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[Starshell]

Hi everyone
Happy sunny Sunday
So I’ve been on HRT for 4 years now. Am 52 and no idea where my cycle would be naturally at this stage now
Was given HRT following a ‘breakdown’ caused by stress at work and home and GP suggested I could try either HRT or anti depressants so opted for the HRT
I started  on Novofem which was okay and I felt better mentally, sleep wise etc but had some flooding so GP suggested gel/progesterone tablets on a continuous regime but flooding didn’t stop so changed to cyclical regime, (realised unless I had been through full menopause should not have been on continuous) 3-4 pumps gel everyday and 2 x 100ml progesterone tablets orally 12 days of the month, again flooding didn’t stop despite reducing my gel to 2 pumps so saw GP again and was referred for the 2 week pathway, have had an ultrasound and blood tests/womb biopsy, all clear but when seeing the gynaecologist at the hospital about ten days ago she said at the age of 52 I should be on continuous and that all women over fifty should be on continuous HRT! And that this will probs sort the issue out
Anyways back to continuous for 10 days now, 2 pumps gel, 100ml progesterone every night and feeling very uncomfortable down below, itchy and sore and also having some very strange paranoia, ie all my friends hate me, they meet up behind by back and talk about me, everyone in work thinks I’m a cow bag etc! When I talk to myself rationally about this I know it simply isn’t true but could the soreness/paranoia be linked to the change in regime?
I’ve also gained a few pounds in the last few weeks too so really not sure whether to just give up altogether now, which the gynaecologist suggested I might want to do after giving the continuous regime a go for a few more months but I think I may have forgotten how bad I felt before the HRT and am afraid the rages, sleepless and depression might return
Jeez it’s so hard being a fifty something woman isn’t it?
Sorry for the long ramble but any observations/advice welcome x

[sheila99]

She's talking through her backside. Some women aren't meno til their early 60s and as you know a sequi regime is usually best for those still peri. If a sequi regime suits you I would stick to it for now and try conti again later if you want to. I'm 62 and intend to stay on sequi. They said there's a slightly higher risk of endometrial cancer (I wonder what the sample size was?) but I get fatigue with utro so this suits me best. If you're still peri and want to be bleed free a mirena is your best bet, utro isn't the best at stopping bleeding.

[Starshell]

Thanks Sheila! That’s food for thought for me! Jeez fancy a gynaecologist saying that then, that all women over 50 should be on continuous! 😳 I’ve started now so will give it a go a bit longer I think and see if the symptoms settle, I can’t have the mirena coil, had it a few years back and it made me very poorly (mentally) and also caused me to break out in huge boils 😞
Thanks for your reply I really appreciate it

[Ermin2trude]

Hi Starshell,

I assume you felt well on the 2 x 100mg progesterone during your sequi regime? Unfortunately, some women (I’m one of them) can handle the higher dose of progesterone but have all the awful feelings, paranoia, depression etc on the lower dose of 100mg taken continuously. This might be your problem. Switching to another progesterone like provera might help, or going back onto 200mg either continuously (I did), sequentially again (lots of ladies do this forever), or take it a different way ie. as a pessary or vaginally. It’s a tricky one.

As you felt awful with the Mirena (again, I did), I think you should look into the progesterone part of your regime. It is probably one of the most common issues talked about on this forum.

Good luck x

[Starshell]

Thanks Ermin
I am thinking of just seeing how I get on for a month or so and if no improvement might just reduce then stop HRT altogether and see how I get on. I saw on another post just now you have stopped too, please keep us updated and wishing you all the best with this

[Hurdity]

Hi Starshell - sorry to hear about your symptoms. Like sheila I am even older (70  ) and still take cyclical HRT !!! Reason being because Utrogestan also makes me fatigued, lethargic, headfogged and sometimes migraines. Your symptoms may well be due to continuous progesterone. Taking it cyclicall should reduce these feelings and also hopefully give you a more predictable bleed - but of course depends where you are in menopause. It's a shame to feel you might need to stop HRT because of poor and incorrect advice, if you are otherwise benefitting from it.

Hurdity x

[Starshell]

Thanks for the reply Hurdity
It’s really reassuring to know other women stay on cyclical HRT after fifty, I’m sort of feeling better now I think and have not had any bleeds so may stay on continuous and see how I get on 🤔, it’s a minefield! I’m pretty annoyed at a gynaecologist giving me incorrect advice too! X