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[loripetal]

Hi there, I've been struggling with sleep for about a year. I have very light periods, 3 weeks, 5 weeks. My mood is extremely low and and off work as totally exhausted and not coping. I don't get hot flushes. I had a few months of being hot all the time last year. I now get very cold, my hands are cold a lot. My heart rate is always fast and I am tired having a shower sometimes. I have a bit of depression and feel very low. I am worried about how I can get back on feet to get back to work.
GP is not convinced hrt will help. Her and another dr have said patch helps with hot flushes mostly.
A friend has said it helped her a bit, she is taking 1/2 patch - Evorel Sequi. The doctor said I should take full patch if I was trying it. I am quite confused and not sure whether to try it or not.
I dont want to have to go through what I have already been through with the heat.
Any thoughts much appreciated.
I do body scan at night time and during day. Try to swim a bit. Feel exhausted after it tho.
L x

[Cazikins]

Hi loripetal 
The only way you will know is if you try the HRT.
I take it & have been for 10 years now, without it I would not have been able to do my job. It gave me back so much of my life when I was working full time, in a job which I absolutely loved but was failing to do properly.
Patches are a good choice as they are absorbed through the skin compared to pills that go through the stomach etc.
Once you get started on them monitor your symptoms but remember it can take several months to realise the full benefits, & if this particular type doesn't suit you can then try a different type.
All the best
Cazikins x

[nearly50]

Hi loripetal, have you had blood tests to check thyroid, vitamin d and ferritin levels? If not, worth checking out to see how they are. Sorry, don't know anything about HRT though.

[Binbon2]

Hi there. I have been in perimenopause for two or three years now, but my symptoms really increased last spring and I had hot flushes and really disturbed sleep, which lead to me going on long term sick due to fatigue. I started HRT and found that the hot flushes went straight away. The disturbed sleep has stayed with me unfortunately, although I do feel much better than this time last year. I think some of the sleep issues were related to anxiety as well as hormonal changes. I have an appointment with a gynae tomorrow to discuss menopause and whether it is related to my sleep issues (I think it is but many GPs want to put it down to depression, which I am sure is not the problem). I will let you know how I get on, but I suspect that the disturbed sleep is one of those things I will have to live with - although I am getting more used to it now.

Ask your GP for blood tests. It turned out that my ferritin was low, and iron tablets did help to improve the fatigue.

[loripetal]

thanks very much sisters for getting back to me so quickly.
I've had blood tests and they are ok.
I'll have a think on and consider the patch I think. Nothing to lose, I hope!

[Hurdity]

Hi loripetal

 

Sorry to hear about your symptoms. Hopefully if you start HRT it will regulate your periods a little eventually so that you bleed monthly - but depends on where you are in menopause really. As said - why not start and see how you feel. I'm not sure about cutting patches of Evorel sequi although I know that cutting Evorel conti is fine (off licence). Theoretically it should be OK to start on half a patch - say for the first month and then graduate to a whole patch. I'm not sure why it would be necessary though - unless you would be extra sensitive to added oestrogen or the progestogen?


Re sleep - HRT stopped my night sweats and this enabled me to get a decent night's sleep.

Good luck anyway and let us know how you get on

Hurdity x

[loripetal]

thanks again.
Do you know if it matters when to start the patch?
Should I wait till I get my next period?
love and hugs
Lor xxx

[Hurdity]

If your periods are still pretty frequent and regular then the advice is to wait until the first day of the bleed and start the first patch then - to try to remain in sync with your own cycle. Otherwise you might find you bleed at the wrong time. Women who have been without periods for several months can start at any time since their cycles are rare.

Hurdity x