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[nikiv]

Hello,
I just started the Everol Sequi last week for peri menopause symptoms (mainly for the anxiety and depression). Not sure how long it takes to start working. I am also not sure if what I'm experiencing is just more peri menopause or side effects from patches but I have been feeling more anxious and really depressed. I have also been feeling nauseous and having indigestion and stomach cramps sometimes and sometimes menstrual cramps without a period.

I have an appointment with the Menopause clinic next week but they did call me because I was so upset and scared and said to just stay on the patch until I see them as it is too soon to tell anything about if it's side effects or the peri menopause.

There is stress in my life with a moody teenage son (I'm a single parent) and going back to work after 6 weeks off with the anxiety and depression that did not get diagnosed as hormones for quite a while.

Any thoughts or advice?

Niki

[Briony]

Hi Niki
We all respond differently to medication, but from my experience, the patches took months rather than weeks to work - so try to hang on in. Initially I had a jittery feeling, slight nausea and headaches but this passed after a few months. 

Be aware too that some people (though not all) dont tolerate the combined part of the Evorel Sequi, due to the type of progesterone in it. See how it goes, but don't panic if it doesn't work out - there are lots of other alternatives (including a separate progesterone, ideally a bio identical one).

Good luck x

[honeybun]

If you feel it's too much at the moment cut a bit of the patch and build up.
Physical symptoms go quite quickly but the rest can take much longer as Briony says. My anxiety started two years after I started my patches so they don't always work for everyone.

Keep going though it's very early days.


Honeybun
X

[nikiv]

Thank you for the advice :-) I think I will wait until I see the menopause clinic to see about cutting the patch. I feel a bit better today but like I said sometimes it's hard to tell what is perimenopause and what are side effects :-( I start the combined patches on Tuesday so will see how it goes. I did take the tablet before and didn't seem to have effects from progesterone part but so many things were going on at the same time it's difficult to separate what was causing anxiety but I guess that is life in general - things rarely happen 1 at a time :-(

It's so nice to know this forum is here :-) I do wish there was a group I could go to though so I can talk to people face to face. I have had such a hard time being alone when this didn't bother me so much before. I just want to get back to the person I was and feel 'normal' again. It's so weird that hormones can affect you so much.

hugs :-)
Niki

[Hurdity]

Hi nikiv



Sorry to hear you have been feeling rough. How long were you on the tablet HRT, which sort/dose of HRT and how old are you/where in menopause ie your periods etc before you started HRT? What made you change from the tablet? Hope you don't mind the questions - it justs helps us to understand where you are in all this and what you've tried so far. Great that you with a menopause clinic - and presumably see a gynae?

No wonder you are feeling rough if you have had anxiety/depression - which is menopause related, and coping with a moody teenage son - I had one of those!!! (the other two weren't moody!).

Do hope you feel better soon and that this HRT is the right one for you - but there will be one that works even if this one ends up being problematic.

Hormones affect us all of our life don't they from menarche to the grave!

Hurdity x

[nikiv]

Hi Hurdity,

Thank you for your support :-) The menopause clinic just said to keep going with the patches, see them in 3 months unless I start to feel bad again then I can call them anytime and to not give up as there are lots of other HRT methods they can try. They did offer Anti-depressants but I want to give the patches a longer try first. The anxiety and depression isn't as bad as it was before the patches so I am grateful for that :-) I just wish they would work faster. Since I started on the progesterone combi set of patches the anxiety and low mood came back a bit after 5 days of feeling much better. Felt like a real set back and I am not sure if it is the progesterone or just still having hormone/mood swings until my hormones settle with the HRT and if I should give it more time.

I am thinking that if things still feel bad then I will call the clinic. Maybe it is the progesterone and they can change things around. If not then I might need to go the AD route for a short time until I feel and get stronger. I just don't like the side effects of AD as listed on the info sites.

Niki x