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[pepperminty]

Hi ,
 Thanks GypsyRoseLee, You are right, it's the chemical/biological reaction. Hopefully there is a solution , if there is I am determined to find it! I still feel dreadful , but luckily I could have a quiet day..( maybe tomorrow will be better). I am not asking for miracles ,none of us are, just to feel not completely dreadful , just a little crap will do!!  I know I am not alone and that helps. Best wishes Pepperminty xx

[Dandelion]

Hi Dandelion, thank you for your advice. I have now started flooding this morning which I didn't have before, on or off the previous HRT. I agree we shouldn't have to pay to get to see an expert , but waiting for months is the only alternative it seems and I think it's awful you had to muddle on and suffer for a year. The ladies on this forum seem to have more knowledge that most GP's . I am not made of money , but when you are desperate there seems little alternative. I did write to DR Currie last year and gave the email to my GP who asked to keep it. But I feel that I need to see an expert in person this time, as I do not want to go on like this for months if there is a solution. I have managed to calm myself down a bit now , but still feel crap! Lets hope I get some good advice when I go , and I can pass it on . Pepperminty xx

Hi Pepperminty

I think the government want us patients to get fed up with nhs waiting and go private.

Can you not just see your GP and get a patch plus utro?

Sorry to hear you had a flood, it sounds like your hrt is not suitable.

Yes, I think the ladies on the forums here have more knowledge than GP's, and if it weren't for this forum, I would be feeling dreadful right now, IBS, dodgy periods, moods, weight gain etc etc

If were me, I would just go to the GP and ask for patches.

[Dandelion]

Hi ladies, I have an appointment tomorrow , the practice nurse recommended a GP in my practice who apparently takes a special interest in HRT and the menopause. So I am hoping she will be of some help. x

Woops! I didn't see this, best of luck with your apapointment.

[pepperminty]

Hi ladies,
 I have been to the GP and have decided to stop HRT for a bit to see if my moods stabilise and if the exhaustion/ foggy head is still there without it. I am hopefully starting a new job soon so I can't take the risk of going potty once a month at the moment.
 If my symptoms return I can always go back on it. I am going to use vagifem twice a week in the interim. The GP said if I do go back on it which she appears not to be against, to keep to Femeston 1/10 for 3 months etc.
 It is just bad timing at the moment, which she understands. I am still tearful today and fuzzy headed, but not as bad as yesterday. Funny thing is I appear to get more hot flushes on HRT, I was so hot last night and couldn't sleep. I am on day 5 of the oestrogen phase. I think I might finish the oestrogen bit and then stop before the progesterone and wait and see.
 I am hoping my periods may stop soon and my symptoms will be more manageable and maybe consider continuous HRT if so in a year, who knows? This is because my problem seemed to be on the Dip after the progesterone. I feel I need to assess things again without the major stress I was experiencing earlier in the year.
My FSH levels were 30 last year , I don't know what they are now. One thing that has suddenly happened this year though is I have developed fat around my middle, and it wont shift!!
 I could feel worse without it ( the HRT) in a couple of weeks and rush back to the GP, who knows? I suppose it is early days in my menopause journey and I think it seems part of the course to stop and start until you get it right etc. I still feel a bit panicky and I hope that will stop soon although I would have expected it to stop on day 5 of the oestrogen part by now. It is difficult to be totally confident  I am doing the right thing , but at the moment I feel I cannot take the risk if I start a new job and be up and down, and out of control.
best wishes Pepperminty xx

[Dandelion]

Hi ladies,
 I have been to the GP and have decided to stop HRT for a bit to see if my moods stabilise and if the exhaustion/ foggy head is still there without it. I am hopefully starting a new job soon so I can't take the risk of going potty once a month at the moment.
 If my symptoms return I can always go back on it. I am going to use vagifem twice a week in the interim. The GP said if I do go back on it which she appears not to be against, to keep to Femeston 1/10 for 3 months etc.
 It is just bad timing at the moment, which she understands. I am still tearful today and fuzzy headed, but not as bad as yesterday. Funny thing is I appear to get more hot flushes on HRT, I was so hot last night and couldn't sleep. I am on day 5 of the oestrogen phase. I think I might finish the oestrogen bit and then stop before the progesterone and wait and see.
 I am hoping my periods may stop soon and my symptoms will be more manageable and maybe consider continuous HRT if so in a year, who knows? This is because my problem seemed to be on the Dip after the progesterone. I feel I need to assess things again without the major stress I was experiencing earlier in the year.
My FSH levels were 30 last year , I don't know what they are now. One thing that has suddenly happened this year though is I have developed fat around my middle, and it wont shift!!
 I could feel worse without it ( the HRT) in a couple of weeks and rush back to the GP, who knows? I suppose it is early days in my menopause journey and I think it seems part of the course to stop and start until you get it right etc. I still feel a bit panicky and I hope that will stop soon although I would have expected it to stop on day 5 of the oestrogen part by now. It is difficult to be totally confident  I am doing the right thing , but at the moment I feel I cannot take the risk if I start a new job and be up and down, and out of control.
best wishes Pepperminty xx

Hi Pepperminty

I got that fat around my middle when I wasnt on hrt on when I was on hrt that wasn't working.
I've lost about 2-3 stone this last few months. Dunno if it's the hrt of whether it's my £ and property worries that I cannot do anything about.
Some days I don't eat.
It's the typical apple shaped woman.
It sounds like you were not tolerating the progestin in your hrt.
IF it were me, I would have asked for the patch, as these little patches have changed my life for the better.
I don't suppose I should lose any more weight, but I think I might have a latent eating disorder that only comes out under stress. When I used to work, I was like an 8st 18yr old in my thirties. I used to hover around 8st, sometimes dipping into 7st plus, cos work was just too stressful, the office politics is what I couldn't take, even though my nice bosses said my work was good.
Anyway, see how you go without the hrt, and be gentle with yourself, you can always go on oestrogen/progesterone later if you wish.
Thanks for updating us.

[pepperminty]

Hi dandelion thanks.
 One thing I was wondering about was if anyone has experience of the PMT symptoms/ progesterone problems  improving if you stay on the same HRT or in my experience of prempac previously they just got worse and by the third month I gave up last year. That's what has worried me now. If I don't feel any better in a few weeks I can always go back and start again I suppose.

The menopause nurse from the hospital just rang and she has told me that because my reaction was after I stopped the progesterone and I am peri menopausal it is my natural hormones causing the PMS and that the HRT can make PMS worse. She doesn't think it's the progesterone persay causing the reaction. She has advised that I see how I feel in a months time  and if I think it was a mistake to stop , to go back on the femeston 1/10 and take it for 3 months and that my PMS may improve .She said if then I cope well but my symptom control is still not brilliant to up to femeston 2/10 . She advised that the progesterone in the patches is synthetic and more likely to cause me symptoms , so to stick with the femeston if I go back to HRT. She said the peri stage is the most difficult as your hormones are all over the place.

Pepperminty xx

[pepperminty]

Hi ladies,
My friend came round to see me today and after much discussion I have almost made up my mind to carry on with the second pack and not stop yet, ( not that the menopause causes you to have a fuzzy head, panic and makes you incapable of making any decisions!!) . I am not at work at the moment so , as my friend said it doesn't matter if I feel crap and at least I will have given it a go. And my next period may be OK and that this may be a blip? Oh the optimism!! Anyway if it isn't then I will definitely know that it wasn't a blip. Thanks to all you lovely ladies for supporting my journey. Boy is it hard to look at these things rationally when your hormones are all over the shop.

Pepperminty xx

[GypsyRoseLee]

Hi Pepperminty, for what it's worth I think you're doing the right thing.

When I started my HRT this month I came very, very close to stopping after just day one of the Utrogestan because the first night I took it I had the most awful insomnia and didn't sleep a wink. I had worked myself into such a state about the side effects of progestone that I just felt too scared to carry on in case it made me feel worse. In fact I confess that in panic I removed my first Estradot patch too and put the Utrogestan tablets in the bin 

But I came on here and everyone was so lovely, and they persuaded me to stick with it. So a few hours later I put another patch on that night and fished my Utro out the bin and took it. I am so glad I stuck with it because I haven't had any side effects and my sleep is so much better, and my daily diarrhoea has disappeared. Most importantly the awful mood swings and anxiety/depression seem to have disappeared too.

Just give it a go. It's only a few weeks, and at least you can then make a properly informed decision.

[TropicalVon69]

Hi Pepperminty, sorry you are struggling, I felt the same this week with no hrt and know how awful it is, as we all do......sending hugs and hope you get help and feel better  soon xxx

[pepperminty]

Hi ladies,
Thank you so much for your kind support. Its definitely a roller coaster!! I had a dreadful nights sleep again even though I took diazepam.I woke up early, boiling hot again, no sweating as such just like a furnace if that makes sense. I am also feeling panicky and tearful again . I did not have PMT before which is a bit annoying that I have it on HRT. The feeling of being out of control is overwhelming and I know reading your posts that I am not alone.
 I have also had more aches on HRT this time , probably because its a lower dose? I kind of feel I am back at square 1. I should be feeling better by 6 days of oestrogen ? The physical symptoms , like the aches etc I can deal with, it's the all encompassing dread, fear, panic and tearfulness that are the killer for me. Big hugs to all those going through the same.

Pepperminty xx

[GypsyRoseLee]

So sorry you had such a bad night's sleep pepperminty. Insomnia is just evil.

6 days of oestrogen isn't that much? I had been wearing my oestrogen patch for 8 days when I experienced a very, very low day with anxiety. Just felt dreadful. Fighting back tears all day. Went to bed that night feeling hopeless. Woke up the next morning so much better, and haven't looked back since.

Be gentle to yourself today x

[pepperminty]

Thanks GypsyRoseLee,

I do hope that this will happen for me . I think it's the highs and lows, so the drops seem worse maybe? The meno nurse said that it can even itself out, I flipping well hope so !! I think that living alone doesn't help as it is difficult not having someone to say it's ok and give me a hug. Although I appreciate that those of us who do have a partner may not have the support they need also. You say you haven't looked back since? may I ask how long that has been that you have been feeling ok since then with your HRT?
Best wishes Pminty xx

[GypsyRoseLee]

Hi

When I saw my GP who prescribed me Estradot 25mg and Utrogestan 200mg, I was already on day 13 of my cycle. So I only wore my patch for 2 days before starting to take the Utro.

So, I have only worn a patch for 18 days and took the Utro for 11 days (should have been 12 days, but got my days mixed up). Took my last Utro on Tuesday night and my bleed started today properly (had tiny bit of spotting yesterday).

The first week wearing the patch and taking the Utro was very, very up and down. Some very good days and mixed with some very bad days. But for the last 9 days I have felt so much better. Continuously calm and optimistic. No anxiety. Sleep so much better. I feel motivated to actually tackle jobs in the house. Also feel like meeting up with friends again (rather than dreading it).

So, I know it  hasn't been very long at all. But it gives me some hope that the HRT is kicking in and supplementing my hormones.

I think this must be the case because a couple of months ago (prior to HRT) I suddenly started feeling much better mid cycle. I then went on to have a 'proper' period, like I used to have a couple of years ago before all this peri nastiness began. I had a much heavier & longer bleed, aching boobs, cramps, bloating etc. But my mood was SO MUCH better. The anxiety and low mood disappeared for about 4 weeks.

I can only assume that, for whatever reason, my own hormones were just better/stronger that month and that's why I suddenly felt so much better. So now I'm on HRT I'm assuming it's having the same effect? 

My mood swings had got so extreme before I started taking it. My GP explained that on HRT I would probably still get mood swings at certain parts of my cycle but the HRT would provide a much higher 'base line' below which my moods wouldn't dip. So no more extreme anxiety/low moods just a milder 'feeling a bit fed up' sort of thing.

[pepperminty]

Hi GypsyRoseLee,
Thanks for that I do hope that's the same for me.
 I felt better from 11.30 am today and managed to get out , and did some housework- a major achievement since yesterday!!

 My GP didn't explain anything and just said she agreed I didn't want to have a reaction like that (uncontrollable crying , nausea panic , confusion), and just agreed that I should stop.

It was informative to read that your " GP explained that on HRT I would probably still get mood swings at certain parts of my cycle but the HRT would provide a much higher 'base line' below which my moods wouldn't dip. So no more extreme anxiety/low moods just a milder 'feeling a bit fed up' sort of thing."

 It was only the meno nurse I spoke to who explained it was the PMT , not the progesterone due to my hormones reacting, and that it should get better and not last.

 I didn't expect it to be a laugh a minute and orchestras playing in the distance and my theme tune to be changed to "cos I'm happy" on HRT, but I didn't expect to be so panicky and ill that even a win on the lottery presented by George Clooney wouldn't have put a smile on my face!!!

It was only 3 days , but it seemed like a life time! I am just so relieved to be feeling relatively normal at present. Thank you for replying it helps to see what others have been advised etc, so one can put all the pieces together. I guess it is just one day at a time at the moment .

Best wishes Pepperminty xx

[pepperminty]

Just wanted to say a big thank you to all those ladies supporting me in my time of crisis. At least I know what it was now and when to expect it!! Although I am hoping that my hormones adjust and it isn't so severe next time . I do actually feel more sharp mentally on HRT and have been able to do more, but I am not quite there yet in terms of alleviating the aches and pains and return of energy as I had on prempac. Although I really reacted badly on the progesterone with them . So I will carry on the Femeston and evaluate whether I need to up the dose to 2/20 in a couple of months. Well that's the plan!! Best Wishes Pepperminty xx