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[diva]

Hello,
I stumbled on this forum by accident and I am so pleased I did. For the first time I am hearing women talking about things I thought I was the only one to experience.

I am 53 and overwhelmed. I have put on weight, developed breathing difficulties, wheezing all the time, some form of IBS, constant headaches, my brain is mush - and I mean mush, I forget what I am saying mid sentence. I have bled for the whole of April, but before that nothing since last summer (and that was like a scene from CSI!). I am moody and irritable, my skin and nails are dry and flaky and I am doing pelvic floor exercises like mad to stop from having wet knickers everytime I sneeze. On top of all that the tiredness...... I can barely drag myself out of bed each day, and today I didn't, I stayed home instead.

I have an appointment with the doctor next week, and hoping HRT will help. I feel weak and useless, like this is a natural thing happening to my body and I should be able to cope. I am normally a strong, confident woman - now I feel like I am becoming someone I don't recognize.

Sorry - such a rant for a first message!!! Feel better to have got it off my chest though. Hopefully some of you will have sympathy with me, as it is hard to make other understand how this feels.

So glad to have found you all and looking forward to sharing the journey.

[honeybun]

 


You have come to the right place for support. Can I suggest you have a browse of the menus which will give you an idea of the types of HRT. It's generally better if you have an idea of what you want before you go to your GP.

Ask lots of questions as there is always someone here to help.

Nice to have you with us.


Honeybun
X

[Annie0710]

Welcome !
I totally sympathise, I am suffering much the same things as you apart from I don't have periods (hysterectomy) and I hurt everywhere and I get horrendous dizzy spells and headaches

I hope you have a successful gp visit
Unfortunately for me 3 years on and I'm deteriorating and really at the end of my tether

Browse around and ask any questions you think you may need to know ready for your appointment, there are some very knowledgable ladies here

Annie

[diva]

Thanks for the welcome both of you.

I have been having a nosy round and googling the various types of HRT.
Honeybun, I wonder if there is one that is usually a good starting point for people, low side effects?
As you suggest, I am trying to make sure I am well prepared.

Annie, sorry to hear things are getting worse for you. naively, I had hoped HRT would sort things out - reading the posts here, it is clear it is more complicated than that.

xx

[Annie0710]

It did, years ago when my ovaries failed, the first tablet (which I still take) got me back to normal and gave me a lovely life until 3 years ago, my oestrogen is high and progesterone rock bottom now, so that may be the problem

Annie

[honeybun]

I started off with Evorel Sequi combined patches. I found these were very good.
There are a couple of choices of patches available.

The patches are less likely to cause digestive problems.

It can take a couple of goes to find the right HRT for you but my personal preference is a patch. Change twice a week......stick it on and forget about it.


Honeybun
X

[dazned]

Hi and   

As others have said it really is trial and error what suits one doesn't suit others unfortunately.

Getting a good knowledgeable gp is the first hurdle ! If you get no joy there asked to be refered to a meno clinic or specialist gynecologist,although there will be a wait,or you could go the private route ,I had to.
You would definitely be helped by vagifem I think to address your stress incontinence ,this is a local estrogen cream which can be used alongside full hrt ,this will help keep vaginal atrophy at bay.
At least now you are in good company welcome aboard.

[diva]

 
Thank you for your replies, I am thrilled to get a response to my message.

I have spent my day off 'sick' reading everything I can about menopause, HRT, and all things related.

Interested to hear about patches as I was wondering what was the best way of administering the hormones. I have been reading also about bio identical hormones.

I will see what the GP says but may well ask to be referred to a menopause clinic, we have some private health cover through work, so this may help with that.

Dazned - thanks for the tip about vagifem, I did not know such a thing existed.

It is such a help to be here. Thank you for your support, I feel better already!

[Annie0710]

It was the ladies on here that told me about vagifem, I'd never heard of it either

I had repeated bladder infections and terrible dryness and shrinkage , one gp I couldn't have it because on already on hrt and the ladies here said go to another gp as I definitely can  have it so I did and I haven't had one bladder infection since!

That's my biggest success story so far and it's thanks to these ladies, not the docs

Annie

[pepperminty]

Hi Diva ,

I have had practically all of the 34 symptoms of menopause and the worst for me are the brain fog and fatigue. Both of which are crippling . I am sorry you are suffering so much. In my experience so far after trying a couple of HRT 's is start on Femeston 1/10 or 2/10 as this seems to be well tolerated by most women as it is more natural and kinder. Therefore less likely to have side effects . The advantage of a pill is that its easy to take. There is the patch route also . It's personal preference , choice and trial and error for some. Not everyone gets side effects and if they do , they usually go within 3 months. Good luck.

Pepperminty xx

[Jems512]

Had lurked on forum before posting, was an eye opener. Never put joint pains as a symptom. Hips, ankles and shoulders seem to be taking it in turns to ache!

[CLKD]

Yep.  Old Age doesn't arrive alone - 

Have a browse of the pull down menus top of screen, ask away ………

[janine scott]

Welcome sorry to hear about your symptoms you are in the right place.  I too suffer many symptoms and always feel like I can then to friends for help on this site its been a great help to me so I dont feel alone and isolated good luck to you

Janine. X

[Hurdity]

Hi diva

  from me too.

You mentioned bio-identical hormones - it is important to know that these are available on NHS ie hormones that are biologically identical to those produced in our own bodies. You do not have to go to a private consultant and pay lots of money for expensive compounded products like many women do in US at great expense.

For most of the time I've been on HRT I have only used bio-identical hormones.

Bio-identical oestrogen (as part of full HRT) is estradiol - and this is available as patches or gel transdermally ( through the skin) or as tablets. All the types are listed here:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/treatafter.php

Bio-identical progesterone licensed for HRT is known as micronised progesterone and sold as Utrogestan - but cannot be made as patches. It is prescribed orally though many of us use it vaginally.
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/to_progestogens.php

Therefore if you want to go down the bio-identical route from the start you need to take your oestrogen and progesterone separately.

The Evorel patches contains a synthetic progestogen as do the Femoston tablets. The progestogen in Femoston (tablets) is the closest to our own progesterone.

All the peri-menopausal combi HRT types (which give a monthly withdrawal bleed like a period) are listed here:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/perimeno.php

The vaginal oestrogen products available are all bio-identical oestrogen - either estradiol ( Vagifem) or estriol (Gynest cream or Ovestin).
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/local.php

Hope this helps 

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

As for the wheeziness - I suffered this during the week prior to a bleed, I think partly due to excess fluid retention.  The thing is to drink plenty otherwise the body stores water.  Also exercising helps too.

How are you this morning?