Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Stella2]

I hope i can get encouragement as I am suffering with anxiety relating to whether to start patches or not. I have had a bad experience on Sandrena and utrogestan, took them for 4 days only because i was anxious and depressed at the same time, my brain could not work could not do anything, it was horrible.
I was now prescribed evorel conti to try due to hot flushes but I am worried about breast cancer risks of this. I know utrogestan is better for this reason.
I am anxious as you can see and thinking weather to just carry on suffering and hope that it will stop at some point - it has been 2 years post meno and still having flushes. Should i try utrogestan again or go for patches...I would be grateful for your advice.

[helenc]

hi - sorry to hear you are suffering - I have taken conti patches for about 15 years (with 50 as the first element) - but for the past 6 weeks have been on conti only with no problem - naturally I dont know the long term thing but they are something I feel comfortable taking - why are you still getting hot flushes if you are 2 years post meno?  is that usual?  I am 57 and have been 'messed about' with switching HRT over the past two months which has caused a lot of upset and now further tests need to be done - but the conti - are great - perhaps a chat to your GP to reassure you?

[Stella2]

Hello Helenc,
Thank you for your reply. I have just been reading too much... focusing on risks rather than benefits.
I am glad to hear that you are well and that you have been using conti for a long time. Yes, my hot flushes started at night seven years ago and then during the day too five years ago. Still there, two years in menopause, a bit lighter maybe but it's been a long suffering and I changed so much due to this. I don't like socialising anymore and can't wear what I want, my hair looks bad due to sweating. All because I am afraid of HRT and assume the worst will happen to me.

[Evangelista]

Hi Stella2,
Would you previously have described yourself as an anxious person, or do you think your anxiety levels have risen during the whole peri to post meno period?  Some of the symptoms of the menopause period are very similar to anxiety, and when your brain isn't as clear as it might be, then it just makes everything feel much harder and more complicated.

Might it help for you to think of the elements of HRT as being tools to get your body back into balance?  HRT is just what it says, replacement of your own hormones that have depleted as you have aged, but of course anything that involves tablets tends to be seen as medication, and medication is to treat an illness....except when it isn't.

I've seen lots of posts on the forum with ladies saying it can take months to find the right balance that works for you, and that does seem for some to mean that it might get worse before it gets better.  When you're in the middle of that, it feels really hard to struggle on in the hope that things will improve.

The risks associated with HRT are reduced due to improvements in the production of hormone replacements, and also the great scare story of the early 2000s is still the thing most people remember, when really the study that set it all off was flawed and poorly reported.

I can't specifically recommend anything to you as I have always been on a sequi regime as I started HRT in peri-meno, and that might not suit you, but I do think HRT is worth pursuing as it might very likely help with your anxiety.  I hope you have a good and interested GP who can help and support you through this.  Have a good root on this site, and also check out Louise Newson's Balance website and app as I think you will find that useful.

Good luck!

[Hurdity]

Hi stella2

Sorry to hear your woes and worries.

How old are you? The risks of breast cancer are not proven with HRT and there are also risks of BC from being overweight, and drinking excess alcohol so if you can make any necessary adjustments to your overall health re these two and include improvements to diet and exercise if necessary you will be putting yourself in the best possible state of health for the years to come.

Taking HRT and the potential risks if any have to be weighed against the quality of life and years of suffering of symptoms as well as the potential negative long term consequences of oestrogen depletion eg on vaginal health, cardio-vascular health, and bones.

helenc - there are studies showing some women continue to suffer hot flushes for 14 years post-menopause and some all their post-meno lives. For some lucky women they stop but for others, not. You dont want to do the experiment  on yourself to find out, and I would say if still suffering after 2 years then definitely HRT should help. I started HRT in late perimenopause in my early/mid 50's and have been taking it every since ( now in late 60's). Hot flushes were banished!

The other thing is you can if you want, start to take HRT cyclically (even if post-meno) to see how you feel on the oestrogen only part and then again when you add progesterone, but of course this means you have to have a withdrawal bleed. That way you get to experience (hopefully!) the feel good factor of oestrogen first. if you;re OK with the prog then you can switch to conti after a few cycles if you prefer.

You will need to persevere  as Evangelista says, and try to  overcome the potentially initial adverse siie effects until your body acclimatises.

I use patches and utrogestan - but still on a cycle even at my advanced age. The first regime I had was Evorel sequi (as I was still peri) and the flushes disappeared within days. I switched to progesterone because the progestogen in Evorel sequi did not suit me.

Hope this helps

Hurdity x

[Stella2]

Thank you Evangelista and Hurdity for your replies.
I am 55 and I had major anxiety breakdown during peri, i learnt a lot, I am meditating, I am aware of my thoughts, but still have hard times occasionally when dealing with health issues.
During the peri i stopped drinking, have a healthy lifestyle, excercise and weight. I have listened yesterday to one of Louise Newton's podcasts about the breast cancer risk.
Another issue is cervical stenosis, I was worried that any bleed would stay in, but I was encouraged to still consider HRT so I would rather try continuous. Shame that I had bad experience with utrogestan, but maybe the second time would be better. I made a mistake starting with it the night before I took gel...
I have evorel conti and utro and sandrena and in my drawer and I will have to make that decision, what will be so much easier due to your support