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[Katie54321]

I'm Katie, I'm 39 and think I'm in peri menopause. I have very light scanty periods, very irregular and getting more so. I have had severe debilitating brain fog, on and off since July last year. Diagnosed as depression but I now believe it to be hormone related.

I decided to go and see Prof studd just the other week after reading so much about him on this and other forums. I actually saw one of his colleagues Mr Neale Watson who was really lovely. He prescribed the usual 3 pumps estrogel, one eight of a tube of testim and a week a month of  Utrogestan. I am on day 8 and felt no difference so far but am reading that HRT takes longer to work on mood and quicker to work on physical symptoms.

I am married And have three sons

[samweller161]

Hiya Katie and welcome to the forum.  I know a lot about the brain fog!  I work in London occasionally and this morning could not remember the tube line I normally take - it can be worrying but only when you read on here that so many folk have it, it's not as scary.

Yes, the recommended wait time is 3 months to see if the HRT takes effect - flushes etc should be fairly quick, mood takes longer ....

[Hurdity]

Hi Katie54321

 

You are fairly young to be peri-menopausal - and good that you are taking action early - although there was probably no need to go privately since the NHS has a duty to investigate and treat you for early menopause especially at your age!

However ..... glad you had a good consultation. How irregular have your periods been - I mean have you started skipping them and going longer than 4 weeks between them yet - or perhaps they have been getting shorter?

Yes you are right that the physical symptoms - flushes and sweats usually disappear quite quickly - so if you haven't been getting these then it is less easy to tell if the gel is working as the emotional changes are more gradual. Oestrogen actually can have an almost instantaneous effect on mood - think of your menstrual cycle and how up and down you can feel - but it also has longer term effects through physiological and biochemical changes. The dose you are on should prevent the mood dip caused by low oestrogen during the last part of the cycle and the first part of the new one when oestrogen is at its lowest. Is the idea to suppress ovulation have you been told?

Whereabouts in your cycle are you at the moment?

Do hang on for a while longer and hopefully you will reap the benefits very soon - treating reproductive depression with oestrogen is one of Prof Studd's specialities so at least you are in good hands!

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

 

[Katie54321]

Thankyou all for your replies. My cycle has been all over the place for the last year, sometimes very short, 21 days, sometimes missing one altogether. My depression and brain fog is so bad I'm under the cAre of a consultant phyciartrist (can never spell that word!)  but he has run out of ideas and it was him who suggested looking into hormones even before I mentioned it to him. I went to Studd because my GP has been less than helpful at doing any tests at all. Next stop is a nutritionalist, I want to go down all avenues and do absolutely everything I can do. STudds tests came back that I was deficient in Vitamin D too.

[CLKD]

I assume that you mean Professor Studd?  - if you put his name into the 'search' box you should have appropriate threads from here pop up.  As for VitD, now that we are seeing more sunshine, a brisk 20 min daily walk will help!