Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Jane44]

Hi friends have posted before and here I am again. My last period was March this year and from then until recently I have had a flare up of something my GP describes as auto immune. Started with what I thought was plantar fasciitis and then a horrid rash on one leg which they thought was a bite ?? Cellulitis had a temp received and took antibiotics and then a week later developed Uveitis in both eyes alongside a few patches of psoriasis !! All in all in ticked the boxes for auto immune although all bloods were normal. Gp said to take HRT and prescribed continuous but my consultant friend and gp friend said I should be on the HRT with a break so didn't take it. However since the last month have felt normal no pain In joints no swelling in ankles great I thought .. Then low and behold I feel I have just ovulated and hence will get a period for sure in two weeks ... Just hope I don't have a recurrence of all these symptoms. What do you think I should do Many thanks and has anybody else had a similar problem

[Dancinggirl]

Jane 44 - This is very difficult. I am certainly no expert but it does seem that many of us develop all sorts of strange things when our hormones start to play up.  Oestrogen deficiency seems to effect us all differently - I certainly find a small amount of HRT at my age(59) keeps things on an even keel. You don't say how old you are but I'm assuming you are peri menopausal and this stage can go on for years for many of us - so the hormones will be fluctuating and you have erratic periods and meno symptoms kick in and out. You GP is clearly quite on the ball in thinking that HRT might help things.  You are right though - you would need a sequential HRt at this stage - something like Femoston 1/10 in peri can be a good one to try first.
See how you feel over the next few weeks and maybe go back and discuss things with the GP (do print off the stuff from this site and tell him/her that you need a sequi HRT). Taking a low dose HRT might settle things down generally and prevent further strange symptoms emerging.  DG x

[Limpy]

Hi Jane,

HRT will help to calm your autoimmune disease down. Apparently the oestrogen has an anti inflammatory action on the nervous system. Pregnant women with MS don't tend to have relapses while they are pregnant, once they've given birth is a very different story. I have MS and HRT helps me hugely.

It Might be a good idea to get to your GP and discuss your concerns re the conti HRT.

I am on conti but only started that when I was;
1 - 54
2 - hadn't had a bleed for 6 months
3 - Was definitely menopausal,  2 FSH readings over a 100, 6 months apart
4 - Had my MS kick off big style having had to stop the pill 6 months previously

[Jane44]

Thank you ladies for your reply I agree I think I need to go back and discuss with the GP although part of me thinks it might just settle and not trigger my autoimmune stuff. Although I can't have it affecting my sight again ! I just wonder though how does adding more hormones to our system help when we are obviously producing hormones ourselves as I haven't gone through the meno and how do I know that it isn't low progesterone ? It is all so difficult to decipher and blood tests I don't think would help. I have a friend who has the mirena and will add some oestrogen when she starts to feel hot flushes . Not sure if that is a road to go down.

[Limpy]

I just wonder though how does adding more hormones to our system help when we are obviously producing hormones ourselves as I haven't gone through the meno and how do I know that it isn't low progesterone ?

Fair comment.

Yes, we may be producing hormones ourselves, however, the levels are very likely to be reduced the older we get.

There have been studies which examine the link between oestrogen and MS (MS is said to be an autoimmune disease). There seemed to be a very definite link. Enough to convince my GP to give me HRT when I started having MS problems after stopping the pill.

I've not seen anything about the link between progesterone and autoimmune disease, but then again, I wasn't really looking 

As you say, best to go and see your GP, it might be useful to have something to hand if the autoimmune stuff kicks off again.