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[Ginnyliz70]

In two words "im not"... I will post how i feel after i start taking HRT, and i totally hope that taking that pill will help me cope as best as i can,or at least help me feel a bit normal!  The more i read the more i realise this is such an unspoken about subject in life and its just not fair ( see im now getting angry).  This should all be out in the open, not just the word menopause but the effects it can have once u know for sure that is what is happening.  My housemate tells me i dont act any different other than cant be bothered to go out to the pub or party, but she wants me back 2 my usual self.  I on the other hand FEEL different.

[gladys]

hi I have been on elleset duet 2mg for just over 3months and have started having diarrhoea in the morning which could be embarrassing if in someone elses home has anyone else had this please

[gladys]

can I take johns wort with elleset duet 2mg and vitamin b complex as worst symptom is feeling down please thank you

[Dancinggirl]

Hi gladys
You have put your questions in the wrong thread really. If you want to get some support it would be better to do your own thread and more ladies will see it and respond.
My thoughts regarding the diarrhoea is that you may have picked up a tummy bug and also our digestive systems tend to get very sensitive with menopause so I wouldn't blame the HRT.
If you are feeling down it could be to do with the type of HRt you are using and perhaps you should try Femoston which has a kinder progesterone which suits many women far better.
It is fine to take vitamins with HRT - I take menopause which is a good all round multivitamin. St John's Wort can interact with HRT and other drugs so I wouldn't necessarily take that - though I think some women do take both. What about some Valerian? Also Vitamin D deficiency can give us fatigue and low mood so taking extra Vit D3 is quite important especially if you don't get much sunshine. Hope that helps.
DG x

[SadLynda]

Read all  8 pages of this one.  Not good then overall?  has 'anybody' had any joy with natural remedies, aside from the 'Boron' which I will look up next.

As I said in my intro, I have yet to visit the GP - as someone else mentioned about GP's and I do not get along so well.  I am into my second week on Quiet Life pills, and week one on Ashwaganda - my next purchase is going to be Omega 7 for all the dryness.  My worse problems are lack of sleep, panic attacks and this damn crying thing - anyone here does have any good experience with natural remedies please let me know.

[Dancinggirl]

Hi and welcome SadLynda
I would take Omega 3 as this is really good for everything - including the skin.  What about St John's wort for your anxiety and low mood? This has been shown to be beneficial but you do need to be careful if you take any other drugs etc so do ask your pharmacist about this.
Do keep reading all the info on this site.  DG x

[SadLynda]

Thanks DG, yes I am aware of St Johns Wort but cannot take that at the moment.  'Quiet Life' has 'motherwort' in it, which is pretty good (body count is down today anyhow, so must be helping).  I used to take Omega 3 for my other complaints, but having done a ton of research decided to try the Omega 7 as that seems to have many a meno benefit.

oh yes, making good use of the site, thank you.

[Beester]

Oh dear, this thread makes me sad that there aren't more positives to alternatives to HRT ...

[Dancinggirl]

Hi and welcome to MM Beester
I'm afraid those of us who have tried every alternative in the book cannot give much hope when it comes to controlling flushes and night sweats - I'm afraid the numerous studies cannot come up with any really benefits of the alternative remedies and supplements.  I am now 60, still suffering meno symptoms and now fed up with the hassle of HRT so trying to do without it.
I had 3 years without HRT before in my early 50s and the symptoms never subsided so I am not hopeful that things will improve anytime soon.  I do use local oestrogen to help with vaginal and bladder problems (as a result of oestrogen deficiency) but I have accepted that a quieter life is the only way forward.  Lots of relaxation techniques, lots brisk walking and simply saying NO to anything that might give unnecessary stress.
I do take Omega 3 for my joints plus Vitamin D and magnesium for my bones and the odd multi vitamin to make sure I'm up to speed on the dietary front but to be honest HRT is still the best, most effective and safest way of controlling flushes if you can find the HRT combination that suits you.  DG xxx

[CBA]

Hi I had to come off HRT a few months back very suddenly due to thickened endometrial lining (which, by the way has continued to thicken so now have to have a biopsy).

I was on tridestra because of progesterone intolerance. I had the progesterone tablets - no bleed. Phoned the GP was told to carry on with the E phase. Still no bleed. Couple weeks later phoned back and was told I probably was post menopausal - hence no bleed. Took me a while to convince the GP that I should have a bleed whether post or not cos of the E. 

Had a scan - thickened lining. Off HRT a week later. Couple months later went back to the GP for sore bits. Was given vagifem and sent off for another scan as STILL no bleed. Now the biopsy as lining has thickened even more 

Since coming off I have had in the last 2 months:

Some weight loss (after weight gain from the prog)
Less water retention (bad on prog)
Reduced headaches
Slightly less foggy thinking
A bit more energy sometimes
Mood swings but generally on the low side
Difficulty getting out of bed but had that on HRT anyway
Night sweats but now decreasing
Hot flushes but now decreasing
Initial weird low blood sugar type episodes - gone now
Nausea - gone now
Tinnitus (whooshing)
Sore bits but better with local treatment
Fewer crying spells
Anxiety - and also sometimes emotionally numb?
       

Am not doing much about it. Well sometimes I am - it depends. I alternate between fighting back and then giving in so I guess it's my energy levels changing.

At least I now know that it's my menopause causing issues and not the HRT or a combination of both. Which gives some relief I think. I think... I dunno. Today I'm too tired to concentrate...

Good luck to people not on HRT - I think some do better without it from what I've read.

51 now - started HRT at 48

Jx

[Sandra Snow]

I started with flushes at the age of aroound 49. I managed without HRT for about 2 years, but then the hot sweats became like a furnace and I couldn't cope.  I went on the lowest dose of HRT and it worked a treat.  I had my life back and could work without interruption.  At 57 years old I was told that I would have to be off of HRT by the time I was 60.  I started reducing the HRT gradually to nothing. The hot sweats were worse than ever, but I was warned of this by my GP.  Apparently it would be like that for a few months and then settle down. I have been off of it for nearly 2 years now.  60 looming up.  I have as many hot sweats per day now as I did 10 years ago.  My glasses steam up and the bladder is affected.  I have been put on tablets which are for migraine and hot sweats.  These made me so dizzy and out of it that I had to stop taking them after a short time. I have been offered anti depressants, but declined to take any.  I have taken various potions on the chemists shelves and absolutely nothing works.  I just wonder if by taking the HRT it has just delayed the menopause rather that helping me through it as I was told it would? The only thing that works for me is a warm bath.  If I start having a hot sweat in the bath, I can submerge my core and it seems to even out my body temperature and prevent the hot sweat from welling up.

[Sooby]

HRT FREE

       So far, so good.

      I struggled with oral HRT and though I liked the way the Estrogen patches made me feel,  I never seemed to tolerate the progesterone regardless for the type or method.

      As a result of other health probs I was advised to stop taking it and two months on I'm not missing it as I thought I would.

       I have ditched all sugars, wheat, starchy carbs  and anything processed and am taking supplements and feel thinner and fitter than I did on HRT. Stabilizing my blood sugars certainly stablises my moods and avoids the terrible night anxieties.

 Although the trigger for my initial symptoms was fluctuating estrogen, I feel that understanding how peri meno effects my body has helped me to make positive changes to manage and adapt to a new me. 

      I still get night sweats which I can live with but so far none of the other peri symptoms have returned.

  If I could change one thing to help all women it would be to encourage someone who knows more about these things than me  to create a multiple choice questionnaire for women to complete which asks them questions about all the possible peri meno symptoms that they might be experiencing from twitchy legs to bladder weakness or from night anxiety to tender breasts.


  The responses could then be scanned into a computer assessment programme which could generate a flow chart of questions and actions which can direct G.Ps in discussing possible treatment options with patients and recommending practical and appropriate management strategies. 

 I would also like to see a system of self referral support services for partners and couples to address some of the emotional fallout which can result from these hormonal changes.

Perhaps a programme along similar lines to the smoking cessation intervention or Cruise could be hosted though CMH? I know so many people whose relationships have broken down as a result of Meno. I cant see that such devastating outcomes are not as important as bereavement counselling?   

Is this something you could support and influence Heather?

[dolliman]

This is how I'm coping but is this normal? I've ran my husband a cold bath and made him a cup of coffee using mixed herbs! I can't finish a sentence because I just can't find the words and my concentration skills are rubbish. I'm jumping from one subject to another and getting myself all muddled, it's as if my brain can't keep up. Is this normal? I'm 53, take hot flushes only in the evening and not had a period since January. Somebody please say this is normal!
Thanks girls, Diane. 

[MicheleMaBelle]

Diane- you ARE normal...
All Peri and menopausal symptoms 

[DaisyB]

Sooby - I recently joined MM and voiced something similar regarding an infrastructure of services at grass roots level - not dependant on your financial status or postcode. My mental health has taken a bartering - and I believe that someone we knew through our daughter ended her own life violently because of her inability to carry on. I also believe that women in this generation and future generations are going to have it more difficult due to the many environmental changes that impact out sensitive hormonal systems.


DaisyB