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[MIS71MUM]

Hello
I've been off work just over 3 months with what started off as anxiety, but has now changed to depression as well.

I've had tried to convince myself that there must be a cause to all this, and started taking Vit D, Iron, Multi Vitamins and Duloxetine at 20mg.  Once I'd got over the initial side effects, i began to feel hopeful about the AD.  However, although I have no racing heart or palpitations or feel anxious on waking, i feel as though my depression has worsened and my panic attacks haven't got any better.

I seem to cry every day, still have anxious automatic thoughts which make me feel down.  My next thought was that Femoston 1/10 was not effective enough and that a transdermal one, evorel sequi may be more effective at lifting my mood.  So now I have my patches, how do I use them and how do they equate to the F1/10?

I came off F1/10 over a week ago on the progesterone part because I felt like i was slipping down a black hole again.  There's a possibility that I ought to increase my dose of AD but I do feel that if they are making me feel like this anyway, I may as well come off them.

I'm having cbt and counselling, i exercise everyday, dont drink alcohol, have 2 cups of tea a day and have 5 fruit and vegetables too.

Just running out of ideas how I can beat this awful depression.

[CLKD]

Give it time.  Which you probably feel you don't have, I certainly wanted a cure yesterday  .  Many ladies fall foul of the progesterone part of HRT. 

How do you know it's the AD making you feel ill?  I regulate my dose, a maintenance 5mg at night but if my brain feels low for more than 3 mornings I up to 5mg at breakfast too.  Because I don't want to feel depressed particularly at this of year!

It can take 4-5 months before an AD can begin to improve the brain function.  Stick with it?

[Trufflecat]

Everyone is so different. Evorel Sequi plunged me into a real depression after a few months of use.

[robotwars]

It did the same for me trufflecat, I just wanted to cry all the time!  im now trying femseven patches....

[Trufflecat]

I'm sure it's great for some robotwats. I am now on just the 25 of oestrogen plus utrogesten 100 for 25 days. Plus my migraines were epic

[CLKD]

.. is that a computer game 

[Briony]

Robotwats!

That's just made my day 


Re Evorel Sequi - the progesterone in this is one of the least well tolerated. Have you thought about taking separate patches and a bio identical progesterone?

[Trufflecat]

Oh no SORRY! Just saw that and cannot edit it! Prosecco and typing do not go together.

[Hurdity]

On this site the Evorel (50 mcg) is given as medium dose and Femoston 1/10 as low, and you may find you absorb the oestrogen from the patches better than from the Femoston but we are all different in this respect ( absorption from the various types of HRT).

There is bound to be a settling in period as your body adjusts to the different way of obtaining oestrogen but surely worth trying to see? As others have said some women don't get on with the combi patches ie the ones with the progestogen - but many do, and you won't know until you try!

As the others have said - if you don't get on with them then you can try what several of us do as suggested already - patches ( or gel) with separate progesterone - Utrogestan.

Hurdity x

[MIS71MUM]

Hello
Thanks for the replies.  Was just if I wanted to take as near to femoston 1/10 again, how would I do this with the patch? Am I right in thinking that I'd need to half it. Then if found it too much, I'd just remove then?
I understand that the progesterone bit isn't too good for some, but am I right in thinking that the oestrogen part may be okay? And similar to the one in F1/10?

[Milamam]

Why don't you increase to Femoston 2/10 instead? Although in a pill form, Femoston is very well tolerated and has a very kind progestogen. Also, changing to the same  brand but higher dose will cause less adverse reactions I believe. If you are close to my age, 44, Femoston 1/10 might have been too low for you. Just a thought to consider.
Milamam

[MIS71MUM]

Hi
I've tried the F 2/10 before and found it a bit too much whereas 1/10 didn't seem enough.

Over last week or so, I've been thinking that I needed to increase my AD as my anxiety was starting to creep back in the mornings.

Last night I had a great sleep, usually a sign of a good day ahead. Mid morning had a bit of energy which turned into anxiety, then felt like I had PMT. My husband asked me to put something I the freezer and I burst into tears.  I do cry a lot, don't get me wrong but usually out of frustration or desperation of depression but not usually over a trip to a freezer!

I've been clumsy, tripped over things, forgot things and been downright or of sorts, and it's been a total shock.  I hadn't realised how well I had been functioning. Then I've had another crying spell when my LO asked for more chocolate!  It just reminded me when I wAs in pregnant and when I was upset I felt inconsolable.... Then fine.

Just realised I've been off the HRT nearly 2 weeks and it seems as though the hormones, or lack of them, are causing this.

I've been taking my AD for 7 weeks now and would have thought that this may have settled now.

Think i'll start with half a patch tomorrow

[Hurdity]

I'm a bit confused about what you are aiming for with the change to patches - because on the one hand you said you thought Femoston wasn't strong enough (in your first post) but then worrying that Evorel 50 mcg would be too much. I don't think you should half it. Personally if it were me I would just change on Day 1 to the Evorel and see how you get on. The improvement (if you experience it) won't be instant as your body will have to adjust but once it has done so , provided you are OK on the progestogen part - you should feel better.  Sorry I can't remember at what stage in peri you are ie what your periods were doing before you started HRT?)

AS for the crying - I sympathise - but this doesn't mean you are depressed nor need to increase ADs - well unless you are crying all the time! Crying is normal at this point - I wept buckets  and burst into tears at the slightest thing - I didn't go to the doc about it nor take anything - and it was too early for me even to think about HRT at that point. The crying (due to hormonal fluctuations) is not going to do you any harm - as long as it doesn't mean you are unable to function, and feel better some of the time in between crying!

What is LO btw?!

Good luck with the patch - but if it isn't too late - I would stick it all on ( depending on where you are with your periods/cycle?)!!!

Hurdity x

[MIS71MUM]

Hi Hurdity

Sorry for confusing you, I confuse myself often! When i took F1/10 initially nearly 2 years ago, it sorted the flushes and mild anxiety I suffered with. Unfortunately it gave my pmt which I hadn't had for a long time, so I stopped taking it. I tried again a few months later and the same happened.

A year later, I started F1/10 again as anxiety was bad, but this time the F1/10 didn't seem to help, so I then increased to F2/10 for 2 months.  I had really bad symptoms, such as confusion, spaced out feelings, insomnia and it never got any better. Then due to my iron levels being really low, and had unexpected bleeding, my GP pulled me off it.  I suppose from the patches, I am expecting more help with my anxiety and mood.  Not sure if I am expecting too much though.

It helps to know that crying is okay! My family seem to be disappointed with me that despite being on AD's, I'm still crying. For me it feels positive, because I am getting things off my chest and am able to show emotion whilst on AD's.

For now, I have decided to step off HRT to see where my cycle is.  At that stage, I'll start the patches, I hope that giving myself a month to 6 weeks off will be okay.

Sometimes - this whole anxiety/depression feels so final, as though this is how it will be forever but I suppose depression makes you feel like that.

LO - is little one as in my little 5 year old.

I'm 44 and miss 4/5 periods a year from September/October and have done since 2010. My FSH was over 35, 2 years ago.