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[Phia]

HI there,  I'm completely new to all this.  Over the last 4/6 weeks I been getting hot flushes.  They keep me awake for a lot of the night.  I get quite a few during the day.  Last week it must have been about 30 during the day but now its about 10.  It's such a shock as I wasn't expecting this until much older.  Looking back over the last few years I have definitely had more extreme PMT and have been a bit anxious and depressed at times - though not too bad.  I've also been forgetting words and my mind has felt quite foggy.  My periods were usually very regular and have started lasting for about 2 weeks and not so regular.

I am wondering how far into the menopause I am.  I had some blood tests back that said that my FSH is 83.3 and my LH is 36.8.  My Estrodile is <70.  I'm deficient in Vit D.  I had an internal scan which showed one of my ovaries to be quite small and that I don't have fibroids.  I've been trying to find out what this really means for me but its all so confusing.  I've been recommended to take Femoston by my Doctor but I don't know if to take it or not.  I don't know if its been going on for quite a while and so therefore I might be further through it?  Do some people go through the menopause and not take anything?  Does there come a point where you don't need to take anything? Should I take HRT to stop any of the side effects of the menopause from happening (bones and drying skin)?  This has all come as such a shock.  I'd love any advice please!  Thanks so much. xx   

[Tinkerbell]

HRT will certainly help the hot flushes and will enable you to get a better night sleep...you must be exhausted if they are keeping you awake most of the night!
Blood tests are unreliable during the peri stage as your hormones will be fluctuating. My doctor goes on symptoms rather than blood tests.
HRT will help osteoporosis, heart disease, VA, bladder issues and more.
It is a personal decision whether to take HRT and there are those who do not use it.
I have recently started systemic HRT after using just topical oestrogen for the last four years.

[Dancinggirl]

Phia - hi and welcome to MM
It really isn't unusual to get these peri menopause symptoms in your 40s. These symptoms may last a few years before you go into post meno.  Your GP is clearly clued up (quite unusual!!) and the suggestion of Femoston HRT is a good one - Femoston would stabilise your hormones, reduce your flushes and night sweats and would also protect your heart and bone health for the longer term.  You really don't want to be oestrogen deficient at 46.  Your test results do strongly indicate peri menopause.
Do read up all the info on this site to get clued up - we even have a current thread about wanting to spread the word more about the perils and problems women get with the peri stage, as so few of us know what to expect. My peri meno stage started in my mid 30s !!!
I'd definitely try the Femoston 1/10 and get your life back on track - you will be amazed how much better you feel. 
Keep us posted.  DG x

[Mary G]

Phia, welcome to MM!

I would very definitely recommend you start using HRT as soon as possible to eliminate your symptoms and also as a preventative measure.  There are two parts to the menopause, short term symptoms of the type you describe and long term health problems caused by years of oestrogen deprivation and I take HRT mainly for the latter. 

HRT is now viewed positively and all the guidelines have changed.  The general consensus now is that you should start taking oestrogen as soon as you own levels start to drop and there is no longer any time limit on it.  I would suggest you try the Femoston and see how you get on with it.  If it works and you get a significant improvement, stick with it but if not, I would suggest you change to the the Oestrogel/Utrogestan regime - this is the one I use and highly recommend.

HRT has moved on tremendously and there is no comparison between the old school, heavy duty varieties that were used in the 1990s and the bio identical forms that are used now.

Please don't suffer any longer, you don't need to and there is no reason not to take HRT.

[Phia]

Thanks so much for your replies.  It says that I need to start on the first day of my period but I don't know when this will come.  Is it OK just to start the Femoston now?  Do I have to do it at the same time every day?  Thanks again.  Phia xx

[Dancinggirl]

Phia - if you have no way of knowing when or if you are going to get a period then I'd start right away. You may find that you get a bit of erratic bleeding in the first few months while the HRT settles down and takes control but having seen your hormone levels I think you are quite deep into peri meno so the sooner you start the better.
I have to tell you that Femoston is considered one of the best types of HRT in pill form as it has a kinder progesterone which suits many women very well.
Do let us know how you get on - I bet within a couple of weeks you will be sleeping better and life will be looking up.
Dg x

[CLKD]

 

I get the foggy brain - we have threads here about 'doing stupid things' and as for 'that woman in  my house' 

Browse round!

[Hurdity]

Hi Phia

 

Regarding when to start Femoston - if you are well into peri-menopause with periods coming randomly and missing a few weeks or a couple of months - then you could be waiting for ever - well a long time at least! If they are still fairly regular eg every 4-5 weeks then why not wait for the next one ( eg wait 5 weeks from the previous one) and start the HRT on the first day of the proper bleed. If a period doesn't appear in this time then start the HRT anyway. As Dancinggirl says  it can take a few months to stabilise.

Hurdity x

[Phia]

Thank you so much for your replies.. Its so lovely to read all the comments.

I thought from looking at my results that I must be well into the peri-menopause too.  Do you think this is right?  I'm going to start the Femoston as I am so tired today and need to sleep better.  I am also worried that if I have had this for a while, my bones etc won't have been protected.  I just wanted to check if anyone has had worse sleep through taking Femoston?  Does it matter what time of day you take it?  Thanks again. xx

[CLKD]

Brisk walking several times a week is good for keeping bones healthy ;-)

[Dancinggirl]

Phia - you can take the Femoston at any time that is convenient for you - breakfast or dinner is probably best but certainly at the same time each day. I doubt your bones will vein trouble yet - good to start the HRT now to prevent problems developing.  You could ask for a DEXA scan if osteoporosis is in the family or if you are very thin.
You may well start sleeping better within a couple of weeks of starting the Femoston.  DG x

[WiggyMaggy]

Hi Phia,

I'm the same age as you and I was only sleeping a couple of hours a night due to the flushes. I did some research and purchased Vitabiotics Ultra Sage tablets a week ago. For the last 4 nights I've had 8 hours sleep! I haven't done that in years. I really cannot recommend them highly enough. Of course, everybody is different and what suits one won't suit another, but I got them on a 3 for 2 offer and think they're well worth a try.

Hope you get some relief soon, whatever you decide 

[Debs165]

Hi Phia

Welcome to MM 

My consultant put me on Femoston and I have been taking it for about 5 weeks now.  I did say to him that I didn't know when to take it as my periods are not regular and he told me to start taking it straight away and not to wait for a period.

The advice by the other members is great and I would recommend that you start the Femoston too.

Let us now how you get on 

Debs x