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[Spadger]

Hi ladies,
I'm 54 now and have been struggling with meno symptoms for over 5 years- finally gave in a couple of months back and asked my GP for Femoston conti (low dose). Within a few days I felt so much better, flushes gone, night sweats less of a problem and I thought it was a miracle!
I'm almost at the end of the 2nd packet of tablets and the last few days I've had very painful/tender boobs and feel really bloated (don't seem to have gained any weight though?). I realise that side effects can take a while to settle but it seems strange I've been absolutely fine until 2 months in - I've stayed away from the forum and not really read the  "side effects" section on the medication information sheet up to now so as not to inadvertently develop side effects by persuasion ;-)
Any advice or experience welcome - I really want to feel ok again and it seems a shame that this is making me feel so miserable.
Love to all, Spadger x

[Spadger]

Thanks Stellajane,
I really don't want to go back to having a regular bleed - I feel I've done more than my fair share of that. I also had very bad experience last year having been given Prempak-C by an uninformed GP and ended up at a gynaecologist appointment due to a very heavy withdrawal bleed!
I realise that it may take 3-6 months for side effects to settle but I just wondered if anyone else had experienced something similar after 2 months? It seems to have come on so suddenly & I feel very low/weepy - haven't felt like this in a while...
Love Spadger x

[Dancinggirl]

Spadger - the side effects you are experiencing are very normal - my gynae describes the bloating and tender breasts as 'the body waking up and adjusting to the hormones' and it usually settles within 6 months.  I have to say that if problematic bleeding is an issue for you then having a Mirena fitted could be a good option - you would then be able to use any amount of oestrogen as gel or patch to control meno symptoms. The Mirena usually resutlls in no bleeding or spotting after the initial few weeks.
I suspect the low mood you are experiencing is to do with the build up of progesterone and you may find you get some spotting or bleeding as well for a while - this is quite normal on the conti HRTs - again this usually settles.
I would persevere for the next couple of months to see who you feel but if you are not happy then discuss the option of a Mirena as less progesterone is absorbed so brings fewer side effects. DG x

[linz57]

Yes spadger, I experienced the same a couple of months after starting my Conti regime. Along with the sore boobs they also got slightly itchy and lumpy  too,  but I persevered and after a couple more weeks things settled down . I still have slight bloating issues and weight gain but hey, it's better than my pre hrt symptoms😀

[Spadger]

Thanks Dancinggirl & Linz57,
It's reassuring to know that all this might just settle down if I give it a while longer. I appreciate it's early days yet - I just so want to be me again.
Love Spadger x

[Mary G]

Spadgar, if I was a gambling person, I would put money on the fact that your problems are because of the progesterone content of your HRT.  Continuous combined HRT is a great idea on paper because obviously it is a bleed free preparation and nobody really wants to have periods but unfortunately it comes at a price and that price is the progesterone cancels out all the good work that the oestrogen does.

It's the same old story and I had exactly the same problem when I was on a continous combined regime (same dose as yours).  It all started off well and but after a couple of months, the progesterone built up in my system and it stopped working.  Realising what had happened, I then topped up the oestrogen by bunging on an oestrogen patch and that made it just about passable but it was still nothing to write home about.  I still had constant breast discomfort (something I only ever get with progesterone), digestion problems, low mood and was left feeling half baked and not quite there.   

My advice would be to switch to another product if things don't improve.  I now use Oestrogen/Utrogestan and it is the best HRT regime I have used by a very long way.  It does mean having periods again but it is a small price to pay for feeling normal again.  Oestrogel/Mirena coil is another option but its success would depend on whether or not you are progesterone intolerant.  I am severely intolerant to all synthetic progesterone and high doses of Utrogestan so I have to limit its use.