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[Rufus657]

Hello everyone please help. I've been on the above for 6 weeks I feel so unwell. I feel breathless jittery and tired and low. I had an upset tummy which has settled now have very sore breasts but can cope with this. My headaches and hot flushes has gone my libido has returned which is fantastic
But I feel unwell tired ,low anxious, low mood low energy , sore body , can't get to the gym can get motivated to do anything. All unusual for me
I'm 59
I have been on for 6 weeks and see that 3 months is the best to try before making my a decision. But is this normal. Please help

[dazned]

 Sorry to hear that you are feeling bad.Is this your first hrt? If it is a quite a high dose to start with ,especially given your age .
Maybe try a lower dose.

[Rufus657]

Hi Dazned thanks for your reply. Yes it's my first treatment

[CLKD]

Maybe give your prescribing practitioner a ring or go see a Pharmacist for advice, they have private rooms.  Do you keep a food/mood/symptom diary which some find useful. 

[Butterfly22]

hi I've just picked this up from the doctors the 2mg the doctor said people normally start at a 1mg and I should maybe drop it down when flushes ect under control.
Maybe ask to try the 1mg, are you taking progestrogen to xx

[Hurdity]

I agree that this is a high dose to start with and especially as you are 59. In fact when women start HRT at age 60 or beyond the British Menopause Society advise that transdermal HRT is preferred (patch or gel). If you stay on this dose for too long and your body acclimatises then you may well experience a resumption of hot flushes should you try to reduce the dose in future. Often docs will start women on the lowest dose - and increase if necessary until the lowest effective dose is reached. Yes 3 months is the usual time but maybe not in your case - unless the doc had a particular reason to start you on 2 mg? Also women vary enormously in how much oestrogen they absorb -  but does sound like it is working ( on the vasomotor symptoms) in your case.

(Yes Lil22 - the progestogen is included as it is a continuous combined HRT tablet).

The other reason for your symptoms could be due to the progestogen which is a synthetic one called norethisterone. This can cause continuous low-grade non-specific side effects in some women when taken continuously - such as low mood (sometimes headaches) and progestogens also have a sedative effect. To some extent they seem to counteract the beneficial effect of oestrogen in some women.

Personally I would suggest a patch HRT would be better and gentler at your age. However you still have the issue of continuous progestogens. The only alternative to this is to have a bleed (and us a cyclical HRT preparation) - which most women do not want at this age (although there are a few of us weird women on here who do!).

How long is it since your last period?

Anyway do let us know how you get on.

Hurdity x

[Butterfly22]

Opps brain fog sorry didn't read conti xxx

[Rufus657]

Thanks Hurdity and everyone. Really appreciate the input.

I had my last period approx 2.5 years ago. I was very late into menopause.

 Yes now  I feel sedated , knocked off and can sit for what seems hours unable or wanting to move !!

The doctor asked me which HRT I wanted to take. ! I said something that will make me feel sexy again ! Crazy.

Although I had done a fair amount of research I'm not in the knowledge !
Btw it's the estradiol which is 2 mg not the noresthisterone ( this is 1 mg ) does that change anything ?

I feel there is stuff working without a doubt. Hot flushes and debilitating headaches gone completely in 4 weeks. Libido back thank the Lord !

I just want to get my energy and mood back on a level that I was used too and get rid of this dreadful heavy heart , jittery , anxiety ( pseudo )premenstrual feeling I've now got. Keep yawning and trying to get air into my lungs and want to take long breaths. Like a brick on my chest.  It's horrid. If I didn't know better ( I'm an ex nurse ) I would swear that I was having a heart attack

Any more advice greatly appreciated , thank you all .

[Rufus657]

Ok been back to doctors .... hmmmm she seemed as clueless as me. I was told she was the HRT specialist ! Anyway she's put me on patches...  femseven

[Butterfly22]

Yes sounds like mine, they end up using Google, well good luck hope this hops you. Xxxx

[Rufus657]

Hi lil22
Thanks
 
She actually asked me if I had visited menopause matters because  she had read something but couldn't remember what it was. I was not impressed .. when she prescribed the patch I wanted to discuss it a bit and she got impatient and moved me on .... not impressed ......this is a massive decision we are making about our bodies ... we need to be reassured and feel safe. I am not happy.the majority of us can't afford the fees that the specialist consultants charge and why should it be so elitist. We should all get equal advice on HRT with our GP just as we do with other illnesses and conditions

[doolou]

Hi. I was given this hrt last year and they made me feel dreadful. I went back to my GP and asked for a lower dose, and she changed me to Kliovance. I stuck with it, but had on going issues. A long story, but recently tried Evorel Conti patches, and again felt dreadful after only 3 days. Myself and GP now think I don't get on with norothisterone which is the progesterone part of these makes of HRT. I have recently started Femseven Conti, and so far so good? A different type of progesterone in these patches. Hope this helps x

[Rufus657]

Oh thank you that's the best bit of encouraging news for a few days. I haven't bought the script yet as am reluctant to chop and change and mess the body. Do they stick ok dooloo, where do you put them. I'll give them a go deffo.

That's another thing my GP  said when I asked her. "I'm not sure some are better than others !! "  not reassuring at all !

Thanks for your input. Xx

[doolou]

Hi Rufus, I'm glad my information helped. So far my patch is still stuck, 3 days in.  I put is on my outer hip/bum cheek. I washed with Aveeno baby wash which I use anyway, because it's soap free, then dried it with a lint free cloth. Stuck it on, then a warm hairdrier for a few seconds then held the palm of my hand on it for about a minute! Lol. Only because I'd read they're a nightmare to make stick! A friend of mine tried them and they kept falling off 😞 I hope you get some success with something soon, its awful when you're feeling bad. Hugs x

[Hurdity]

She actually asked me if I had visited menopause matters because  she had read something but couldn't remember what it was. I was not impressed .. when she prescribed the patch I wanted to discuss it a bit and she got impatient and moved me on .... not impressed ......this is a massive decision we are making about our bodies ... we need to be reassured and feel safe. I am not happy.the majority of us can't afford the fees that the specialist consultants charge and why should it be so elitist. We should all get equal advice on HRT with our GP just as we do with other illnesses and conditions

I'm right with you there Rufus657!!! Absolutely!! It's all well and good singing the praises of certain consultants but they are only available to the privileged few - even £200 is a lot to pay for many women. It is great to share information on current thinking by gynaes which can help women when going to their GP - but I feel we owe it to the many women out there to encourage everyone to read as much as possible before their visits and not to be fobbed off!!! If there is another GP in the practice who is more knowledgeable about HRT then I suggest you visit that one instead.

Fancy saying the HRT types are not much different!!!

Good luck with the Femseven anyway and hope they stick and do the trick. I use patches but much smaller ones - have only ever put them on my butt cheeks ( apart from a brief interlude last year when I tried my tum - too much loose baby skin there though  ).

Let us know how you get on

Hurdity x