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[pepperminty]

Thanks Briony,

I have had a little look and got the gist I think , but I am suffering from severe goldfish brain at the moment.
I am starting a new relationship and will need contraception eventually when the time is right , so perhaps this may be the answer?

why don't GP's suggest the pill as an alternative to HRT? I really am completely lacking any knowledge on this subject.
Will the pill stop the hot flushes and prevent vaginal dryness? Does it have all the beneficial effects of HRT?
I have only just started to get my down below issues under control and don't want to go back to the issues I had before.
Trouble is I really am unable to make a rational decision at the moment.

Peppermintyxx

[GypsyRoseLee]

A new relationship, how exciting

Back when I very first saw a female GP and listed my symptoms she did, actually, vaguely mention my taking the Pill. But I immediately declined as I was certain I was too old at 42! She didn't push it and didn't explain that as a non smoker, of a healthy weight, I was okay to take the Pill through to my 50s.

I have never suffered from any problems 'down below' as yet, so can't say if the Pill has aided in that area or not? I must say my libido seems to have gone on holiday since I started taking it. Things work perfectly fine once I get started, but the urge to actually get started is definitely lacking.

I've actually had 2 very stressful days because we received some bad news yesterday which is distressing, plus I feel very under the weather thanks to a heavy cold. But my actual mood has stayed level with no horrible dips, or feelings of dread/anxiety.

This could all change though in a moment though, of course.

[pepperminty]

Hi GRL,

Yes the new man is lovely I am very luck, but it is early days.
I wonder if the pill is the answer? I always thought you had to stop in your 40's ! If I could take it for a couple of years to get me over the peri stage and it worked that would be great. I have done a little research today and it does contain oestrogen, I never realised what it did contain when I took it years ago.
 It may be worth a go? I will take the HRT until the meno nurse and see what she says. If I take it though, I will take it continuously so I do not have a bleed as reading previous articles by Dr Currie she thinks that this is acceptable as we don't actually need to bleed. I think the bleed was originally incorporated to reassure women that they weren't pregnant. I have been bleeding for 9/10 days at a time which is dire. I also have developed headaches , which I suspect is due to the dose being increased.

Anything is worth a go at this point!

Do you feel it is working for you?
I am sorry that you have had some bad news and a cold to boot.
Also it is cheaper than HRT! and I would save on the cost of Tampax.
God I feel foggy headed.

Peppermintyxx

[GypsyRoseLee]

Yes, there is much oestrogen in the Pill than found in HRT, which I think is what we need because we are younger than average to be dealing with peri symptoms. Or it may just be that we are women who just need more oestrogen generally and just can't cope when it starts to decline even just a little bit?

When I spoke to my GP he said he had quite a few patients in their 40s who still took the Pill for contraception, and he was happy for them to be on it until at least 50. It is important though that you don't smoke, aren't over weight and don't have any medical history which causes concern.

I don't intend having a break between packets, either. My GP said there's no medical need to have a bleed at all. And if you're using it to control peri mood swings and anxiety then it's sensible to not risk any withdrawal symptoms and just run the packs together.

If you can be bothered it might be worth reading 'My Pill Diary' thread which I update daily. I hope this might help anyone considering the Pill.

But basically I started the Pill 15 days ago and was a bit up and then very, very down over the first week. But since the start of this week have felt really quite stable and light hearted, despite the bad news and nasty head cold.

But obviously it is still very early days. Though I assume the Pill shuts down your own ovaries/hormones production by the end of the first week, as you are safe to have unprotected sex after 7 days.

[pepperminty]

Hi GRL,

I have read all the posts and it does appear that it may be working for you, which is great. I am coming round to the idea and have taken ovrannet  and marvelon before. And another low dose pill I can't remember the name , but I came off it after 1 month as I was shedding bits of womb daily in the bath and got scared at the time and the GP did not explain that it would eventually stop and told me to stop taking it then!
As I have had no real problems in the past this may be an answer.
All I know is I can't keep on like this.

Pepperminty xx

[pepperminty]

Hi,

just found the pill ladder and found that I was on loestrin 30 , and that is the one the caused the womb to shed daily. Marvelon is oestrogenic ( I have got you now Briony), and ovranette more progesterone based. I don't want acne , and I seem to remember being spotty at one point , but can't remember which pill it was. My GP explains nothing!!

Well I can't be any more of a nut than I am now , so Marvelon is the pill of choice if I go for that option. Fingers crossed .

Pepperminty xx

[GypsyRoseLee]

Well it's working for me at present, but you know how my mood swings.

I must admit, I felt just like you before I swapped to the Pill. Halfway through our holiday my mood suddenly really dipped for absolutely no reason and I just thought 'I can't take anymore of this'.

After 4 months HRT just wasn't making enough of a difference to me. I think my own hormones were just too volatile for it to deal with.

[GypsyRoseLee]

Day 15:

Feeling weary and fed up today but that's due to having a head cold. Otherwise my mood remains nicely normal and stable. No sign of the anxiety or that generalised feeling of jittery 'wrongness' that has come to define my peri menopausal nightmare.

The very light brown spotting seems to have stopped which is good. My hair is definitely feeling a bit drier these last few days too. But this is irrelevant so long as my mood stays stable and quite 'up'.

[pepperminty]

Hi GRL,

I am so pleased that it is working for you. I agree there does come a point when your quality of life is no better, that one has to make a decision. I am so teary and feel worse than ever.
You know, the awful thing is that once you feel well, and then ill again, the contrast seems even greater as now I know what it is like to feel normal and look normal.

Without this forum I wouldn't know that I had any choices, or indeed that I was not alone.
Although as you know it is difficult to make choices or indeed any decisions when you are like this.
I have woken up looking and feeling zombie like and looked at the side effects of too much oestrogen and tiredness is one of them . Who knows?

Is the pill you are on more oestrogen or progesterone based? I am having a goldfish moment.

Your posts are definitely reflective of how much better you seem. I remember how despondent you were and although not perfect - but we aren't going to get that - you seem to be coping well.

Perhaps the pill is the answer for some, until 50 odd years of age and then once your hormones have calmed down a fraction HRT is the next best option.

I have all the physical symptoms back as well as the doom, Both together I cannot cope with. Briony had the aches as I do, can't remember if she had the exhaustion and fog too.

So reading your posts is so informative and definitely widens the options.

Pepperminty xx - I am thinking of changing my online name to foggy zombie goldfish

[Briony]

Hi both, yep I definitely have the crashing fatigue and foggy brain too. I get a weird 'I'm here but not in the room' feeling too, if that makes sense? When the fatigue hits, it usually lasts hours, not days, and I often    feel nauseous and shiver.

Although I've had a blip recently, I still feel the pill is a positive way forward in peri. From months zero to seven, my life has changed massively. The fluctuations that I still had with 50mcg patches disappeared as did the headaches.

I like the fact Qlaira is bio identical and has a less progesterone dominant progesterone. It's a great 'bridge' for peri, especially as it reduces bleeding massively. On the down side, the fact it's bio identical means it's not as strong - a 2mg dose is less potent than a 2mg dose of synthetic estrogen. That's why I think I may need a stronger pill (all others are synthetic and tend to be 3 mg or higher) or else a 100 -200 mcg patch (enough to suppress ovulation). I'd recommend Qlaira to anyone considering the pill as a stepping stone to something stronger if required?

In answer to your other question, the pill GRL takes is the same as Microgynon which is the first line to prescribe for most doctors, being cheap and relatively safe (levonorgestrel is second generation). It's on the far left of the ladder, meaning it's more progesterone dominant. It's the same progesterone as in the Mirena. The pills to the right are more estrogen dominant and may some allegedly have fewer side effects, in general, as they are third generation. The big but is that they are more risky in terms of DVT. The one I'd love to take is Yasmin - it is recommended for those who're worried about head aches, spots and hair loss, plus it can reduce bloating. However, there are more concerns with its progesterone than any of the others.

Do read what Nick Paney said about the pill and which are best for fluctuations/Pms - he is well regarded in the meno world.

Above all, I think the key things to remember are: everybody responds differently to the same hormone combination; what works for one may not work for another; the pill is not perfect but nor is it permanent - you can stop at anytime, unlike implants or a coil. It does suppress ovulation, so if taken back to back, it's likely to prevent the fluctuations us ladies in peri menopause so often experience.
Really hope you find something to suit you soon 
Xx

[pepperminty]

Hi again Briony,

I had the mirena 5 years ago for 6 months and they took it out as My legs swelled to twice their size and larger. I didn't know progesterone could make you swell like that.
So Marvelon is probably the best for me as it is oestrogen dominant and I have also taken ovranette before , but as so long ago I cannot remember much about it.

Thanks for your support

Lets hope we find a good answer before we retire to shady pines.

Pepperminty xx

[Briony]

I am seeing the doc tomorrow and am going to request either Marvelon, Yasmine (did you read what Nick Paney said about this?) or 100mcg patches and conti utrogestan. Will let you know how I get on. Am not hopeful as I am such a high risk ! x

[pepperminty]

Hi Briony ,

yes I read what Panay had written. It took me two go's as my brain is so foggy. I am definitely leaning towards the pill option. Interestingly I have used both marvelon and ovranette and they are both oestrogen and then progesterone dominant respectively.

I hope you get what you want, but it is balancing the risks with quality of life.

I suppose 100mcg patches and utro are another option. But as I am feeling so crap on femeston 2/10 I am scared to change to an even higher dose. I couldn't decide anything today- completely brainless and my speech has gone - can't find words - spelling atrocious - you have to laugh or you'd cry.

Good luck for tomorrow, let us know the outcome.

Peppermintyxx

[Briony]

Pepperminty

Dont lose hope yet. When I swapped to Qlaira, which in terms of estrogen is fairly similar to Femeston 20 (ie generally 2 mg of estrogen) it took a good few months (or more) to feel the benefits. Looking back, what I thought were side effects/ signs it was too high, were actually signs my estrogen was still low, if that makes sense?   

I found this just now which is useful to anyone interested in the  pill: http://www.bpac.org.nz/resources/other/guides/bpj12_coc_extracts.pdf


x


PS Just seen your other post. If you're due to start prog tomorrow, it'll be interesting to see if you notice a difference. My blip came one day before my blank pill was due. It was as if my own hormone system was so strong it was trying to play the pill at its own game! In fact, it was that which convinced me I needed something stronger. 2mg is very low for the pill - most woman take 3mg or higher and many have no problems at all (basically because their ovulation is suppressed rather than the estrogen just topping them up as it does in HRT, I guess?. When I think of it like that, it gives me more confidence in upping the dose I take  !) x

[pepperminty]

Thanks Briony,

Great that you find all this info!
My hormones must have taken an almighty crash then !!
I haven't got the time or the finances to wait for another 4 months to see if this or another HRT will work. So like you I feel that the pill may be a solution. And the thought of no more 10 day periods would be lovely.
It's worth a try and if it doesn't work I can go back on HRT.
There are risks in everything and the thought of months or years like this is worth it to me.

Thank you again for your support - much needed and gratefully received.

Peppermintyxx