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[Brown eyed girl]

Hi ladies

This is the first time I've posted on this forum as I'm quite new to all this, but I'm hoping you'll be able to help with some advice....

My history is that my periods stopped quite suddenly about 3 1/2 years ago when I was 44 - they had been irregular before that for about a year but then stopped completely.  Initially I didn't have too many problems though I was sad as we'd hoped to have another baby (our daughter is now but it was not meant to be and we're happily focusing on the lovely daughter that we do have.

However, after a while I started to get some unpleasant symptoms mainly around soreness around the vagina and some hot flushes - so for a while I was taking bio identical hormone lozenges prescribed for me by a doctor at a well known clinic on Harley Street.  These seemed to work quite well until about four months ago, when I suddenly started to get UTI symptoms out of the blue eg needing to go to the loo much more often.

Initially I went to the GP who found no infection, and then to a urologist who said it sounded like overactive bladder and thought it would go away with time - he gave me vesicare but I didn't take it as I was reluctant to start dosing myself with drugs.

Over the next few weeks the symptoms started to really bother me and I also had some burning in my urethra which was horrible - I got very stressed worrying about how to stop it and every day became very difficult as I couldn't relax for worrying it would suddenly come on at work.

Eventually my lovely husband was worried about me being so miserable and suggested that I go to see a menopause specialist, as he was convinced this was all related to my hormones.  The worry had also started to affect my sleep and I felt constantly tired out and had a feeling that life had gone “grey” if that makes sense - I was struggling with the effort of trying to act normally when all I wanted to do was cry.

Sorry this sounds very dramatic, but felt I should be honest on this forum! The other weird symptom that I have is a feeling of sensitivity down my inner thighs - it's not there all the time but is set off by clothes rubbing in that area eg the seams on jeans or sometimes even tights can set it off.  I have been to see a women's health physio who is lovely and she has massaged the muscles down my inner thighs and they are often very tight and knotted - the massage helps but I can't help wondering if this is another symptom of the menopause.

Anyway, the menopause specialist I went to see seemed very unphased by my list of symptoms and was quite clear that she thought I should have been on HRT earlier - her view was that the bio identical lozenges are not regulated and therefore it's difficult to know what dose you're getting - whereas she has prescribed the estradot patches initially, a month at the 37.5 mg dose and then a month at the 50 mg dose.  I am to go back to see her in January, when she'll do another blood test for my estrogen and then will see how I'm doing and add progesterone in as she wants to do things one at a time to see how I react. 

I felt confident in this lady's approach and my husband was also at the appointment for moral support and we both came away feeling reassured - my question is now, does anyone have any experience of something similar and I suppose any reassurance that I'll start to feel better soon? I am just not used to feeling so unlike myself and constantly miserable and on the verge of tears - I would just like my old self back!

Sorry for the long post but it really is nice to have somewhere to ask these questions as it's not easy to discuss some of these things ....

All advice welcome! Xx

[BlueButterfly]

Hi and welcome!

Sorry I don't have any advice...still figuring this mess out myself.

I seem to always have knots/tightness in my inner thighs...mostly my right leg. I get muscle cramps in random places as well. Magnesium seems to help me.with that.

 And sensitivity. It's not always there but sometimes it's so bad I can't stand being touched. I think it is hormone related because I can't find any other reason it would be happening.

And nothing you are describing seems dramatic. Hormones really mess with us. 

[Brown eyed girl]

Thanks for replying, it's good to know I'm not going mad! I have thought about magnesium too, I did buy some but haven't tried taking it consistently so will give that a go.

Lovely to hear from you! X

[jaypo]

Hi there and welcome to the madhouse 🤪 like BB before me, I can't really offer any advice but rest assured someone will be along to help.ive never been on hrt,I'm just going down the vitamin route,anxiety a big problem with a lot of ladies on here so you're not alone,like BB I take magnesium and also b12,been ok so far on them.
Anyway,ask anything you like,nice bunch of ladies on here 😊

[Brown eyed girl]

Thanks for your reply - interesting that you're taking B12, something to think about x

[Ladybt28]

Hi Brown Eyed Girl - no your not going mad and the list if symptoms are pretty common here.  I too would "like the old me back" but I have a funny feeling that it is never entirely possible.  Firstly there is usually a good 3 months settling in period once you are put on HR whilst the body adjusts.  Can be a bit of a roller coaster but then all of a sudden when you think it cant get any worse you look around you and suddenly think "oh the last couple of days or the last week hasn't been like before".

Unfortunately the menopause can creep up on us and equally sometimes the levelling out stage can happen without any sort of dramatic disappearance of the weird symptoms  they just sort of slip away.  However, the depression, head type, "feeling well" type issues are usually the last to go or the most difficult to sort.  I was on the verge of tears and suffering from dreadful anxiety for over 2 years before anyone actually got a handle on it.  Now I've stopped all that but still feel very "flat".

At least you have us all for moral support - so post away whatever you want to say - nothing is daft or dramatic here.  It's good to hear you have a meno consultant who doesn't appear fazed and is on your case.  You will find some women here who have useless GP's and some useless "supposed" meno consultants/experts.  Once they have been left a while the situation can take up to 6 months to even start to get under control.

[Dancinggirl]

Hi and welcome to mm brown eyed girl

You are getting good advice from the menopause specialist.
What you are describing is quite normal for menopause and you definitely need the proper HRT you are now being given.
Some local oestrogen would probably be a good idea as well - this would be Vagifem - so ask your specialist about this. Do buy some SYLK or YES vaginal Moisturisers as well to help with dryness.
Try cutting out caffiene, alcolhol and fruit juice as these are irritating for the bladder.
As you have gone into menopause too early you do need HRT to protect your heart and bones for the long term.
Things will get better. DG x

[Brown eyed girl]

Thanks for the reassurance, it's very welcome! I've been on the HRT nearly 2 weeks which probably is far too early for anything much to have happened, but I went for a bone density scan on Friday, again at the request of the Meno specialist, and fortunately all was well there so that's a relief.  I did ask her about local estrogen as well and she said this may be needed in addition but she wanted to get the systemic part sorted out first so she can see how I'm reacting - which makes sense, it's just hard dealing with unpleasant symptoms in the meantime! But thanks again for your reassurance, it does help xx

[EnglishRose]

Hi ladies

This is the first time I've posted on this forum as I'm quite new to all this, but I'm hoping you'll be able to help with some advice....

My history is that my periods stopped quite suddenly about 3 1/2 years ago when I was 44 - they had been irregular before that for about a year but then stopped completely.  Initially I didn't have too many problems though I was sad as we'd hoped to have another baby (our daughter is now but it was not meant to be and we're happily focusing on the lovely daughter that we do have.

However, after a while I started to get some unpleasant symptoms mainly around soreness around the vagina and some hot flushes - so for a while I was taking bio identical hormone lozenges prescribed for me by a doctor at a well known clinic on Harley Street.  These seemed to work quite well until about four months ago, when I suddenly started to get UTI symptoms out of the blue eg needing to go to the loo much more often.

Initially I went to the GP who found no infection, and then to a urologist who said it sounded like overactive bladder and thought it would go away with time - he gave me vesicare but I didn't take it as I was reluctant to start dosing myself with drugs.

Over the next few weeks the symptoms started to really bother me and I also had some burning in my urethra which was horrible - I got very stressed worrying about how to stop it and every day became very difficult as I couldn't relax for worrying it would suddenly come on at work.

Eventually my lovely husband was worried about me being so miserable and suggested that I go to see a menopause specialist, as he was convinced this was all related to my hormones.  The worry had also started to affect my sleep and I felt constantly tired out and had a feeling that life had gone “grey” if that makes sense - I was struggling with the effort of trying to act normally when all I wanted to do was cry.

Sorry this sounds very dramatic, but felt I should be honest on this forum! The other weird symptom that I have is a feeling of sensitivity down my inner thighs - it's not there all the time but is set off by clothes rubbing in that area eg the seams on jeans or sometimes even tights can set it off.  I have been to see a women's health physio who is lovely and she has massaged the muscles down my inner thighs and they are often very tight and knotted - the massage helps but I can't help wondering if this is another symptom of the menopause.

Anyway, the menopause specialist I went to see seemed very unphased by my list of symptoms and was quite clear that she thought I should have been on HRT earlier - her view was that the bio identical lozenges are not regulated and therefore it's difficult to know what dose you're getting - whereas she has prescribed the estradot patches initially, a month at the 37.5 mg dose and then a month at the 50 mg dose.  I am to go back to see her in January, when she'll do another blood test for my estrogen and then will see how I'm doing and add progesterone in as she wants to do things one at a time to see how I react. 

I felt confident in this lady's approach and my husband was also at the appointment for moral support and we both came away feeling reassured - my question is now, does anyone have any experience of something similar and I suppose any reassurance that I'll start to feel better soon? I am just not used to feeling so unlike myself and constantly miserable and on the verge of tears - I would just like my old self back!

Sorry for the long post but it really is nice to have somewhere to ask these questions as it's not easy to discuss some of these things ....

All advice welcome! Xx

I have an on off skin sensitive issue to my entire upper back, buttocks and legs . It's horrible. It's not pain is just a hyper sensitive feeling and makes me shudder and shiver if clothing touches me.
It's possible yours is an extension of you're vagina issue.. vaginal atrophy is horrible and no one talks about it. Part of my VA symptoms started off as sexual sensations which terrified me. I'd just get an urge from no where ..now I have all the usual suspects uti type symptoms included.
Burning uretha occasionally, sun burning type sensations to my skin around the vulva and bottom, pain inside and outside the vagina, pubic hair feels alive and hurts when catches on clothing.. a general sense of awareness in general like sitting down or the crutch of jeans irritates me no pain just feels like me skin is hypersensitive down below.
Thank GOD it doesn't all happen at the same time.