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[Deb516]

Hello everyone,

My name is Debbie (47), I am peri-menopausal and I live in Cheshire, UK. I am having such an up and down journey with this damn time of life. I have been on Rigevidon for about 8 months now since visiting my GP with horrendous night sweats, total lack of sleep, sore boobs and frequent mood swings. This pill has helped me so much; I no longer have the hot sweats, sore boobs and sleep pretty good now. However, my moods are still up and down (not as bad) and this week is a down week; the last 'down' week was about 6 weeks ago. I feel as though I just cannot be bothered doing a thing, I have took time off work and self medicated with red wine in the evenings, which deep down I know makes me worse overall but it's as though I get just a few hours of happiness! Any healthy eating that I try to stick to goes out of the window during this rough week as well. I dread these horrible weeks and I am trying to find a cause but I just cannot see a pattern to them, they are so random. Life is on hold until I feel 'normal' again and it's a rubbish way to live.
Sorry for the long rant on my first post - needed to vent and wondered if anyone else has these random mood swings without warning and without a pattern.

  Debbie xxx

[Dancinggirl]

Hi and welcome to MM
Your GP has put you on a contraceptive pill which may not be your best option if you are peri menopausal.
You could possibly do better with proper HRT e.g. Femoston 1/10 as this will have bio identical oestrogen which could help, not only your flushes, but also your mood.  The pill has a 7 day break from hormones which will give you a dip - whereas HRt gives oestrogen every day and just adds in progesterone for half the month to induce a withdrawal bleed. I must say that this is the time of our lives when we really need to look at our diet and exercise regimes to keep things more on an even keel. Do try some Vitamin D supplements as many of us a deficient in the this vital vitamin - fatigue is often a sign of low Vit D. 
Read up all the info on this site to clued up.  The peri stage is very tough as our hormones are fluctuating and this is difficult to control. Dg x

[Hurdity]

Hi Deb516

  from me too.

Dancingirl is right about the traditional contraceptive pill - but gynaes are increasingly prescribing a new type of combined contraceptive pill called Qlaira for peri-menopausal women as this can be more suitable than HRT. The reason is that it suppresses ovulation and therefore regulates the cycle, so preventing the extreme hormone fluctuations that are common in peri-menopause and give rise to the troublesome mood swings.

This is a particuarly good pill in peri-menopause because the oestrogen is the same one as in HRT and is bio-identical with our own oestrogen - ie estradiol rather than the stronger synthetic one. Also there are only two tablet free days unlike the 7 day break with most other CCP types.

Here is some information:

http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/contra2.php

HRT type estrogen containing pill

A new combined pill, Qlaira is now available which contains natural estradiol valerate as the estrogen component, rather than the synthetic estrogen ethinylestradiol. Ethinylestradiol is the usual component of the combined pill whereas estradiol valerate is an HRT type estrogen. This is a useful option for women in the perimenopause when it should control menopausal symptoms while providing contraception and good control of bleeding.

You can take this until you are 50 I understand - when I expect you will be asked to come off it, and then would be the time to try out the other types of HRT such as Femoston which Dancinggirl has suggested.

Hope this helps

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

   browse round.

[Deb516]

Thank you for the replies :-)
I remember my GP said that the pill would 'balance' things out for me until she felt HRT was an absolute necessity but I may take a trip back to her and tell her about these mood blips which could have something to do with the dip during my seven day break from the pill? (never thought about this). Is it safe to not take a break from the pill? I am taking it for no other reason that peri symptoms as my OH has had a vasectomy so no worries about babies!
xxx

[CLKD]

Crikey.  I don't remember taking a break from the Contraceptive Pill  but I took my last one in 1991. 

Let us know how you get on!

[Hurdity]

Hi again Deb516 - please read my post again - where it tells you about a different kind of pill which will minimise the mood dips as only 2 tablet free days.

Also read the link I gave you which tells you about extended pill taking and avoiding the 7 day break.

I think this will help answer your questions and give you more info for when you go to doc.

Hurdity x

[Deb516]

Thanks Hurdity. I didn't read the section about no break but now I have, I won't be taking a break and will note down the name of the alternative pill prior to my GP visit. Do they have to oblige if you insist on trying something new? I've just always done what the doc says and never questioned it! x

[CLKD]

No they don't have to oblige.  It depends on many issues, some GPs don't like us going in armed with Dr Google  , others avoid prescribing due to budget restrictions, others are really helpful to discuss patient needs. 

Taking a list along might help, I hand mine to the GP and ask him to 'prioritise'