Did you just swap straight to Qlaria or did you have to phase out your HRT? Also what side effects did you have when you first went on it?
I took the Pill for over 15 years but know little about it. I know I still used to get some PMS each month but nothing like the low mood and anxiety I have been getting since going into peri. Plus the PMS disappeared as soon as my period arrived.
Do you still get PMS on Qlaria? With a regular BCP I don't even know if you are taking both oestrogen and progesterone each day?
I literally went from day 28 of HRT to day 1 of Qlaira. I took the first pill on the first day of my bleed as I knew this was roughly in line with my old cycle, but for many people in peri, that's not possible to know.
Initially I felt nothing at all - as in normal rather than numb. Then a few days later I had a dull headache which lasted for a week. Nothing major at all. Around day eight, I developed crazy itching which lasted for 24 hours then disappeared. It recurred again a month later on day eight, but nothing as bad as month one when I nearly gave up (and convinced myself I had some terrible disease never before encountered
). . By month three I hardly noticed the itching. I now realise that day eight is the day the progesterone starts, which I think explains a lot.
For the first three months, I had spotting throughout the month, often combined with sudden fatigue. This was my first proper blip with it. I called doc and she said it was because the estrogen dose was lower than regular pills. By month five, this spotting/fatigue had disappeared. I also had initial hair shredding (had this already but it got worse). However, again, this stopped within a few months.
PMS is minimal with this pill, as, unlike with traditional ones, there is no seven day break. There are four phases to the pill, with all but two days having estrogen and the majority of days having both estrogen and progesterone (more combined days than with sequential HRT). At first I thought it was complicated, but to be honest, if you stick to the day on the packet, you cant go wrong. I think it's designed this way to mimic your own hormones and therefore be more 'natural'.
I do get the odd day when I find myself snapping at others - which is generally out of character - but it really is an 'odd' day and no more than what I was like the day before I came on in the past. In terms of anxiety/mood swings, I now feel like I am in control of them rather than them controlling me ... if that makes any sense at all?
The only longer time effect which has remained throughout is inflated boobs. However, they were on the up from the moment I became peri menopausal - I just think Qlaira has sped up the process!
Really hope this helps. I am painfully aware that I am only one person - what works for one may be dire for another. Sadly, due to cost adn the fact it's so new, not many people know about Qlaira (my GP only found out as she had just attended a Gyne course where they were very hopeful it could help people in our situation). It could be worth you doing what I did and reading other forums. Mumsnet was quite useful (though remember people report negatively rather than positively, in general!).
B x
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Topic: Increase HRT dose or try the Pill? Moods still chaotic! (Read 4169 times)