Sue - I found Utrogestan very sedating and I couldn't use it vaginally because it aggravated my atrophy. The best HRT combo I had was the Mirena with Oestrogel. I had a premature meno so I've tried just about everything there is. We are all different though and what suits one lady won't suit another.
When menopause hits, it's really not just about the hormones dropping as it often coincides with all sorts of other health issues as well. It's called ‘ The Change' for good reason because so much DOES CHANGE. I would liken it too bereavement for many of us and we have to go through various stages before there is a kind of acceptance that life will not be as it once was and we have to find a new way of living life that we can be at peace with. HRT can help this transition and buffer many of the evil effects but treatment is still far from ideal.
There are some lucky women who do ‘ride the change well' and they seem to suffer less - these small band of women behave with such distain towards those of us who struggle and this makes things even worse. I do think it is largely down to genetics, so it is a lottery as to how bad it will be and how well we cope. For many, it is the devastating effect it has on our mental state that is so hard to cope with and until the medical profession wakes up and starts treating us holistically, and not just for the menopause but for so many age related issues, there is going to be a big price to pay.
We keep saying how wonderful it would be if there were good Wellwomen clinics around the country that would help us through all the various stages in a women's life. No post code lottery for treatment and properly trained professions that keep up to date so we could trust them. We dream
. DG x