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[niecynoodle]

Hi all,
Never done this before, so hope I get it right.
I'm 54 in September and would say I'm post M as no period for 3 years(yay but in January this year I'd just about got to the end of my tether. lack of sleep, weight gain, miserable, aching joints, I guess you all know the story. I went to Dr's and a very lovely Dr sent me off for all the blood test, results confirmed all good, no under or over active thyroid, no diebeties.  She prescribed Elleste solo 1mg. I noticed good things within days.  after 6 weeks I felt the best I'd felt for Years, and I mean years. I went back as advised for a review of the Meds. I couldn't see the same Dr as she had moved on. Another Dr told me I shouldn't be on this HRT as it's designed for women with no womb , and I have mine!!!!!! So I'm 12 days into Elleste duo conti 2mg and I feel so rubbish. No hot flushes(good) worst aches ever, feel like I'm premenstral and about to explode, bloated, tender tummy, aching groin, etc. Ect. Awful sleep. I know this is early days, but I can't find much out about the Elleste duo conti. Just wondering if anyone else had tried theses and how they got on.

[ruthae]

 

Hello, I dont know the answer to your question but sure someone will come along soon with advice
Rx

[clare663]

Hi Niecynoodle, sorry to hear you are having such a bad time! Yes if you have your womb you should never have been given just oestrogen! Probably your womb has built up a linning that needs to be shed so now you are on the conti, the progesteon should reduce it. Im not a doctor and by no means an expert but Im on the Evorel Conti patch. I still have a womb and have tried a couple of HRT's previous to this one. Im 49 and 5 years since last natural period. When I started on the patches (4th week in now) I felt awful aswell but the side effects have improved and Im feeling much better. You may well find that you will have a bleed and will then feel better. Im sure someone who knows more about that HRT will be on soon. Take care.

[Mary G]

neicynoodle, welcome to MM.

I've just been talking about this on another thread, you are suffering the effects of the dreaded synthetic progesterone I'm afraid.  This topic is much discussed on here and unfortunately the progesterone part of HRT is usually what causes all the problems and is definitely the achilles heel of all HRT preparations.  You have obviously had the experience of the feelgood factor while on oestrogen only. 

Elleste Duo Conti contains norethisterone which is one of the strongest forms of synthetic progesterone and probably one of the least well tolerated.  Even if you are not progesterone intolerant per se, chances are you will not feel very good while taking the progesterone part of HRT but you are taking it everyday so the effects will be that much worse.  Unfortunately the progesterone undermines the good work the oestrogen does. 

My advice would be to switch from continuous combined to cyclical HRT and the one I would recommend is Oestrogel/Utrogestan - I have found it to be the best HRT regime by far.  The oestrogen gel is brilliant, very effective and also very flexible meaning you can adjust the dose to suit your needs.  The Utrogestan is the best of a bad job progesterone wise and probably has the least side effects when taken vaginally.  I'm afraid this does mean having periods again but it is a small price to pay for feeling normal again for most of the time i.e. the way you felt while you were on oestrogen only. 

[Hurdity]

Hi niecynoodle

  from me too!

Just to say I agree with Mary G that if you are on continuous combined HRT - which is usually prescribed for post-menopausal women - you will be having the progestogen every day, which as Mary G says may not be well tolerated but some women. All such HRT s (conti combi) can give low grade progestogenic side effects, even when the initial extreme side effects have worn off.

It could be the case that you would become accustomed to this HRT type and then feel OK - but on the other hand you might not! I definitely agree that at least at first, a cyclical HRT is the way to go - not least because as clare663 says, your lining will probably have built up in the 6 weeks you have been taking unopposed oestrogen. (However as you are 3 years post-meno let's assume your lining was so thin it wouldn't have had a chance to build up much!). yes the continuous progestogen will gradually thin the lining but you are likely to bleed at some point I would have thought.

If you stopped the conti tabs after a couple of weeks and went back to the solo for two weeks - this would be the same as Elleste duet - and you would get a withdrawal bleed.

There are only two options - either take progestogens all the time and don't bleed (but put up with any continuous side effects) or take them for part of the month and have a withdrawal bleed.

If you wanted to stick with the tablets but don't like the progestogen part - you could always ask for the Elleste Solo tabs that you were on, and then utrogestan for 25 days out of 28 - although some women find it gives them a sedative effect.

All the different options are listed here:
Peri-menopause ( the ones that give a withdrawal bleed): http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/perimeno.php
Post menopause (continuous combined): http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/postmeno.php

Separate oestrogens: http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/treatafter.php
Progestogens: http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/to_progestogens.php

I've been on HRT since about your age but I'm 63 and was late peri when I started. For most of the time I've been on HRT I have had 50 mcg oestrogen patches with separate progesterone ( the Utrogestan) - and feel fine for most of the time

Do ask any more questions!

Hope this helps


Hurdity x

[Taz2]

Hi niecynoodle  - I agree with the others. I just want to add though that I felt like you when starting a conti HRT but the side effects got better after around three months.

Taz x 

[Dyan]

 :welcomemm:niecynoodle

[niecynoodle]

Wow ladies, talk about food for thought. Thank you for so such helpful comments.
I really didn't want to go on an HRT that would bring back bleeding, so this is the option the Dr gave me. She did suggest the combi like you have talked about, but did say there could be breakthrough bleeding,When I asked how bad it might be, ie, like a proper period She would not commit. So I went for the conti.

[Hurdity]

Hi again niecynoodle

Just to re-iterate that unless you have been given an extra dose of norethisterone on top of the Elleste Duet conti - then you may well get some breakthrough bleeding anyway . This is normal with conti HRT in the first few weeks and months - but especially in  your case having had unopposed oestrogen for 6 weeks, so do be prepared for this! I am sure the doc will have told you.

If your symptoms don't settle on this type and you don't want a bleed, and are happy with a tablet then do try Femoston as the progestogen is better tolerated and very similar to progesterone.

Keep us posted

Hurdity x

[niecynoodle]

Thanks Hurdity, I really appreciate your help and advice. I'll let you know how I get on

[niecynoodle]

Hi all, quick update as promised. Last week, i was feeling yuck after nearly 2weeks on Elleste duo conti. Well on  Thursday 19th I started to bleed and I'm still bleeding. It's not a little break through bleeding it's proper full on heavy bleeding, Is this normal?  Does Anyone know how long it should last. I'm still taking the tablets. I know I've only been taking these tablets for just over 3weeks but already I'm fed up, and  feel miserable.

[CLKD]

 

[Hurdity]

Hi niecynoodle

Sorry to hear you are feeling miserable and bleeding.

If you read my posts below - I said this bleeding would be very likely, unfortunately - because you had 6 weeks of unopposed oestrogen. Even if you had started with the conti tabs straight away - as I said it is normal to get some breakthrough bleeding at first as your body - ie your uterus - acclimatises to having oestrogen having been without for some time.

The good news is that you were feeling better on the oestrogen only tablets - but unfortunately women with a uterus do need progestogens.

Have a re-read of the posts in the thread and you will see the options available - if your symptoms don't settle then it's a question of changing preparation eg to Femoston - which is better tolerated, or changing to a cyclical HRT to minimise the time on progesterone (if it turns out that you don't tolerate it well).

Hurdity x