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[Teresa667]

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone could give me some advice please.

I have a telephone appt with my GP Thurs this week and I'm hoping to get HRT patches from her but I've no idea what might be good and what might not. I know everyone is different but any guidance would be most appreciated. Thank you.

Current symptons - which I know are being hormone driven 
Anxiety
Severe tiredness 
Night sweats
Hair still thinning and shedding 
Feeling tearful and emotional 
Vaginal atrophy getting worse - currently use vagina moisturiser 

I take tablets every day to treat silent migraines so I wouldn't want any HRT to make this worse.

History 
I am 54yrs old.
For 8 yrs peri menopusal with severe flooding, anxiety and vagina atrophy 42yrs -49yrs - 2008 - 2016

Paid privatley and gynacologist confirmed I was peri, in 2016 put me into chemical menopause using the zoladex injection and put me on hrt Tibolone. Which initially I felt ok on. Tried vagifem for the atrophy but didn't get on with it.

Then as time went on anxiety got much worse and hair started breaking, hair line receeding and shedding. In 2017 for the first time ever I started getting uti's.

Had the injections and Tibolone till 2018. Then gynacologist wanted me to come off them to see if my periods would return.

Periods did not return and due to the anxiety getting so bad I had to give up work in 2019, though it had been getting worse since 2017 when I went into the chemical menopause.

As I was no longer working I could not afford to pay privatley any more so didn't see anyone about the menopause symptoms.

I can't take anti depressants for anxiety as I react badly to them have tried x3 different types. I'm hoping hrt might dampen this and make it easier to cope with.

I have only had one show for a few days in 2020.

At 32yrs of age I was diagnosed with endrometrerios but it's never caused me any problems.

[CLKD]

Well the vaginal atrophy is HRT but delivered into the vagina.  We have threads here about bladder issues and vaginal atrophy.  Either 'vagifem' or 'ovestin' will help symptoms.  Some require nightly use : 'vagifem' internally and 'ovestin' on the outer areas to keep the skin soft and supple.  It's due to a drop in oestrogen which causes dryness : the whole body can be affected so I have found 'vaseline' hand cream used regularly.

A moisturiser may not be enough as it won't be replacing the local oestrogen .  That is one issue that you shouldn't have to fight your GP for! UTIs are usually caused by a drop in oestrogen.

As for anxiety, there are appropriate medications to ease symptoms whilst you find an HRT that suits.  R the migraines hormonal?

[Teresa667]

Hi CLKD  thank you for your reply. The oestrogen cream for down below I definitely need.

I don't think the silent  migraines are totally hormonal. They started after I broke up with my partner through stress. But it was also at this time that I became peri menopausal.
But when I was younger and on the pill I use to get hormone related migraines.

I can't take any meds for the anxiety as I react badly to anti depressants. I have a support worker who is helping me with the anxiety, which is going well. But I do feel that the root cause is my hormones. So if I can get help with that then things could improve quite a bit.

[sheila99]

Anxiety and insomnia were my worst symptoms, cured by hrt but it did take 3 months. Most people are fine on whatever their gp prescribes, people who post on here are the few who have problems. My gp prescribes evorel first. There are some threads on silent migraines so perhaps put it in the search box.

[Teresa667]

Hi Sheila99, thank you for your reply. It's good to hear that HRT helped you. I assume evorel was your HRT. Did you have it as a patch.
I've lived with the silent migraines 24/7 for 13yrs and learnt to manage it. Just wasn't sure if this condition would stop me being able to have HRT.
I'm determined to get some help for my menopause symptons as just putting up with them is not working.