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[Katherine]

Hi ladies, just wondering if anyone has experience breathing difficulties after starting on HRT? I actually think I stopped breathing last night in my sleep, I woke up and I couldn’t breathe, my heart was thumping and I thought I might die. It’s the first time this happened. It wasn’t a tight feeling it was almost like I had relaxed too much, I did take my utrogestan only 1.5 hours after food. Utrogestan makes me sleep deep and my gut feeling is it’s related to that. I think will have to stop HRT. I tried to stop utrogestan once but it was too awful. Hopefully I can do it this time.

Quick update- just spoke with GP and he doubts it’s the utrogestan. He thinks it’s acid reflux. He said something about how cortisol levels are lowest at night . I wish I could have recorded the call as I’ve forgotten some of it already! He also said when you withdraw from utrogestan it’s just your old symptoms coming back, but I’m sure I never felt as bad before as I did when withdrawing. He’s suggested preventing acid reflux as the solution so I’ll try that first. Any thoughts or suggestions about any of this are most welcome. 

[discogirl]

Hi Katherine,

I started my HRT in August and this happened to me only once a few weeks ago when I woke up and couldn't breathe. I'm wondering if it's anxiety connected or something.

I do have palpitations and sleep problems, so I don't know if it was all connected or connected to the HRT but it hasn't happened again xxx

[Katherine]

Hi discogirl, thanks for your message. Sorry to hear you had it too. I don’t think mine was anxiety related as I was in a deep sleep, it felt like a physical issue to me. Glad to hear it hasn’t happened to you again. After posting my message I read on an asthma website that reproductive hormones can affect asthma. I do get asthma but haven’t been getting it if I avoid my usual triggers.xxx

[discogirl]

Ah that's very interesting.

It's like I developed tinnitus in february and I read that low levels of oestrogen can cause tinnitus xxx
xx

[Katherine]

I got tinnitus a few years ago but only when I was lying with my head to one side, it was after I’d been using foam earplugs for years. I stopped using earplugs and it went after a few months. I think they had pushed the wax in and some had touched my eardrum, so my theory is the wax then worked it’s way back out. It’s a pain not knowing what is causing certain symptoms. Have you been to your gp about it discogirl? I knew prolonged load noise or earwax could cause tinnitus but wasn’t aware of the oestrogen link.

[Flossieteacake]

Sorry to hear this Katherine. I wonder if it is asthma. I had childhood asthma but menopause made it return. I have an inhaler I take daily and find it has really helped with the breathlessness. Often I felt I would forget to breathe. You mention you have asthma so you may need the preventive inhaler.

[discogirl]

Hi Katherine,

This is from Women's Internation Pharmacy but there are a lot of other websites regarding the link between tinnitus and hormones:

The onset of tinnitus in women seems to be particularly related to periods of hormone variability. It can be triggered by PMS, perimenopause, menopause and pregnancy. Menopausal symptoms such as sweating, hot flashes and mood changes may correlate with tinnitus.

One 2017 study by Dr. Sharon Curhan reports that low estrogen levels can impair hearing, likely through alterations in blood flow to the cochlea, in both animals and humans. Another study from 2002  found that post-menopausal women with less estradiol (a form of estrogen) were more likely to have hearing loss than those with more.

[Katherine]

That’s interesting discogirl, I didn’t know that and will have a look at your info. Does your HRT help with that?

Flossieteacake, I think I will ask for a preventer inhaler, thanks for the suggestion. think I have worked out what happened. I’ve woken up many times in the past during the night when my throat has closed up and it’s either when the room is too warm or my mouth and throat have dried up when my mouth has been open. But this was different and I think it’s because something triggered it like acid reflux but I was in such a deep sleep due to being exhausted and on utrogestan that I didn’t wake up as quick and I didn’t have the same ‘start’ as I usually get that gets me breathing again quick. Like when I take codeine and it suppresses the respiratory system a bit. It’s like my heart had to do all the work to get me breathing again. I actually wrote notes for my family today in case I die. I am really tempted to come off HRT but I will just try the other things first and see if that works. It does mention asthma on packs of utrogestan and it says on Asthma UK about hormonal effects. I once went to hospital to get checked but couldn’t bear to swallow the tube. I wonder if you can get it done under sedation. Does anyone else feel like the world is really scary when they haven’t slept properly?

[Flossieteacake]

That’s interesting discogirl, I didn’t know that and will have a look at your info. Does your HRT help with that?

Flossieteacake, I think I will ask for a preventer inhaler, thanks for the suggestion. think I have worked out what happened. I’ve woken up many times in the past during the night when my throat has closed up and it’s either when the room is too warm or my mouth and throat have dried up when my mouth has been open. But this was different and I think it’s because something triggered it like acid reflux but I was in such a deep sleep due to being exhausted and on utrogestan that I didn’t wake up as quick and I didn’t have the same ‘start’ as I usually get that gets me breathing again quick. Like when I take codeine and it suppresses the respiratory system a bit. It’s like my heart had to do all the work to get me breathing again. I actually wrote notes for my family today in case I die. I am really tempted to come off HRT but I will just try the other things first and see if that works. It does mention asthma on packs of utrogestan and it says on Asthma UK about hormonal effects. I once went to hospital to get checked but couldn’t bear to swallow the tube. I wonder if you can get it done under sedation. Does anyone else feel like the world is really scary when they haven’t slept properly?

I am so sorry you feel so bas you wrote notes for your family.

It is scary waking suddenly or not having a good sleep.

When I had an edoscopy they gave me local anastetic and I did not feel or remember anything. I hope that reassures you a bit.

[Katherine]

I think I would have to be under a general or heavily sedated to have an endoscopy. If nothing else works I might ask for one but I’ll try a preventative inhaler first. Thanks ladies for answering . X

[Flossieteacake]

I think I would have to be under a general or heavily sedated to have an endoscopy. If nothing else works I might ask for one but I’ll try a preventative inhaler first. Thanks ladies for answering . X

I am sure they would do that for you if you asked. They are used to nervous patients now.

Are you okay?

[Katherine]

Flossieteacake, yes, I’m ok thank you, just really tired but daren’t sleep in case the same thing happens again. I can’t function so just in bed and my partner is coming over to stay the night then I’ll sleep. I only wrote the notes in case I die of breathing difficulties, I’m not suicidal or anything. Thanks for asking. If I am sleeping well I feel fine and can usually cope with anything but I’ve not been sleeping well since moving. Hopefully everything will settle soon. X

[Flossieteacake]

Flossieteacake, yes, I’m ok thank you, just really tired but daren’t sleep in case the same thing happens again. I can’t function so just in bed and my partner is coming over to stay the night then I’ll sleep. I only wrote the notes in case I die of breathing difficulties, I’m not suicidal or anything. Thanks for asking. If I am sleeping well I feel fine and can usually cope with anything but I’ve not been sleeping well since moving. Hopefully everything will settle soon. X

I am so sorry you are frightened to go to sleep. That is horrible for you. I hope your partner arrives soon and you can sleep.

I always feel my mood is so low when I cannot sleep. I can understand this is making you feel that way too.

[discogirl]

That’s interesting discogirl, I didn’t know that and will have a look at your info. Does your HRT help with that?

Flossieteacake, I think I will ask for a preventer inhaler, thanks for the suggestion. think I have worked out what happened. I’ve woken up many times in the past during the night when my throat has closed up and it’s either when the room is too warm or my mouth and throat have dried up when my mouth has been open. But this was different and I think it’s because something triggered it like acid reflux but I was in such a deep sleep due to being exhausted and on utrogestan that I didn’t wake up as quick and I didn’t have the same ‘start’ as I usually get that gets me breathing again quick. Like when I take codeine and it suppresses the respiratory system a bit. It’s like my heart had to do all the work to get me breathing again. I actually wrote notes for my family today in case I die. I am really tempted to come off HRT but I will just try the other things first and see if that works. It does mention asthma on packs of utrogestan and it says on Asthma UK about hormonal effects. I once went to hospital to get checked but couldn’t bear to swallow the tube. I wonder if you can get it done under sedation. Does anyone else feel like the world is really scary when they haven’t slept properly?

Hi Katherine,

I do actually find my hrt helps it; I'm also on a very low dose 10mg of amitrypline a day and I find both of those together seem to really really help xxx

[Katherine]

Thank you so much ladies I really find comfort in your replies. My partner is here now and I already feel better. I will look up your medication discogirl. Xx