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[Dandelion]

Hi

I thought I would save a trip to the chemist and am too impatient to wait till the eighth of April for my next docs appoitment, so, I was wondering if I could ask here please?

Can you chew or crush femoston?

I had a look at the patient information leaflet and saw nothing regarding crushing or not crushing.

I am asking because, although femoston has been successful for most who try it, I just think I am one of those people who are not absorbing it for whatever reason.
My diet has really improved and I am getting allsorts of goodies (nutrients), but, still I wonder if powdering it will help it absorb better.

Although magnesium has really helped, and I wouldn't be without it, my flushes and sweats have returned and my low mood never went away.

I eat a great diet, seeds, fruit, some veg, proteins etc.
I just cannot motivate myself to excercise.
Sometimes depression is so bad that you just cannot motivate yourself no matter how good your intentions.
I'm sure there's plenety of poor women here who have had crushing depression in their menopause, who also could not motivate themselves and found it an uphill battle trying to push themselves.

For those that don't know, I have been on Femoston 2/10 for ten weeks.

Thanks

[honeybun]

I think you should phone the pharmacist and ask. It may well be a pill that you can do this with but it may be one of the ones that has to be swallowed whole.

Honeyb
x

[Dandelion]

I think you should phone the pharmacist and ask. It may well be a pill that you can do this with but it may be one of the ones that has to be swallowed whole.

Honeyb
x

Hi Honeybun

Thanks

[Hurdity]

I can see nothing about this on the Summary of Product Characteristics ( more detailed info than the patient leaflet) so just to add that if the pharmacist doesn't know then no reason why you shouldn't try - but I would do it for a reasonable length of time eg a month as the difference would not be instant.

Hurdity  x

[Dandelion]

I can see nothing about this on the Summary of Product Characteristics ( more detailed info than the patient leaflet) so just to add that if the pharmacist doesn't know then no reason why you shouldn't try - but I would do it for a reasonable length of time eg a month as the difference would not be instant.

Hurdity  x

Hi Hurdity

The pharmacist said the pill should be eaten whole.
I dunno why though, it only has a thin film coating.

I got wrong info from the pharmacist at boots before, a different one, she said I could not open the capsule of a certain drug I was on, yet I have had tablet form of the same drug, with a thin coating on, and split the pill in half and I have had no problems with that.

Do you think my GP may know?

It seems to have helped today, but I dunno for sure as its only one day, and like you say, if it's ok to do, i'd need to do it for a lot more days than just one.

It seems to make sense, half twice a day, as imo, less oestrogen will just pass through my system.

[honeybun]

I really would listen to the pharmacist. Perhaps the coating on the pill is to stop it bring destroyed by stomach acid.
You could end up absorbing less rather than more.

You could perhaps email the manufacturer to ask.


Honeyb
x

[Dandelion]

I really would listen to the pharmacist. Perhaps the coating on the pill is to stop it bring destroyed by stomach acid.
You could end up absorbing less rather than more.

You could perhaps email the manufacturer to ask.


Honeyb
x

Hi Honeybun and thanks.

Thanks. I will email the manufactuerer.

I think that I have IBS and it is preventing me from absorbing the pill propely.

[Sarah2]

Dandelion

I know it's tempting to think this is the case, but IBS won't stop absorption unless you are going to the loo zillions of times a day and soon after taking a tablet ( of anything.) I know quite a bit about IBS because I researched it and spoke to some experts- consultants  and dieticians- as part of some work I did last year.

IBS does not affect absorption of drugs, minerals, nutrients. IBS causes spasms of the intestines, not damage to the lining.  Coeliac can affect absorption of calcium which is why women need screening for osteoporosis, but this is because the gut lining is usually damaged with long term coeliac disease.

If IBS had this effect, it would affect millions of people as 1:7 has IBS, so it would be known about.

Also- your pharmacist is usually always the best person to ask: I have a friend who is a pharmacist and believe me, they know more than GPs about drugs and how they work. I suspect the manufacturers will refer you to the product leaflet, or back to your dr!

[Dandelion]

Dandelion

I know it's tempting to think this is the case, but IBS won't stop absorption unless you are going to the loo zillions of times a day and soon after taking a tablet ( of anything.) I know quite a bit about IBS because I researched it and spoke to some experts- consultants  and dieticians- as part of some work I did last year.

IBS does not affect absorption of drugs, minerals, nutrients. IBS causes spasms of the intestines, not damage to the lining.  Coeliac can affect absorption of calcium which is why women need screening for osteoporosis, but this is because the gut lining is usually damaged with long term coeliac disease.

If IBS had this effect, it would affect millions of people as 1:7 has IBS, so it would be known about.

Also- your pharmacist is usually always the best person to ask: I have a friend who is a pharmacist and believe me, they know more than GPs about drugs and how they work. I suspect the manufacturers will refer you to the product leaflet, or back to your dr!

Hi Sarah

Thanks for explaining re absorption of drugs and minerals etc.

I am now wondering if I am peri menopausal at all now.
My experience definitely fits with IBS-d, but I think my IBS may be more of a symptom than a cause of not absorbing hormones.

I read that gluten intolerance can cause hormones to be unbalanced and this can cause menopausal like symptoms.
I suspect that I may have non coeliac gluten intolerance, which is causing the IBS and other symptoms.
Many of my symptoms fit with gluten intolerance, especially the depression and apathy.
One symptom of gluten intolerance is keratosis pilaris or "chicken skin" on the backs of the arms and legs.
I have had this all my life, and always put it down to dry skin, even though I didn't really have dry skin.
I looked at several pictures of this skin condition and they match mine perfectly.

I read that before you can assume you are non-coeliac gluten intolerant, your doctor should test you for coeliac to rule out that disease, as IBS can also be a symptom of that.

I also read that non-coeliac-gluten-sensitivity is not taken seriously by some doctors.
If mine is one of those doctors and chooses not to test me, all is not lost.
There is no harm (except for my wallet) on experimenting with a gluten free diet for a period of time, and if I start feeling better I know what the problem was.

[honeybun]

I hate to rain on what you think of as a possible cause of your symptoms. If you have IBS then it's very very mild if you only go to the loo twice a day, which would also call into question gluten intolerance which also sends you the loo a lot.

I know you are desperate for an answer but it seems you are just looking for any answer now. You really need to speak to your GP before you start treating yourself as someone with a gluten intolerance. It will be an expensive experiment that may well have no effect at all.
Please get professional advice about this before pinning your hopes on this theory.

I have never heard or read of gluten intolerance causing flushes.


Honeyb
x

[Dandelion]

I hate to rain on what you think of as a possible cause of your symptoms. If you have IBS then it's very very mild if you only go to the loo twice a day, which would also call into question gluten intolerance which also sends you the loo a lot.

I know you are desperate for an answer but it seems you are just looking for any answer now. You really need to speak to your GP before you start treating yourself as someone with a gluten intolerance. It will be an expensive experiment that may well have no effect at all.
Please get professional advice about this before pinning your hopes on this theory.

I have never heard or read of gluten intolerance causing flushes.


Honeyb
x

Hi

Not necessarily.
IBS involves a "morning rush" where you need to go to the loo, urgently, more than once in succession throughout breakfast.
Also, you don't feel emptied and after the first poo, ones done after have an even more runny consisitency.

I knew that someone would come and say I am desperate and just loooking for any answers.

No one is in my body but me. I am not someone who just looks online for any thing that vaguely fits my symptoms.
I only follow things that make sense to me, I know my own body.

Non coeliac gluten sensitivity makes more sense to me than anything I have read before.

Non coeliac Gluten intolerances can cause hormonal imbalances which can mimic menopausal symptoms.
I don't have time now, but I can fish out a source of information if you need it.

A gluten free diet neednt be expensive if I am careful and it can do no harm.
Gluten is not needed in the human diet, so I will not be causing myself any deficiencies or harm if I do it carefully.

Someone advised me that I need a coeliac test to rule this out, as a cause for my IBS and this involves blood tests and having a camera down my throat.
No one is shoving anything down my gullet, I see no need for that.
They would not be able to give me sedation anyway, as I do not have a person who can chaperone me.

[Sarah2]

I go to the loo 2-3 times a day 'normally'. it's not runny! Sometimes I have urgency in the morning but I don't have pain or any other IBS symptoms. I used to have very loose stools until I gave up both wheat and dairy around 20 years ago. Now, if I eat one or the other, I suffer a bit the next day.

Gluten intolerance is very common. It's easy to test yourself by simply not eating any for 1-2 weeks and you won't come to any harm. Genius bread/loaves are really nice - they are more expensive but if you only eat a couple of slices a day then it's not too bad over the week. You could eat oats too.

You might have IBS but as HB says there is unlikely to be any link with the flushes.

You could have a look at this link which says that IBS can be found more in women who take HRT than those who don't- not what you want to hear!

http://www.badgut.org/information-centre/ibs-and-hormone-replacement-therapy-1.html

There are hormonal links with IBS but the link seems to be that progesterone slows down the smooth muscle contractions of the intestines and women with IBS ( who are on or are not on HRT) have calmer bowels during the progesterone phase of a cycle.

[Dandelion]

I go to the loo 2-3 times a day 'normally'. it's not runny! Sometimes I have urgency in the morning but I don't have pain or any other IBS symptoms. I used to have very loose stools until I gave up both wheat and dairy around 20 years ago. Now, if I eat one or the other, I suffer a bit the next day.

Gluten intolerance is very common. It's easy to test yourself by simply not eating any for 1-2 weeks and you won't come to any harm. Genius bread/loaves are really nice - they are more expensive but if you only eat a couple of slices a day then it's not too bad over the week. You could eat oats too.

You might have IBS but as HB says there is unlikely to be any link with the flushes.

You could have a look at this link which says that IBS can be found more in women who take HRT than those who don't- not what you want to hear!

http://www.badgut.org/information-centre/ibs-and-hormone-replacement-therapy-1.html

There are hormonal links with IBS but the link seems to be that progesterone slows down the smooth muscle contractions of the intestines and women with IBS ( who are on or are not on HRT) have calmer bowels during the progesterone phase of a cycle.

Hi Sarah

Thanks for the link.
I have had "morning rush" regarding diarrhoea for much longer than I have been on hrt.
I will do the glulten free diet and thanks for the tip about genius bread.
I will also monitor the chicken skin on my arms and legs

This site http://gluten.lovetoknow.com/Menopause_Gluten_Sensitivitysays this about menopause and gluten sensitivity:
"Menopause Symptoms

While no evidence exists that menopause can cause gluten sensitivity, Core One Health notes that symptoms of untreated gluten sensitivity can sometimes mimic seasons of perimenopause, such as fatigue, irritability, joint pain, and brain fog."

I feel calmer, if anything, having identified the possibility of gluten insensitivity as a reason or contributing factor to my IBS and general lethargy, glum-ness, and not firing on all cyinders.
I now know that IBS does not affect absorption, thanks to Sarah.
I am now not sure if I am peri-menopausal or not, and whether non coeliac gluten intolerance is causing whatever symptoms, but, I am cool about that.

I have no more questions, because all of my remaining questions can be answered by going gluten free.
I won't dive into it thoughtlessly, I will spend some time preparing and clueing myself up, so that I am able to keep my nutrients up.
It can only do good, and can do no harm, except to my wallet if I am not careful, and, who knows, I may yet get out and do more excercise.
To be fair to me though, I did have a good excercise yesterday.

[Rowan]

Dandelion "chicken skin" Keratosis pilaris  on arms is often a sign of essential fatty acids depletion

http://www.mybodylanguage.co.uk/chickskin.htm

http://www.livestrong.com/article/494399-are-bumps-on-my-arms-an-omega-3-deficiency/

The gluten free diet is being debated and questioned.

Coeliac-disease is an auto immune disease and not an allergy or food intolerance, people with this condition need gluten free foods and it can be  prescribed on the NHS.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/healthyeating/10430422/The-great-gluten-free-scam.html

Having said that I do think many people can have a food sensitivity.

Spelt bread can be substituted for wheat or rye.

[Sarah2]

The book on food intolerances by Prof Brostoff, a consultant immunologist, shows there is no doubt that gluten intolerance exists.

Marber is a 'media' nutritionist. He's a journalist with an interest in food and diet- he has no other qualifications.

You can test for gluten intolerance by eating foods containing gluten but not yeast- in fact this is the advice given in Brostoff's book. When testing or challenging gluten he advises to eat something like Weetabix, not bread.

I think the whole issue of gluten intolerance is that it's been underdiagnosed for years. There are bound to be people who jump on the bandwagon, and don't really have a genuine problem, but the true extent of it probably lies in between.