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[Ali08]

Hi ladies. Can anyone give me some advice please. After about 2 years of feeling generally under the weather and "not well" (I'm not someone who has ever been properly ill before), massive weight gain (despite a fairly healthy lifestyle), disruptive sleep, sometimes only about 2/3 hours per night and even then broken sleep, hot flushes, terrible mood swings and anger, my doctor convinced me that it was all hormonal and eventually I gave in and went on HRT 6 weeks ago. Previously though my doctor had told me I had a virus, then that was depressed (put me on anti-depressants), then told me it was maybe down to my mum dying very suddenly about 2 years ago, eventually telling me that it was possibly all in my head!! Then she offered me HRT. Anyway I agreed to go on HRT which immediately stopped the hot flushes. However I just feel nauseous all the time and my breasts feel really heavy and sore constantly, and there has been no difference to my moods or sleep patterns. I am just back from seeing my doctor who changed me to a lower dose of HRT although she initially said there was no lower dose! I just felt she was quite impatient with me and now she's saying if this dose doesn't help with the sleeping and the moods then she doesn't think it's a hormone related problem I have at all and basically there's nothing else she can suggest I do. I think she is just fed up of me coming back to see her so many times. I'm just sick of feeling like I do. I've no energy, no interest in doing anything, I just go to work and come home and want to go to bed but don't because I know I won't sleep anyway. Sorry for the moan but I just feel like I've nowhere to turn to now. My poor family are having a horrendous time with me,  they never know what mood I'll be in (to be fair, neither do I!) but in all seriousness it's bringing us all down. The thing that brings me down most is the lack of sleep, sometimes I'm so tired I can hardly walk up the stairs to bed, my eyes are stinging and yet when I close them, sleep just evades me. I know this impacts on my moods but unless I take half a sleeping tablet I get little sleep, but when I take a tablet these make me woosy in the morning and I can't be reliant on sleeping tablets all the time. So my question is:

Is this all normal and is it hormone related? (I am post menopause by over 2 years)

Any advice would be gratefully received, thanks.

[Lilyloos]

Hi there
This is practically a carbon copy of my experiences over the last 2 years since my Mum passed away.  I have been on a roller coaster and told by GP that it's anxiety and depression, then back on an ultra low dose HRT as probably menopause, i too have been period free for about 3 years.  I came off them as the palpitations, sleepless nights, adrenaline rushes, dizziness etc., didn't improve.  Been to see another GP (female) who was a lot more sympathetic and thinks most of it is hormonal but with some grief about my mum so a bit of anxiety also.  She has put me back on medium dose HRT and low dose of propranolol when needed.  Only day 5 of hrt so not sure if it's going to help, but the crashing tiredness where I wonder whether I will be able to keep my eyes open is probably the worst at the moment.  Comes and goes throughout the day but like you I have no energy to be bothered to do anything else.  Husband not sure what to do or say but then neither do I! 
Why did GP suggest a lower dose hrt? Does she think your tiredness, moods etc are because the dose was too high?
Let me know how you get on over next couple of weeks.  Trust you have had blood tests to check all the usual?  Take care LL

[Ali08]

Thanks Lilyloos. I feel like I'm going mad. Is is menopause, is it grief about my mum, is it stress with my job (which is very difficult)? I just wish I knew it was one thing or another - at least then I would know what I'm dealing with and be able to hopefully deal with it. I know GP's are just that ie GENERAL but if they don't know what it is or have the time or inclination to get to the bottom of it then what hope do we have? My doctor suggested a lower dose of HRT as I told her the nausea and sore breasts really far out weighted the relief I got from the hot flushes. She said that maybe the dose was too high although she also thought that was the lowest dose available until I asked her to check please which she did albeit quite reluctantly. Thanks for your support and I hope you start to feel better soon x

[CLKD]

   be kind to you!  this time of Life isn't called 'the change' for nowt. 

Your GP should have done a complete blood work out especially for thyroid function and checking for anaemia.

Have a read of the menus left of screen.  GPs aren't always up to date on menopause symptoms which can mimic other more 'common' illnesses.  Also they do consider cost of medication !

Sleep deprivation is awful.  It is used as a form of torture ……… sleep is important. 

Keeping a journal can help: noting down diet, fluid intake, medication, how much exercise you take ……… having a buzz word can help too, something humorous that your family can throw at you when you are OTT!

You may well be grieving and depressed, impacted by the hormonal changes going on!

[Ali08]

Thanks CLKD. My doctor took bloods about a year ago and all but one (liver function test) came back as normal. She then had me believing and completely paranoid that I had liver disease and I had to abstain from alcohol for 6 months while she kept rechecking the bloods hinting that I must have an alcohol problem that I wasn't telling her about. Now don't get me wrong I do like my red wine but not to the extent that she was suggesting!! However even though I wasn't having any alcohol the tests still kept coming back abnormal every month that she did them until about 6 months later they went back to normal which is when she diagnosed me as having had a "virus" for all that time. I do think it really is all hormone related and probably exacerbated by my mum dying so suddenly but I just feel that the doctor has given up on me as she said today if this HRT dose doesn't help with my sleep then she thinks it's not hormone related and there's nothing else she can do except refer me to a sleep clinic. X

[CLKD]

Or maybe a menopause clinic    ……..

[Lilyloos]

Hi Ali
It's a time of life when we could do with our Mums around to ask their advice, but because they sadly aren't, this itself brings it's own anxiety.  We'll definitely get through this, I have no doubt at all, it's just when!  Keep smiling LL x

[sue bot]

Hi I no how you feel I can get of to sleep sometime but by 2am I am wide awake tossing turning anxiety hot flushes use to get the palpitations but them have stoped for now feeling moody all the time weight gain aches pains notbhad a period for 2 years now its the not sleeping and hot flushes are thecworse to put up with I realy syporsthis with you  this isca goodvsite to get advice 

[Ali08]

It's a real comfort to know that there are plenty other women out there that are going through the same things as me though I wouldn't wish any of these symptoms and feelings on my worst enemy!! Re. menopause clinics I've just googled my nearest one which is in a different region to where I live so I'm not sure if I would need to be referred to there by my own GP and if it's NHS  or private or even what they do there?

Thanks again for all your posts, I'm finding this site to be really valuable and gave been on it many times already x

[Hurdity]

Hi Ali08

Sorry to hear you are feeling unwell generally.

I wondered what HRT you are on? I presume you have started on a continuous combined type? After a long time without oestrogen it can take the body time to adjust, and it is often recommended especially if you are post-menopausal to start on a low dose and build up gradually, to minimise side effects.

It could also be that type of HRT doesn't agree with you.

Some women find that the progestogen given as part of the HRT to protect the womb, gives them bad side effects - and if you are taking it continuously this could add to any problems. There are all sorts of possibilities.

If your doctor gives up on you - ie suggests that HRT is not helping and you want to try out different methods then definitely ask for a referral if you can to a menopause clinic. They are also all listed on this site so you can see where they are in relation to where you live. I don't know what the position is for referral out of area butI am sure there must be some sort of arrangement between NHS Trusts, since the NHS clinics are few and far between in some areas.
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/clinicfinder.php

Hurdity x

[Ali08]

Thanks Hurdity. It's now the lowest combined dose premique. I'll see how I get on with this one and of it's makes any difference. If not, I'm going to ask for a referral to a clinic and see if they can help. Have a good weekend ladies xx

[Hurdity]

Hi again Ali

I nearly asked if you were on one of the Premique type HRTs! These are the old fashioned type that were the first HRT ever given They happen to be the cheapest but a lot of women don't get on with this type and some are driven crazy (others fine of course).  The oestrogen is made form horse urine and is a mix of oestrogens mostly not found in our own body. It is also quite strong - even the weak one.

The settling in time is supposed to be 3 months so maybe give it a little while longer - depends on how bad you feel. If no improvement then go back to doc and ask to try a different one. Of the tablet HRT Femoston is the best tolerated for women having problems with the progestogen.

Otherwise you could go completely "natural" and  replace the oestrogen and progesterone both identical with our own hormones. They don't come as a combi pill though - patch, tablet or gel oestorgen ( estradiol) with seperate (oral) micronised progesterone ( Utrogestan). Some women find that progesterone too much of a sedative - but the side effects can be less depressing than with the synthetic progestogens such as in Premique.

Good luck and do not be deterred by your initial disappointing result! There will be something out there to make you feel better!

Hurdity x

[Ali08]

Well after feeling nauseous for the last couple of weeks and having severe stomach pain for the last couple of days I ended up in the out of hours service at the hospital this morning as the stomach pains became unbearable early this morning. The doctor I saw was lovely but kind of stumped as to what is causing the stomach ache. She thinks it might be a urine infection and although she prescribed something she really has doubts that it is this. She thinks it's actually to do with stopping the HRT suddenly on Thursday and thinks this brought on what feels like really bad period like cramps!! what a fool I felt!