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[EmmsieB]

Hello everyone.  This is my first post on here.  I am 48 years old and currently using Kilofem HRT pills following my BSO in April for a BOT, which was fortunately benign.  I am bleeding constantly on it and have been referred to a menopause specialist.  The appointment is 21st December, so I want to go armed with all the information I can gather.

Ladies, those of you who don't have ovaries, but still have your uterus, I'd like to know what HRT you are currently using and how it is working for you?

Many thanks!   

[CLKD]

 

[Hurdity]

Hi EmmsieB

 

There have been others recently in your position but I can't remember who.

Where in menopause were you when you had your op - had you started missing periods or were you still fully fertile with periods/ovulation every month?

It is quite common to bleed initially anyway on any continuous combined HRT and in women with ovaries, can take up to 6 months to settle. How long have you been taking Kliofem and how do you feel otherwise ie apart from the bleeding?

It's good that you have been referred anyway - and perhaps read about the different types of HRT using the info on the main website ( Top tabs pale green banner - treatments).

Hopefully someone in your position will be along soon to comment.

Hurdity x

[EmmsieB]

Thanks for your reply Hurdity.

Before my op I was going 2/3 months without a period and then I'd have one.  They were very irregular. I'd started getting hot flushes and suffered with anxiety. 

I started Kilofem at the end of July, went to doctor when I started getting bleeding at the beginning of September and she swapped me onto Elleste Duet.  When the forced bleed started on this the pain was horrendous, so back to the doctor.  This is when she put me back onto Kilofem, at the end of September and referred me, as she didn't know what to do!

I'm fairly good on Kilofem, just really bad sore feet, especially by the end of the day (I take Kilofem in the morningJ, no libido, loss of muscle strength and low energy levels as well.

 

[hoping4best]

Hi EmmsieB,
I am almost 43, had one ovary removed after a benign tumor when I was 38, and immediately after my other ovary didn't work ("premature ovarian failure"), so I went into menopause. I still have my uterus also, but my one remaining ovary isn't functional. So I'm a bit like you! 

I have been on estradiol patches and oral progesterone (I am in the US). I was first on continuous, and almost got a hysterectomy b/c I did not stop bleeding and developed adenomyosis and very painful, near constant cramps. I was bleeding every other week most weeks, for a couple years. It was awful.

I finally got a new reproductive endocrinologist who switched me to cyclical HRT, which has worked much better for my body. Now I don't bleed or have cramps unless I have a bleed on my own (occasionally happens, unclear as to why), or I trigger one with progesterone (currently, vaginal Crinone gel). The pattern is that on the 1st of a calendar month, I ask myself "did I bleed last month?" If the answer is no, I take 12 days of 8% crinone gel, and then bleed after I stop. I wear an estradiol patch all the time, my dose is 0.075mg  these days.

I feel about 75% myself on the patch plus cyclical progesterone. But there are a few areas where I'm still struggling--vaginal atrophy (VA),  sexual response, loss of muscle strength, and increased social anxiety.

For the VA, I am currently trying an Estring + nightly Vagifem and external estradiol cream as needed. I've had a very rough time with VA since the beginning of my ovarian/hormone trouble. And lots of local estrogen seems to help, at least some of the time.

I also had almost total loss of libido. It's now back, but my response seems very dulled. I am trying a very low dose of testosterone gel. I tried it a couple years ago and it really helped, but I had thought it was causing hair loss. My hair loss has continued to be awful, so I know it wasn't just the T, and am giving it another go.

Have you tried testosterone?

[EmmsieB]

Thank you so much for your reply, hoping4thebest.

Sorry to hear about your hair loss.  Have you been on the the Surgical Menopause Support Group on Facebook.  They are mainly in the US and may have some helpful suggestions for your hair loss?  Their website is www.thesurmenoconnection.com

Thank you for detailing all your hormone usage, it's all so useful for me in trying to get some sort of balance.  I haven't tried testosterone yet, but will be asking the specialist when I see them in December.  I suffer from VA, no labido and low muscle strength, so hope the T will help with this.  I will also be asking the specialist about E cream from VA.

[Hurdity]

Just to add also that if you are taking oral HRT then this can act to depress libido. The reason is because oral oestrogen increases a compound in the body known as SHBG ( Sex Hormone Binding Globulin) which binds testosterone and makes it unavailable in the body ie it lowers free testosterone. If you change to transdermal oestrogen you may notice and improvement and also I imagine if you still need testosterone perhaps it will have a better chance of working (not sure how adding T works if you already have increased SHBG - perhaps it will be OK even with oral oestrogen, if you add more)? Your lack of muscle strength and tiredness are all symptoms of low testosterone ( together with lack of libido) so personally I would suggest you switch to transdermal and then start a low dose T gel if you can get it prescribed.

Hurdity x

[hoping4best]

EmmsieB I had no idea that surgical meno site/group existed. Thank you!

[Taz2]

You might also get some help and advice from the Hysterectomy UK site. This is the section on surgical menopause https://www.hysterectomy-association.org.uk/'s=surgical+menopause   There is also a forum where women have posted their own questions etc relating to surgical menopause.

Taz  x

[paisley]

EmmsieB
I would also like to thank you for that link. I didn't know it existed either