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[jefner]

Hi jefner - go for it! I find Hrt marvellous for my depression, sleeplessness and muscle aches. I presume you have already been checked for diabetes in view of your feeling ill, weight loss and thrush symptoms.

Best of luck!

I went for it and started some Evorel Conti a couple of weeks ago.  Started at 25 and upped to a full patch on Wednesday only to feel really really ill yesterday with my anxiety doubled and very very depressed.  I don't know whether it was just a really bad day for whatever reason or upping my dosage, but I have gone back to half a patch and think that maybe my body needs a month on it's first low dose before increasing it?

[Hurdity]

Hi jefner

Some women find that norethisterone - the progestogen in Evorel - does cause anxiety. The dose of oestrogen in that patch should make you feel better not worse - as full dose is only medium strength - but yes why not get your body used to half a dose for a while longer.

Yes patches can work that quickly and if they are reducing your flushes and yet causing anxiety then it is most likely to be the progestogen - which is why many of us prefer to opt to stay on a cycle even when post-menopausal - to keep the progestogen episodes to a minimum! I see I did mention this in my earlier post.

Yes good idea to increase slowly eg by cutting a quarter off the patch - I know other women on here have done this.

Hope it works for you

Hurdity x

[jefner]

Hi jefner

Some women find that norethisterone - the progestogen in Evorel - does cause anxiety. The dose of oestrogen in that patch should make you feel better not worse - as full dose is only medium strength - but yes why not get your body used to half a dose for a while longer.

Yes patches can work that quickly and if they are reducing your flushes and yet causing anxiety then it is most likely to be the progestogen - which is why many of us prefer to opt to stay on a cycle even when post-menopausal - to keep the progestogen episodes to a minimum! I see I did mention this in my earlier post.

Yes good idea to increase slowly eg by cutting a quarter off the patch - I know other women on here have done this.

Hope it works for you

Hurdity x

If the progesterone may be making my anxiety worse and the oestrogen is supposed to make me feel better - what am I to do.  Anxiety isn't too bad but it's the depression that is worrying me more, it's gone quite bad.

[Hurdity]

If it does not improve then you may want to think either of going back to a cycle as I mentioned ( with a withdrawal bleed) or changing HRT type to one that may be better tolerated eg Femoston (tablet) or Femseven (patch). In any case it would be better to try any new product on a cycle for the first three months even if it means having a bleed so at least you would know if it was the progestogen that disagreed with you. Many women do find the initial troublesome side effects do settle - I hope this is the case with you

Hurdity x

[Pinkfizz]

Hi Pinkfizz

  !

Glad that HRT is working for you and you feel better - what type are you taking? It is great to hear good news stories and especially with the different types of HRT

Hurdity x

Sorry for late reply, my mother in law passed away last month...stressful time.

I'm on Novofem and all still good except (!), no bleed...not that I'm complaining as I feel I have the best of both worlds....however I do get 'snappy' when I start on the estrogen. I seem too do better on the progesterone, does anyone else?

How do you know if you need a higher dose? Do all the symptoms come back?

Happy New Year to you all xx

[Hurdity]

Hi Pinkfizz

Happy new Year to you too....

So sorry to hear about your mother-in-law's death and of course this will be a very stressful time for you.

I'm glad you are starting to feel better taking the HRT. The snappiness you describe after starting on the oestrogen is most likely due to progesterone withdrawal and is normal pmt - what we experience for the few days before our period. These feelings should clear in a couple opf days so that the rest of the time you are on the oestrogen only you should feel fine.

Re higher dose -  the most obvious way that women normally know they need a higher dose, is due to a return of flushes and sweats - and hopefully that won't happen.

Hoping you continue to feel better but do allow for sadness to override your hormones as it naturally will from time to time over the coming weeks and months.

Hurdity x

[samweller161]

Welcome !

This forum is literally a life saver for so many of us - even just reading other peoples posts make you realise that there are thousands of us going through (where I work there are a few of us of a similar age and all our symptoms and side effects are different.

I started with the anxiety and depression so was prescribed 20mg Escitalapran which helped a lot.  Then I cut down to 10mg and then the night sweats started (not sure if that was coincidental or not - I was 48, no children).  So I went onto HRT (1mg) and upped back up to 20mg.  Every so often I try and cut down to 10mg again but it doesn't really work so am resigned to spending the foreseeable future on 1mg HRT and 20 mg E.  The good news is that most of the time I can forget that I am going through the menopause apart from the memory lapses.  It's such a shame that one size does not fit all really as our lives would be so much easier.  Am now 50 and intend to stay on this combination for as long as I can (or for as long as it continues working).  I also had an appintment with Kathy Abernathy at the Coombe Clinic (advertised on here) who was very helpful

Good luck, we are all here to advise/share your pain!

Sam xx