Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Spadger]

Hi everyone,
I posted on here last September when I had reached the end of my tether and decided to try HRT for awful flushes/night sweats/mood swings etc. 
The general lack of GP knowledge coupled with my meno-fog confusion/desperation at the time led to me being prescribed Prempak-C - which although worked brilliantly for the first few weeks, gave me a withdrawal bleed following the progesterone phase (obviously as it is a sequential HRT preparation normally prescribed for perimeno) and at the time it was 3.5 years since my last period! 
I went back to the docs to ask for a continuous/combined HRT instead, but was referred to hospital for tests by a very panicky (different) GP as I couldn't get in to see my doctor.  The consultant at the hospital was lovely but felt I had been referred unnecessarily (which Hurdity could have told me...in fact I think she did in my original thread) but I went & had a scan/transvaginal scan/examination which showed all was well - bonus.  The consultant also said he would be happy for me to have a continuous combined HRT for up to 5 years - I am 53.   
I felt like I wanted to wait until the Prempak-C was completely out of my system, and to be honest the flushes/night sweats did not return until after Christmas!  I was hoping that I would be feeling like I could cope with it all again after a bit of respite, but now I'm back to being the weepy/angry/sweaty/tired bitch from hell who struggles to remember basic words in the middle of a sentence - embarrassing at meetings 
So I've made an appointment this week with a view to asking for Femoston Conti which I've read about on here, but if anyone has any comments - positive or negative - on this I would be really grateful for your views. 
Having weighed up the pros and cons I feel like quality of life at this age is important, and I would just like to be me again, I know my husband misses the old me too - for the brief time I was on Prempak-C he said he could tell I was happier just without the flushes & sleeping better.   
love to all,
Spadger x

[Dancinggirl]

Spadger - these ill informed GPs must be costing the NHS a fortune - how ridiculous to refer you when you were obviously post meno but using a sequential HRT!!!!!.  Actually many of us prefer to stick withe sequi HRTs in post meno to avoid any possible side effects from using progesterone continuously.  Not everyone has problems with progesterone and the one in Femoston is kinder so is usually well tolerated.
Femoston would be a good one to try and the conti one is probably one of your best options.  I must warn you though that some erratic bleeding and spotting is to be expected for the first 3-6 months, this is quite normal, so one does have to persevere with the conti regimes of any HRT.
Keep us posted.  DG xxxx

[Spadger]

Thanks Dancinggirl,
I realise that there may well be some spotting/bleeding within the first few months on HRT, but the withdrawal bleed I had on the Prempak-C was horrendous, much like the last few really heavy/lengthy periods I had prior to stopping completely & I really didn't want to go back to that.  The other thing was that the progesterone phase made me so depressed I felt that life was not actually worth living, I could not see any light at the end of the tunnel!
As you say, I've also read that Femoston is 'kinder' progesterone-wise - I just feel like I've got to do something positive to alleviate the dreadful symptoms, if I could just manage to sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time without waking up in a swamp...bliss.
love Spadger x

[Hurdity]

Hi Spadger

Good luck with your appointment.

As Dancinggirl says it is a trade-off between having a regular withdrawal bleed - and fewer progestogenic side effects, or a no-bleed (eventually) HRT but one which might give some low grade side effects. The best thing you can do is to try and see how you get on. At least Femoston contains bio-identical estradiol and the progestogen is the closest you can get in a combi pill to our own progesterone so is better tolerated.

Glad all was well at your scan - at least you've got the reassurance about that!

Hurdity x

[Spadger]

Hurdity, thank you so much for your reply - please can I ask what kind of 'low grade side effects' could I expect from taking Femoston Conti?  During the progesterone phase of the Prempak-C I was so bloated (looked about 5 months pregnant...) & depressed.  I put this down to it maybe being 'too much' progesterone all at once, rather than a continuous/combined HRT being perhaps less progesterone in terms of the dose but spread out...if you get what I mean...and maybe more tolerable. 
I'm still swinging from desperately wanting to have another go with the HRT hoping it will make me feel human again, and scared of being worse off than I am now taking nothing - it seems a trade off, one set of symptoms for another 
love Spadger x

[Hurdity]

Don't expect any side effects! That's the best strategy! It is the best tolerated progestogen and most are fine with it - just a few women who are progesterone intolerant even of the bio-identical types! The one is Prempak is nothing like our own.

Here is the info from this site:

 PERI-MENOPAUSAL SEQUENTIAL COMBINED THERAPY

Used in women with an intact uterus (womb) who are not yet postmenopausal, i.e. have some periods due to continuing ovarian function. Products contain daily estrogen and cyclical progestogen.
Progestogens which can be used cyclically are of 3 main types:

    Testosterone derived - Norgestrel, Norethisterone acetate and Levonorgestrel.
    Less testosterone related - Medroxyprogesterone acetate(MPA).
    Least testosterone related - Dydrogesterone and Micronised progesterone (Utrogestan).

Side effects are often experienced during the progestogen phase of treatment and can be reduced by using a product containing a different type or route of progestogen.
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/perimeno.php

I'm sure you will not be worse off than taking nothing - in fact this would be true for most women - but everyone needs the patience to experiment and go back to your doc until you find one that works for you

Hurdity x

[Spadger]

Thank you for that Hurdity, really appreciate it 😊 X