Hello everyone, a year since finding this site and working out for myself that everything I was experiencing was a result of the peril menopause I have decided the time has come to seek your much valued advice and support. I will try to be brief in my story:
3 years ago I started to just not feel myself but could not put my finger on what was wrong then bang I started to feel reply ill as if my body was fighting a virus. I had terrible insomnia, night sweats and diahorrea and from one day to next could not predict how I was going to feel. I felt so dreadful I was signed off work for a few weeks. As I had a pre-existing thyroid problem the symptoms were put down to thyroid hormone levels fluctuating. When the symptoms persisted my surgeon agreed to remove my thyroid and this was done almost two years ago. I prayed that this would provide the solution but it id not. Since then I have had horrible symptoms from time to time including horrendous anxiety, depression, tremors, not feeling able to cope, tinnitus, sore mouth, weight gain as well as the insomnia and night sweats. Before all of this I was a very confident, fun loving fitness addict with a full time manqge4rial job and now I am just a shell of my former self.
I began to realise that my symptoms were cyclical and started to do my own research. When I found the information and advice on this sight it was such a relief to realise what was happening and that it wasn't all in my head as had been suggested so many times. I had every medical test going but when they all came back negative not one clinician suggested it could be linked to the peril menopause even though I was 46 when it well started and was still having fairly regular periods although they had changed in nature. The only thing that was suggested was anti depressants (Citalopram)
In Feb last year after several weeks feeling unwell I visited my GP to ask for HRT. She was very reluctant and urged me not to but I insisted. I started on elleste 1mg hoping that it would be a miracle cure as I was so desperate. After no improvement the dose was increased to 2mg. Again no improvement so I asked for Femosten which many of you said was very good. Again no real improvement and I noticed that I seemed to feel worse on the progesterone phase. Another visit to my GP with me having to tell her about suitable patches for peri menopause! Femseven 50 prescribed but they were hopeless as they would not stick. In desperation I emailed Dr Currie who suggested Estradot 50 with Utrogestan 200 on days 15 to 26. She suggested that at this stage (3 years in) I may need a higher dose to level things out.
Things seemed to improved at the end of last year on what the consultant at the menopause clinic described as the crème de la crème of hrt. However on Christmas eve this all changed with a vengeance and apart from one week at the beg of Jan have been off work. The consultant has increased the estradot to 75 for a month with a further increase to 100 after this. She was however very keen for me to increase the dose of citalopram to 30mg which I was reluctant to do as I am sure this is hormone related. Since the increase to 75 I seem to feel worse: horrendously sore bobs, nausea, insomnia, night sweats... and I now feel like giving up on the hrt as I have read that too much estrogen can give the same symptoms as too little.
I am so desperate for help as I have no life and don't know how much more of this I can take. My poor husband has been incredible but I feel so bad for him particularly as our sex life is non existent. I also have amazingly supportive family and friends but feel so guilty that I am a burden. I also feel so guilty about my job.
I think even words of support would help as I feel so low
Sorry for the essay!!
Marie xx
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Topic: Desperate for advice and support (Read 8515 times)