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[PetraE]

I have had menopausal symptoms for at least 2 years but I guess the doctors did not believe me . After suffering for so long from hot flushes, sleepless nights, head in the clouds, depressed, anxious, painful joints (the list is endless) I have now been on HRT for 11 days. I am on Elleste Duet 1mg. So far, although I am still suffering from sleepless nights, but the painful joints seem to be less so and, my mood has improved. Anyone know if sleeping will improve or whether it is worth going on 2mg?

[choc57]

I'm on exactly the same hrt as you and started taking it 3 months ago and now am on day 6 of month 4. Also for same reasons, dreadful sweats and therefore hardly any sleep and feeling very sad all of the time. Like you my mood improved quickly and by the end of month 2 my night time sweats were no better and therefore my sleep hadn't improved. (The daytime ones were much less though.) By the time I went back to see my GP at the end of month 3 I'd started noticing a big improvement and she told me I could either go up to 2mg now or wait and see if there were further improvements which I decided to do. Now 3 weeks later the sweats have gone and my sleep is more or less unbroken.
So maybe you'll find that if you wait a bit longer you'll see more of an improvement and if not you can always go onto a higher dose if need be.

[Suzyq]

I am on a different hrt but definitely wait 3 months. It takes that long to feel all the benefits. Don't try to rush it

[Hurdity]

Hi PetraE

 

I agree with the others - 3 months is the usual trial period - it is not an instantaneous thing. Your body has to re-adjust to having oestrogen again and in the form you are taking it.

Most women find that the physical symptoms decrease or disappear first and the emotional ones follow later - and of course depending on how much of your own cycle you still have, your own hormones can sometimes override the HRT.

You should notice a gradual improvement week by week, and don't be put off initially by the changes you will experience as you change from one type of tablet to the other - your body will acclimatise and hopefully any discomfort/side effects will be transitory. Remember with natural periods your mood changes as your hormones fluctuate throughout your cycle, and the same happens with HRT - but perhaps more abruptly.

Hope you continue to feel better.

Hurdity x

[PetraE]

  Thank you all for your replies. I feel a bit more optimistic now. I will take your advice, wait and see what happens until my review with my GP after 3 month.

Petra E x

[desperate]

hiya i took elleste 1mg due to early menopause for four years , which worked right up untill 3 months ago when i felt it was no longer working , am on my 3rd month of elleste 2mg , and the second two weeks of each month have been horrendous , depressed no energy ,no sleep really awful , also horrendous period pains ,so dont rush onto the 2mg unless you really have to , obviously this is just my experiance and wont be the same for everyone x

[hotstff]

desperate, am also on Elleste Duet 1mg (into 2nd month).
I would have thought that 2mg would make things better, not worse?

[Hurdity]

Hi desperate

If you are feeling bad for the second two weeks of the month and on into/overlapping the 1st week, then the likely cause is intolerance to the synthetic progestogen - norethisterone. Although you tolerated it before, it seems like you may not do so now.

I would suggest perhaps you change to a different type of HRT - perhaps to Femoston, because the progestogen - dydrogesterone is often better tolerated, as it is closer to our own progesterone (ie the one we make in our body).

Also - periods are likely to be heavier on 2 mg because the dose is twice as much as 1 mg and therefore more womb lining to build up and to be shed as a period each month

Hurdity x