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[VanillaLover]

Sorry for the pity party. Need cheering up today.

Have had a couple of good months, most symptoms manageable, sleep good, feeling good. Had a tantalising taste of feeling normal.

This month not good again. I can’t drink alcohol, as it gives me hot flushes and terrible sleep/night sweats.

I cannot eat anything sugary, ditto. I spent hours making the jubilee trifle but it gave me dreadful hot flushes when I ate it so I couldn’t even have that.

I struggle to wear contact lenses any more as my eyes are so dry.

I feel like a social leper. All my friends are chugging back the cakes and Prosecco no problem.

My sleep has been dreadful these last few days due to adrenaline rushes and night sweats, so I’m tired and fed up.

Everything aches all the time and has done for about a year. Exercising is so difficult.

I’m already on HRT which has helped a lot with some symptoms. But it’s nowhere near in control of the crazy swings I’m undergoing month to month. I am keeping going and I do have a full life with kids, part time work and hobbies that take up quite a bit of time. But sometimes only keeping going really. I’ve been like this for about two years now and had the start of peri symptoms (irregular periods) for about three years in total. I’m 46. I could be like this for years still.

Like I say, feeling sorry for myself ! Anyone cheer me up!

[Dotty]

Hi maybe you need a change or a tweak of your HRT . That might help your symptoms x

[Vicky81]

hi hun....big hugs!

Which HRT are you on? plus is the venlafaxine still keeping the anxiety at bay? xxx

[CLKD]

 

So: others are apparently enjoying themselves, however: all may not be as it seems ;-)

Half a day at a time.  Dryness is common as oestrogen levels drop off.

[Flossieteacake]

  I understand how you are feeling. It is rotten not to be able to enjoy the things that once gave you pleasure. I wonder if it is time to think of alternative ways to enjoy yourself. Could you do other things with friends such as cinema, picnic, go out for a meal ( without any sweet foods). You can get really nice glass frames now. Maybe you could treat yourself to a nice pair.

[ATB]

Sorry to read this, sending hugs.
I don’t eat sugar either and I have found it isn’t a big deal over time, I even make enjoyable cakes! It can be hard at the start but you can find a way to enjoy yourself with friends even if not drinking.

I recently had a vision test and had to go to a specialist just to check something too. I also have dry eyes and there are drops you can buy for when you wear contacts, which I do when going out but otherwise glasses.

With your HRT, maybe it needs a tweak? Do you take testosterone?

[VanillaLover]

Hello all. Thanks so much for replying, you are all so kind.

I’ve been on HRT (50 patches plus utro 14 days) for 7-8 months now. I also changed my antiD to venlafaxine a couple of months ago as I was struggling with the hot flushes still. That did have a big effect and lessened the hot flushes and night sweats however they do sometimes just break through again!

I am lucky enough to have an NHS consultant as the GP wasn’t sure whether it was safe to increase estrogen patch or not. He ordered blood tests (for what they’re worth) with a view to seeing how well I was absorbing, what FSH and testosterone were etc - so that’s all in the pipeline. That should be reviewed soon.

I already wear glasses but I need the contacts for martial arts that I do. Plus wearing sunglasses (if it ever gets sunny that is🌞)The contacts are the right prescription but my eyes are pretty dry and my vision is often blurry. I do now have some eye drops to try with them plus optician gave me some different contacts to try which may be more comfortable.

I don’t even have a sweet tooth really ! Just felt a bit left out of everything last night when they were all tucking into cakes and trifle! I am trying low (er) carb to lose a bit of weight and reduce bloating too, which is fine. I was just disappointed when I had a (admittedly huge) portion of trifle a few days ago and then had a huge rush and hot flushes all night. And the same the night after.

I’ve told my friends why I don’t drink and I still go out with them but just have soft drinks or alcohol free beer. I have lots of alcohol free beers at home too which I enjoy. It’s just a bit sad somehow! Several of my friends are really struggling with peri too and some are on HRT so I know it’s not just me that’s suffering.

Thank you all again. I do feel better now since having a huge moan.  Mornings are always worst for me. By the afternoon I generally feel better. Which is something to look forward to I guess!


This month’s cycle has been rubbish, I feel as though I don’t have any oestrogen in my body somehow. I think maybe some months my ovaries decide to work properly and some months they don’t.

Last couple of months I’ve felt fine which is why it’s so frustrating when it all comes back again. Feel like I’m not getting anywhere!

I get blood test results back on Weds, maybe that will be illuminating. Or more confusing!

Vanilla x

[ATB]

Oh I do hope you feel even a little better. Even though I’m massively better and I think even on the right stuff now, I still had a cry today! My husband gave me a cuddle and tried to understand my worries and now I’m about to go for a walk to try and lift my mood. It is actually really normal, even if our hormones were optimal, to have moody moments and emotional turmoil. So moan away, it’s part of life and a bigger part at this stage of our lives. You will be ok and you are probably improving overall, allow yourself these moments to not be ok with things and it will pass over you. The more we fight our emotions sometimes, they more difficult it can be. At least for me!

[CLKD]

It's good to have a moan 

[VanillaLover]

Thank you both x

[Peana]

Vanillalover, I really get how you are feeling.  I had one month where the planets must have been aligned and all my symptoms were under control.  Just a month later, and it's all changed again (except now I'm getting shivers rather than hot flushes!).  I really miss being able to join my friends in a drink, it sounds trivial, but it's a big deal when everyone else is having so much fun.  I'm sure everyone else enjoyed your triffle, although I know that's not the same either.  I really hope you manage to get things straight.  I'm seeing the GP face to face tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be able to increase my estrogen dose and see how that goes.

I also suffer with the dryness - preservative free drops are expensive, but they are better for your eyes.  You could also try a warm eye compress to help soften the waxy tears under the eyelids.  Good luck.

Thinking of you

[VanillaLover]

Thanks Peana.

I guess it’s just all a big journey eh!

I do the warm compress thing, not as often as I should though. Had contacts in since midday with the eye drops, keep putting more in every couple of hours and it was tolerable. Still got the new contacts to try also.

In a way I feel better not drinking at all,  as before I wanted to drink as it was the done thing and habit, but at the same time I was terribly worried about how it would affect me. Now I don’t have to make a decision I just don’t drink. Hopefully may be able to return to it in moderation in a few years when all settled down. Maybe I won’t want to by then though! My husband is chuffed as I can always drive home now and he can have a few beers!

[joziel]

I reckon you need an increase in your estrogen. A 50 patch is not that high. I'm 44yo and the Newson doctor I saw told me to start at 25 for 2 weeks, then increased to 50 for 4-6 weeks (personally I think that was on the short side for me!) and then increase to 75 for 4-6 weeks - and 100 if I needed. She was very happy for me to gradually go up through the doses, up to 100. I'm no where near that, but I had the green light.

So it would be very understandable for you to need an increase. And the guidelines say that this should be done on symptoms up to 100. So you don't need bloods run and even if your bloods are officially 'okay', if your symptoms suggest you need more to bring them under control, then you should have more.... 

[CLKD]

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