Print

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

[CLKD]

When my dog was very ill if I didn't understand what the Vet. had told me at her weekly exams, I would make an appt for a catch up chat taking a list of those bits that required clarification

[Dandelion]

Sorry to say Dandelion but I agree with CLKD - many GPs do not know much about the menopause. As others have said you must go armed with a list of what your symptoms are and what you want and why. Dr Vliet is a US specialist gynae, just as there are eminent UK specialists like Dr Currie here on MM, and all the other board members of the British Menopause Society and many more.

Many of us have had to politely tell our local GPs what we would like to be prescribed with and have had to insist or sometimes get second opinions.

You should not be refused progesterone if that is what you want for that part of the HRT. The most usual type marketed in UK is Utrogestan but it will be prescribed as "micronised progesterone" and comes as capsules. If you say you do not want to take a synthetic progestogen (which is what all the others are) then there is no argument. You want to use the compound that is biologically identical to the compound your body makes. Full stop!

How often are your periods?

Have you been on these other medications for long or only since becoming peri-menopausal? You may find that oestrogen will help deal with your anxiety and depression, or cope better - if it is a fairly recent thing?

Hope this helps and good luck with the doc

Hurdity x

Hi Hurdity

I've been on the other meds a few years.
I'm glad that utrogestan can be prescribed, because that's what I would like.
Thanks for the help it has reassured me.

Oh, one other thing, I get spotting, but i don't really want to make a big thing about it. i am not spotting at the moment. Hoping it's just another part of peri-menopause.

Luckily my doc is female and is only several years older than me, so she should be able to empathise with me.

[CLKD]

Let us know how you get on!  Spotting should be mentioned, it could be a polyp which needs dealing with, although mine shrivelled away without intervention as I hit peri-menopause 

[Dandelion]

Hi everyone

Well, I went to the doctors and told her everything including spotting.
I have a smear booked on the 30th because my doctor forced me to make an appointment and turn up for it, so I cannot get out of it.

She gave me femoston. A natural oestrogen but a synthetic progesterone. (dydrogesterone)
I know its an oral HRT, but I don't know if I have to take it every day.
The info from netdoctor.co.uk says this:

Femoston is a hormone replacement therapy (HRT) preparation. It consists of two types of tablets; the white tablets contain the active ingredient estradiol hemihydrate (previously spelt oestradiol hemihydrate in the UK), and the grey tablets contain two active ingredients, estradiol hemihydrate and dydrogesterone.

She said that it was recommended that I have a repeat blood test as I am probably perimenopausal, but she was happy to give me it.
I was hoping for a bio-identical progesterone, but she looked a bit blank when I said bioidentical and asked what I meant by it.
She asked me my age and I said 47.
Dunno if mine is femoston conti or just femoston, or, even if there is a difference

I read a another post on these boards that seems to suggest femoston is normally given to older women, who are not getting a period. I am getting a period still, doc knows this, and she also knows my age, so she must be happy prescribing me it, so I am happy to take it.

Utrogestan was not available.
I asked if she could give me the estradiol on its own and I could buy the utrogestan but she said they are not allowed to prescribe oestrogen only to women who still have uteruses, like me.

It seems that my fears didn't all turn out to be wrong.

The chemist cannot get it in till tomorrow, so I don't know if I can take it straight away (day 18 in cycle - not that it means anything as my cycle lengths vary)

I hope the synthetic progesterone does not cause me depression or anxiety as I fear those the most, however, she said that it was best among her other patients.

I see that migraine is one of the side effects, (reading netdoctor.co.uk) I think I told her on the phone a couple of weeks ago, that I get migraine auras, and I think I said I only started getting them with tranquiliser withdrawal. I forgot that I got one at 12yr old, but didnt know what it was.
Does this mean that femoston will give me full blown migraine?

[Greyhoundgal]

Worrying that she didn't seem to know about bio-identical HRT.  But to try to put your mind at rest I take Femoston 1/10, this was the first HRT I was given and I'm lucky in that it suited me very well.  The nurse that prescribed it for me did say that the progesterone was a more "friendly" type than some others and I have to say I actually feel better while I'm on the 2nd part of my pack.  Like you I was mid-cycle when I started it but she told me to start it straight away.  I normally get a bleed each month, towards the end of the pack but once in a while it will happen when I start the new pack.  So far I haven't had any side effects from it and have been taking it now for almost 3 years - hope this helps.

[Dancinggirl]

Dandelion
Greyhoundgal is right.  I know many  women are happy on Femiston and do really well.
There are two types of Femiston - you have probably been given the sequence one because you are perimenopausal.  There is a continuous Femiston for women who are post menopausal.
You will be taking the the oestrogen only white ones to start with and then the progesterone + oestrogen grey ones later (the grey ones will induce a withdrawal bleed). I suspect it doesn't really matter when you start as your cycle is all over the place anyway.

Try not to look for problems - you may find you feel fine. The instructions read like a horror story and should be taken with a 'pinch of salt'.  Headaches can come for a number of reasons and may not necessarily be as a result of the HRT. I got terrible headaches because I was peri-menopausal and the HRT helped to reduce them.
Also remember it takes time for your body to respond and settle with HRT.  While you are still going through the peri stage of menopause your hormones will continue to fluctuate so you HRT may need to be adjusted at times.
Give Femiston a good try and get back to us if your having problems.
Good luck  DG x

[CLKD]

   for that information!  Such good support!

Any queries when you collect the prescription?  Ask the Pharmacist; they usually have a private room for medical discussions.

[bev567901]

Hi Dandelion I assume she will want you to progress with the AD & benzo's too?  How will she know which is doing the job if you get better or have you been on the other meds long enough for them to reach full effect now? Some progress through getting something hormonal! well done to you

[Dandelion]

Worrying that she didn't seem to know about bio-identical HRT.  But to try to put your mind at rest I take Femoston 1/10, this was the first HRT I was given and I'm lucky in that it suited me very well.  The nurse that prescribed it for me did say that the progesterone was a more "friendly" type than some others and I have to say I actually feel better while I'm on the 2nd part of my pack.  Like you I was mid-cycle when I started it but she told me to start it straight away.  I normally get a bleed each month, towards the end of the pack but once in a while it will happen when I start the new pack.  So far I haven't had any side effects from it and have been taking it now for almost 3 years - hope this helps.

Hi Greyhoundgal

Thanks for posting and giving me your feedback on femoston.
This gives me confidence.
I am almost looking fowards to taking it.
I am looking forward to putting my fan away, and being able to lie in bed and listen to the owls etc, instead of the noisy fan, which also wakes me up when it blows my hair across my forehead. I get tickled by my hair, by the fan air, which wakes me up.

[Dandelion]

Dandelion
Greyhoundgal is right.  I know many  women are happy on Femiston and do really well.
There are two types of Femiston - you have probably been given the sequence one because you are perimenopausal.  There is a continuous Femiston for women who are post menopausal.
You will be taking the the oestrogen only white ones to start with and then the progesterone + oestrogen grey ones later (the grey ones will induce a withdrawal bleed). I suspect it doesn't really matter when you start as your cycle is all over the place anyway.

Try not to look for problems - you may find you feel fine. The instructions read like a horror story and should be taken with a 'pinch of salt'.  Headaches can come for a number of reasons and may not necessarily be as a result of the HRT. I got terrible headaches because I was peri-menopausal and the HRT helped to reduce them.
Also remember it takes time for your body to respond and settle with HRT.  While you are still going through the peri stage of menopause your hormones will continue to fluctuate so you HRT may need to be adjusted at times.
Give Femiston a good try and get back to us if your having problems.
Good luck  DG x

Hi Dancinggirl

Your post also gives me confidence, especially as you know many women happy on femoston.
I think mine has got 2+mg of didrogestone, or however you spell it.
I intend to start it tomorrow. Funnily enough, I am more looking for imporovements, and will be watching out for them once I have started taking them.
The doctor didnt tell me when to start so i thought it would be ok to start tomorrow when I get them.
I will give femoston a good try, and will report back with how I go.
Thank you.

[Dandelion]

  for that information!  Such good support!

Any queries when you collect the prescription?  Ask the Pharmacist; they usually have a private room for medical discussions.

Yeah they do in our chemist, and theyre always happy to talk to customers.

Thanks

[Dandelion]

Hi Dandelion I assume she will want you to progress with the AD & benzo's too?  How will she know which is doing the job if you get better or have you been on the other meds long enough for them to reach full effect now? Some progress through getting something hormonal! well done to you

Hi

I eventualy intend to come off the ad meds in time.
Doc is happy for me to still take them.
she thinks I am doing well with my valium.

Thanks

[Hurdity]

Hi Dandelion

Dydrogesterone is the synthetic progestogen that is most similar to our own progesterone so of the tablet types, that would be the one I would go for and hopefully you will be fine. In fact because of this and based on women's experiences on here I would recommend it out of all the combi tablet types!

Btw absolute rubbish that Utrogestan is not available if you are in UK, if that's what they are telling you!!. The docs are able to prescribe micronised progesterone which will turn out to be utrogestan. Just because they haven't heard of it does not mean it is not available. If femoston does not suit you (and I do hope it does) then you will need to go back and insist with reasons.

I hope you won't get headaches with tablets - transdermal methods are generally recommended for migraine sufferes but as dancing girl says HRT may well reduce them.

You did not say what your pattern of periods is like or has been over the past few months. If you get spotting - do you get this every month approx around period time? If you are still having a cycle it would be best to sync the HRT with this if possible - but if it really has gone completely then it doesn't matter when you start. If you are on Day 18 - for expample, how long before your last period did you have one? I would probably be inclined to wait if you are having any sort of regualr cycle - if you could bear to! If not then maybe prepared for the odd bit of spotting if the artificial cycle (induced by the HRT) is a bit out of sync!

Good luck with this and hoping you will feel better really soon!

Do let us know how you get on!

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

I would continue with the medication for anxiety etc. otherwise you won't know which is working/not 

[bev567901]

Dandelion you made me laugh because I have recently downloaded a fan app noise on my phone. I sleep better with a fan on the go & our last one broke this Summer. Since September I have been unable to sleep & was prescribed sleeping tablets as my AD is one that makes it hard to sleep. Pre all the extreme hormonal madness I had diazepam 2mg at times of need but could do without. As things got worse in September they upped me to 8mg a day  & then when they upped my AD I have the choice of taking up to 15mg per day but I try not to.  Is this a high dose of diazepam? I am frightened of becoming addicted. I have also never taken a sleeping tablet in my life until now & I know they are addictive too.   I am just going with it in the hope I can get stable & then fight the hormone battle with the GP's.
I really hope your hormone treatment is going to work for you. B x