Hello everyone, long time lurker and first time poster
I have gained some really valuable advice from reading this forum and just wonder if anyone can help me a little further
After reading the menopause matters website I decided enough was enough and my psychological symptoms were too much for me to manage and I wanted to try HRT. I was sceptical as to how my GP would be about this having read some of your posts on here, but I requested an appointment with a Dr who had a "special interest in the menopause or HRT" when I rang to book an appointment.The receptionist booked me in with one of the part-time GP's who I know is very empathetic and to be fair I have found all the GP's at my Surgery to be very good....I guess I am lucky there and I go VERY rarely!
I guess I have been peri-menopausal for about 2yrs ( but didn't really realise it until especially the last 6 months) I am 50 and have previously been very regular with my cycle every 26 days without fail. But had my last period in Oct 2016 and visited the GP in early Nov, so only really missed 1 maybe 2 periods. As I said my symptoms have been mainly psychological, anxiety, tiredness, irritability etc and associated with my cycle. Had a few hot flushes this Summer, but mainly when I got hot I got VERY hot, dripping sweat hot!
So I approached the appointment with a bit of dread, but happily report it went really well
GP was lovely, I just told her I was having peri-menopausal symptoms which I could no-longer manage and I wanted to go on HRT. She asked about them and said that sounded all fine and going on HRT not a problem...result!! She went through all the advantages and disadvantages, weighed me and took Blood Pressure etc.
Because I am severely overweight ( chocolate is my anti-depressant of choice!) she recommended patches. Now this is all going swimmingly well so far isn't it....
Then she said "ummmm I used to do a lot of HRT prescriptions, but since all the scares etc I don't do many these days" She prescribed FemSeven sequi patches as she'd had good results with these in the past and I have a review in 3 months. I sort of got the impression she was a bit out of touch with what was the current HRT patch of choice and picked what she'd used maybe a few years ago ( I am in the healthcare profession and sort of could read the situation) I don't criticise her for that, as sometimes the old things work the best
I'm coming to the end of the first 2 months and on the whole I feel blooming marvellous!!
Almost immediately I felt better in mood, less anxiety, less aches and pains, more rational in my thinking and generally much more able to cope with life and more energy...yipeeeee
My only issue so far is that I am having a period at the end of the 2 weeks oestrogen cycle, rather than at the end of the two week progesterone/oestrogen cycle, and we're back to heavy periods, but no other side effects of note and that's a small price to pay for feeling so much better. I'm assuming that eventually my cycle may change to align with what it should be??
So my question is...if you've managed to stay with me so far! My Gp is excellent I have no complaints and I feel she is willing to listen to any suggestions I have, but I just have a little niggling feeling that Femseven maybe an "old HRT" and there are "better" ones out there ie more modern/natural formulations of the progesterone? FemSeven doesn't seem to come up much on the chat on here and I wonder if it has been superseded by more modern drugs?
I am happy to stay on FemSeven as it is certainly doing the job it seems, but does anyone know of anything "better" ( I realise in medicine it's certainly not that simple and not everything suits everyone, but would be grateful of any knowledge anyone has)
Many Thanks in advance Xx