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[Lainy01]

Hi there, I'm really sorry but I'm new to this forum and dont know where to post. I'm feeling quite desperate, again.
I have been told im peri meno from a recent blood test.
My symptoms have mainly been psycological. Chronic anxiety and depression. Ive never suffered with this before until last december.  I've had times when i've felt unable to cope. The agitation was horrendous and i'd descibe the last 12 months as traumatic.
Getting through every day was so hard.
Sleeping was my only respite from all of the unbearable feelings.
I started on the combination estradiol and progesterone 1mg a few months ago but then changed to an estraderm patch after reading about the side effects. This helped with my mood but i still felt that i had a lot of tension in my body. Mainly in my neck and shoulders. It got so bad i had to take strong painkillers. I thi k this may have been something to do with my cortisol levels. I read that high cortisol can be linked to low progesterone so i self medicated with a 2mg combined estradiol and progesterone tablet. Unbelievably, after 2 days my neck pain disiappeared. I'd had it every day since feb.
Ive been taking this every day for the past 2 weeks and on friday i started to feel not right again. The tension has returned to my shoulders although not quite as bad as before.
I have reduced the 2 tablets to one and a half and i have a gp appointment on wednesday and i dont know what to ask for?
If i've posted in the wrong room can somebody advise the best place to post this for advice.
I also have the mirena coil.
Thanks in advance

[Hurdity]

Hi Lainy01

 

This is exactly the right place to post!

Sorry to hear about your symptoms.... I was wondering how old you are and also how long your Mirena has been in? Because you have a Mirena it is difficult to tell where you are in menopause. If it's been in for a while then if you are also taking an estrogen  and progesterone combi tablet then you are getting a lot of progesterone! When you say self-medicated - how did you get hold of it because you can't get HRT except on prescription? It's best to take all meds/HRT under the doctor's supervision. Did you do anything different last December re medication that you can think might have led to your neck pain.

Another reason for your improved feelings after changing to the 2 mg tab could be that you increased your dose of oestrogen - since low oestrogen is a strong contributor to low mood and anxiety in menopause. Not sure about the cortisol thing - I don't think that has been established but I stand to be corrected if you have any info! Also synthetic prgoestogens (as in the coil and the tablets) do not act in the same way as progesterone itself - except to protect the uterus lining.

If your Mirena has been in for less than 4 years then I would suggest you ask for another oestrogen patch at least 50 mcg but maybe ask the doc if you can increase to 75 mcg if you don't notice and improvement after a few weeks. All the different types are listed here: https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/treatafter.php (scroll down for patches). When the time comes to change your Mirena and you feel it suits you then you can have another one fitted or alternatively go for progesterone itself ( Utrogestan) if you would prefer the more "natural" product (ie body-identical).

Hope this helps and let us know how you get on with your doc

Hurdity x