Hi
It’s my first post today. My history is: PCOS in my 20’s, fertility treatment in my 30’s (Clomid) fibroid in my 40’s (still there) and last period July 2020 - ironically the same month that my Mum, 77, died of ovarian cancer. Diagnosis to death was 10 weeks. In Sep 2021 I felt broken by insomnia, night sweats, low libido, low mood, VA, UIT’s, fatigue and anxiety. A GP suggested HRT patches. I had been reluctant due to my Gynae history and my Mum’s but went ahead. Quality of life overruled length of life. Within days I felt great and all symptoms went apart from low libido. But my breast became very fibro-cystic. Sometimes I had pelvic pain like a UTI but no burning on passing urine. Looking back I should have connected it to the patches. I was on a 50 mg dose……I didn’t know that the dose could be lowered for instance. I began to wonder if it was too much for my body. I am 5”1 and 8 stone 4. I had a transvaginal scan in Nov 2022 and lining of the womb healthy and mammogram all good too. So I persisted with healthy eating (sugar/caffeine/wheat/free/low GI) and outdoor exercise, meditation and Yoga for managing stress. I have a supportive partner, great family and part time self employed.
Dec 2022/Jan 2023, I started to bleed in clear discharge and felt on fire internally. A GP jumped to refer me for a biopsy. But it took 4 weeks to hear from the hospital. Meanwhile i was anxious. Eventually Gynae said stop the patches and if bleed continues we will biopsy. The bleed stopped in 3 days. So that was it. Cold Turkey. No GP advice. It was like falling out of a plane. Every symptom I’d had before came back with a vengeance. The worst is the insomnia and I have just had a UTI from hell and antibiotics. The GP has come up with various reasons why I was bleeding. But is still offering more HRT. Either tablet or coil/gel - both better absorption than patches. She reckons that the fibroid prevented absorption. So i said why put me on patches in the first place if you knew I had a fibroid? Why did the bleed only start after 16 months on HRT with a fibroid there from the start?
My attitude at the moment is that I will try to cope with the symptoms without HRT. But not sure how long this will be manageable. I’m trying counselling, nutritional therapy, CBD oil.
Meno sisters - advice?
