Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[peegeetip]

"When will I ever feel normal again?… can HRT help with all the depression and anxiety?… is it a cure all?"

This part took me 6 months plus on HRT.

No point saying its a cure, as others would disagree. But I feel it came very close to that for me.

I did a lot that I'm not proud of prior to HRT starting.
Was it due to depression, anxiety, brain fog and time running out that caused me to be such a pain to DH and my family?
Not sure to be honest but I still feel terrible sometimes when I look at how I'd changed and how low I'd sunk.
All I know was that I had become a bit of a train wreck prior to starting HRT.

Around the time of starting HRT, my docs caused most of the immediate anxiety due to their approach to HRT.
I felt guilty and weepy for first month partly due to the docs making me feel like I was a "cheat" and a "failure" for going down the HRT route.
I was not a cheat or a failure, I was taking back control in the quality of my life again

I'm so glad I did choose HRT and I only wish I had done this so much earlier.

 

[Hurdity]

Hi Lisajp

Sorry to hear you are having bad day. I agree with what peegeetip has said re depression and anxiety and the other things.

Yes HRT is not a magic cure ie there will be downsides but for most women and if you get the right preparation and the right dose it should make you feel better more days than not!

The peri-menopause is a difficult time becaise the hormones are fluctuating so much but the gradual overall decline in oestrogen levels can give rise to low mood and depression-like feelings in many women.

If you didn't feel especially depressed or anxious before you started the peri-menopause (except during second part of your cycle/pmt/period time) then it is surely hormonally induced and which hormone replacement can alleviate for the most part. A low dose body-identical HRT will prevent the extreme dips in oestrogen and should help you remain more on an even keel. I am still on HRT - a medium dose - although this is quite low and it certainly means I am able to maintain an even, positive mood most of the time (although lacking the excitement of my fertile years!).

Is there anything you can do in your life each day or generally to help deal with the feelings of flatness and anxiety? I know that others have posted about how they make themselves overcome these feelings through psychological techniques.

SallyG - sorry to hear you are feeling invisible - is that on here on in life generally? Do you know what has brought this on? At leaast on here as you say everyone is going through or has gone through the same thing and can support each other!

Hurdity x

[Ljp]

Thank you all for sharing your personal experiences, all of which help considerably.
How did you deal with the element of fear/anxiety when you first started taking it peegeetip?
At least I know it is available if I find things becoming more unbearable.
Are most HRT bio identical now?

[peegeetip]

Hi Lisa

I'd say dont leave it till it becomes unbearable.
From what I've seen on the forum those who leave it late have the least/worst results.
I just wish I'd started earlier before some of the issues down below  started to get worse.

Luckily I had not left it too late but given the low dose I was on it took me 6 months + for some of the more personal symptoms to heal/fix.
If I'd started earlier when the sweats/flushes started then I could have avoided the more personal problems!
One thing the docs never tell you !!!
From what I've read now I wish I'd stayed on the pill longer as its a good step prior to going to HRT apparantly and free

In terms of the anxiety and fear (of god) that the doc's put into me, luckily I had support on that front.
If I'd been on my own or people had run away screaming from the mad lady I'd become then I think things might have been really difficult.
Perseverance is the key, sticking with a plan, dealing with the initial whoosh as your body reawakens is not for all of us and some are more sensitive to this than others.
I do think some mixup side effects and the body just getting used to the hormones again.
Again the longer you wait to jump on board the worse thats likely to be.

Also more recent advice says the sooner we start the better protection we have for heart, circulation, bowel, skin and down below to name but a few

Its your choice on whether you ever take HRT but remember there are worse things for us and we do them without thinking often. Dont get too wrapped up in the old out of date stuff the docs rattle on about. Just decide on what you want and go with it.

 

[ancient runner]

Peegeetip, what a great answer. 
I do think some of the negative stuff round HRT is along similar lines to the snide stuff you see in the Daily Mail about women, often written by women. We can sometimes be our own worst enemies and for some reason there's an attitude that it's morally wrong to replace hormones we've had all our adult lives and should be martyrs. People do love to scare you - on zero information.

[Ljp]

Thanks again ladies, re 'down below' I am just coming to the end of my three weeks (on Drs advice) loading of Estriol nightly application, this is 0.01% estriol.
I do feel it has helped with my bladder and soreness issues, will see how I progress once on the twice a week regime.
Regarding hormonal crash days and anxiety and paranoia, and feeling withdrawn, this is what I am keeping a close eye on, it's horrible when it occurs, and if it occurs regularly, then I will consider systemic HRT, for my own and my lovely family's wellbeing xx

[CLKD]

depression can be eased with medication; anxiety too ………. so some ladies do find that taking medication, if it helps, is worth taking for 8-12 months - enables them to see the wood for the trees 

[Ljp]

Thanks CLKD, when you say medication, are you referring g to HRT. Or antidepressants?