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[Menamad]

Hello menopause ladies.  I'm so glad to have found this forum.  I've been reading lots of your posts and it's a comfort not to feel so isolated.

I'm just in my 5th week of Femseven Sequi HRT patches. (50 micrograms / 10 micrograms)
I was pretty low when I started them and within a week felt a lot better.
I've just finished week 4 of patch 2 (progesterone replacement) and have felt so tearful, anxious, lethargic and not coping very well at all. 
I'm now wondering if I need a higher dose.  Or do I have to ride the storm and give the patches more time?
Does anyone out there in menopause land have any experience of this HRT treatment or any advice st all. 
I am finding it quite difficult just functioning and have lost so much confidence, energy and interest in life.  I cried most of yesterday and I'm alienating myself from my husband and 2 grown up daughters (still at home) because I feel so tearful and can't pull myself together.  I'm trying to keep busy and walking the dogs, doing little tasks around the house and doing some work (I'm self employed) but I am existing, not living and this is not right.  I wake up feeling pretty anxious too.  This can last most of the day some days.  Just a feeling of being on edge and really miserable.
Other symptoms:  shoulder joint pain, digestion issues, fuzzy memory etc but I can cope with these.  I just want to feel ‘normal' - whatever that is.  I'm sending positive vibes out to all of you because this period of our lives is just totally hideous. 

[paisley]

Hi menanad
If you have just started the progesterone phase & feel bad then that is what is causing your tearfulness I would think. When I started HRT years ago the progesterone side of HRT had that effect on me too. The positive side is once you are of it you should start to feel better. I had a hysterectomy in 2011 & so don't need progesterone. I am not really up to date on the different types that you could try, hopefully someone with more experience will come on & help you. But lots of women suffer badly with the progesterone phase of the HRT & it will pass

[Menamad]

Thank you for your response and advice.  I’m all over the place at the moment.  Have done my two weeks of the progesterone patch and now back to the oestrogen.  Maybe I’m expecting too much only 5 weeks into the treatment?  Will try to stay more positive and carry on.  But it’s so hard when I feel so low.

[Mindfulmoomins]

You are not alone. I and many others struggle with progesterone too. I am currently taking Estrogel 3 pumps to try and counteract the effects of progesterone. Have a look on the Estrogel/utrogestan thread as that type of HRT is bioidentical and often suits women better.

Your feelings will likely pass as the progesterone leaves your system but it may be worth speaking to your GP about your reaction to the progesterone part of the HRT you are on.

Do be extra kind to yourself, it truly is such a debilitating time.

There are some brilliant people on here - dancing girl, Hurdity, Mary G and CLKD spring to mind - who will likely come along soon.

Take care xxx

[Dancinggirl]

Menamad - welcome to MM

Mindfulmoomins suffers badly with progesterone intolerance but paisley is lucky as she doesn't need to use progesterone. It is the progesterone in HRT that can cause side effects for many women. However, you seem to be getting the low mood because of the withdrawal of the progesterone which is also quite common.  How did you feel during weeks 3&4 when using the combined oestrogen with progesterone patches? Has the withdrawal bleed started yet?

It is early days for you though and things may well settle.  The patches are medium dose and I believe it is always wiser to start on a lower dose to allow the body to adjust and settle before increasing if symptoms are not under control  - I doubt very much you need a higher dose of HRT but stick with the Femseven for now.
 
If you can give us a bit more information, then we can help you better.

How old are you?  Were you still having periods when you started the HRT? What symptoms are you trying to control?
Has this low mood started since the menopause or has it emerged since starting the HRT?

If we have a clearer understanding of where you are in your menopause journey and why you started HRT, then we can advice you much better.

Do read up all the factual information on this site to get really clued up.  HRT can help with many menopause symptoms but it is often a range of strategies that will put life back on track. This forum has many women who struggle with finding the right HRT but actually many women do fine on almost any type of HRT regime once things settle.  I always say, “don't expect too much too soon, so be patient”.  The idea of getting the ‘old you' back or feeling ‘normal' is a difficult one - the menopause is called 'the change' for a good reason.  HRT can control flushes, night sweats, aches pains and can help with low mood but this is a time in our lives when we really have to look at our lifestyle choices - so good diet, getting enough exercise and using relaxation techniques, so we don't get overwhelmed.  We often have to learn to be a bit more selfish when the menopause hits!

Keep posting DG x

[Menamad]

So grateful for your replies.
I'm 50 in March.  I had blood tests in June 2016 which showed my FSH levels were elevated.  I didn't request HRT at that point in time but went back to nurse at my surgery (she specialises in HRT) on 23rd Jan as I was feeling so low, and angry too, with little or no energy and very tearful. I was feeling a bit desperate.

I had a period on 10th January but previous to this  I only had about 3/4 periods last year.  I started the HRT patches  on 23rd January after going back to see the nurse.
Within a week I felt better and have generally been ok, up until the last few days of the progesterone patch.

I can cope with the aching shoulder which I've had for about 3 months now and I was only having flushes mostly during the night in my sleep.  These were bearable.   But the low mood, anxiety and general nothingness I feel is just horrible.

I will stick with the HRT as I suppose it's early days and I can't give up just 4 weeks in.

Fingers crossed my body will get into a rhythm again. 

[Hurdity]

Hi Menamad

 

Great post from Dancinggirl (and the others!) and I agree with everything. Your oestrogen has been on the decline for some time and so it will take some time for you to feel better again. As said the progestogen phase may be the cause of your symptoms and especially the withdrawal - which happens a day or two after stopping (and when unwelcome pms symptoms can manifest themselves) - and then leading up to the bleed. I would definitely give it 3 months and keep a diary of how you feel on the different parts of the HRT.  Only after this time can you assess whether it's working for you. Some women take up to a year to feel better emotionally after starting HRT so hang in there.  If the oestrogen is working then you should feel at your best during the second week of the oestrogen only patches and hopefully a few days before and afterwards too .

If you feel at some point you mught need a higher dose of oestrogen then you would need to change to separate oestrogen and progestogen.

Hurdity x