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[Debbielev]

Hi everyone,
I am 55 and am on my 6 th month of Elleste duet.
My periods were on and off for about 6 months before taking Hrt, I was suffering from horrendous night sweats leading to lack of sleep and then anxiety.
I have had anxiety for years due to my son being seriously ill in 2001, and was on Sertraline up until 2014 when I found I didn't need it anymore.
In 2015 my dad passed, 6 months later my mum had an unexpected triple heart by pass and then 6 months later my elder brother passed unexpectedly.
Needless to say my anxiety has since last year kicked in badly.
The doctor has given me 2 different antidepressants in the last few months but sent me into crazy mode and I refuse to take them.
On Elleste I have had all the side effects you can imagine and honestly don't feel well on them or is it anxiety.
Month 1 I felt great night sweats disappeared.
Month 2 nauseous
Month 3 heavy bleeds which I was concerned as I have fibroids....doc said that shouldn't be happening.
Month 4 period was super heavy for 2 weeks
Month  5 two days spotting so that's a result.....but extreme acid reflux, crying on certain days and social anxiety.
Now month 6 still bad acid reflux crying and generally feel rubbish.
I should add I wake every day no matter what time I go to bed at 4 am.....mainly with anxiety.
At my wits end. I have GP appointment on Tuesday and am so tempted to go back on my anti dep Sertraline but really don't want to.
I take Diazapam as and when needed 5 mg but I only take a quarter.
Have no idea what to do.
One positive is even though I wake so early I do have loads of energy and minimal sweats at night oh and I've dropped a dress size in the last couple of months too.
These are more hot and cold flushes but not like they were before.
Any ideas would be great .

[LizzyD]

Hi Debbielev,

Not sure how much practical help this message is going to be but I thought I'd just say I had similar experience of elleste duet

It was a while ago (and I can't remember some of the details. I know they're in there somewhere - i just can't put my finger on them to pass them on to you 🙄🙄) but I do remember I felt good for the first month and then kind of went gradually downhill. For a while I felt better than before I started taking elleste even though I was bleeding a lot as time went on.
But all the other meno symptoms just crept back, gradually getting worse and worse, and I probably gained a few more (!) until i wondered why I was taking it at all.
I don't have fibroids but the story you relate sounds very familiar in terms of the symptoms each month  and your reasons for starting hrt.

I changed to a different conti hrt as the gp said as I was over 50 and had been on a sequi for over a year (yes I stuck it out that long)

I actually didn't have much luck with that one either though (Activelle).  A very similar story.  I bled after the first month, with no rhyme or reason to how much or when. Getting heavier.  My (then) gps advice was to add in an antidepressant so as to keep me on a low a dose hrt but stil give me a "little help" .  I was so weary and frustrated with it all at tha point I just gave in and took the script. (To be fair to his reasoning I'd had a very stressful year)

I now realise that didn't help me at all. I wasn't technically depressed, just exhausted and "bogged down" with feeling rubbish for so long. The antidepressant just fogged my thinking for a while longer and numbed me into more of a feeble state than I already was in because of hormone imbalances and I struggled on whilst actually getting little relief from menopause symptoms, and adding extra side effects of anti depressant and what I now realise was not the right hrt for me at the time.  And all the time I was bleeding, until finally when I was bleeding most days of the month.

Argh! 

I've now weaned myself off the antidepressants. Changed gp. And I'm trying an alternative hrt.  But reading this forum recently is so encouraging. I'm more hopeful of sorting myself out.

I feel more "awake" than I've felt for a while, a few weeks into a new hrt.  Just not bleeding, or being massively overheated, and getting some good sleep has made me feel like an (almost!) new woman. I'm very jittery and had the worst sick headache I've ever had yesterday but I'm hoping that will settle as my body gets used to a new hrt.  I'm  hopeful this will work for me. But not counting my chickens as I felt good initially on the other products.

 But hey - we take what we can get eh? 

I have no real advice to offer. I just wanted to say I sympathise.
Keep talking, reading and  - as you say you've lost weight fairly quickly and feel "different" go with your gut if you think anything else might be going on  and see a dr. 

Good luck x

[Debbielev]

Thank you for replying. It's nightmare x

[Debbielev]

What hrt are you on now ?

[Hurdity]

Hi Debbielev

You might do better on a transdermal HRT especially if you have problems with acid reflux? If that HRT suits you otherwise and you feel fine on the combi phase ( 2nd two weeks) of the pack then you could try Evorel sequi - which is a medium dose. if you bleeds dry up on this you could then change to a conti ( but that means taking progestogen all the time) or oestrogen ( patch or gel) with separate progesterone. All the HRT preparations are listed under the Treatments tab above.

Also does the anxiety occur at a particular phase of the cycle - because if it occurs during the combi phase then it could be down to the progestogen in that HRT in which case Femseven or separates as i suggested above could be the answer. You could then increase the dose of oestrogen if necessary - which should be at a level to eliminate flushes and sweats. If you're happy with a tab and you suspect the progestogen in Elleste then Femoston is a good one to try.

Let us know what you decide!

Hurdity x

[Debbielev]

Hi Hurdity,
Thank you for your reply.
I feel like I can have a few days feeling normal then days and days feeling anxious, scared and awful.
I'm not taking the hormones today.... Reflux is so bad I don't want to eat. Only eaten bananas lol.
Am going to investigate all the different types you have given me before I go to Gp Tuesday will let you know.
Thank you ladies x

[LizzyD]

Hi Debbielev

I'm now on Angelique. 

I tempted fate talking about feeling good and having no bleeding.  Since Friday and my horrible headache, whilst I'm not feeling so bad I feel rather "sea sick" and quivery, and keep going quite dizzy.  And I can't get rid of this low level headache. AND .....I'm bleeding again 😩😩😩😩

Just shoot me!

Good luck with your dr visit xxx

[Debbielev]

Oh Lizzy,
I think I will shoot myself first lol.....we laugh but it's so not funny bless ya xx