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[dahliagirl]

I took the pill for many years and was on femodene until 49.  Most of the time I had no idea of perimenopause.  It was only in the last 4 years I noticed any changes:

shorter bleeds
oestrogen withdrawal headache on week off, if I did not drink water continually
itchy privates - tried thrush treatments for a while before I worked out what it was
thinning pubes
a sense of relief when I restarted my pills
Night sweats became a constant thing.  Looking back, I had these from my late 30s and never realised what it was.  It was something that I had not got round to sorting out, and did not connect it to the pill until the last couple of years.

It wasn't too bad but I was getting fed up of taking them, and the headaches were getting difficult to avoid.

After I came off, I discovered libido and that I had had cyclical constipation (didn't know any different  )

However, I had random periods, vaginal and bladder problems and pains in the joints but the night sweats went!!!!!

I went onto vaginal oestrogen and then full hrt.  Some problems go, and others appear.  But I feel stable for now.

[BrightLight]

You're not waffly at all brightlight 

I love the fact that there are so many women on here with intelligent opinions and observations. So far, I have never had any missed periods or even an irregular cycle yet. have just checked back through my diary and before HRT my cycle was 24 days, 25 days, 26 days, 25 days, 27 days etc, so really quite regular still.

And like you, I don't think my own oestrogen is too low as yet because I haven't had any of the symptoms associated with low oestrogen such as night sweats, hot flushes etc. But I do think my oestrogen is really fluctuating and THAT is what is causing all my anxiety and the periods of very low mood which I can get. If the periods of very low mood/anxiety were just a day here and there I could handle that. But 11 days in a row? It's no joke 

I'm not going to rush into anything. I am still going to give HRT another 4-6 weeks to see if it can stabilise me any better. But having  read that article I now understand the difference between HRT and the Pill and think that HRT is perhaps just not subtle or sophisticated enough to control my fluctuations. And that (for the time being) I need something which is going to shut down my hormones entirely to give me some respite.

Gypsy. 11 days in a row isn't good at all, I am having a bit of a run of dip days right now and really hoping something shifts soon.  Maybe the HRT will infact sort things out if you give it a few more weeks - fingers crossed.

Briony - now I am confused     I understand that we are all different and that low estrogen doesn't always show with classic symptoms; I just decided for myself that having periods still indicated there was some estrogen, albeit maybe low sometimes and probably high as well.  I was getting so confused with advise that I gave this as a marker to myself. 

My blood tests for FSH/LH were completely different, so I decided to almost ignore them both and just take things as they come.  The heart and bones risk is, well, a risk. I don't know if my levels are low enough to be effecting those things - but again, if I am having a bleed I am going to risk presuming all is OK and was advised as such by a gynae, but.........we are all different and really, unless we test regularly or symptoms are pretty obvious I think we are almost guessing in any case.  Some might disagree with me, but this is where I am at.   

[dogdoc]

Gypsy...if you start the pills I'll be very interested to know how they work for you. Still on the fence myself but leaning that way. I don't think estrogen is my answer at this point, unless it's only for part of the month...and that is difficult to figure out based on symptoms alone.

Tara

[Dorothy]

I often get cramps during the weeks I am taking the pill.  I also had the same discharge I used to get 'mid cycle' before I went on the pill, although that has gone in the past couple of years.  Sometimes I get all the PMS symptoms before I start my break, and then I can't wait to start it as I know they won't go away until I do.  Whenever I have been advised to take the pill continuously with no break, I have had bleeding on a monthly basis, not as heavy as on a normal pill break but it goes on for a couple of weeks and I get all the cramps, headaches, joint aches etc that would go with a normal period, only they are not as bad but last for much longer...

I can understand having symptoms on my week's break, but have never understood why I get fluctuating symptoms at other times if I am taking the same hormones daily. 

In the past couple of years, I have had all the peri symptoms too - my pill break is the worst time, but I get a 'damped down' version the rest of the time. 

[Briony]

Briony - now I am confused     I understand that we are all different and that low estrogen doesn't always show with classic symptoms; I just decided for myself that having periods still indicated there was some estrogen, albeit maybe low sometimes and probably high as well.  I was getting so confused with advise that I gave this as a marker to myself. 

My blood tests for FSH/LH were completely different, so I decided to almost ignore them both and just take things as they come.  The heart and bones risk is, well, a risk. I don't know if my levels are low enough to be effecting those things - but again, if I am having a bleed I am going to risk presuming all is OK and was advised as such by a gynae, but.........we are all different and really, unless we test regularly or symptoms are pretty obvious I think we are almost guessing in any case.  Some might disagree with me, but this is where I am at.   

I agree - it's all so confusing!   

My blood tests were done during my periods, when the endocrinologist recommended having them done. At that point I was anti HRT (or any additional hormones, come to that). Have always tried to 'go natural'.  However, seeing how low my oestrogen was and listening to the potential harm, at 42, I could be doing to my body, shocked me into doing something pro-active to protect my heart and bones. He immediately ordered a bone scan, since I'd been having symptoms for several years (albeit not the obvious symptoms - remember up to 30% of menopausal women don't have hot flushes). On the basis of the scan results, combined with an oestrogen level of 41, taking HRT/the pill became a no brainer for me.  (My bone density was 'below age average' so I have to go back in five years).

Have to say, anyone who knew me at 39 would be stunned to hear I'm taking the pill. It's so out of character and something I never envisaged, but for me, at my current age, I think it's the right decision. I was initially quite anxious about the whole thing and felt I was being a hypocrite, but my parter, who's more of a scientific/objective thinker, helped me to be a bit more rational (I suspect he was also desperate for a bit of peace - by this stage there were three of us in our relationship: me, him ... and Dr Google!).         
 

[Briony]

I often get cramps during the weeks I am taking the pill.  I also had the same discharge I used to get 'mid cycle' before I went on the pill, although that has gone in the past couple of years.  Sometimes I get all the PMS symptoms before I start my break, and then I can't wait to start it as I know they won't go away until I do.  Whenever I have been advised to take the pill continuously with no break, I have had bleeding on a monthly basis, not as heavy as on a normal pill break but it goes on for a couple of weeks and I get all the cramps, headaches, joint aches etc that would go with a normal period, only they are not as bad but last for much longer...

I can understand having symptoms on my week's break, but have never understood why I get fluctuating symptoms at other times if I am taking the same hormones daily. 

In the past couple of years, I have had all the peri symptoms too - my pill break is the worst time, but I get a 'damped down' version the rest of the time.

Have you looked into some of the modern pills which have only a very short break? Qlaira only has two oestrogen free days all month. It's also bio identical (oestrogen). The only problem, for some, is that it's a very low dose of COP so may still cause breakthrough bleeding etc For anyone in our situation who's not taken a pill before, it's a good starting point, but may not work for everyone (for me, psychologically, it's been fantastic - less so for the fatigue/spotting).

[Dorothy]

Briony, I've only ever taken the one brand - I was in so much pain before and so exhausted from anaemia due to the heavy bleeding, that once I had found something that enabled me to live a normal life, I was too scared to try any changes!  I can live with what I have at the moment - I'm just bemused when I'm told I can't experience any 'normal' hormonal symptoms or peri symptoms due to being on the pill. 

[Limpy]

I'm just bemused when I'm told I can't experience any 'normal' hormonal symptoms or peri symptoms due to being on the pill.

Dorothy - I was on the pill till I was 54.
Because it caused regular bleeds I had no idea I was anywhere near meno, certainly never occurred that I was peri.
But, from when I was 40 things really weren't nice, lots of tears (mine) and arguing (the world).
I just didn't know what was going on.
It makes sense now but it was horrid at the time.

[Dorothy]

Limpy, My new GP agrees it is possible to have peri symptoms while being on the pill.  Someone give her a medal!  Pity we can't clone GPs like her.  (I won't say what I'd like to do with the unhelpful ones  )

[Limpy]

The trouble is there's so many duff ones.
I did think briefly ,that we should have a thread as to what we should do with the unhelpful GPs. The trouble was, everything was a bit violent........

[Dorothy]

I must admit, when thinking of my previous, useless, GP, I kept thinking about Dr Who episodes of my childhood, and particularly the Daleks favourite word...

[Limpy]

The thing that really got to me, was that GPs who I'd really liked and respected were so anti HRT.
That was such a surprise, it wasn't till I went in armed with sheets of paper that I was listened to. Well, that and it was a female GP who knew of and likes this forum.

[Briony]

Limply/Dorothy - if this were Facebook, I'd be liking your above posts! 

[Dorothy]

Just as well it isn't...I for one wouldn't want the world reading some of my posts and knowing who wrote them     

[GypsyRoseLee]

Hi dogdoc

If I do decide to try the Pill I'll keep you posted. At least it's nice to know that it's there as another option to try.

Having said that I have felt SO MUCH better these last 2 days. Honestly I feel just like my old self. So much more lighthearted and relaxed. I'm actually still only on day 11 of my Utrogestan but I have already started with some spotting/withdrawl bleed so don't know if that is the reason? Or is it a coincidence?

But if HRT can give me more days like these last two I will be very, very happy.