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[CBA]

Hello everyone

I've been reading many posts for about 4 years now and I just want to say thank you to everyone for sharing their stories which have been really helpful and inspiring - and also sorry for not joining up and joining in before now.

A brief bit about me. I'm 51 (still coming to terms with crashing into my 50s!) and have probably been in peri for about 7 or 8 years I reckon judging by all the 'typical' and not so typical 'symptoms'.

I was on HRT for about 4 years until a month ago when my GP made me quit cold turkey due to thickened lining of the womb and general intolerance to progesterone. Even though I cried and sobbed and berated the gods and had a full on panic attack that would have impressed any paramedic it did no good. GP remained unmoved. She suggested a variety of natural remedies which of course I refused in adolescent rebellious style. She finally resorted to suggesting gin and tonic which she then hastily retracted but it was clear she was just getting desperate.

So. I have had a full on, concentrated mother of all menopause experience this last month which has thankfully started to ease off.

And - and this is the thing - I am starting to feel better than I have done in a few years. My moods have settled. My head is clearer. The fog is gone. The four week long headaches have gone. I have found my sense of humour again (I forgot how to smile for a while) and my memory is starting to work again. Suddenly I'm realising that a lot of the (truly horrid) things I was going through were maybe HRT related...?

I'm taking black cohosh for the flushes and night sweats and menopace. I got over my teenage tantrum.

I haven't had a bleed yet. This concerns me a bit as I should have had one at least six months ago and there's nothing. Not sure what's going on with the thickened womb lining. Bit worried about going back to the GP in case she makes me take progesterone again. Can't/WON'T take that stuff again. I'd rather eat tripe or eels. They did an internal scan and it said I had one mature folicle left which the GP said would be my final period...

Soooo...that's my story. CBA stands for can't be @rsed by the way...this became my new mantra about 5 years ago...

Nice to be here finally.

[Dana]

Hi CBA (in Australia that would stand for Commonwealth Bank of Australia - but "can't be arsed" is a good term to describe the bank as well....lol...)

It's good to hear that things are looking better for you. I hope it stays that way. Hopefully you're one of the lucky ones whose symptoms are fairly short term.

[Hurdity]

Hi CBA

 

Yes I knew what this stood for - having learnt text speak abbreviations from my sons!

I am pleased to hear that you are feeling well after stopping HRT - what type did you take though? Foggy head and headaches do sound typical side effects of some types of progestogens, so could be due to this - as your doctor said. If this is the case you could try a different type of HRT  - if the flushes and sweats are still bothering you. Unfortunately Black Cohosh doesn't really work on severe flushes and there are questions over its long term safety, so I've read. Only oestrogen or some prescription anti-depressants work to control flushes and the latter are only recommended for flushes and sweats for women who can't take HRT.

Re your thickened lining - it is surprising that your doctor did not give you something to shed this - how thick was it and has a follow up scan been suggested? Perhaps the doctor thought that if you were not yet at menopause your own cycle and progesterone would deal with it. If not, then yes it is best to get it looked at and yes you may well have to take a temporary course of progestogens. Better this than increasing your risk of endometrial cancer surely? It is not up to the doctor whether or not you continue with HRT especially at your young age - provided you sort out the lining issues.

If your womb thickened on HRT then separate oestrogen and progestogens are better so that you can tweak the dose after first finding a progestogen that you can tolerate. A Mirena coil which has minimal systemic effect may also be recommended?

Hurdity x

[Kathleen]

Hello CBA and welcome to the forum.

It's interesting that you think that a lot of your problems were HRT related. I am using a patch atm and often wonder if it is actually causing my ongoing issues, especially the dreaded progesterone part.

Like Hurdity I am surprised that your GP insisted on you coming off HRT because of a thickened womb lining, many of us on this site have had the same condition and  been offered various treatments without giving up on HRT.

I think that you have more options than your doctor is aware of so a bit more research may be in order if you feel  the need!

Wishing you well.

K.

[CBA]

Hello and thank you for your replies 

Still no period...now I'm getting a bit more worried! I think I'll have to go back to the GP. I get really embarrassed about how much healthcare I've needed over the past 5 years or so. I hardly ever went to the GP ever, but now it feels as if I'm personally responsible for draining the NHS of its resources. One GP even put her head in her hands when she saw me and said oh no not you again! I was mortified. I USED to be fit healthy strong and, well, young and it wasn't long ago it feels.

I was offered the Mirena Coil Hurdity but I was (am) very scared about it because it's not something you can just stop if you get a bad reaction - and many years ago I had a coil fitted for pregnancy prevention and it hurt so much when they fitted it that I threw up and passed out. So there's two reasons for being scared - but I'll have a look and see what others say and then maybe rethink.

I think I have peace of mind knowing that what I'm experiencing at the moment is my own body and not due to too much added of this or that...but I really do feel less foggy and no headaches and things...

Having said that - I have noticed that when my mood swings low (which still happens) I find myself focusing a lot on the whole ageing thing now. And feeling SO unattractive that sometimes I don't want to leave the house. Is that something others get? Stupid vanity - not a quality I've ever liked in myself and I wish I could care less!!!

Oh and the dreaded VA has just these past couple of days got worse again so I have to go back anyway and get that sorted out.

Thank you for your welcomes...it's lovely to be here. My OH is not very well able to manage my meno - or me talking about it I mean. He gets cross I think because he can't fix it - and because intimacy (sex) has fallen off the radar which makes me feel guilty and him unhappy.

Nobody warned me - I thought I'd breeze through it whatever 'it' was! It's all been a bit shocking! So again, thank you!

J X

[KatyB]

Hi CBA. I've had no bleed for the last 3 months despite being on Elleste duet / Femoston 1/10.  I also feel like I've been haunting the GP's which I never did before. She didn't suggest anything to check for thickened lining of womb though, just suggested I come off the tablets and think about a prescription for Prozac. I've come off the tablets and almost instantly my head and emotions are mine again, and indeed the bloating and weight are reducing too. I'm hoping that my natural cycle might see off any thickening, but looking at Hurdity's response to you I'm wondering whether I should be looking at getting my womb scanned, or just wait a bit....I think if I've been taking a cyclical pill I should be having a withdrawal bleed regardless of my cycle irregularities. I too thought I'd breeze through it, but I'm not ....bleeugghhhhh that's all I can say!

[Hurdity]

KatyB - I'm not sure why you think you need your womb scanned? If you don't get a bleed on prescription HRT then there is nothing to worry about as far as I can see. If there was lining to shed, and you were absorbing the progestogen - then it would shed. it is bleeding at the wrong time that warrants investigation. CBA's circumstances are different to yours. Do not fret

Hurdity x

[KatyB]

Sorry, not been on for a few days. Thanks for the reassurance Hurdity. Needless to say I've also had a very minor bleed now.....