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[choc57]

Hi everyone
Just wanted to share what's been happening to me and also ask for a bit of advice.
I'm 57 and apart from irregular periods since the age of 50 had no probs until 3 years ago when hot sweats started. They were manageable as they kept coming and going around the time of each period. My last period was last May and if I could have coped for 3 months longer and gone to see my doctor next month instead of 2 months ago in Feb then I imagine I would have been given a continuous combined hrt.
Last June things got much much worse. The sweats were coming at least every hour day and night meaning very little sleep but worse than that I began having very dark moods so much so that I started to think I was going mad. I've always been quite an 'up' person so these feelings were very new to me.
 I'd previously thought I wouldn't touch hrt but by February I was desperate and exhausted.
The doctor I'm seeing is lovely, only about 35 but very informative and probably wondering what lies ahead for herself! I discussed the options with her and went for hrt. She's put me on Elleste Duet 1mg and I'm feeling so much better.
It's taken a while to get into my system as I'm on day 3 of month 3. The sweats have gradually improved dying out during the daytime first and this morning I've woken thinking I might have actually slept all night (oh bliss!!)
My moods have improved so much too but I still  have the odd low day when on the green progestogen ones. I've read on here about Femostan's progestogen being better for moods. Can anyone offer any advice on this please?

Also because I started on the sequential therapy 9 months after my last period would taking this hrt stop my body from having another natural period. I know it's highly likely that I have had my last natural period but I did have a gap of 8 months the year before and then had 2 more periods in April and May of last year which is why my doctor gave me this type. I've not had any bleeding on this hrt at all so far.
Because I'm having some mood probs during the prog. tablets if I change to a continuous combined hrt am I likely to suffer more mood swings or is the progestogen contained in this type of hrt different to that in Elleste duet?
Any advice would be much appreciated, thank you

[CLKD]

  have a browse of the menus, left of screen 

[Hurdity]

Hi choc57

  from me too!

As CLKD says there is a lot of information in the menus on the left.

However to answer your specific questions:

1  57 is at the limit to still be having periods and actually if May was your last period I would have said to all intents and purposes at this age you are probably post-menopausal and could be put onto continuous combined HRT. From what you say it is highly unlikely that you would get breakthrough bleeding due to your own hormonal fluctuations. Presumably the bleeds you had last May, April etc were not heavy?

2  Yes you are right, you will not have another "natural period" once you start sequential HRT - at least you won't know whether any bleeding is due to your hormones breaking through, or those from the HRT. If you haven't had any bleeding yet it means that the oestrogen in the tablet is not sufficient to build up your womb lining during the time of the cycle (4 weeks), so there is nothing to shed.

3  The progestogen in Elleste does cause headaches and anxiety in some women, but many women tolerate it well. The one in Femoston (dydrogesterone) is less "androgenic" and is closer to the progesterone we make in our bodies, so of the tablet HRTs I would recommend this one for that reason.

4  Some women on continuous combined HRT suffer from continuous low-grade progestogenic side effects which can negate some of the beneficial effects of the oestrogen. The best way to try this out is to perhaps change to Femoston sequi for 3-4 months - and see how you feel during the progestogen phase. If you feel OK then ask to change to Femoston conti.

5  When you reach 60, instead of stopping HRT, you might like to consider changing to transdermal HRT (patches or gel) and separate progesterone (Utrogestan) which is thought to be safer.

I hope this helps!

Hurdity x

[choc57]

Thank you to both of you for your advice and for welcoming me to the group.

I'm going to see how I get on the rest of this month. Whilst on white only I feel fine and I do wonder if my reaction to the green tablets is partly psychological. I'm going to try and stay in a positive frame of mind and see if that makes a difference. If I do have low mood days again then I'll ask my doctor if she'll change me onto Femoston sequi to see how I go on and then changing to Femoston Conti would seem to be the best idea. Yes the periods I had in April/May were light but they have been for a few years.

As others say it's such a difficult time for us ladies as we're often coping with so many other problems at this time in our lives and I do think stress makes menopausal symptoms so much worse. I'd been through a particularly stressful time losing four close relatives in 2 years starting with my mum in law who I'd looked after with dementia and the other 3 in the space of 12 months including my Dad at the end of 2012. 

I thought I was coping with it all but it seems that I had a delayed reaction and ended up with these dreadful men. symptoms. Like others I had no idea it could be this bad. My mum had no probs and neither did my auntie or grandma.
I'm just so glad I took myself off to the doctors to be put on hrt as life was simply not worth living.
Thanks again for your help X

[Hurdity]

Hi again choc57

Just to say so sorry to hear about your bereavements in such a short time and especially your Dad. How sad for you and this would certainly affect how you cope with menopausal symptoms. 

Heartening to hear that you feel so much better on HRT and are able to look at things in a positive frame of mind. Long may this last!

Hurdity 

[choc57]

Hi Hurdity,
Thanks so much for your kind words