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[jefner]

Hi Guys
I am 54, post meno 3 yrs and looking into taking some hrt.  Had my sex hormones tested to which I have the results.  Have been reading up on it and a lot of women says it really helps with depression and anxiety which I have been suffering with so severely now for over a year. 
Unfortunately I also have Hashimoto's (autoimmune problems), low thyroid), high cortisol (which I think has come down), huge weight loss  and I am sick of feeling ill.  Have tried to everything in the last 14 months to get better and nothing is helping.  To add insult to injury I am also dealing with Candida now.

Am looking for some positive postings about how much hrt has helped you please.  I need some hope right now

[CLKD]

 

Welcome, I have bumped the appropriate thread with regards Hashimotos.

Browse round.  Make notes. 

What have you 'tried' already?  Do you mean HRT ? 

Whilst depression and anxiety can be triggered by hormonal upheaval, were you suffering prior?  Have you had appropriate treatment/s?  HRT can certainly ease many symptoms including depression and anxiety: some ADs can help as well as with hot flushes.  HRT can protect bones and heart. 

Exercise can be beneficial.  We have several threads here 

[Maryjane]

Regard the candida have you tried really sorting your diet out ?

This time of our lives is pretty hard for some , and it's like a jigsaw puzzle.

[jefner]

Regard the candida have you tried really sorting your diet out ?

I am on a Candida protocol, gluten and dairy free

[CLKD]

Thrush thrives on sugars!  I had my first attack when I stopped taking The Pill, OH the itching high up!  Have you thought about eating LIVE yoghurt several times a day, as well as applying it into the vagina …… I have in the past put a dollop on a tampon and inserted as high up as possible ;-).

[jefner]

Thrush thrives on sugars!  I had my first attack when I stopped taking The Pill, OH the itching high up!  Have you thought about eating LIVE yoghurt several times a day, as well as applying it into the vagina …… I have in the past put a dollop on a tampon and inserted as high up as possible ;-).

I don't have problems downstairs with it and I don't have sugars in yoghurt in my diet

[jefner]

PLEASE would like to hear from people who are doing well on HRT, I don't need to hear comments about my Candida thanks as I am dealing with that

[Dancinggirl]

jefner - welcome to MM
You have quite a few health issues that must be very challenging - you poor thing. 
HRT may help you but anxiety needs a range of strategies to help bring this under control - often a combination of HRT with a SRRI and some CBT.  HRT can and does help if the anxiety and low mood are hormonally related - so if this anxiety started when you became menopausal then it probably is hormone related.
Are you still getting periods? If not, when did they stop?  Unfortunately blood tests are notoriously unreliable and if you have had a great loss in weight this can have a big effect on your hormones - low weight can make the periods stop.

You want to hear some good stories about HRT - well I am 60 and have used HRT on and off for many years and once you find a HRT that suits you then it can be brilliant at controlling flushes and night sweats - it can keep the mood on a more even keel.  It is trial and error finding the HRT combination that suits you - HRT does bring side effects so it will be about the benefits versus the side effects.  Do read up all the info on this site to get clued up, print things off from this site and discuss your options with your doctor.
HRT may well help your anxiety but it won't be a quite fix - it may take 3-6 months to help and only if you have found the right HRT.  Dg x

[CLKD]

  - I thought that Candida always presents as thrush in the vagina or mouth ……… >creeps away<

[Hurdity]

Hi jefner

  from me too!

Good news stories - YES to HRT (how did you guess?!). I started it when I was about your age but I was not post-meno ( at least I don't think so - was late peri) and have been on it for almost 10 years now in my 60's. I would highly recommend it! What more can I say? There are plenty of devotees on here!!

As you are post-menopausal then it should be fairly straight-forward as your hormones will no longer be fluctuating, although with Hashimoto's it might make it slightly more complicated initially. I am not sure why you had the hormone blood tests done but I imagine they will just confirm that you have very low levels of estradiol and normal (very low levels) of progesterone as your ovaries have packed up?

When you say you have Hashimotos and weight loss, I presume the latter is because your underactive thyroid has been stabilised by appropriate medication - I mean are you pleased with the weight loss or is it not explained by your thyroid treatment? Does your medication need adjustment maybe?

As you have hashimotos I would suggest transdermal HRT (patch or gel http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/treatafter.php) because oral HRT may interact with thryoid meds although the latter can be adjusted provided it is monitored by the doctor especially during the first few months - from what I've read. You would need to take separate progestogen and this can be either utrogestan ( micronised progesterone) or Provera (http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/to_progestogens.php).

You might not like this idea but I would suggest you start with a cyclical HRT which brings about a withdrawal bleed every month - this is so that you can find a progestogen that suits you and don't end up feeling worse than when you started because you are sensitive to progestogens given exogenously (from outside the body). There are patches that do the combined job  - Evorel sequi or Femseven sequi containing different progestogens so you might want to start on one of these. http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/perimeno.php ( scroll down).

Some women who start HRT post-menopause find that it is better to start with a very low dose eg half a patch (25 mcg) and then build up until the body acclimatises once more.

Hope this helps and do ask any more questions!

Hurdity x

[Pinkfizz]

 SNAP! I have Hashimoto's too!

My story so far…I've had thyroid issues for at least 10 years (according to test results), however doctor only picked it up 3 years ago.

Anyhow, my periods started going slightly array about 12 months ago and then stopped about 6months ago…I had the odd hot flush, I was slightly tetchy and I was gaining a little weight. I thought this menopause thing was a doddle !!

12 weeks ago my life ended! I woke up on a Monday morning with FULL menopause! Hot flushes every 10 minutes, insomnia for 12 weeks, acid reflux which was unbearable and I was damn moody!

Anyhow…I went to my doctors and asked for HRT…I'm 49. After3-7  days my acid reflux, temper, mode swings and Insomnia were better…after 1 month everything has gone…except for still not sleeping good but 80% better.

My advice would be…go for HRT! Thyroid issues are a bloody nightmare, far worse than menopause (in my opinion)…don't stress, go HRT! . HRT definitely interferes with absorption of Thyroxine, so take thyroxine first thing in the morning and HRT evening.

Good luck xx

Let me know how you get on xxxxxxx

[Beaker]

Hi jefner - go for it! I find Hrt marvellous for my depression, sleeplessness and muscle aches. I presume you have already been checked for diabetes in view of your feeling ill, weight loss and thrush symptoms.

Best of luck!

[Hurdity]

Hi Pinkfizz

  !

Glad that HRT is working for you and you feel better - what type are you taking? It is great to hear good news stories and especially with the different types of HRT

Hurdity x

[jefner]

jefner - welcome to MM
You have quite a few health issues that must be very challenging - you poor thing. 
HRT may help you but anxiety needs a range of strategies to help bring this under control - often a combination of HRT with a SRRI and some CBT.  HRT can and does help if the anxiety and low mood are hormonally related - so if this anxiety started when you became menopausal then it probably is hormone related.
Are you still getting periods? If not, when did they stop?  Unfortunately blood tests are notoriously unreliable and if you have had a great loss in weight this can have a big effect on your hormones - low weight can make the periods stop.

You want to hear some good stories about HRT - well I am 60 and have used HRT on and off for many years and once you find a HRT that suits you then it can be brilliant at controlling flushes and night sweats - it can keep the mood on a more even keel.  It is trial and error finding the HRT combination that suits you - HRT does bring side effects so it will be about the benefits versus the side effects.  Do read up all the info on this site to get clued up, print things off from this site and discuss your options with your doctor.
HRT may well help your anxiety but it won't be a quite fix - it may take 3-6 months to help and only if you have found the right HRT.  Dg x

sorry for the late reply I couldn't find my post lol. 
I am 2 and a half weeks into half a 50 Evorel patch and when I upped to a whole patch on Wednesday I felt really bad yesterday with anxiety more severe than normal and also very depressed.  I don't know whether I was just having a bad day or whether it's the patch.  How am I going to know whether it suits me or not.  The first two weeks looking at my calendar I have felt better, less anxiety and much more manageable but now I feel like my head is going to explode and I can't be sure what's causing it.
I have been taking a SSRI (Seroxat) for 15yrs but started to cut down on it because it no longer worked for me, although a Psychiatrist I saw told me to double my dose and I would feel better again but I didn't because I didn't believe that would happen and Seroxat is the worst one on the planet to come off so I didn't want to up my dose if there was a chance of me changing to another one.

I am 54, and 3.5yrs post meno hon

[jefner]

Hi jefner

  from me too!

Good news stories - YES to HRT (how did you guess?!). I started it when I was about your age but I was not post-meno ( at least I don't think so - was late peri) and have been on it for almost 10 years now in my 60's. I would highly recommend it! What more can I say? There are plenty of devotees on here!!

As you are post-menopausal then it should be fairly straight-forward as your hormones will no longer be fluctuating, although with Hashimoto's it might make it slightly more complicated initially. I am not sure why you had the hormone blood tests done but I imagine they will just confirm that you have very low levels of estradiol and normal (very low levels) of progesterone as your ovaries have packed up?

When you say you have Hashimotos and weight loss, I presume the latter is because your underactive thyroid has been stabilised by appropriate medication - I mean are you pleased with the weight loss or is it not explained by your thyroid treatment? Does your medication need adjustment maybe?

As you have hashimotos I would suggest transdermal HRT (patch or gel http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/treatafter.php) because oral HRT may interact with thryoid meds although the latter can be adjusted provided it is monitored by the doctor especially during the first few months - from what I've read. You would need to take separate progestogen and this can be either utrogestan ( micronised progesterone) or Provera (http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/to_progestogens.php).

You might not like this idea but I would suggest you start with a cyclical HRT which brings about a withdrawal bleed every month - this is so that you can find a progestogen that suits you and don't end up feeling worse than when you started because you are sensitive to progestogens given exogenously (from outside the body). There are patches that do the combined job  - Evorel sequi or Femseven sequi containing different progestogens so you might want to start on one of these. http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/perimeno.php ( scroll down).

Some women who start HRT post-menopause find that it is better to start with a very low dose eg half a patch (25 mcg) and then build up until the body acclimatises once more.

Hope this helps and do ask any more questions!

Hurdity x

Thanks Hurdity and sorry for late response, I couldn't find my post.  I have had a skype appt with a meno specialist and she has put me on Evorel Conti half patch.  She says for a couple of weeks but when I upped to a whole patch on Wednesday after being on half a patch for 2.5 weeks, I felt quite ill yesterday  My anxiety was a lot worse than normal and I felt very very depressed.  I don't know whether it's coincidence and I was just having a bad day or it was the patches.  In the event it was the patches I have gone back to half and I think I will stick to half for at least a month and then up it by a quarter to see how I get on.  I have a long history of anxiety and some depression so I can't be sure it's the hrt causing the problems. 

Must admit not long after starting the hrt, a couple of days later my nighttime flushes disappeared and my anxiety level went down, although my 2-3 flushes late evening crept back again last week.  Can the patches act that quick?