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[Trufflecat]

My GP is lovely. BUT the Evorel Sequi has plunged me into a heavy depression and her suggestion is a Mirena or anti D's.  I have mentioned micronised progesterone for the first 7 days of the month plus an oestrogen patch and she has asked me to call her next week. At least she is prepared to do a bit of research and ask her colleagues. I suspect that I am intolerant of the progesterone in the Evorel as I have always had awful pms.  If my GP sticks to her guns, how mad would I be to buy my own HRT and treat myself with utrogesten plus topical oestrogen?

[Janeyp]

I'm also having the same sort of trouble as you - my doctor is very nice but a little clueless as to what to prescribe me - I'm on elleste duet and have just upped it to 2mg after all my symptoms came back (been on 1mg for 7 months)  - but the progesterone part sent me spiralling into a low which I was not happy about at all! I've also been offered a mirena and anti d's which I don't want to accept as it's purely hormonal rather than a depression from life situations and mirena is just prog (yuk)  I'd rather they get the HRT right!!!
I know there are answers for me out there and I know that the doctors seem to prescribe the cheaper options of hrt first - hell I'd be happy to pay for the darn stuff if that would help! I guess we just have to keep trying to find the right balance for us!
Wishing you health and happiness
Keep talking it out - just wanted to share with you - sorry not to be more help

[Trufflecat]

Hi Janeyp, I am sorry to hear that you are in the same position as me. Treating vthis with antidepressants would be like giving someone with a dislocated knee a wheelchair!  It would help them manage but never fix the problem.  I feel really terrible at the moment and know it's my hormones.

[CLKD]

MAD! NEVER buy off the internet ……….

There are so many different ways of treating symptoms but it is Trial and Error at a time when we want something to help! 

Take the Mirena option?  It can be removed if you don't like it.  Antidepressant medications can ease some meno symptoms but again, have side effects that can be un-pleasant.

Have a browse round.  Use the 'search' button for the various products and see how others have coped.  Make notes  - but do give your GP the opportunity to help you. If you buy off the internet and have a bad reaction she won't be best pleased and it may well put you 'back' with regards help with symptoms! Or worse 

[Hurdity]

I agree with what's been said - I would never buy from the internet - at least not in UK when it's all available on NHS!

Also re the Mirena - are they not saying the Mirena AD's and oestrogen? Many women can tolerate the Mirena - as it provides progestgoen directly to the uterus and far less sytemic absorption, although I gather some women hate it. If you can tolerate it then it means you can use the oestrogen product of your choice - tablet, patch or gel, as Stellajane says.

ADs should not be given for menopausal symptoms unless a woman cannot take HRT!!! HRT is supposed to be the first line of treatment (for hot flushes, sweats etc) and the new draft NICE Guidelines will emphasise this!

Hurdity x

[Taz2]

Just wondering whether the AD's are to lift Trufflecat out of what she has referred to as a "heavy depression". Just changing to the mirena might not be enough to raise her out of depression if it has got really bedded in.

I swapped from Evorel to FemSeven due to the depressive effects of the norethisterone and although the patches were problematic sometimes in that they didn't stick too well they suited me much better and I had no depression or PMT side effects.

Taz x

[Trufflecat]

Morning. Thanks for taking the trouble to reply. I promise I will not race off to the internet and start self medicating!  My GP seems to be very keen on antidepressants and I have tried them for pms and they didn't work. I have only tried one sort of progesterone and am hoping for a different one for only seven days a month. I really don't want a Mirena because it's not as easy to remove as taking off a patch. The last two weeks have been horrendous, I have never felt so awful, not even after I had my twins and had pnd. I am beginning to feel a bit better mood wise now and it is 4 days since I removed my last patch.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings x

[Trufflecat]

Thanks stellajane, I will look at that.