Print

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

[SevenOfNine]

Hello everyone. 

I was first here in the forums 11 or so years ago (age 50) when the meno symptoms hit with a vengeance.  Ferocious hot flushes on the hour, every hour 24x7 many & of you will know what that's like.    Struggled along for 3 years in an effort to avoid HRT & stupidly assumed I may 'get out the other side' eventually.  Tried oestrogen cream from the internet, acupuncture, all manner of 'over the counter' concoctions including red clover/black cohosh/sage, LadyCare magnet (I've still got it), Chinese herbs, prescription Clonodine, all of which was a rubbish waste of a fortune.  Last but not least, a registered British herbalist - great success with him though sadly shortlived.

It was clearly not to be & I was so exhausted I eventually resorted to HRT when I was 53, my GP had said I "could have it until I was 55 or for maximum of 5 years, whichever was the sooner".  Thought better go on it for a couple of years to get some rest while he was still prepared to give it to me.

Did not get on with his first suggestion, though I had tried to make my own choice he wasn't having any of it, he picked for me.  Think it was Elleste Duet (a no bleed Elleste anyway) but after 4 months of almost constant bleeding I made him hand over Premique Low Dose.  I did my research thoroughly on here, appraised myself of the ingredients & listened to the for/against horse pee oestrogen arguments, then made my own decision.

Have been on a sort of 'weaning off' schedule since after the first year or so on the full dose. Usually dissecting the pills somewhat to lower the dose further (in a fairly whacky manner & they're oval shaped so easy to hack about ) to what seems to be my optimum dose of 1/3rd of a tablet every day.  Changed my GP before I reached 55 to someone more sympathetic & understands that I can make my own 'risk' choices.

Been on that regime of 1/3rd for a few years now, though too much alcohol does still bring about mild flushes & I notice I get them for a night or two during each month regardless as well (though just wake 2 or 3 time overly hot so I can live with that to keep my HRT dose as low as possible).

Premique is in short supply at the moment & I've nearly run out so will be obliged to switch & it will be to Femoston Conti Low Dose.  I'll probably try cutting them in half at first & see how I get on, if they are round pills my 1/3rd regime is going to be tricky but I'm sure I'll figure something out, though most likely will involve more 'waste' than currently with an oval pill which divides up nicely.

This is a fab site, helpful & informative (& sometimes argumentative  ), I'm so glad I found it all those years ago & can revisit again now that I may still need a little support, advice & the experience of others.

PS Been amending my 'I've tried' list as I recall all the things I tried in my initial quest to avoid HRT!!!  Reading all the other threads is reminding me of exactly how much I tried in sheer desperation.  I feel so sorry for those at the start of this ghastly journey.

[Dancinggirl]

Hi and welcome back to MM SevenOfNine
Very interesting post - sadly a very familiar story.
I am a little doubtful about your attempt to cut down by cutting pills in half?!!  The new guidelines are saying that HRT may continued even beyond 60 so I wouldn't be in a hurry to stop in the near future if HRT is helping.
Femoston does come in an Ultra low dose and this may be enough for you and without having to cut the pills about - have a look under TREATMENTS above?
Alternatively, you could try the transdermal route with either a low dose oestrogen patch or Oestrogel and then use Utrogestan (bio identical progesterone) daily. As we get older this is the preferred option and at 59 this is what I am using.
BTW - like you, none of the alternative therapies and remedies have helped me.  DG x

[Hurdity]

Hi SevenOfNine and  from me too! I didn't know it existed 11 years ago - I thought it started in late 2007/early 2008! I'm a similar age to you but fortunately was not peri-menopausal then and I've been on medium dose patch HRT for over 8 years - now in early 60's and there is a really good gynae GP round here who is sympathetic and hasn't tried to make me stop (although my regular GP has).

It's no use asking who you were back then because I only joined originally in Jan 2010 and didn't start posting regularly for over a year I don't think! I had barely even heard of forums when I joined this one!

As Dancinggirl says things have changed since you first went onto HRT as I expect you know from reading the posts and info and you should be able to stay on for longer - what a tiny dose though! You may well notice some difference from changing from Premique to Femoston due to the different oestrogens but hopefully any side effects or blips will settle. If you intend to stay on it in the longer term then Femoston is probably better to take than Premique although your dose is so small I don't know whether it would make much difference (to risk I mean)!

I also used some herbal treatments (well Black Cohosh) and dietary changes (phyto-oestrogen cake) - to no avail. At the time I felt as if I was "resorting to HRT" because I so wanted to do everything naturally, but now I think of it as a positive decision to improve my health and well-being. I use bio-identical HRT transdermally - ie patch oestrogen and progesterone vaginally - so "nil-by-mouth" !!

Good luck with your new treatment! 

Hurdity x

[SevenOfNine]

Funny how reading some of the 'newer' ladies posts on the boards brings back very vivid, sad (& desperate) memories    I didn't expect that.

I had no idea back then when I thought that at least eventually there was 'light at the end of the tunnel', it would actually only be a train coming the other way!!!

You're quite right Hurdity, I'm not sure MM was here when my meno first started, though I did learn about various HRT from here before eventually deciding to take it, so your dates would be about right.

I can't recall who I was back then, but I featured in the MM magazine & weirdly I'm still receiving free copies even now.  Useful though - I take them to work for other meno ladies to read.  I was also interviewed & video'd in my home via MM for Healthtalk after MM gave them permission to use their site to ask for volunteers.  If you want a laugh it's here http://www.healthtalk.org/peoples-experiences/later-life/menopause/cynthia-interview-16  & I look/sound like a right twat   If I'd known they were going to allocate me the alias 'Cynthia' I might have opted to pick my own alias.

Not sure I'm going to participate here too much, I've found it a bit upsetting to catapult right back to those bleak days so easily, maybe because I feel like I'm embarking on yet another HRT merry-go-round when I've been successfully pretty settled on my miniscule 1/3rd pill dose for ages.

[CLKD]

Oh I remember the name ………. about the same time as I subscribed to the magazine. 

How R U 2-day?

[Hurdity]

Hi again SevenOfNine

Yes like you I first found MM when I was researching what HRT to use (early 2007) and even back then the info on all the different types was really helpful - I remember printing off a table with them all before I decided which to use (transdermal, bio-identical oestrogen, nil-by-mouth!). It wasn't until my progesterone induced migraines were getting a lot worse 3 years later that I was googling and found this forum!

It's not good to look back and get upset if you can avoid it - but rather - think of how you were then - and compare that with how much better you are now and how you coped in the intervening years - your experience will give hope to women who are suffering, notwithstanding your current issue which I hope will be well resolved soon!

Hurdity x