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[Marley piglet]

Hi there, I’m 50 years old and been on Evorel conti for 9 weeks. For 7 weeks near enough all of my
Symptoms had disappeared and I felt unbelievably better in so many ways. Unfortunately the last 2 weeks symptoms have slowly
Reappeared, I Had a phone call when asked at local surgery and pharmacist put me on venlafaxine, I told him I’m not depressed just return of previous symptoms. Even though I’ve had bad previous experiences years ago on ad’s he assured me I would be using it as a “non hormonal hrt” to aid my evorel conti patch. Against my gut instinct I’ve taken them for a few days, I feel like a zombie, dizzy sick and permanent headache, I haven’t taken one this morning and I’m waiting for docs app. Was just wondering if other’s experiences were similar? Many thanks to anyone that replies xxx

[Flossieteacake]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Venlafaxine can be used for hot flushes but I can understand why you are not keen on taking them.

They say it can take three months before we know if an HRT type is suitable. I can see you have been on this for nine weeks now. You could give it another three weeks or perhaps you could ask to try something else if you prefer to.

[meno-mel]

Hi, I take fluoxetine already and hrt at the same dose as you, although it's Estradot and utrogestan I get given atm, it was Evorel conti at the start.

So I heard venlafaxine can help hot flushes (fluoxetine always made me overheat at any age) and I asked my GP in May could I switch from fluoxetine to venlafaxine. Her response was no, it only had a very minor effect for a few people, it wasn't worth switching them for my hot flushes and night sweats which still happen all the time.

So I'm interested in what you say, your pharmacist has read it differently from my GP for sure!

In general there is shockingly little research into either menopause or hrt so I think a lot of the time they make it up to suit their own ideas. I definitely wouldn't take a SSRI if my mind didn't need a nudge.
If I was only dealing with physical symptoms, I wouldn't rock the boat regarding my mental health because that can suffer too in menopause.

I think the normal response to Evorel Conti not working as well after some time has elapsed is to add in a bit more, either an additional patch or an oestrogen gel at low dose to add on to what you are taking now.

I can't get more than a medium dose either btw, still on 50mg patch after 17 months and it still isn't working well, but I guess it's better than nothing.

[Teresa]

Hi Marley Piglet,
As Meno-Mel has said, if symptoms return whilst being in HRT, normally the patch is increased.
I was surprised that a pharmacist put you in Venlafaxine  ( not your GP?)
You don’t say what dose your conti is, but if it’s 50 mcg, you have the option of trying Evorel patch in a 75 with perhaps Utrogestan for the Progestetone  element?

I think 9 weeks is long enough to ask for a change in dose/HRT.

I’m in a similar position where I thought my HRT was working well initially but not so much now after 6 weeks.

I would push for an appointment to speak or see your GP.

Teresa
X

[Kathleen]

Hello Marley piglet and welcome to the forum.


I was prescribed Venlafaxine ( also known as Effexor) ten years ago along side HRT.
 I was told that this AD was good for reducing night sweats and that I should take it before bed. Since then my various HRT regimes have come and gone but I remain on Venlafaxine.

As I began taking all the above medications at the same time I have never been able to identify the exact impact of Venlafaxine but I do know that on the occasions when I forgot to take it my night sweats were noticeably worse.  I have in the past had problems with nausea and headaches but these were definitely meno related as they happened before I began taking Venlafaxine or any HRT.

I hope this helps in some way and take care.

K.

[sheila99]

As your symptoms are returning I'm another one who thinks you'd benefit from from an increase on oestrogen. I've had to increase twice because of returning symptoms.