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[AmandaJane]

I am peri menopausal and have been for the last 6 years, I am nearly 44. I was only diagnosed in Jan 2012. I was put on Femostan 1/10 which seeemd to initially relieve my symptoms but then after 6 months the dose needed to be increased to 2/10. However i am experiencing terrible mood swings, paranoia, depression and generally feeling like there is no hope as well as feling physical symptoms of a fluttering in my chest, like i cant quite get a breath. The symtpms are worse when i am taking the white tablets, and when i am on the pink tablets i am calmer but still feel like i am on another planet.

I am off to the HRT clinic tomorrow so hopefully i may get put on another form of HRT.

Has anyone else experienced symptoms like these whilst taking Femostan?

Would appreciate any comments

[CLKD]

   if you find the 'search' button - left hand top of screen - and put in the medication you are currently using, any threads from Members should come up.

Also, take a list of how you feel to your appt.! and let us know how you get on .......

[Hurdity]

Hi AmandaJane

Welcome from me too.

Which is which of these tablets? One of them will contain oestradiol only and the other oestradiol and dydrogesterone (the progestogen).

The idea is that HRT will make your body act a bit like a normal menstrual cycle, so most women feel better on the oestrogen only and some women (if progesterone intolerant - or at least unable to tolerate the synthetic progestogens in some HRT or in pill form) feel worse on the oestrogen and progestogen pills.

However some women are OK on both types but feel typical pms symptoms for a few days after they change from the oestrogen only to the oestrogen and progesterone ( anxiety, depression, irritability, headache etc) and this is due to progesterone withdrawal - just like before a natural period when progesterone ( as well as oestrogen ) levels drop. In most HRT oestrogen levels stay the same so only your own hormones may still fluctuate if not past menopause.

It is important to know what is happening hormone wise before you change types as the outcome will probably depend on your reaction to progesterone as above

I hope this hasn't confused you! (My fault if so!!).

Hurdity x

[AmandaJane]

Thanks Hurdity - according the leaflet they describe the 'pink' ones as brick red and contain 2mg of estradiol, which i assume is the synthetic oestrogen and the 'white' ones are described as yellow contain 2mg estradiol and 10mg dydrogesterone which is the progestogen.

If I feel more human - but not brilliant on the brick red ones and feel 10 times worse on the yellow ones - am i progestogen intolerant?
 
Lets see what the HRT nurse says..............

[Suzi Q]

Stop them now
The sickness your getting physical and mental is as nothing compared to MNENO
SEE GP not NURSE chat tell ihm whats what
Maybe you need ADs and maybe even the mini pill to ying and yamng
But nothings worth getting paranoia sounds like panic attacks but Im not a Doctor
A Doctor sweetie is what you need not a nurse OK huge hugs xxxxxxxxx

[Delilah]

Hi amandajane

I'm taking femoston 2/10 as well. My anxiety and emotional symptoms were quite severe 18 months ago and have only recently calmed down. I've experienced a lot of ups and downs despite taking hrt and ad's. I think until your own hormones calm down you will carry on experiencing these blips. I take it you were still having periods when you started hrt hence the femoston sequi.

However if theres a very noticeable difference in how your feeling when you start the progesterone part of your hrt then you could very well be intolerant to the dydrogesterone. If this is the case there are other hrt preps you could change to.

Hope this helps a little.

Take care delilah. X

[KatieLiz]

I took Femoston 1mg/10mg for six months and then increased to 2mg/10mg due to tearfullness etc.  I have been taking the higher dose now for over a year.  I am 52 now and haven't experienced what you describe.  Hopefully you will get some answers at your appointment.

[Hurdity]

Hi AmandaJane

It's difficult to say if you are progesterone intolerant at this point, but it sounds as though the progestogen in the Femoston (dydrogesterone) doesn't suit you.

I would be interested to know what the HRT nurse suggests.

Personally I would go for either of two options:

1 - Keep taking HRT orally but use an estrogen only pill like Elleste, combined with a bio-identical progesterone (ie the same one that's in our bodies) - Utrogestan capsules.

2 - Try a patch instead - either Evorel sequi, or Femseven sequi - to see if transdermal HRT suits you better than oral. The snag with these are they still contain synthetic progestogens which can cause problems in some women as I explained before.

If you are progesterone intolerant ( did you feel bad pms symptoms for the whole of the second half of your natural cycle?) then a specialist gynae ( probably not the nurse) would be able to vary the dosage to keep your progesterone intake to the minimum needed to keep your womb lining thin.

Hope this helps

Hurdity x

[AmandaJane]

Thanks for all your posts, i went to see the HRT Nurse at my GP's and she agreed that Femostan wasn't suiting me and has put me on Prempak, she suggested this as you take two hormones from day 17 this is supposed to ease the transition from one hormone to another.

Felt better after I had seen her just to know that it's normal not to find the right HRT for you straightaway and that it can take a few attempts before finding the right HRT stopped me from being so hard on myself.

Let's see how this one goes, fingers crossed x

Thanks for all your support.