry about.  Very little progesterone gets into your system from the Mirena ( it is very localised) so the usual problems of progesterone are slight if any.
I would also suggest you discuss you latest problems with your GP as you may need a womb scan to check what's going on.
Study all the info in the lists to the left of this screen.  Hope this helps.
DG X

[Taz2]

I found that the first four months on a sequi HRT patch were the worst re bleeding. They lasted quite a while, were heavy and painful and I had to take a hot water bottle into work to help with the cramps. After this time though they settled down completely. They were light, painfree and only lasted three days. Hope this helps.

Taz x

[Lizziep]

Hi and thanks for the reply's.

I'm 53 and thought I was post menopausal due to no proper period for over a year. Just the 2 small bleeds as I said earlier. I had a blood test at the doctors that also confirmed I was in his words " in the menopause"

I am using Evorel Sequi Patches which I have no problem with at all.
It's the bleeding that's getting me down now.

I hope they do settle down as I really can't face going back to sleepless nights and constant sweating 
Cheers,

Lizziep

[Taz2]

It sounds as if you should really be on a conti HRT Lizziep. At your age, even if you haven't gone without a period for a year, then conti is often prescribed. Why not discuss with your GP?

Taz x

[honeybun]

I was first on Evoril sequi and like Taz my bleeding settled down quite quickly then after 3 years I started to get bleeding at random times. My GP put me on conti. I did bleed off and on for a few months but then nothing which is great. If the Evoril has been good for you in other ways why not try the conti. If you do have some bleeding to start with it should not be heavy or painful.

Honeyb
X

[Lizziep]

Thank you all for your advice.

Next time I go to the Doctors for a repeat prescription I'll ask about the Conti.

My partner keeps keeping on at me to go on HRT tablets. It's causing all manner of problems between us as he thinks he knows better than me !! I've told him I'm happy with what I've got and not having hardly any sweats and actually sleeping at night. But will he listen 

Thanks Ladies,

Lizziep

[Dandelion]

Regarding sequi hrt, we take the pills every day, without a break and we get the monthly bleed, but why is it called a withdrawal bleed, when we are not in withdrawal as we are not stopping the pills?

Thanks.

[honeybun]

Dandelion

It's because the first half of your monthly pills are oestrogen alone. The second half of the month it's a combination of oestrogen and progesterone. Then you start again on oestrogen alone therefore you have withdrawn the progesterone hence the term withdrawal bleed.

A conti HRT means you are taking oestrogen and progesterone all the time so no withdrawal bleed.

Hope this helps.


Honeyb
X

[Dancinggirl]

LizzieP - tell your husband that transdermal (which the patch is) is better than pills as there are usually less side effects and in fact often work better that pills.  Many cannot grasp that stuff can absorb through our skins better - pills have to cope with all the acids etc in our digestive system and liver so may not process so well.
I have always been better on transdermal than pills and many other women are the same.
You might, very well, be better on conti HRT but I'd give this patch a couple more months to settle down and see.
DG x

[Lizziep]

Thanks Dancinggirl,

I've tried to tell him but being a man, he thinks he knows best.
Makes me so annoyed when he thinks he knows my body and what it wants better than I do.

I'll try these for a couple more months and see how the bleeding goes.
If it's no better I'll go back to the doctor and have a chat about Conti.

Thanks a lot,

Lizziep

[Hurdity]

Hi Lizziep - just to add that if you are having no problems ( ie pms, headaches etc) during the second half of the month (ie the patches that are combined oestrogen and progestogen), you may well feel fine on the conti patches - if you decide to try this regime.

If you have bad pmt during the while of the scond part of the month ( ie the combi patches) as well as just after you change back to the oestrogen only ones - then I wouldn't advise conti HRT, despite the bleeding, as you could find the side effects outweight the benefits of the oestrogen.

Sounds like it suits you though, apart from the bleeding?

Hurdity x

[Lizziep]

 Hi Hurdity,

Thanks for the reply.
Yes, the patches suit me fine and no side effects that I can think of. It is just the bleeding.

Another quick question please, do any of you pay for your HRT Patches when you get them from the Chemist?
For the first time yesterday they tried to charge me in Boots. I explained to her I had never paid before. In another Chemist I went to the pharmacist told me they are free as they come under Family Planning !!

Have a good day ladies.

Lizziep

[Dancinggirl]

HRT is not under Family Planning and you therefore have to pay for the prescriptions.  The chemist that didn't charge you was wrong I'm afraid.
HRT is a 'quality of life issue' whereas The Pill is something they are encouraging women to take to reduce unwanted pregnancies and abortions.
Sorry about this bad news. DG x
P.S. If you have Mirena fitted then that is free but any patches or Oestrogel you use with it would involve a prescription charge.

[Lizziep]

Thanks Dancinggirl,

I guess I just got lucky the other months