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[OddPomme]

I find the whole HRT thing very confusing.  I am 47 and peri menopausal.  It's been six weeks since my last (very light) period. I am usually 28 days regular as clockwork, but that has all changed over the last year or so.  For the last two weeks I have felt like I'm having a period, but without any bleeding.  Generally I am much more sensitive to temperature changes than ever before, I have foggy brain, whacky emotional mood swings, horrendous tiredness, terrible lack of concentration and a distinct lack of libido.  Having said all that, I am managing to live with these symptoms, my husband bless him is remarkably patient and my job is just about manageable despite the fog!  My friends advise going to the GP but I am strongly resisting.  I don't quite understand HRT - I get that it can be a welcome relief from symptoms, but surely at some point it has to end?  Is it better to just grit my teeth and go through it naturally?

[Sammiejane]

hi michellelouise

i had total hysterectomy at 35 am now 40 i also had ovaries removed i haven't been on any Hrt for 4 yrs has my gp advised at the time that hrt didn't suit me because i tried both tablet and patch in elleste solo and had bad side effects.
i only initiates hrt estrogen only in 2018 due to dampness but thinking maybe GP was right because i haven't managed to find a balance yet with hrt and have more provs now then before i started in terms of i have now have hair loss weight gain of over a stone and can't sleep i have been on estrogel 2 pumps i now suffer aniexty headaches daily migraines depression i also take ovestin cream for VA but not in a good place i am now only 40 but am considering stopping hrt and protect my bones non hormonal and like you say go through natural as i've been in menopause 5 yrs now and feel hrt may be making me worse , i don't leave my house i have no energy . i am going to have one last attempt with adding in progesterone with the gel and then possibly testosterone november and see what happens but if doesn't help or i feel worse i shall quit !
i briefly tried the estradot patch 75 as i'm not obsorbing the gel well but that higher dose was better but my boobs were so sore i was crying in pain which again makes me wonder if i need progesterone to counter act estrogen effects x as it's all about balance

[LizzyLoo]

It's not good.......it's GREAT!
If you've had a TAH/BSO at 33, you have no choice but to face it. Thankfully I adapted well onto the Evorel 50 and have stayed on that ever since....I'm now substantially older and gutted to see Evorel 50 pretty much extinct now. 

Currently changing over to another patch now so my fingers are well and truly crossed I'll settle on this. Quite anxious atm as I don't want tablets/gels and choices are limited right now.

[Joaniepat]

The message above from menopausepro appears to be an advertisement.

JP x

[Sammiejane]

lizzy loo

can i ask as i'm interested why you chose no tablets or gels ?

have u ever taken progesterone or testosterone ?

how have u found your hair on everol 50 ?

i'm on the gel and not doing great even though it's been a year ?

[DellMac]

Hi, I was on Femoston 1/10 for a few weeks but doc took me off it as my mental state was very dark, I scared myself how I low I got. I started taking HRT mainly to help with the anxiety and mood swings, my flushes, dryness....etc aren't too bad. I'm not sure if I just need to get medication for anxiety, not HRT. I've never had mental health issues before and there was no real trauma that could trigger it. Hence why doc thought HRT would help. I've been off work for weeks and am just not functioning well. I am so confused by all this HRT stuff.

[LizzyLoo]

lizzy loo

can i ask as i'm interested why you chose no tablets or gels ?

have u ever taken progesterone or testosterone ?

how have u found your hair on everol 50 ?

i'm on the gel and not doing great even though it's been a year ?

Hi Sammiejane,

Sorry not popped on here for a few days. I was put on the Evorel 50 a few days after my surgery years ago. With me having everything out; it means you don't take any progesterone or testosterone. I settled well with the Evorel and as it did the main things of combatting sweats, flushes etc and so I haven't had the need to change. Lucky I guess. It's also a dose that isn't huge but does cover you against the osteoporosis risk.

Recently I looked at the other options with patches becoming scarce. After a brief research I decided I didn't want tablets as there's a higher risk of clots and indigestion (apparently) and so I decided I needed to find another patch solution. The gel thing looked messy and time consuming so I didn't read into that much tbh.

I'm sorry you're yet to find a good balance for yourself. I think after a year if you're not happy and settled with it then maybe you should try another option? My hair is fine (always had a good head of hair!) although I do shed loads too. No major thinning or anything though.  x

[Sammiejane]

hi lizzyloo

i couldn't get the everol patch to stick lol

i've had all removed but wondering if an imbalance at play so thought i need to add in progesterone !

you can have testosterone as this works for libido dryness va energy ! and is normally low after ovaries removed especially with increasing estrogen x

i think the gel is causing hair loss u see as i went 4 yrs no hrt my body i believe had already adjusted to low hormones but since adding in estrogen it's exelarated hair shedding so is thinning now i think i need to wither stop or swap to a patch i'm up and down to much

[LizzyLoo]

Sammiejane,

Gosh you seem to be all over the place getting on an even keel!

With everything removed you don't take progesterone too. I have the ovestin cream for the dryness which works and i use it twice weekly. Do I have a high sex drive?......err no far from it!!!!! But hey ho it doesn't overly bother me.

With the patches (evorel and estraderm) I rarely have a sticking issue. Maybe where you're putting them is making a difference? Mine go on alternative top outside of thigh.

Sounds like you need to see a professional to help you make choices? You need support on this. It can feel a lonely world if you're not feeling happy with treatment x

[rulo]

For me...definitely good in the first half of the cycle.
Prior to starting Novofem I had been horrifically depressed, was not sleeping, lost all enthusiasm for life and was dreading Christmas! I had suffered many other typical perimenopause symptoms including: hot flushes, foggy thinking, palpitations, forgetfulness, suddenly developed eczema for the first time in my life, became very accident prone, lost the confidence to drive (I had always considered myself a very competent and confident driver), reactions to certain foods that I had never had previously...the list goes on. I had managed to get most symptoms under control for the first year or so but then after spending a fortune on natural remedies they suddenly stopped working.
I started on Novofem (1/1) at the beginning of December; I had virtually no side effects other than slightly lumpy in left breast (which has always been there). I keep a close eye on it as I've had to have a cyst drained a couple of times. Within days I started to feel better than I had done in a very long time. I could even laugh at funny things on the tv. I also started baking again which I hadn't done for a long time. I could feel myself actually enjoying life for the first time in ages!
In addition to this I experimented with taking Mirtazapine and Citalopram. I soon came off the Citalopram because it was making me more anxious and agitated and I found I had developed involuntary twitches all over my body. The Mirtazapine I take at night to help me sleep and it has been a godsend! I take the lower dose rather than the higher one.
Like many women I was so reluctant to take HRT or any form of antidepressant but I knew I had to do something because my quality of life had become so poor I was suicidal! I had previously taken Mirtazapine for depression and when I came off it I had no side effects that I can recall.
Fast forward to the second half of taking Novofem... I was okay for about a week but I could feel myself starting to go downhill. Yesterday, I was extremely tearful all day and in a dreadful state. I had already spoken to my doctor about changing to a different product because of the reaction I was experiencing. I made myself last out the full 12 days on the norethisterone part of the cycle but I'm extremely glad to be back on the estradiol part of the cycle again now. I can already feel my mood improving again. Talk about Jeckyll and Hyde!!!
So now I've decided to go onto Kliovance which is 1mg/0.5mg to see if this works better for me. What I am certain of right now is I've found the right level of Estradiol that I need for now. If I don't tolerate the lower dose of norethisterone again, I'm going to switch to Femoston 1/10 as I know that the progesterone side of that one is slightly different and generally better tolerated!
I have to say a HUGE thanks to all the ladies who have posted on this thread. I read every single page and made notes before choosing my first attempt.
Sorry this write up had been so long but I just felt I really needed to say something about my whole experience. I will update again as I progress with my new HRT product.
One final thing... I do still watch my diet very carefully. I try to keep sugar intake to an absolute minimum, I don't touch any form of cheap instant or decaf coffee, I avoid red meat, bread and pasta nowadays and I try to get a balanced amount of fruit and veg in my daily consumption.
 

[Hurdity]

Hi rulo

 

Thanks for telling us your story which is encouraging that you feel generally better on oestrogen as part of HRT.

What I am puzzled about is that you started on Novofem - a cyclical HRT for women in peri ( although some post-meno women also take cyclical HRT), felt bad on the norethisterone ( second) part of the cycle, so have changed to Kliovance. This is a continuous combined ( no-bleed) HRT for women who are post-menopausal and as such you would be taking the norethisterone all the time. I think maybe you have picked the wrong one? The cyclical HRT types often have higher dose progestogens for a shorter time (you can see all the different products on the menu under Treatments/HRT preparations).

If you had not gone 12 months without a natural period when you started the Novofem (and not on mini-pill or Mirena coil) then you are peri-menopausal and should still be on cyclical HRT. In any case if you don't like the progestogen part then cyclical would still be better to try when post-menopausal.

If you haven't got the prescription yet then the only alternative cyclical combi tablet HRT is Femoston....

Sounds like you're on the right track with your diet and hopefully exercise too

Good luck and let us know what you decide and what works. Perhaps when you do so, start a new thread on this board and then more people will see it - sometimes posts on the pinned threads get overlooked!

Hurdity x

[Baby]

Hi all. I am new to this site and would love some advice about HRT because doctors seem incompetent about the menopause. I have been in peri about four years. Longest without a period nine months. Periods have been erratic for about three years. Anyway went to docs this year about not feeling well. Had all the symptoms, she thought I had a virus! No i said i am in menopause. Anyway she gave me hrt which I took. It didn't  help so went back to see a different  doctor in the practice. Told him it wasn't helping. He looked at my notes and asked me what progesterone I was taking. At the time I didn't know much about HRT so didn't know anything about progesterone. She had given me estradiol ONLY.  Anyway this doctor has put me on patches which are not helping either. And they are evorel conti For post meno or no period for 12 18 months. I am bleeding on off all the time. Been on them two months. Please tell me what to ask for because I am losing the will.x

[Hurdity]

Hi Baby - I've answered your post on your other thread in the new members section

Hurdity x

[rulo]

Hi Hurdity,
I'm confused. I've looked up Novofem on the treatments section and as I understand it the estradiol part of the cycle is 16 days (red tablets) followed by the norethisterone part of the cycle which is 12 days (white tablets). The same reads on the leaflet with the actual product. Novofem is 1mg/1mg. Kliovance works the same way with 1mg/0.5mg which is why I have decided to try that one this time. Nowhere does it say that these are continuous tablets. Am I misinterpreting what the info says? My first doctor recommended me having the Novofem because my periods were erratic - sometimes monthly, sometimes every three months. Please can you explain further? Thank you
Rulo x

[Hurdity]

Hi yes correct about Novofem - this is for peri meno so a cyclical HRT. If you look up Kliofem/Kliovance they're in the post-meno section and its says you take the tablets daily: https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/postmeno.php. if you read abit more in these sections it explains the difference. The cyclical ones will list the oestrogen , and then underneath  the progestogen with the number of days it should be taken.
It explains here: https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/progestogens.php

"HRT in the Perimenopause: If HRT is commenced in the early stages of ovarian decline when periods are still present (the perimenopause), estrogen is taken every day and progestogen for 10 to 14 days per month (sequential HRT). This cyclical progestogen induces a monthly withdrawal bleed in about 85% of women. If the periods are becoming infrequent, the progestogen can be taken for 2 weeks every 3 months, inducing a 3 monthly bleed (long cycle HRT).

HRT in the Postmenopause: If the periods have been stopped for more than 1 year (postmenopause) before starting HRT, or the women is aged 54 or more, progestogen can be taken every day along with the estrogen (continuous combined HRT). Continuous combined, or period-free HRT, may cause some bleeding in the first 6 months, but should not induce bleeding thereafter."

so - as I said you would be swapping from cyclical to coninuouis if you change from Novofem to Kliovance/fem which may not be appropriate at your stage of menopause.

if you were having periods every three months and had not been without a natural period for 12 months, like I said in previous post, then cyclical is appropriate otherwise you could ghave unpredictable breakthrough bleeding as your own cycle kicks in ( HRT does no supress ovulation). If you don't mind this and are prepared to have a progestogen every day - which itself can cause low grade persistent side effects - then give it a try if you think you are late peri and your doc is happy?

Good luck and hope this helps!

Hurdity x