Print

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

[Tezbell]

I started peri-menopause when I was about 36 and then my periods stopped about 2 years ago.  In that time I got hot flushes but controlled them with a supplement called MENOPOL PLUS which worked very well.  Then around the beginning of the year my hot flushes increased to the daytime and the tablets were not controlling them and at night it was an absolute nightmare.  After ALOT of research I finally decided to move to HRT.  Hence me starting on Indivina 1/2.5 just over 2 months ago.  Since taking them I have had very tender breasts, headaches all the time, very low, depressive mood and just over the last 3 weeks have had a very heavy period to the point of having to use both tampons and pads.  Went to the doctor to ask if this was normal only to be told to keep on with the tablets and it should level out.  Trusting their judgement I went home and now I have another heavy period, stomach cramps, headache and feeling tired. 

The only thing that has got better is my hot flushes but my temperament is affecting my home life, work and I feel so awful all the time.  Surely, I should be feeling like a woman again not feeling half dead.

Has anyone else had these symptoms & if so, did you get a different prescription.  Any advise/help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You
Tezbell

[Hurdity]

Hi Tezbell

 

Sorry to hear about your problems with early menopause and HRT. You didn't say how old you are now - but it sounds like you have had a premature menopause ie before age 40? There is a lot of information about this here (under premature menopause):
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/pm-definition.php
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/pm-causes.php Keep looking at the sub tabs (main tab is the menopause tab top left)

If you did have premature or early menopause the doctors should have put you on HRT immediately and is very remiss in not doing so (unless you hadn't been to the doc about it?) - the supplements alone are no good at all at your age.

It is great that you have started HRT - but now you just need to find the right product to suit you. You have been given a low dose continuous combined tablet HRT which is appropriate for women in your position - ie who are post-menopausal. This does mean that you are taking a progestogen all the time - and the one in Indivina is a synthetic one known as norethisterone - which can cause headaches, low mood, irritability and generally pms type symptoms. However it is generally recommended to try an HRT type of 3 months to give the side effects a chance to settle.

The way to sort out if it is the progestogen causing the side effects is actually to start on a cyclical HRT - which should give a regular withdrawal bleed every 4 weeks. If the side effects don't settle I would suggest a switch to Femoston 1/10 and then perhpas even 2/10 as you are so young ( which will give a higher dose and perhaps better control of symptoms). The progestogen is better tolerated as it is close to our own progesterone. You will have to put up with a bleed - but then most women have to at least until age 50! Eventually then if the product suits you you could switch to Femoston conti - but these are not available in 2 mg doses.

Hope this helps

Hurdity x

[Mary G]

Tezbell, welcome to MM!

I agree that supplements are not good at all at your age, you need the real deal. 

I can only go by my own personal experiences but I would not get on with your medication at all for two reasons.  Firstly, it contains norethisterone which I and many others cannot tolerate - it gives me migraines, heavy painful breasts, low mood and secondly, I don't find oral oestrogel very effective for symptom control.

I would recommend you try transdermal oestrogen (gel or patch) and then use bio identical progesterone (Utrogestan) each month preferably vaginally for fewer side effects like breast pain.  You will get a bleed but believe me, it will be the lesser of two evils.  Synthetic progestins and not like your own progesterone, they lower mood, undermine the oestrogen you are taking and are the source of all the risk attached to HRT.