Print

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

[Tempest]

You're absolutely right about the estrogen overstimulating me, Dangermouse! 

Day 4 today and already getting the 'ramped up' feeling. I knew it was coming......but hoping somehow it wouldn't.

So today earlier I phoned my Psychiatrist and we had a long chat bringing him up to date. I told him I NEED to be on HRT as without it I'm falling apart and I'm too young for that! He was very good and listened as I told him I need help to be able to tolerate the hormones my body needs but without suffering mood swings and anxiety which I inevitably get on estrogen only. And we came up with a plan.

I'm to continue with my Estrogel, and use 2mg diazepam up to 3 times a day for now to get me through to my appointment with Professor Lumsden on the 9th. At the appointment I will be discussing with her my problems tolerating estrogen replacement alone, and discuss adding progesterone (psychiatrist agrees that progesterone occupies the same pathway in the brain that diazepam effects). If she is emphatically against it or insists I wait until my estradiol levels are sufficient, I will be seeing my Psychiatrist on the 15th (he's on holiday unfortunately before then or else I would be seeing him straight after  Prof. Lumsden) and we will discuss adding in either 25mg seroquel am and pm or starting mirtazipine 15mg at night. Both are indicated for anxiety symptoms and stabilise mood. (Dont forget, I no longer have a diagnosis of 'mood disorder'. We've established my problems are all due to hormonal imbalance).

I feel reassured that I have a plan, that I have back up. He also said if things start to deteriorate drastically  then I'm to phone - any sign of mood swings, panic attacks or suicidal thoughts. Whew! I'll  just do 'my bit' and use my mindfulness and relaxation to keep things as steady as possible. Wish me luck! My body needs the estrogen desperately but start up and waiting for things to stabilise is brutal. I hope I can make it this time........ (and thanks for listening. Sorry this is so long winded)! xxxxx

[Annie0710]

Thank the lord for people like your psychiatrist! Pity he doesn't train in gynaecology too.  You're on the right track and lets be honest, progesterone is one you haven't tried, and it does have a calming effect.  Emphasise to the Prof how it's not harmful and you at least deserve a trial of it.  Tell her lots of hysterectomised ladies are on it and liking it.  That's probably why I felt better on it.  If they did 50mg of it I'd be really tempted to pop one of them each night along with half my Tibolone

When I switched to half Tibolone it was like my body was utilising the oestrogen portion too much and that happened at then end of month 3, I got jittery like I did on high E patches.  That's calmed down now x

[Maryjane]

Hi Tempest .....no where like you , but I have to have HRT for the old VA/ bladder / skin etc bitbit casues me anxiety.


I was on one sachet of sandrena, takes a very long time to dry and I had very sore breasts for the year I was on it , sapped to one pump of oestrogel breast pain gone completely.

I'm still not there with HRT , it's trying to make the best of what's out there , and I like you am rather sensitive to all medications regardless, I am rather slim and I think personally this can make balancing hormones much harder , regards how we absorb HRT etc.

Just me thinking out aloud , my gynae herself has had to try every combination of HRT to find the one , and for her it's the patches ( the smaller one ) so if a HRT specialist has issues then we are not that abnormal , or a nuisance .

Good luck with it all. X

[Tempest]

Aww, thank you so much as always, Annie! The psych. actually knows a lot about General medicine too. He said the only sticking point would be that prog. slightly raises cancer risk so be prepared that Prof Lumsden might not be keen! At least now I know......

I'm so glad the half dose of Tibolone has settled down. Phew! You must have had a bit of a fright there though........xxxxx

Maryjane, it's a nightmare isn't it? I need it for the same issues as you pretty much plus bone protection. If it was just flushes I would endure them! And yes - it gives me anxiety every time.......

The Sandrena is stronger isn't it? I was going to ask for it as I wouldn't need so much of it, but if it takes even longer to dry I'll give it a miss. I'm not a fan of the gels particularly as the dose seems pretty unstable to me, but patches were a bit of a nightmare too! It does just go to show if your Gynae had to try everything too!

One issue that I'm finding off HRT that I find very disturbing is very, very thin skin on palms of hands and soles of feet. It's horrifying and very painful! It happened literally overnight too. I don't get how Kirsty Wark was off HRT for 10 plus years after her oopherectomy and the only problem she reported was disturbed sleep! It makes me feel freakish that I have so many other issues!  xxxxx

[Annie0710]

Don't compare to anyone, Kirsty is fortunate.  We are normal (I know we're not but it makes me feel better lol) x

[Tempest]

We ARE!!!! They should have had us forum members on the documentary....it would have scared the bejesus out of any pre menopausal woman!

[CLKD]

  Once U find a way of easing symptoms stick with the regime!  Sometimes we can be 'over' diagnosed  and medics tend not to cross reference our problems  . 

Good idea to have a menopause specialist who also specialises in Psychiatry!  Which is where NAPS helped many girls with PMT!

I have taken anti-depressant medication since 1982, betablockas to ease anxiety since the mid-1990s and an emergency anti-anxiety drug.  With a bit of variation as necessary, most days I am OK.  I dread to think how menopause would have been without the above already having taken effect as I have been prone to depression for years.  When very depressed I was unable to put my feelings/ needs forwards  I simply couldn't be assertive enough.

Ignore the comment about Progesterone raising cancer risks!    This is about getting you a Quality of Life ! and that bus might be along way B4 cancer cells become problematic!

[Tempest]

Very true CLKD!!! I'm open to anything that will help now. I thought it would be a good idea to get the psychiatrist on board too as he's a nice chap who's generally tried to help and wasn't afraid to admit that he could now see I didn't have a major mood disorder. But he DID say that he believes I have high anxiety and he's not surprised after all of this! I'm happy with that opinion and happy to work with him to find something to help alongside the HRT.

Dear Dazned has been a great help to me too lately with her experiences. Bless her! And thank you to you too, CLKD! xxxx

[CLKD]

I suppose medics have to prescribe on what is presented to them.  Taking control of what ever condition is in front of them to settle the patient (across the medical spectrum).  Then the deeper causes can be investigated (if the medic can be bothered  ).  Getting a patient stable is important to prevent the particular condition from progressing.

Could your anxiety be caused by issues 'way' back?  Mine certainly are and my body has lived on high anxiety levels since age 3  .  A learned pattern and my brain simply can't cope at times (hence the emergency pill!).

[dazned]

caring and sharing is what MM is all about 😉

[Tempest]

I'm so grateful for the incredible warmth and support here, Dazned.

Oh, CLKD! It's like menopause unlocks the floodgates for some reason! Yes, I'm talking to my Psychiatrist about past trauma and this is also why he sees me regularly. He tells me that science knows that significant trauma in childhood actually changes the amygdala - so our minds are indeed wired differently and we can no more fix this ourselves than a person can fix a brain tumour or heart disease by themselves for instance. If only the wider world knew that we're not weak people - we actually have changes in our brain which affect us in so many ways and the cause is physiological and we were too tiny to have any choice in this. I can empathise with you wholeheatedly and understand why you need and have now found medication to help you.

For reasons unknown I was quite alarmed and resistant only a few weeks back when it was thought I was bipolar and I may need antipsychotics. Now I'm thinking, even if I was it DOESN'T MATTER. If you are suffering for any reason, why shouldn't you accept and receive help? So I'm going to let my Psychiatrist help me with anxiety and any other issues. It's about time I think......xxxxxx

[Tempest]

Day 5 of one pump of estrogel today. I had a very rough night - aching all over but I've now identified that this is due to my tissues swelling from introducing estrogen again so trying not to stress too much.

Hubby is away overnight tonight doing his 'Wild Night' event in the forest again (he's a forest ranger for those of you who don't know). Do you remember this last year when you held my hand through it, CLKD? I  can't  believe it was a year ago! 

I don't like being here alone, but am going to just try to relax as much as possible. Hoping the aching goes away - it feels like I've been hit with a baseball bat all over! xxxxx

[MIS71MUM]

Hi Tempest
Hope you go on okay today/tonight without Hubby.
I know it's no consolation but I too am feeling a bit surgey and wired since going upto 62.5 mg patches.
I may have missed your post but do you no longer have a diagnosis of Bipolar?
Xxx

[Tempest]

Thank you, Marchone! Gosh, the surges are nasty aren't they? Settling into any change in HRT is tough isn't it, no matter how small!

No - my psychiatrist says it's not bipolar which is a relief but 'unstable mood' is caused by hormonal issues. Hooray for him having insight! He was able to confirm this as my mood was stable once I stopped HRT, so we are taking special care now I'm starting it again. How are you doing at the moment otherwise? xxxxx

[edelweiss]

If you need company tonight, please please post here or pm. I know everyone here wishes peace and healing for you. Will be thinking of you and wishing you comfort and calm through tonight.
Today I am trying to remember that although these symptoms are horrendous, they aren't going to kill me or hurt me (even though it absolutely feels like it!) xxx