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[SarahJayne]

So I sitting here, sick to the back teeth of all of this…

I’m nauseous, tired, anxious, sad, in pain, light headed, headachey, joints are stiff, lethargic, heavy pressure in pelvic region (fibroid), diarrhoea…

I don’t take HRT, after a failed attempt last year that resulted in months of bleeding I gave up. GP and consultant can’t decide whether I’m peri or post as I’ve had no ‘proper’ periods for a couple of years but periodic spotting and then flooding on HRT. One minute I’m post, next peri, which affects treatment etc.
Was taking Vagifem, GP advised stopping for a bit to see if I still needed it, she was concerned it might impact the fibroid. No noticeable problems…yet!

April 30th I started 10 days of spotting and an epic 12 day hormonal migraine. Then uterine cramping and niggling ache around left ovary (have had cysts in the past). Headachey feeling is still going on, along with nausea, tiredness and the cramping is continuing along with the niggle on left ovary. Probably have some IBS after stressful few weeks with brother in law ill (sadly passed away).

Having a blood test next week for CA125, iron levels etc and have supplied stool samples😳 I have a 10cm x 10cm intermural fibroid too which is waiting on embolization.

I am worried sick about ovarian cancer…have a niggling ache in that area, but no bloating, have back pain but almost certainly sciatica (common for me and it goes down one leg) bit of nausea, no pain during sex, so I highly doubt it is.

I just don’t know what’s wrong. Are my oestrogen levels so low now that problems are really kicking in? My GP’s are great, but I’ve seen 5 different women, all brilliant but no continuity.
I really don’t want to go down the HRT route if I can avoid it, awful experience on the patches last year, never been so angry, moody and miserable in my life! And my poor hubby, good Lord, he did suffer.

Anyone else experience similar?

[CLKD]

Morning. Hormones!  There is no need to stop treatment for vaginal atrophy.  You may be lucky but usually symptoms do return.

I would be asking for a referral to a dedicated menopause clinic as GPs don't often know enough to help as every journey is different.  An opportunity for you to work with your GP so that you both get the 'best' out of information, however - is there a GP interested in female health?  It should tell you the various qualifications on the Surgery website.

Or maybe see a Nurse Practitioner?  As oestrogen levels drop off muscles may become lax = aches and pains which can be controlled with over the counter pain relief.  As well, the body may become dry: inside and out; scalp, between the toes, deep in the ears, nostrils, eyes, vagina    Its' the change, does what it says on the tin.

Some find that keeping a mood/food/symptom diary of use.  At least the result of the CA125 will give you a base line and if negative, you can put to one side.  If worried, get the test in my opinion ;-).

Eating little and often can help keep blood sugar levels even, easing the potential for anxiety spikes.  Gentle exercise, lots of 'me' time - many find that Yoga or Tai Chi is helpful; my bath and garden are my havens.  As well as learning to say 'no' when people want too much from me ;-)

Browse round. 

[mandss]

Sj Sorry to hear you are suffering, its such a hard time as no one seems to understand how we feel. your story is similar to mine with bleeding, not knowing if post/peri...
I have been on and off hrt for the last 4 years, mainly stopped due to the painful and heavy bleeding. I am now on a conti patch, and did bleed for the first few months. Now nearly six months in and am going to ask for an increase as some of the symptoms have come back. Have started a light bleed this morning! Hope you get some answers soon if not rant away we are good listeners on this site x

[CLKD]

Nausea is the worst symptom for me 

Let us know how you get on.

[SarahJayne]

Thank you ladies. All sound advice.

I will definitely see if our GP surgery has a Menopause Clinic. Maybe seeing or at least speaking to the same person will help, gets tiring repeating same things to different doctors.

It’s the new symptoms that bother me the most, not really had daily nausea before, and the cramping and dull ache, again never before.

I suspect I’ll feel a lot better once I get the CA125 done and results back. It does seem to be a recurrent fear for us women, so many posts mention Ovarian Cancer.

As CLKD said each journey is different and it’s nice to know that although we all experience Menopause differently, there are many overlapping problems we share.

[Vicky81]

Hi Sarah. Awww this sounds awful.
Really do hope you start to feel better soon...and let us know what the CA125 results are.
What patches were you on that you had bad reaction off?, x

[SarahJayne]

Hi Vicky81,
Evorel sequi. Can’t remember dosage. Felt awful soon after second patch went on. Terrible mood swings and spotting that turned into flooding, and I mean flooding. Tried them for 4 months and ripped them off after travelling back from Scotland and having to strip down my lower halve in the service station car park as I’d soaked through pads, clothes and bath towels onto leather seats in the car, that was less than 2 hours after changing pads in a previous service station. Blood and clots were falling out. Sorry for graphic details. Thankfully it was evening and no-one really about, hubby was a star and held up a towel!
Couldn’t face another day like that and can’t face HRT again. So far I’ve been kind of ok, learning to adjust and live with menopause but the new cramping bothers me, the sporadic ovarian ache is worrying me. My suspicion is that maybe oestrogen is low and the fibroid I have is playing silly buggers. Who knows! Not a lot of info on that as most women seem to go HRT route.

Trying to keep smiling though!

[Vicky81]

Oh my days!!!!! That kind of bleeding sounds so horrible!!!! Wow...  that's bad hun. I don't blame you for taking it off!!!
How do you check for fibroid?, is it the vaginal ultrasound scan? I had one done in October I think...as I too had health anxiety and ovarian cancer was on my mind....they found nothing wrong but I just wondered if that was the same scan they use?, xxx

[SarahJayne]

My GP’s can feel the damn thing with their hands! 😂 I’ve had it years and years but it grew a bit more in the last couple of years.
Had an ultrasound, external and internal done in November, fibroid is a bit of a chonk 10cm x 10cm and intramural at top of uterus. Then had an MRI in December in preparation for uterine embolization but with backlogs due to Covid, have absolutely no idea when that will happen.

I just want someone to say “this is what is wrong at the moment, we can do this or that, or it will pass”.

New discomfort isn’t normal, and not knowing why is unsettling. And my GP’s and consultants can’t decide whether I’m peri or post! Haven’t had a period in over two years but bleeding last year seems to throw them. It was down to the HRT but it’s a battle to get them to grasp that. One does, one doesn’t, one wrote to Consultant who in a letter said I was, but won’t agree to fast track for recent bleeding as I’m not post, even though he said I was (after a telephone consult in February- not face to face appointment)!

Sorry, ranting again. So frustrating!

[Vicky81]

Ahhh no that's ok! Rant away ....its needed sometimes!!!
Its just so bad when yiu want answers!!
Please do let me know xxxx

[SarahJayne]

Hi Vicky 81 and CLKD

So test results all back…can’t complain, blood test back in less than 48 hours. All fine thankfully, CA125 was 17 (and whatever the units are). Comprehensive set of tests and all results tickety- boo. It would seem I’m healthy!

Very, very happy all good but doesn’t explain the cramping and left side ache though. Possibly looking at back problem- had SI joint problems in the past and apparently it can sometimes ache in the groin area. Who knows!
Anyway, going to speak to my GP sometime next week and formulate a plan!
Many thanks for words of support and understanding.