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[ljack1]

Hi everyone

I am new to this forum and wondered if anyone could help before I go and visit my doctor. 

I have been taking Elleste Duet 1mg for 5 weeks now.  I'm 49 and hadn't had a period for 3 months and was suffering with terrible night sweats and insomnia.  Although the sweats have settled now, I have recently got some other symptoms - I have terrible anxiety during the night and early mornings, and feel so, so low in myself.  In fact, I am so tearful all the time that it is affecting my work and my home life.  My heart races quite a lot too.

Does anyone have any experience of this?  Could it be the HRT not agreeing with me?  I will see my doctor but I would like to go armed with additional info.

Many thanks for reading this message.

[Hurdity]

Hi ljack1

 

Sorry to hear you are still having problems.

It does sound to me as though the HRT type may not agree with you. When did you first notice the new side effects? The synthetic progestogen in this HRT tablet (called norethisterone) does not agree with some women - it gave me headaches when I used it in combi HRT in patch form. If these new symptoms started during the second two weeks then this is the likely reason.  Also you may have noticed pmt symptoms for a few days after you changed back to the oestrogen only tablets - it could be this is more pronounced for you on this HRT type compared to the pmt you normally experienced?

Usually the advice is to give an HRT type 3 months to settle but if it is dealing with the unpleasant symptoms you took it for originally, ie sweats etc then I would suggest you try another type as soon as you can - if you want to continue with a combi tablet, many women find Femoston to be the least likely to cause unpleasant side effects, as the progestgoen is called dydrogesterone and of all the synthetic progestogens, is most similar to our own progesterone. If you want to try something else (rather than tablets) let us know and we can advise on patches or gel etc.

I don't know about the heart racing - and whether tablet HRT makes this more likely because of the daily "spike" in hormones?? Maybe someone else can offer experience here?

Hope this helps and you are able to find something to make you feel better - the last thing you want is to feel anxious and tearful  - especially if this could be caused by the very thing meant to help you!

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

   hormones can cause anxiety surges.  When I took Tamoxifen which is an oestrogen suppressant drug, I had cold flushes from the back of my neck as far as my waist within 36 hours of the first tablet.  It made me feel reallly sick++ and my sense of smell altered.  These symptoms never went away so after 3/4 months I stopped taking it.

So maybe the type of HRT you have been prescribed needs adjustment or you could try a different combination.  Keep a food and mood diary so that you have a guide to talk with your GP as you might well forget!

[Mini2005]

Hi,

My first symptoms were the sweats and terrible insomnia like you.  I took Elleste for 4 weeks but found it had a few unpleasant side effects.  I switched to Femoston 1/10 and gradually started to improve.  I did find I had a very low mood at times and anxiety kicked in.  My doc said to see how things levelled out after 3 months and gave me propanalol (beta blockers) which helped with the anxiety and palpitations.  I have now switched to Femoston 2/10 since the end of August and am now feeling the best I have since the beginning of this year.  Still have days where I don't quite feel myself but not too many now.  My suggestion would be to stick with the HRT but perhaps try Femoston, it worked for me. Good luck x

[catherine21]

Hi,

I'm in the same position; been on Evorel Sequi nearly 4 weeks and headaches, anxiety (which I had before) and now my mood had dipped. I don't know what to do but I have made an appointment at docs for today. Don't want to be fobbed off as things have got like this since taking the progesterone part of treatment. I'm wondering if she'll say I haven't given it long enough. Any advice would be appreciated x

[CLKD]

Take a list with you 

Keep a food and mood diary too!  Let us know how you get on.

[catherine21]

Hi everyone,

Would really appreciate some feedback on my latest. Went to Drs as I have felt worse since starting the combi part of my Evorel Sequi ie headaches, more anxiety and feeling low. She was very helpful and agreed that it most likely was the progesterone causing the side effects. I Have now been prescribed, after I asked if I could Elleste Solo MX 40mg patches and Utrogestan 200mg tablets to take on day 15 - 27.
I am so grateful to this site and the ladies who take the time for giving me the info and advice for my well being. Fingers crossed now that I get some relief and start living again.
PS - This bit is mainly for Hurdity - can you reiterate how you take the Utrogestan please? I'm sure I've read somewhere that you take them vaginally instead of orally?

Catherine xx

[CLKD]

It will tell you on the packet      ........... pessaries and suppositories are not swallowed!

[ellie66]

Hi Catherine,

I am on Utrogesatn you can use them vaginally or swallow them. I am on 200 mg too I think I shall use them vaginally as they look huge! 

Ellie

[Taz2]

You can also get a utrogestan vaginal pessary but I think this is mostly used for fertility? http://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/28065/spc

Taz x

[ellie66]

Hurdity, do you swallow yours or use as pessaries? They really quite disgusting. They look more like pressaries to me. So I shall mine up my xxxx hehehe

[Hurdity]

Hi there

Yes I use them vaginally - although the Utrogestan available for endometrial protection as part of HRT is only licensed for oral use in the UK.

Very interesting information Taz - re the product info for vaginal Utrogestan for fertility. I knew it was used for this purpose because when I googled in the past I found discussion about it on another forum - but I just presumed it was the same product, but used vaginally. I didn't know it was actually packaged and sold for this purpose!

In fact looking at both SPCs (the product information that Taz has linked to) it is exactly the same as the HRT one!! I think it is just the description that is different - so it is absurd that it hasn't been licensed for vaginal use for HRT in UK when it is both used vaginally for fertility, and used vaginally as HRT elsewhere in Europe!

There are a number of published studies on the use of vaginal progesterone in endometrial protection, and enlightened gynaes who are aware of this will prescribe it for this purpose. However there is nothing to stop any women deciding to use it this way herself. The required dosage is generally thought to be lower when used vaginally as less is lost in metabolism - although the French SPC did not suggest a lower dose for vaginal use (presumably to be on the safe side).

The main argument against regular vaginal use is obviously the interference with sex - I mean I wouldn't want to use utrogestan vaginally all the time as in conti HRT, but if you can manage for just under half the month.....

They aren't that big - not much bigger than some capsule painkillers and definitely smaller than some cod live oil capsules that I've seen - they are soft too!! Not that I swallow them..

Hurdity  x

[ljack1]

All - thank you all SO much for the replies to my post!  It is wonderful to have this support network when I am just starting out on my menopause journey!  I had no idea whatsoever what I would be facing!

I visited my doctor on Friday and had a complete melt down!    She advised me to stop taking the HRT pretty much immediately and prescribed a betablocker and 5mg of Diazepam to help with the anxiety and panic attacks over the following few days.  It's now Monday morning and I feel so much better.  I am due to visit my doctor again on Thursday - she wants to see if my mood has lifted and to discuss other options/forms of HRT for me - I will go armed with information gleaned from this site (my doctor was actually the one who recommended this site so she can't complain if I turn up with loads of info!).  I will repost on my progress.

Again thanks everyone who took the time to reply - I really was desperate when I posted - and have a good week all!

x

[Hurdity]

Hi ljack1 - sorry to hear about your meltdown, and I'm glad you feel better! Hopefully if you try a different HRT type and it does the trick you won't have to take the other meds. What are you thinking of trying?

Hurdity x

[ljack1]

Hi Hurdity

I'm really not sure yet.  I will have a good chat with my doctor on Thursday about my options but will definitely mention Femoston. 

Lx