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[stanley2012]

Hi there, I am 47 and my last three periods have been 21 days, 21 days then 26 days and I have always been regular prior to this?  I am not on the pill and have not noticed any significant hot flushes but have noticed a distinct low mood.  My older sister has been going through the menopause for about ten years since she was around 40 and this is the only experience I have of this.  I wondered if anyone could advise me on HRT as I have never been able to take the combined pill due to the oestrogen causing me migraines on the pill free week and have only been able to take a progestogen only pill in the past.  Will this mean I can not take HRT and will just have to suffer all the horrors of the menopause with no help?  Terrifies me to be honest!

[honeybun]

Some women use the mirena coil as the progesterone part of HRT.

Unfortunately it's the oestrogen that helps with low mood and flushes.
Have you discussed your options with your GP.

 


Honeyb
x

[stanley2012]

I am not allowed the coil due to having a rare bone condition so that wont be an option for me.  I don't want to go through this with no help and im scared. I am going to speak with my doctor tmro to see what she has to say about it but its the first time they have met me so don't know me at all. Thank you for your reply x

[Taz2]

stanley - try not to worry. You might not have any menopausal symptoms and just sail through it. At the moment you are in peri-meno - happens eight to ten years before meno proper - and it is perfectly normal for your cycle to change. As you are not having hot flushes yet then I don't think you need to do anything to be honest. It can seem when reading the forum that every woman suffers but women who do sail through it rarely visit a forum like this so you can get a biased view of the problems meno can bring.

Do you know how your bone condition is affected by the coil?

Taz 

[stanley2012]

Hi Taz thank you for your reply and it all feels like a complete minefield! I am one of those people that like to know everything so I can deal with it but the menopause feels like its the big unknown! I am not able to have the contraceptive coil in anyway as it will cause my bones to thin and I already have brittle bones. I was going to ask the doc if i could try a low oestrogen contraceptive pill if my oestrogen levels are starting to fall or is that just me being confused about things?

[Taz2]

Is it the same as osteoporosis? If you still have your uterus then you will have to add a progesterone into your HRT mix in order to protect your womb.

What treatments are you on already for your bones?

So that you can increase your knowledge of menopause have a good look at the menu on the left of the screen where everything is explained.

Taz x

[stanley2012]

HI Taz no its a genetic condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta which I have had since birth and my eldest sister and youngest daughter have it.  I was ok on the progestogen only pill but had no periods and suffered loss of libido so came off it in august last year. I will maybe have to see if the doc wants to refer me to a specialist because of my genetic prob and take it from there. I will certainly read through everything and see if it clears some things up in my head but if not I will see if any of you can answer my questions. Thank you so much x

[Taz2]

Oh sorry - I got confused there! I was just wondering how you could have the progesterone only pill but not a progesterone coil.

I have found this - which I am sure you have read already but I don't know if you have Type I

"Many women with Type I OI are concerned about menopause and the possibility of more frequent fractures. The experiences of postmenopausal women with OI vary greatly. Some report an increase in fractures, while others do not. The strategies mentioned above to maintain bone density and general health will help each woman maximize her chances to stay active and healthy as she ages. It is important to continue exercising throughout life. Women should discuss bone density testing, as well as medicines or hormones to prevent bone loss with their doctors."

Ask anything you like - there is usually someone around to help.

Taz x

[Hurdity]

Hi stanley

Welcome from me too

I was wondering why you think it was the oestrogen giving you the migraines when you were on the pill?

If you had migraines during the pill free week this would be due to the sudden drop in hormones either the oestrogen or progesterone or both ie classic pmt. With most HRT you take the same dose of oestrogen all the time without a break so cannot experience a sudden decrease. Progesterone is given for part of the month and withdrawal of this sometimes causes pmt and headaches for a few days, but less so with certain types of progestogen.

It sound as though you will want to maintain your oestrogen levels when you begin to experience a decrease (manifest by erratic periods and other menopausal symptoms), so if you don't suffer from debilitating symptoms when your periods become irregular, it would be worth supplementing with oestrogen then to protect your bones.

Hurdity x

[stanley2012]

Hi Taz and Hurdity

Thank you so much for your helpful information.  I have tolerated Cilest pop for years until I stopped taking it a year ago and have never had the migraines with it but always with any pill containing oestrogen.  I think I made my own assumption if im honest!  I have had blood tests at docs but dont get to see her till this thursday but this month my period seems to be missing completely so far! Very confusing but I actually feel ok in myself and not like I did a month ago when I felt sooo angry and irrational.  I am very worried about my OI and how to get the right benefits for me as believe me there is so little available as in specialists in this country that can tell me what to take and what not too! I have a cardiologist and he might not want me to take certain things too so I need to speak with him in June or try to contact him if my doc wants to prescribe something.  I take great care regading bone density and walk the fells to maintain my bone strength and bone density scans have shown that things are great at the moment. I have type 1 by the way! x

[dahliagirl]

Cilest is a combined pill, is it not?

[stanley2012]

Oops sorry I meant Cerazette! This is the norm for me these days to be such an air head!

[Rowan]

I did read somewhere that  if you have to ask "Is this the start of menopause?" then it is.

[dahliagirl]

I have also had 3wk (or less) periods since I stopped taking POP, which I hated. They seemed to be getting heavier at first, but are becoming very random and unpredictable in length and intensity.  I have been charting too, and there is not much ovulation going on.

Before that, I was on COC with no problems other than increasing tendency to a bad headache in the pill-free week, if I did not drink constantly.  I eventually put this down to oestrogen withdrawal.  I seemed to be getting less tolerant to it, whilst also getting low oestrogen symptoms. Maybe the pills you were on were too high for you?

The oestrogen in hrt is different - it may be more gentle?

[stanley2012]

I know nothing at all about HRT so I wondered if the make up of it would not be of the same format as the combined pills I have tried unsuccessfully.  I was ok on the mini pill Cerazette but decided after 6 years of no periods on it that I would give my body a break and this has happened. I hope the doc can tell me what is going on as im worried there might be something wrong with me!