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[Chi chi]

I've only ever used the gels (bio) apart from when I tried the estrogen and testosterone implants (big mistake)!
I realise I'd have to reduce/stop the AD I'm on now and that scares me a little if I'm honest  but hubby has just successfully managed to stop his citalopram fairly easily apart from the head zaps and he says it's amazing how much clearer his head/mind is!

Didn't sleep well again last night and this morning it burned a bit when I went to the toilet and it looks like I am getting a bleed.

[Briony]

Which prog have you tried? It sounds like that's what you're sensitive to? It sounds like your body dislikes the more allegedly tolerable ones like Dienogest and Drospireone but was ok with the one you took in the pill a while back (Levonorgestrel). If you stay with hrt, maybe Mirena or FemSeven patches would therefore be the way forward? I presume you have tried Utrogestan?

I have withdrawn from ADs several times, as I took them for pain relief. If you take it slowly/sensibly, it is usually ok. Only Duloxetine caused me problems. Starting them did have side effects, but not for long at all. Lots of threads about ADs on here, so hopefully lots of people can advise you. Have you thought about combining treatments, eg CBT with medication? It could help you get over the initial side effects of whatever you are taking, maybe?

Really hope you're ok and get some relief soon xxxx

[Chi chi]

Thanks Briony X
Yeah I've tried Utrogestan and Provera, I seem to remember I think I did slightly better on Provera but still not ideal 
I managed to withdraw from venlafaxine a year or so ago and that is meant to be one of the hardest!
I think I might look into femseven, I wonder if there's anyone else who can only take certain progestins?
Unfortunately I e had CBT didn't really do much if I'm honest 

[Chi chi]

Since I've stopped Qlaira I thought I'd better go back onto the gels thing is I don't know how many pumps to take? I'm having a sort of withdrawal bleed nothing very heavy, feel really out of kilter at the mo, still getting the funny headache and have felt quite dizzy at times. My mood is still very low and strangely my anxiety seems to be worse in the evening just now? It's always lifted a bit by the evening.
I've booked a telephone consultation with Annie Evans but Friday was the earliest I could get so I can't get any professional advice until then 

[Briony]

You poor thing. I really feel for you. You're right, Ven. is like Duloxetine, and if you came off that ok, you should be ok. Do look into FemSeven as , if you could bangle the pill form of that prog, patch should be easier. Dose wise for gel or patch, it depends what you want to achieve. Do you want to suppress ovulation? If so, it's four pumps (2x2 a day) plus progesterone separately. If you just want to top up your own hormones, then it's fewer pumps. I'd be advised by the doc if you can hang on till then? Do you think you need more estrogen than was in Qlaira?

Really hope you get some relief soon. Hang in there girl xxx

[Chi chi]

That's the thing Briony, I have no idea? I'm scared to stop HRT/gels but don't feel like I'm benefiting from it either! Apart from the Testim but even now my libido has gone into hiding again
My head just feels really really fuzzy at the moment, it's like I've doubled my AD's or something  I didn't feel this bad when I stopped Yaz.

[Briony]

I get it, I really do. So many times I think I know what I need and the opposite is true!

The estrogen in Yaz is stronger than Q, so I guess you're suffering from the drop down? How you describe your head is my low estrogen feeling, but we are all different, don't forget.

I guess you need to ask yourself which symptoms affect you most? Which are the ones you want out of your life? To feel perfect, all the time, is just not achievable with hormones like ours, sadly. I've had to accept that weight gain, lower libido and spotting are slightly more acceptable than the more distressing symptoms I have. Don't like it, but kind of begrudgingly accept it.

If it is your psychological issues which upset you most, then see your doc and maybe consider altering your AD as a priority. If it is the up and down of fluctuations, the unpredictability, then consider suppressing ovulation. I think this is what has helped me most - even though the dose in Q wasn't quite right for me.

That information sheet by Nick Panay for NAPS is really helpful and reviews all the different treatments for ladies with PMS or peri fluctuations.

Xxxx

[Chi chi]

As I was also using the Oestrogel do you think I'd still get the drop? I started on 1 pump but for the last 2/3 days I increased to 2.
I know what you mean, I'd gladly put up with a bit (more) weight gain even the headaches it's just the emotional/phscological part I can't deal with  I'm still kind of bleeding so hoping when that stops I might feel a bit better??
Off to have a read of the information sheet you recommended 

[Briony]

http://www.nickpanay.com/Papers%20pdf/Royal%20College%20of%20Obstetrians%20%20Gynaecologists%20PMS%20Guidelines.pdf

If anything, I suspect it's the progesterone and then lack of it which may have affected you (Dienogest)? I'm pretty sure that's what affected me with Marvelon as, after 7 days of nothing, I felt more withit (apart from the headache!).

Given the different things youve taken in a short space of time, I wouldnt worry too much about what has caused you to feel as you do now (ie if it's too much or too little) - instead, try and work out what you want for the future. There will be a solution and things will get better for you, hard though it must feel to believe right now!

If youre going to go down the hormone route, you have to tell yourself that you may feel worse before you feel better. You also need to really try to ride it out for 3 months if you can (easier said than done, I know). Very few people feel better emotionally within less than this time on hrt/the pill.

Hope the link helps, B x