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[Sophie79]

Hello ladies,
I posted here some time ago as I was experiencing peri symptoms and you were all very helpful and wondered if I can pick your brains again.

I was going  to try the mirena but the idea of it freaked me out in the end, the worry of what if it made symptoms worse and not being able to have it removed for a while etc.

I decided to come off the pill and see how I was without it and keep notes etc with the thought in mind of going down the hrt route. It was the worst month, to the point that my husband was worried I was having some kind of breakdown. I found another doctor at my surgery who was actually helpful this time and suggested trying another type of pill. Which I did for two weeks.

It made my emotional symptoms better but physically felt very unwell, pains in chest, aching joints, bad Headaches, cold extremities, pins and needles. The weirdest of side affects. I decided to stop taking it and within 3 days those things had gone.

When I spoke to the doctor about not wanting to continue with the pill (I've been on a combined one for over 20 years and have read how they can actually contribute to hormonal imbalance as you are never releasing your own), she said that was all she could offer and only form of hrt on NHS and advised me to continue with this pill, despite the side affects sheet saying stop immediately if you get chest pains with it!!

Sorry this is a long story!

I have since found a local hormone specialist and had an appointment yesterday, she thinks my symptoms are def peri but wants to do thyroid and cortisol tests to make sure theres nothing else going on.

Anyway the upshot is, the fact that my mum had oestrogen receptive breast cancer means it would be quite a dodgy thing for me to have on a long term basis.

I'm sure there must be others in the same boat and wondered where do you go from there? How do you combat the low oestrogen symptoms of very low mood (without taking antidepressants) and aching joints?

Also if the doctors are happy to leave you on a combined pill till you are 50 does the pill have less of an affect than hrt relating to cancer?

Thanks for reading this far

Sophie

[CLKD]

Nope.  It doesn't matter what your Mum had, who made that suggestion.  The treatment is for you.  Quality of Life is important too.  There are many consultants who will now treat patients with breast disease - can't remember his name off the top of my head.

Your GP is WAY behind the times  : she/he needs to read NICE updates etc..

'hormone specialist' means what exactly?  At a menopause clinic?

MayB keep a mood/symptom/food diary to chart progress. 

[Sophie79]

Thank you for your reply @clkd

It is a private hormone specialist (menopause and thyroid) that said about it being dodgy to have oestrogen. Man, it's such a fight to get the right help and treatment isn't it?!

I have done so much reading about it and it seems that oestrogen doesn't give you cancer anyway, if you have it already it may make it grow quicker in the same way its helping your normal cells...and I figure if GPs want to keep you on the combined pill for years well surely that's worse as higher levels etc.

And like you say, it's surely got to be about quality of life.

Just so frustrated with constant banging my head against the wall!!!

[CLKD]

Not enough has been done in the way of accepting that a woman's symptoms which require HRT against the possible future risks of developing cancer.  My Oncologist told me at my last appt. in 1996,  'No HRT for you young Lady' but had I been ill with symptoms, I would have pushed.  Hard.  I don't think that many women would put themselves forwards nor will Oncologists take that risk. 

I have often wondered, if HRT is so dangerous, why aren't women who have undergone breast surgery, given the option of double mastectomy?