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[sharynm]

hi

I can't seem to get my fog filled head around what I'm supposed to be doing next.

I'm 54, will be 55 this year and have been on HRT Femiston 2/10 now for five years (various other ones first that were discontinued) I've been ok on it. I have a monthly withdrawal bleed. Now I'm 55 am I supposed to move onto a 3 month cycle HRT? or something else?

I'm getting a bit fed up of the monthly bleed as it's heavy now and the last couple of months I've had really bad period like cramps (something I haven't had since I was a teenager so it's odd) I also read articles that mention 'still having your natural periods' but, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to know as I just have the one bleed a month from the HRT (and can't imagine I'm still having a natural period anyway at my age?)

I really want to have the facts before I contact the Doctor as he isn't great. I haven't had a review in all the years I've been on HRT and he didn't want to put me on it in the first place, he just said I was depressed (which I wasn't) and made me fill out a questionnaire asking about suicidal thoughts (again never had one in my life)

any advice thankfully received

[Taz2]

Hi sharynm. At your age you can switch to a conti HRT which means you shouldn't get a bleed as you are delivering a continuous supply of progesterone throughout the month. You can experience bleeding during the first six months but then it should settle down to no bleeds. I don't have any experience of a three month cycle but I'm sure someone else will advise soon.

As you are experiencing more painful and heavy periods then personally I think it would be advisable to ask for a scan of the womb just to make sure you haven't got any fibroids and that your womb lining isnt too thick. You will know where you are then. I hope your GP will be ok with that.

Taz x 

[sharynm]

brilliant, thanks for that. I didn't realise I could move onto one where I wouldn't (usually) have a period/bleed, that sounds great. It's best to be armed with all the info before I make an appointment, which I probably won't get anyway at the moment.....even though they keep saying they are open for business!

[Taz2]

Good luck  let us know how you get on.

Taz x

[Stockport1965]

brilliant, thanks for that. I didn't realise I could move onto one where I wouldn't (usually) have a period/bleed, that sounds great. It's best to be armed with all the info before I make an appointment, which I probably won't get anyway at the moment.....even though they keep saying they are open for business!

Let us know how you get on with the patches. I am one of the unfortunate ones and have pretty much been bleeding constantly for 5 months on conti

[sheila99]

Although you can move to conti at that age if you're still peri you'll probably still bleed. You can't assume you're meno because of your age, some women are in their early 60s before they reach meno - despite what many doctors think. I was mostly regular when I went on hrt at 57. The only way to know for certain is to come off hrt but if it feels like a proper period is probably is. My hrt induced ones are a washed out version of proper ones. If you are peri and want to be bleed free the most likely way to achieve it is a mirena.

[sharynm]

hi

sorry for the delay in response to your answers. I did make a virtual appointment with the Doctor. She did some bloods and has me down for a scan just to make sure all is ok, scan will probably be a couple of months though. She has changed my tablets in the meantime to see how I get on. I was on the Femiston 2/10 so she has moved me to the conti, same brand but half the strength I believe. I've been on the new tablets for a couple of weeks now and I'm starting to feel the difference! I think it's the change in tablets, or a very strange coincidence but I'm feeling symptoms starting to come back. I'm bleeding again slightly, even though I've just had a period a couple of weeks ago.  I couldn't sleep last night and I'm feeling the rage again, unfortunately my partner in work has just been on the end of it! spots on my face and neck again and feeling a bit anxious and flat. It's early days so I'll stick with it for the three months worth of tablets she's given me. I now realise how well I felt on the full strength   

I didn't really have a massive issue with the periods, it was more that they were getting very heavy so I'm having the scan as Taz recommended.

I'll keep you updated with how it ends. At least it will give others an idea 

[sheila99]

It sounds as though this dose of oestrogen is too low for you.