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[Babsm67]

Hi,  I have posted on here recently about the horrible anxiety that I have been experiencing but, I have noticed over the last couple of days (and especially this morning) that I have a 'tingling' sensation in my feet. It definitely isn't pins and needles - it is different from that, almost like a 'cold'' feeling. 
Currently on day 4 of period.  I am now wondering if it something to do with my thyroid as my mum has an underactive thyroid but every test I have ever had has always come back as 'normal' (my last test was done in November 2014).  My skin is getting drier & I have been experiencing increased hair loss over the last two and a half years.  I saw a dermatologist in October 2014 & he diagnosed 'telogen effluvium' & said it would probably wear off - it hasn't.  My hairline hasn't receded but I can notice that there is less hair in general in each small 'clump' I look at.  Are these more perimenopausal symptoms? (I am 49 & still getting periods every month which were closer together & heavier until recently, when I started HRT (Oestrogel), which has lengthened my cycle in the last month to 30 days.  However, I have skipped it over the last couple of days as I had extremely painful breasts & swelling in legs.  This has now lessened.  Does anyone have any advice please?  Thanks xx

[Dancinggirl]

Madboss - you really need to let the HRT settle down and work it's magic.  Sore breasts is quite normal when first starting any HRT and this usually settles within 6 months.  If you legs are truly swelling this can be more of an issue - maybe get this checked as probably water retention for some reason - try putting your feet up for half an hour and see if this swelling goes down? The peri stage is very challenging.  Dg x

[Babsm67]

Thanks DG, I have lost 2 pounds in the last two days & my boots are not as tight this morning.  Two years ago, everything became swollen (even 'down below') after I had been on two daily pumps of Oestrogel for 5 weeks.  I felt fantastic for the first four weeks then along came that swelling & I was to!d that it was caused by too much oestrogen!  On the advice of the gynaecologist gp, I cut down to one pump but the symptoms persisted so I gave up (I also had aches in my left leg).  I know what you mean about peri being challenging because it is so hard to get the balance of HRT right with our own hormones still fluctuating in the background.  Bearing in mind my family history, I think I need to get another blood test done for fsh, thyroid, iron & vitamin D (if the GP allows all of that to be done at once!). I will try the HRT again though on a reduced dose.  Thanks again xx

[Babsm67]

Thanks Stellajane, yes, I keep finding hairs on the bedroom carpet & have to keep hoovering them up!  As for having a shower, it is alarming to see how much hair collects in the hair catcher that I have over the plughole!  I had masses of hair which used to feel very 'heavy' (I would always need to put it up in the summer in a 'thick' hair slide because I would get so hot).  Now, I can actually feel the difference in weight & can get the hair clipped into the slide without any struggle, unlike before.  It is turning coarser & drier as well (I have a lot of white hair now which I dye brown).  It is interesting that you have also mentioned about the underactive thyroid as that is meant to cause hair loss as well.  That is what I am suspecting may be going on with me but I will need to get a blood test done to know for sure.
Thanks again  xx

[Hurdity]

Stellajane - I am really interested to hear more about your thyroid diagnosis. especially what led you or the doc to test you further for thyroid antibodies (and presumably giving you the Hashimoto's diagnosis which is common in menopausal women?) - when your thyroid test (presumably the standard TSH?) was normal. Did you have symptoms that suggested you should be tested for this? Did the doc order this on NHS? Is this common when TSH is normal? I  have a friend who I think this happened to but she had obvious thyroid symptoms - fatigue, fibromyalgia syndrome, weight gain, feeling cold - so she went to a private doc who took one look at her and gave her more tests - she is now treated with the armour thyroid as she also has a T4-T3 conversion problem.

Sorry for all the questions! I think thyroid is an overlooked problem which is not diagnosed properly nor tested comprehensively especially in middle-aged women.

Hurdity x

[Hurdity]

MadBloss you didn't mention what progestogen you are using with the Estrogel? Some of these can cause hair loss -  the testosterone derived ones anyway. Good that you're getting your thyroid tested though too - keep us posted.

Stellajane - thanks for filling me in on your background re thyroid - sounds like you went through a pretty rough time, and I'm sure the stress would have made things worse for you too. Although you said your thyroid tests always showed up as normal, I understood that a TSH of 4-5 was the cut-off for normal and that presumably would trigger further tests? I know if I had TSH of that value I would want to be investigated further. Good job that it was discovered early in your case, so that you could be treated - but sounds like your thyroid is still working OK to some extent if you haven't had to increase the dose? Testing in detail for this, as well as oestrogen, and testosterone should be part of regular blood tests for women at a certain stage - to avoid the scenario you mention of women not being diagnosed and becoming really ill.

Hurdity x

[Babsm67]

Hello, just an update.  I got my blood test results from the dr's this morning - my tsh level was 'normal' at 2.91, iron was normal but Vit D is low & the GP is ringing me tomorrow.  So the hair loss etc definitely isn't being caused by thyroid or iron but the Vit D obviously needs to be looked at.    Apparently, one of the symptoms of low Vit D is depression which I have been battling over the last two years (always worse in winter! 
Hurdity:  I never started the Utrogestan part of my HRT as I was originally advised to use Oestrogel for just the 2nd half of my cycle.  I did try using it for the whole of last month because my mood was so low but ended up with a 30 day cycle, fluid retention & rapid weight gain (maybe I used too much?). Leaving it until 2nd half of cycle again now.  Still waiting to get advice from gynae but no new appointment has come through yet (original for March 10th was cancelled due to strike - tried chasing it up but cannot get through due to backlog).  MB x