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[CrispyChick]

Just that really.

Those taking new hormones - hrt, pill or whatever - who has found it has genuinely taken 3 months for things to even out???

[CLKD]

I think it depends on what periods are doing prior to being prescribed HRT: as well as which regime 1 tries.  Remembering that the the body, unless surgical intervention is involved, doesn't get 'where it is' suddenly.  So the brain and body have to 'take up' any addition/replacement.  Keeping a mood/food/symptom diary may help track any ups and downs. 

[sheila99]

Some symptoms take longer than others. My anxiety and insomnia took the full 3 months to go completely.

[Anonymous1]

Hi CrispyDuck,

I have found this menopause thing a big shock.  I also have chronic fatigue due to mental health, chronic stress and menopause so my hormones are out of wack.  My fatigue related condition started when my periods started changing. 

I didn't realise that there can be so much patience, trial and error with HRT.  I guesss for some women this is not the cas and they probably are not on this forum.

I noticed a big improvement in my mood and motivation within 2 days of being on Evorel 50.  However, I have had problems tolerating Progesterone.

Good luck with it.

Flower

[CLKD]

Lots have problems with Progesterone 

[merrygoround]

Yes, and longer.
With "normal" HRT I found the progesterone too much to live with very quickly, within a few days you know if that is going to make you crazy or not.
Same with Oestrogen, you know within a few days if it's going to help and usually it does.
I've some oestrogel and I feel that when I put it on my skin, within seconds, unless I'm feeling the alcohol in it instead!

But there are always niggles which take longer to settle.

Bleeding can take much longer than three months to settle into the predicted pattern or to stop again if post meno, they say wait six months to see how that will be.

I've been switched to another HRT several times and each time I notice more and more things settling as time goes on, until they decide to switch me again and it all begins at the start again and the efforts you have put in so far have been nothing.

It is a soul destroying time of life in many ways. The total disinterest by medics is just another nail in the coffin. That is the real reason they tell you not to darken their door until three months has passed.

[DDug]

I am getting the coil fitted and starting hrt on 5 April. It can't come soon enough as my mental health is very very bad.  Any advice on how to cope here with severe low moods?

[merrygoround]

Hi DDug,
Have you tried progesterone pills/capsules first before you take the plunge and get a five year coil of progesterone that you can't easily remove?
Just asking because for me progesterone has been the worst thing I've ever had for my mental health, statistically around 15% of women are intolerant so it's not unusual.

If you know you are ok with that form of progesterone then no worries, go for it, it stops you bleeding which is nice.

I'm fine without progesterone, I'm fine with oestrogen only, I'm fine with tibolone, but if I take any of the progesterones I feel suicidal within three days.
Last year they decided to try me on oestrogen only patches and provera, then utrogestan after provera had me in bed for a week, but utrogestan was bad too.
It was the specialist HRT clinic allowed me HRT, not my GP, she thinks it's all too dangerous, none of the GPs are trained in menopause unless they seek out the training themselves.

The HRT nurse told me to try patches with only oestrogen for the first two months to see if it helped, only after that would we add in the dreaded progesterone. I was scanned and this caused no problems at all for my perfectly healthy looking uterus.

Unfortunately they discharged me, because there was no reason for my GP not to give me what I wanted. The GP has continued to say "I definitely couldn't prescribe that" to everything I ask for (eg tridestra and testosterone) and has referred me back to the HRT clinic again. It's a year long wait for that phonecall appointment. My second year of waiting. Do you think the NHS will prioritise the removal of a mirena coil if it's "only" causing mental health problems and not "real" signs that a doctor can observe themselves? Maybe you'll be lucky. In my experience doctors stop listening when you say you don't want to take their pills because they make you feel like throwing yourself off a bridge. They seem to think, "That's unlikely, therefore she's clearly not a reliable witness to what is going on in her body."

I had a mirena coil years ago too, removed it myself after the doctor said no, she didn't remove them until at least three months had elapsed. I waited a long time, over three months, but it didn't improve so I pulled it out in the shower one day, but we aren't supposed to be able to do that is my understanding.

I've refused to have anything implanted ever since, I want some control because while they acknowledge that 15% of women cannot live normally while taking progesterone pills, they ignore the resulting problems it causes for that 15% of women who are given it regardless.

[CLKD]

merrygoround - had you considered sending a a message to Dr Currie and the British Menopause Society about the responses that you have from the Surgery? Also, try ringing the menopause clninic again.  1 shouldn't be left to suffer!!!