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[Catsjulieanne]

Hi, been given Elleste Duet Conti 2mg/1mg yesterday, taken 2nd tablet today.  I don't know if it's me panicking but my hot flushes have been a lot worse the last 24 hours and this afternoon had rotten headache for couple of hours.  Again not sure if it's me panicking as I have bad anxiety but also have felt a little breathless on occasion yesterday afternoon and briefly this afternoon, anyone else feel so bad soon as starting it? Thanks in advance.

[Dotty]

Hi I’m on that one. Been on it for 10 days. I keep telling myself it’s not working but the lovely ladies on here have given me loads of help and advice x

I think what you are feeling is the normal symptoms you would be having anyway as it will take time for the hrt to work x

[Catsjulieanne]

Thanks Dotty I am really panicking, which is making the symptoms worse.  My hot flushes were getting out of hand last few months but today I really felt like my head was going to burst into flames.  Then a couple of episodes of feeling breathless, again not sure if just panicking.  I have been period free for exactly 2 years.  I just want shut of these flushes and insomnia and low mood but feeling worse today having started the tabs is making me wonder if I should bear with this.

[Dotty]

Yes stick with it. As everyone has said to me, it's not a quick fix. They have explained to me that my oestrogen levels will be really low as I am 3 years post meno and it will take time to build them up. At the moment your symptoms will be carrying on as normal and won't be due to the tablets. I was on a low dose for 3 weeks and my day flushes stopped in 2 weeks x

[Dotty]

How u feeling Catsjulienne?

[Hurdity]

Hi Catsjulieanne

Is this the first time you have started HRT since your periods stopped 2 years ago? I would suggest that the dose might be too high to start with irrespective of your age. It is better to start with a lower dose and see if this sorts out your symptoms and then increase slowly if necessary. Also unless you have had endometriosis it can be better to start on a cyclical HRT so that you can tell whether the oestrogen and progestogen suit you and change HRT type if not. You would take the oestrogen only tabs for 16 days and the combi tabs for 12, followed by a withdrawal bleed (which some women prefer not to return to). Some women also find that flushes worsen on the combi part of their HRT but if you are taking continuous combined HRT there is no possibility of adjusting one without the other.

First step I would suggest if you really can't cope is to go to a 1 mg cyclical HRT or if you really don't want a bleed - then the equivalent 1 mg which is Kliovance.

The recommended time for trying an HRT type and allowing side effects to settle is 3 months so notwithstanding my comments above,  even on this preparation hopefully the side effects are temporary and will disappear.

Do not despair - there are plenty of alternative types for you to try if this one doesn't work for you!

I started straight away on patch HRT - taking it cyclically to give a withdrawal bleed. Still using this 10 years later in my 60's and not a flush in sight...

Hurdity  x

[Catsjulieanne]

Thank you for the replies!  I am in a right state, don't know how I coped in work, huge headache, boiling hot flushes, they were horrible before but brief and not like a furnace.  I feel mithered and shattered.  I agree it might be too high a dose, is it worth taking half of the tablet (it's one tablet) or just forgetting it altogether and try get back in at the doctors?

[Catsjulieanne]

Hurdity - Kliovance sounds like an option.  I really don't want any breaththrough bleeds after 2 years with nothing.  I HAVE to work, single mum, but today I felt so bad I wanted to come home but managed to stick it out to the end.  Would you suggest I don't take any more Elleste and try get back in at the doctors?

[Dotty]

What were you taking before Elleste Duet Conti?

[Catsjulieanne]

Nothing, I tried HRT briefly last year for couple of months, cant remember what it was called but it was 2 different tablets but I ended up having break through bleed which I didn't want.  So since September 2016 this is first one I have taken.

[Catsjulieanne]

Just remembered the name it was Prempak, took it for 2 months

[Dotty]

I would say then that the symptoms you are feeling are the meno symptoms that you would be having anyway and not a side effect of the hrt. X

[Catsjulieanne]

It's convinced the symptoms are related to HRT, until Monday I was having uncomfortable flushes but no headaches, I took my first one Monday morning and since then banging headaches and the flushes are through the roof.  Unless I'm panicking I am anxious but I've definitely felt 100 times worse since Monday.  I just want to feel better!  It's awful.

[Dotty]

I know exactly how you feel. This is my 5th week on hrt and I didn't see any improvement for 2 weeks. After 2 weeks the flushes during the day stopped. In those 2 weeks I convinced myself that the hrt wasn't working . It's so hard d

[Catsjulieanne]

It's awful isn't it Dotty.  The flushes, insomnia and anxiety etc were bad enough but the fact I have done something positive and gone back for HRT (waiting 3 weeks for docs appt) and to now have awful headaches and even worse flushes, is soul destroying.