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[Sweetpeapooh]

Hello. I am 50 years old. Five years ago I had an ovary removed which increased my perimenopausal symptoms. Whilst under anaesthetic a new mirena was fitted. I’ve had a fair few of these over the years. I was assured the mirena would control the menopausal symptoms. It didn’t.
Six months ago I had enough. I am beyond a different person and begged for hrt from my gp. She prescribed evorel conti patches and booked me in for a new mirena in eight weeks time.
That was fitted nine weeks ago (Never again it was horrendous) and I was switched from patches to oestrogel, three pumps a day.
I had no problems with the patches but I was still getting symptoms hence the switch.
Since then it’s all gone downhill. I am waking up with migraines 3/4 times a week. Horrible debilitating soul destroying migraines. They were nearly every day but I dropped the pumps to two instead of three. However 3/4 migraines a week are far to many.
The itching at night. One of my worst symptoms was itching at night but it’s so so bad now. I am exhausted. I am up half the night, every night just scratching and I’ve made myself bleed. It’s a horror movie every night. But I am so tired in the day, I darent sit down. I will fall asleep. The exhaustion is like the early stages of pregnancy. I am not pregnant btw.
My mood is so low, in the gutter. I am so anxious it feels like terror, bad tempered, uncaring, just want to be left alone. The opposite of how I actually am. I’m not a nice person at all. I don’t recognise myself in anyway.
I know the three months rule of hrt but surely there would be some difference by now, not a worsening.
Oestrogen is supposedly the magical Disney potion all sparkles and happiness. I’m over here feeling like a barley warmed up corpse. And I don’t know what to do anymore.
My gp is not very sympathetic and I don’t want to bother anyone but I can’t go on like this. I really can’t.
I cannot be the only person who does not get on with oestrogel can I?
What in any name is wrong with me?
Any advice will be gratefully grabbed with both hands. Thank you.

[CLKD]

It may have been better to have increased the amount of patch, if over all there was benefit.  Some patches can be cut so that 1 can vary how much is absorbed. Would you consider asking to revert to those, mayB put the name of the product into the search box and see what pops up.  Make notes ;-)

Have a lookC at your area 2 C if there is a menopause clinic close enough to make an appt..  Not a gynaecologist as they don't know much more than some GPs seem to do.

Some find keeping a mood/food/symptom diary useful.  As oestrogen levels drop the body may become dry: inside and out  - skin, deep in the ears, nostrils, eyes, vagina ...... there is appropriate medication for vaginal atrophy, we have threads about that too as well as 'bladder issues'. 

Menopause can cause anxiety levels to become overwhelming.  An appropriate anti anxiety med might be useful, until you get the HRT sorted.  Some do require both - a few antidepressants might help but are not the usual route for menopausal symptoms.

[Wrensong]

Hello &

I'm sorry to hear you are having such a horrible time of it & as a migraineur who's had both ovaries removed I sympathise with how dreadful you're feeling.

There are quite a few members who sadly have to deal with migraine so you may find it helpful to enter migraine into the search box have a look at past threads on the condition.  Mary G is very knowledgeable & if you post on a thread on which she's contributed in the past she may be reading & see you need advice.  You will not be able to send her a PM until you've made 10 posts, I think, but after that you could maybe approach her that way.

I'm not sure from your post whether the combined Evorel Conti is the only type of patch you've tried to date but if so, wondering whether you might want to ask your GP to change your HRT from gel to oestrogen-only patch, to see whether that method reduces, or better still eliminates your migraines.  Some of us find that hormone fluctuations can make migraine much worse at this stage of our lives & you may achieve steadier levels of oestrogen via patches, though there is no guarantee as there are still fluctuations over the life of each patch.  If you are still in peri, your own hormones will likely be adding to the ups & downs, though as you say you were on conti HRT before the Mirena fitting I wonder whether you are now postmenopause?

The itching sounds as though it could be a problem with histamine, assuming you don't think this simply due to the very dry skin many of us experience at menopause.  Again there are past threads on histamine intolerance if you want to search for these.  If you like I can look up links I've posted previously that may be helpful.

If your GP is not helpful, could you change to another or as CLKD suggests, perhaps go to a specialist menopause clinic?  If there is no NHS clinic nearby or a long wait & you are in a position to go private, Newson Health have been helpful to many women on here.  If not near you, I believe they are offering teleconsults & you could maybe ask for a cancellation to be seen sooner.

I'm sure others will be along soon to say hello & offer advice.
Wx

[Perinowpost]

Hi Sweetpeapooh

Sorry to hear you’re having a horrible time. First of all it could be that you’re not absorbing the gel, not everyone does. Although it’s the same ingredient as the evorel patch I couldn’t get on with it and quickly switched back to the patch.

Secondly itching is usually a sign of low oestrogen. Migraine can be a sign of too much progesterone (or was for me anyway). As you have the mirena I would be tempted to up your patch strength to achieve a balance with the progesterone in the mirena. To give you an example a friend of mine who is the same age as you had the mirena, but cannot manage on any less than a 75 patch.

Wishing you well and hope you feel better soon x

[Sweetpeapooh]

It may have been better to have increased the amount of patch, if over all there was benefit.  Some patches can be cut so that 1 can vary how much is absorbed. Would you consider asking to revert to those, mayB put the name of the product into the search box and see what pops up.  Make notes ;-)

Have a lookC at your area 2 C if there is a menopause clinic close enough to make an appt..  Not a gynaecologist as they don't know much more than some GPs seem to do.

Some find keeping a mood/food/symptom diary useful.  As oestrogen levels drop the body may become dry: inside and out  - skin, deep in the ears, nostrils, eyes, vagina ...... there is appropriate medication for vaginal atrophy, we have threads about that too as well as 'bladder issues'. 

Menopause can cause anxiety levels to become overwhelming.  An appropriate anti anxiety med might be useful, until you get the HRT sorted.  Some do require both - a few antidepressants might help but are not the usual route for menopausal symptoms.

Thank you for your reply. I actually rang the Drs today and the earliest appointment I can get is the 24th of August. I would be happy to go back on the patches but I was told I had to go on the gel when the new coil was fitted. No idea why. Planning to ring at 8am tomorrow to see can I get a same day appointment, I really can’t go on this way.

Our local hospital has a menopause clinic, there’s a two year wait and they are not taking new referrals currently. I cannot afford to go private as a certain virus has wiped out my industry.

I actually keep a food diary for other reasons and I’m quite good at knowing triggers for stuff but this feeling is 24/7 wether I eat or not. It’s like it’s living in me and has become me.

Unfortunately I cannot take antidepressants or anti anxiety medicines. No dr will ever prescribe those for me.

I feel more armed so to speak to advocate for myself now having read all the replies.

[Sweetpeapooh]

Hello &

I'm sorry to hear you are having such a horrible time of it & as a migraineur who's had both ovaries removed I sympathise with how dreadful you're feeling.

There are quite a few members who sadly have to deal with migraine so you may find it helpful to enter migraine into the search box have a look at past threads on the condition.  Mary G is very knowledgeable & if you post on a thread on which she's contributed in the past she may be reading & see you need advice.  You will not be able to send her a PM until you've made 10 posts, I think, but after that you could maybe approach her that way.

I'm not sure from your post whether the combined Evorel Conti is the only type of patch you've tried to date but if so, wondering whether you might want to ask your GP to change your HRT from gel to oestrogen-only patch, to see whether that method reduces, or better still eliminates your migraines.  Some of us find that hormone fluctuations can make migraine much worse at this stage of our lives & you may achieve steadier levels of oestrogen via patches, though there is no guarantee as there are still fluctuations over the life of each patch.  If you are still in peri, your own hormones will likely be adding to the ups & downs, though as you say you were on conti HRT before the Mirena fitting I wonder whether you are now postmenopause?

The itching sounds as though it could be a problem with histamine, assuming you don't think this simply due to the very dry skin many of us experience at menopause.  Again there are past threads on histamine intolerance if you want to search for these.  If you like I can look up links I've posted previously that may be helpful.

If your GP is not helpful, could you change to another or as CLKD suggests, perhaps go to a specialist menopause clinic?  If there is no NHS clinic nearby or a long wait & you are in a position to go private, Newson Health have been helpful to many women on here.  If not near you, I believe they are offering teleconsults & you could maybe ask for a cancellation to be seen sooner.

I'm sure others will be along soon to say hello & offer advice.
Wx

Thank you for your reply. I’m not very forum friendly so if I’m answering everyone wrong, please tell me. I’m actually clueless at stuff like this.

I didn’t realise the effects of having an ovary removed! I wasn’t prepared for it as it’s not what I went in for. But needs must. My migraines started with my periods, every single hormonal aspect of my life has been governed by them. I’m not surprised at their appearance just the frequency of them. There is no break from them seemingly.

I had to beg for hrt. My family have a history of blood clotting disorders and I was ruled as to much a risk. Eventually one of the gps felt sorry for me and ran a blood test to see if I had the genetic factor. I didn’t thankfully. Evorel was the only patch I ever tried. I had no issues with it, it just wasn’t enough.

I haven’t had a period in 8 years, however I have always had a mirena in but even switching for a new mirena did not produce so much as a spot of period. My fsh taken 5 weeks ago was 6. My own gp feels I’m done and dusted. However because of the fsh apparently I can’t be and must have more eggs. I had to have the new coil for contraceptive reasons as well as hrt reasons.

I do have dry skin but no drier than it’s always been. I shall search about histamine as I know nothing about that. Thank you.

[Sweetpeapooh]

Hi Sweetpeapooh

Sorry to hear you’re having a horrible time. First of all it could be that you’re not absorbing the gel, not everyone does. Although it’s the same ingredient as the evorel patch I couldn’t get on with it and quickly switched back to the patch.

Secondly itching is usually a sign of low oestrogen. Migraine can be a sign of too much progesterone (or was for me anyway). As you have the mirena I would be tempted to up your patch strength to achieve a balance with the progesterone in the mirena. To give you an example a friend of mine who is the same age as you had the mirena, but cannot manage on any less than a 75 patch.

Wishing you well and hope you feel better soon x

Thank you for your reply. I wasn’t aware that some people didn’t absorb the gel, that makes sense. I got on fine with the Evorel but this gel has been a living hell for me. I don’t feel so alone now you’ve said you didn’t get on with it. Everyone says it’s magical and for me there’s no rabbit in the hat, or the rabbit has died!

I’ve had a mirena for 25 years. I had such bad gynae issues it was a life saver for me. I’ve never really had issues with it. This one has been a bit problematic but I think that’s more the fitting of it than the actual coil. I’m really hoping to get to talk to any dr tomorrow, even if they just put me back on the Evorel until I see my own gp. I would be grateful for that.
I shall have a mooch around the forum now and hopefully educate myself. Thanks again.

[Dotty]

Hi you can go onto an oestrogen only patch. You don’t need the Evorel Conti as you have a Mirena.

FSH reading is not an indicator of where you are in menopause if you are taking HRT. It’s a pointless blood test if you are on HRT.

Good luck with the GP x

[CLKD]

I would ring a Pharmacist to find out why you can't have the patch with the Mirena?  Or have a lookC at the 'Mirena coil' threads on the Forum.  Make notes ;

It's a shame, I wonder why a GP won't prescribe appropriate anti-anxiety/ADs if necessary ........... 

The ovaries may well churn out hormones even if removed as sometimes the stem is left. 

[Perinowpost]

You can have a patch with the mirena, and like Dotty says you just need the oestrogen part only. Don’t use the conti it will be too much progesterone x

[CLKD]

We R a Mine aren't we 

[Wrensong]

Sweetpeapooh, how are you?  Did you manage to speak to a GP in the end or still waiting for next month?

I thought back to this thread in the night when I was tormented by formication (with an 'm'!!) & wondered whether you think your itching could be due to this unpleasant symptom of menopause as described in the extract below from this link to the comprehensive Newson Health website . . .

https://www.menopausedoctor.co.uk/media/files/newson-health--menopause-and-your-skin.pdf

"Your skin can become drier and become
itchy. This itchiness can occur during the
day and night and be really troublesome.
Some women notice abnormal
sensations to their skin, such as
numbness, tingling, ****ling or a crawling
sensation (called formication)."

I hope your migraine has improved & that you've made some progress towards getting your HRT changed.
Wx