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[CLKD]

Don't wait the 3 months!  You could speak with a Pharmacist, they have private rooms now.  You could ask what they 'usually' prescribe for ladies and ask if they know which Surgeries support menopause ……… or speak to your Practice Nurse?  I think that prescriptions are budget led!  Do you have friends in your area at different Surgeries to the one you use?  Doctors are there because they are paid by US! is there a Patient Forum within your Practice that you could join in order to find out from the inside out how the Practice works 

Don't let your mental health issues determine your other health needs!  Take a friend with you to discuss what is required?  Sometimes GPs need guidance more than the patient 

[Dancinggirl]

Hi Dandelion. 
I've been posting with you since you first joined the site and I know you have all kinds of anxiety and depression issues.  You have obviously been very brave and practical in dealing with your health problems.  I am sensing that you are becoming really overwhelmed with all the issues around the menopause and HRT. From the outset I was worried because you hoped that HRT would solve all your problems and make everything better.
I certainly found that though HRT helped with many of my menopause symptoms there were always down sides to HRT e.g. PMS, period pains, feeling bloated etc.
The progesterone is nearly always the problematic part of HRT and you are not reacting badly to the progesterone in Femiston which is great. If you change to using Oestrogel and then find the progesterone part doesn't suit you (even Utrogestan can have side effects) you might not be any better off.
Quite rightly, you are questioning whether you need much more oestrogen considering you are in peri meno - I doubt that you do. When I was peri I tried a variety of HRTs at the beginning and when I tried a higher dose oestrogen I found I got very hot, sweaty and shaky!!!!!  Everyone is different and through peri meno your hormones fluctuate so it's very difficult to get the hormone balance absolutely right.
Sarah rightly raised the issue of lifestyle and particularly exercise.  I think one of your issues is that when you try to take exercise e.g. brisk walking, you get really hot and sweaty which you really hate? Your body is actually struggling to control your body temperature?
The problem is, the less exercise you take the more likely you are to sweat when you do exert yourself - it becomes a viscous circle?!!!
I was a professional dancer in my youth and really didn't sweat much at all in comparison to some of my fellow dancers - even in the height of summer!!! When I did any filming, where my make up was done by a profession make-up artist, they always loved me because I didn't sweat in the face so my makeup never needed touching up.  NOW, I break out in a sweat all around my head & face at the slightest thing - even when I am on HRT!!!! I am a very active person, I walk a lot, love gardening etc. so I have just had to get used to the fact I sweat a lot now!
The point I am trying to make is, don't expect HRT to fix everything. If the night sweats are better and allowing you to sleep, if the flushes during the day have reduced, then you are on the way to getting things under control.
Your have found that Magnesium has helped - well I think you need to start a little exercise regime - nothing too taxing, take it slowly - maybe this would help?
I taught an adult ladies dance class for beginners a few years ago - most of them menopausal ladies - and we had great fun.  Is there a class near you e.g. yoga, pilates or dance that you feel you could try?
I don't know whether you work or not but if you are at home most of the time and focusing too much on the meno and HRT then trying other strategies might help.  I think you need to keep in mind that some women find HRT fabulous and it makes life worth living - for others it makes things better but not perfect.  DG xxx

[Hurdity]

Good post Dancinggirl

Dandelion - do try not to worry so much and see if you can relax a little if you can.
 

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

Anxiety causes us to focus intently on 'stuff'  - I constantly listened to my guts or brain ……. DH often said that if I didn't have anything to worry about I would find something   

I had to teach myself not to plan too far ahead, not to take on too many commitments and to take care of me.  Not to pander to others and to learn to say 'no' and mean it, that way I could concentrate on my needs.  Once my anxiety is under control I can do a little more each day but if it hits ……….. 

[Sarah2]

Dandelion -It's actually GOOD to sweat! When you exercise you need to do enough to break into a sweat.
I sweat when out walking (briskly) and I get round this by wearing on old T shirt ( or thermal vest at the moment!) under an old jumper. I keep a selection of old and fairly tatty clothes just for this. The only other people out are dog walkers in similar clothes!  When I get home I often shower midday- just a quick 5 minute shower - if I am going to be working later in the day, out of the house.  I can sometimes shower 3 x a day- when I get up, after exercise and before bed. So- don't let sweating put you off doing things.

Maybe you could join a local gym if you can afford it?   Or as DG says, a dance class or a class for adults who want to exercise?

When you have been on your HRT for 12 weeks then go back and talk to your dr about trying another kind and see what she says.

[hummingbird]

Hi Dandelion,
Just wondered if you have considered swimming?
I have found it to be good as the water keeps me lovely and cool while at the same time the excercise is a great way of relieving anxiety.
 

[Dandelion]

Don't wait the 3 months!  You could speak with a Pharmacist, they have private rooms now.  You could ask what they 'usually' prescribe for ladies and ask if they know which Surgeries support menopause ……… or speak to your Practice Nurse?  I think that prescriptions are budget led!  Do you have friends in your area at different Surgeries to the one you use?  Doctors are there because they are paid by US! is there a Patient Forum within your Practice that you could join in order to find out from the inside out how the Practice works 

Don't let your mental health issues determine your other health needs!  Take a friend with you to discuss what is required?  Sometimes GPs need guidance more than the patient 

Hi CKLD

I feel I need to wait the full three months, because I have only been on the Femoston 2/10 for seven weeks. Not really long enough to say outright that it is not working.
I mentioned that I was thinking wishfully expecting it to start working again, but at the same time, I don't want to stop it yet as I can not be sure it wont. It did work for a while and it partially works now, just not fully.
I still feel like I cant be bothered and have no energy and also in bed, just before I get up, I get surges of adrenaline in my stomach.

Thanks for the pharmacist suggestion. I did go into Boots and spoke to the pharmacist there about doctors and hrt, she had never heard of micronised progesterone or utrogestan.
Maybe I could go back and ask what they usually prescribe for perimenopausal ladies.
I will also ask what surgeries support menopause.

I asked our surgery about a practice nurse and she said they don't have one. Nurses do see some patients for various things but not regarding meno.

Our surgery has no patient forum. I only live in a small town. The only other surgery near me is really bad for getting appointments. Apparently you ring first thing and its engaged, and by the time you get through all the appts are gone.

It's a good suggestion aobut taking a friend with me, but I don't have anyone who I can take. I think people kinda glaze over when I talk aobut menopause, so I no longer talk about it much.

I wish I could bring one of the ladies from here to talk to my doc heheheh

[Sarah2]

I think you might find you have more energy if you can manage to increase your exercise by doing something physical every day. Far from making us more tired, exercise actaully gives you more energy and it is also well known for being a mood-lifter and helping anxiety.
You might find that making some lifestyle changes along these lines are all you need to complement the HRT and make you feel better all round.

Sometimes it's tempting to think that HRT is going to solve all our physical and emotional problems, which is unrealistic. It's really only one of the things we should use in middle age to make us feel better, but making other changes that are under our own control can help too.

Don't worry about sweating during exercise- you are supposed to sweat! But the fitter you become the less you will sweat at the slightest bit of exercise.

Have you thought about writing to your dr before an appt? maybe if you wrote a letter and enclosed the information ( from the web) about the different HRT you wanted to try, it would then give her the chance to read it before you have your appt?

[Dancinggirl]

Hi Dandelion
I've just read through some of the posts on this thread again to try and get an overall picture of what you are trying to achieve. You say that you hope the HRT will start to work again!!!??? You describe your flushes etc as much less which means the HRT is working BUT what you seem to want is for the upper heat/surges to stop - these symptoms may not be menopause related.
Have the doctors checked your thyroid function lately because at menopause this can be an issue and could be causing the sweating?!! Poor thyroid function would cause fatigue, sweating anxiety etc.!!!!
If I was you I would be questioning some of the other medication you take as I wonder if this is effecting things - maybe they are not working as they should?
We are all urging you to look at lifestyle - in particular exercise - which can make a significant difference to our health and the way we feel.
If I was your close friend I would urge you to stick with the Femiston, try to get out and about in the Spring weather, focus on something you enjoy doing, keep a diary (you write really good posts). Then if in 2-3 months things are still not better write up all your concerns and questions, include all the strategies you are trying e.g. extra brisk walking and make a double appointment with the GP to ask what else can be done to help you feel better.
As I said before, you are a brave lady - you can conquer this phase in your life.  DG

[Dandelion]

Hi DG

Yeah I'm thinking I will stick to the femoston 2/10 for now.

I could do with losing a bit of weight, because I have a feeling the fact that I am tubby may make meno symptoms worse, is this true?

Thanks

[Sarah2]

Being overweight will always mean your body has to work harder to do everything- so your heart is working harder all the time and your 'cooling system' will be working harder, which is why larger people tend to find heat more tiring and have less energy.

It depends how much weight you are talking about...a few pounds won't make much difference but if it's over half a stone or more then yes, it will probably.

Do you fancy some exercise and if so, which?

[Dancinggirl]

Hi dandelion.  You are absolutely right, carrying extra weight will definitely worsen meno symptoms as well as make you sweat more. If I were you I'd set simple goals e.g. to do a little more exercise - this could just be a 30 min brisk walk per day to start with - and cut down on what you eat - particularly cut down on refined carbs like sugar.
I'm afraid weight gain is often inevitable as we go through peri meno but if we don't keep it under control it can run away with us. I am eating at least a 20% less than I used to eat and I am still 2 sizes bigger (round my hips and waist) than I was 10 years ago - very depressing!!!
As Sarah says, is there any type of exercise you feel you would like to do? Keep posting  DG x

[Sarah2]

Might be a good idea to set yourself a daily goal as DG says and put into a spread sheet or a diary!

eg walk for 30 minutes 5 x a week, cut out carbs for at least one meal a day, eat cake, biscuits or sweets as a once a week treat....
small changes add up.

[Hurdity]

There are two aspects to being overweight - for a start it is bad for your health generally and puts you at risk of a whole range of health problems. This is will known.

However women who are overweight also have more oestrogen because estrone is stored in fat cells and some of this I understand is converted to estradiol.

Therefore extra weight can make some symptoms worse, but conversely can ease them - later. However I think this difference  would only become apparent at post-menopause - if you are peri, and especially if you are taking oestrogen, then extra weight will undoubtedly make you overheat and less likely to want to take exercise.

Hurdity x

[Dandelion]

There are two aspects to being overweight - for a start it is bad for your health generally and puts you at risk of a whole range of health problems. This is will known.

However women who are overweight also have more oestrogen because estrone is stored in fat cells and some of this I understand is converted to estradiol.

Therefore extra weight can make some symptoms worse, but conversely can ease them - later. However I think this difference  would only become apparent at post-menopause - if you are peri, and especially if you are taking oestrogen, then extra weight will undoubtedly make you overheat and less likely to want to take exercise.

Hurdity x

Hi Ladies

Thanks for all the input about weight. I'm sorry its taken a while to reply, but I have been reading about weight gain and lack of oestrogen and am worried.

I was always siim until two-three years ago.

The weight gain started coming around the time the flushes and sweats did, so I am sure it co-incided with my drop in oestrogen levels.

It is all on my middle, my thighs and bum are still slim.

I read that this weight gain around the middle is due to lowered oestrogen.

Since starting my HRT in October, the weight has not gone, despite upping my dose to Femoston 2/10 two months ago.
I am worried that my weight gain around my waist, which came at time perimeno started is due to lack of oestrogen and somehow I am not getting the oestrogen my tablets.

I read on here about a woman not absorbing her oral hrt.

I am now worried that I am not absorbing the oestrogen in my Femoston and I am also worried I am still at risk of osteoporosis.

Please could you help.

Thanks