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[Chi chi]

Even though I didn't have a good experience on Yaz there were a couple of positives that I don't understand, like
Why did my headaches disappear?
Why were my aches and pains not as bad?
Since stopping the yaz both these appear to be coming back, could this be just withdrawal as I feel quite spacey too ( this could still be the anxiety though)?
Any thoughts?
Thanks as always 

[Briony]

(Fingers crossed) my headaches have always been better when taking hormones (though had ten days of mild headache at very start of both patches and pill). Since I always get a bad one before I come on, I presume my body prefers higher levels of hormones?

[Briony]

Hi - how are you getting on, Chi Chi?


Been thinking about your post a lot, as I am in a similar situation (sort of).

I think what you describe (soem symptoms better yet some worse) could possibly suggest two things:

1) Your body was responding positively to the increased oestrogen (hence fewer aches) but the unwanted emotional stuff was a separate 'side effect' from taking a new, stronger drug which may - or may not - have gone after a few weeks.

2) During peri, we seem to spend a lot of time getting hung up on the "high v low oestrogen" symptoms. In fact, the more things I take, the more I reckon it's the fluctuation (in either direction) which causes issues. This is why some people who say their oestrogen is high might have the same symptoms as someone with low oestrogen. I think many of my symptoms are a sign of 'things moving' - the direction (up or down) is almost irrelevant, if that makes sense?.

I'll give you an example. The day  my oestrogen was measured, I was very dizzy and had pains in my legs/tingling. My level was 40 pmol, so very low. Today (and most of the week) I have had very similar intermittent dizziness and the very same leg pains. This new pill is the strongest I've ever taken (3 mg of synthetic oestrogen) so my oestrogen level cant be low, surely?
-  It must therefore be the fluctuation causing the symptoms?

Would be interested to know if anyone else has found the same? Must add that this is just me thinking out loud; I could be totally wrong!

Really hope you are feeling better   

B x

[Chi chi]

Hi Briony,
I'm ok thanks  just getting over the last few days, still some horrible things going on mainly anxiety and a fuzzy kind of headache but my mood is improving slowly.
I think your probably right with what you say re the fluctuations and symptoms seeming to overlap too high/too low. I just wish there were an easy answer to it all 
I'm back to my gels at the moment but I've got a telephone consultation with Annie Evans on Friday, i plan to discuss what happened with the Yaz and get her opinion on that  and if I can expect the same with Qlaira ? 

How are things going with you?

[Briony]

So glad you've got an appointment soon. Do let us know how it goes.

I am struggling, if I am honest. Constipated, dizzy and getting random moments of sheer panic. It's now day 8. I've spoken to a lot of people at work today however, and nearly all had side effects for at least a month with the combined pill, so I have decided to try and ride it out. It's rare for me to find an effective long term drug that doesnt have side effects of some sort - I must be very sensitive to medication - but (fingers crossed) none have lasted more than a month!

I think, with Q, you are less likely to get such a strong reaction as it is a less potent oestrogen.  That's why I suggested it as a 'step up' before you went straight to a conventional pill. (I read somewhere that b/i estrogen, like hrt and Q, is 3-4 less strong than synthetic estrogen?). With Q, it took a while to make me feel better, but the side effects were really only slight leg pains, slight head ache and itching. That said, it's different for everyone.

What I would add, though, is longer term, you may find that the different phases of Q affect you. Unlike Yaz, you cant take Q back to back really as within each pack of 28, there are a number of different doses already. To be honest, it was only the spotting and PMT at the end of the pack that was the only thing that stopped me staying on it. Still may go back!

Hang in there xx

[Chi chi]

Awww Briony I really hope it works out for you  keeping my fingers crossed 
I didn't really have any physical side effects it was just the emotional ones I really couldn't handle  it was awful, like I was in a downward spiral.
When I asked Annie Evans about qlaira being bio like the gels and would I get a different result she said it's very different to the gel as it's taken orally and at a higher dose so maybe that will be enough to counteract the prog?  And she did say I could top up with gel.

Hopefully your side effects will settle down soon 

[GypsyRoseLee]

I complete agree with you Briony, that annoyingly we are reacting to the fluctuations in hormone levels, as well as whether our oestrogen is high/low. So a double whammy. Great.

My consultant mentioned that some women cannot tolerate even slight hormonal changes, hence severe PMS, PND and going doolally during peri.

I think I must be very sensitive to hormonal change. I could 'feel' my mood dip frighteningly low in just the time it took to drink a cup of coffee. I could feel it coming on.almost like a sneeze. To happen so swiftly I think it must have been just slight hormonal changes?

In my first month on Microgynon my mood was still all over the place. A few good days, then days where I felt so low and hopeless. Other days where I felt hopeless and jittery. I felt real panic that it wasn't going to help me, and what the HELL was I going to do next.

It was grim, but the only thing worse (for me) was the thought of stopping it too soon and then always be left wondering 'What if I'd stuck it out that little bit longer...?'

Both GPs I saw about the BCP told me to not expect anything in the first month, and that the 2nd month would be an improvement, and that by the third month I should feel 'much better' but not necessarily cured. And they were spot on.

I only stopped because the constant spotting and breakthrough bleeding were troublesome and I was still getting some of my symptoms (but fewer episodes and not as intense as when on HRT).

I kept telling myself 'Short term pain for long term gain'.

For me now, I seem to be responding more positively to Marvelon. I can tell my 'mood' feels better than before, much more like the good, old me before peri. My raging appetite seems to have slackened off too these last 2 days. Though whether this is because my mood is stronger and I'm able to control myself better, I don't know?

I think because I am feeling so much better, I now want to look better again. Rather than reaching for the chocolate because I felt crap so it didn't seem to matter if I looked crap too.

Of course, this is now the witching time for me......if I'm going to dip.on Marvelon it will be anytime now.