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[sev70]

Hello there! I am new here!

I am 44 and have been taking HRT for 6 years (premature menopause).

I have tried 7 types of HRT during that time and none of the oral ones agree with me as I have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). Hence the patches (which really don't stick very well by the way, so I have to wear a waterproof plaster on top.

But that's by the by... My real problem is that I have now been on Femseven conti for nearly 3 months now, and I still get occasional but super  heavy night sweats... I also feel super cold ALL the time and I'm the only one around wearing a winter coat when it's 20 degrees outside.

My breast also get SO sore that it almost makes me cry when I take my bra off. The pain is worst than the one I experienced during pregnancy (I had 3). I go up a whole cup size too at those times (usually a whole week, peaking pain at day 3-4).

There is no chronological logic in those symptoms. Sometime it happens when I am on "week 1", sometime when I'm on "week 2".

My GP keeps testing me for thytoid function (every 6 months for the past five years I have complained of feeling cold), and it always comes back "normal". I don't know whAt to do.

Can anyone help me?

Thank you for reading this!!

Has anyone ever had these symptoms and what was the solution?

[Dancinggirl]

Hi Sev70
I'm wondering if you would be better with a Mirena coil which would eventually result in no bleed at all, also less progesterone is absorbed around the body so fewer side effects like tender breasts and it has the advantage of contraception if needed.  Alongside you would then just use oestrogen in gel or patch form. The Mirena is very popular with Gynaes for menop women these days as it is tolerated really well by many women.  I would think that Oestrogel would be good for you as you could adjust the amount you use to keep your symptoms under control - you might be needing quite a high dose of oestrogen at your age and the sequi patch may not be enough. I also wonder if you are one of those ladies that actually needs HRT plus an SRRI to really control those sweats.
As for feeling cold - this can happen following a bad flush but not all the time, so I'm wondering about your circulation - do you have low blood pressure? 
I hope that helps.  DG x

[Hurdity]

Hi sev70

 

I'm a but confused about exactly what you are on because the title says Femseven sequi (the one that gives a monthly withdrawal bleed) but in your post you say Femseven conti (the one that doesn't and where all the patches contain the same preparation? I presume from the fact you keep talking about Day 3 and week 2 etc and the different symptoms that you are on Femseven sequi?

Also you mention  that they don't stick and you are using a plaster. This is not good at all and could be preventing the absoprtion of the full amount of oestrogen. The main reason is that the patch can come unstuck from within and you wouldn't really know (unless you definitely can feel when you come to remove it that the whole of the patch was stuck down each time?).

Secondly as Dancinggirl says you have been on quite a low dose of oestrogen for your age - depending on how close to menopause you were when you started HRT, so an increase would be beneficial and as there are no higher combi patches the oestrogen patch (higher dose) or gel with separate progesterone might be the way to go and control your symptoms better.

I am puzzled by your tender boobs at that point in your cycle if you are post-menopausal because although increased oestrogen can cause tender boobs initially this usually settles and your HRT is a constant oestrogen dose. Progesterone usually causes this effect on a monthly basis but this should be felt in week 3 or week 4, not week 1 or 2 suggesting to me that maybe you still have some sort a cycle going on perhaps? I might be completely off track here!

Also have you been given your actualy thyroid readings by the doctor? I would phone the surgery and ask for actual TSH reading for the last few times and the date they were taken - maybe it is increasing? The idea of what is normal does not always correlate with symptoms, and some doc use different reference ranges.

Do you have any other thyroid symptoms other than feeling cold eg putting on weight, feeling tired, slight goitre etc? Some women have normal TSH and T4 but have problems converting T4 to T3 but as far as I understand, this is not always recognised by the NHS - thryoid issues are a minefield!

Personally I wouldn't go down the route of Antidepressants for menopausal symptoms - you need to get your oestrogen dose right and perhaps look more closely at your thyroid too.

Hurdity x

[sev70]

Good evening to you both, and thank you OH SO MUCH for such detailed replies!!!

I want to reply to both of you so I will start with you Dancinggirl! I will try and make it brief so that you don't fall asleep haha!! And will reply to your comment point by point:

1) I am a little bit weary of coils. I had one put on in 1994, 4 years after my first child, and I nearly passed out with the pain off fitting it. This was follow by heavy bleeding for 4 months, and they only agreed to take it off when I became seriously anaemic... Saying that though, I am going to research this because I am aware that we are now 20 years later (Gosh!! This website makes me feel old lol!!!) and that things are different nowadays...

2) funny you should mention that, but I am already on Low dosage of Ssri since 2005, but that is because I have waterworks problems.

3) yes I have low blood pressure. Always have been on the low side though...

Now for Hurdity:

1) I am terribly sorry! Yes, after re-checking my post, I realised I wasn't very clear about which HRT I am on. And you deducted right: I am indeed on Femseven Sequi. Sorry for being unclear and thank you for pointing it out!

2) I definitely can see the patch through the plaster as the plaster is transparent. When it is time to take it off, I can see the patch is still stuck. But I recently found a way for me: hair drying the skin first, sticking patch on, hair drying it again (if you see what I mean!!) once on for a minute or so.

3) I have no idea how close to the menopause I was when I started HRT. I had a blood test in December 2009 which came back as "perimenopausal" and was prescribed HRT straight away because I also have low bone density and was only 39 at the time.

4) yes, my boobs are sore in week three (it depends how u count it by I see what you mean by week three - I, on the other hand, may have applied a "week 1" patch, or a "week2" patch, on this "week 3" u are talking about, depending on how it falls - do I make sense?)

5) I had no idea about how thyroid results should be observed over time!! Would my GP not automatically check that off his own back?? Thank you for this bit of info. I am going to contact my GP again.

6) yes, I have other symptoms, but none of the ones you have listed: no appetite (never had much, but I get full on half a toast nowadays.... I am 7st for 4"11. No weight fluctuation - yes feeling tired after the minimum effort but then again I smoke so I've only got myself to blame on that one (about 5 cigarettes a day), hair loss, very dark patches of exposed skin (face, neck) - and some areas of my body are always cold (really cold) to the touch continuously (unless I stand right next to a hot source of heat obviously): outer thighs, outer upper arms/ hands / feet (although the sole of my feet absolutely burn red hot in the night!!) / knees / nose.

That's it!! I think I have answered all your questions.

I am immensely grateful for it incredibly prompt, detailed and helpful replies!!

Why oh why did I not come on here before???

Thank you!!!

[Taz2]

Just wanted to welcome you sev70. 

Taz x 

[sev70]

Awww how sweet of you Taz!! Thank you!!