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[vintagefiend]

Thanks for the replies keithee and dangermouse- sorry that qlaira not the magic bullet for you two either (at least not yet)! I am going to give it the full 3 months though as I've never made it this far on any hormonal preparation recently (was fine when younger)
I too have great probs with progesterone/progestogen and didnt really appreciate that this pill heavy in that department! Thanks both of you for the various suggestions- I'm too wired at the moment to take them in but will read when calmer.
sick of feeling depressed and anxious argh! my friend in similar position finding aidulan good but i think that's femodene (already mentioned in this thread)- as i say- will stick it out for a bit longer- read on this forum that one member felt much better on qlaira but not until 4th month. interesting that you can tinker around with oestrogen- does that mean that if i identify the days i feel particularly bad on (that's of course assuming i have days where i dont so bad which at present is not the case!) i can use oestrogel or something? think i saw something like that suggested on this forum. sorry you're feeling crap keithee- hang on in there- think i'm about 2 weeks behind you (around day 20 of 2nd pack)- and thanks for giving your experience dangermouse- glad you're sorted- i'm now going to look up brevinor! not yet discovered which prog i can tolerate and god i've been thru a few! sorry this prob a bit rambling but feeling a bit spaced out!

[Keithee]

Hi vintage, still having problems with qlaira, mood all over the place- irritable, snappy, depressed... I nearly told the ice cream van to f off the other day as it pulled up outside my house after I'd just settled the kids.... not good!!!
I'm on month 3 and day 11. Just started bb.  Would explain my mood swings but I'm not happy... I need calm!!! Not sure whether to stop and try norimin or carry on. From how I've been before on various pills I can't see it improving.
 I hope you are feeling better vintage. Thank you for your replies

[vintagefiend]

Hi Keithee, sorry you're still having mood issues with the qlaira- definitely understand your desire to berate ice cream van!!
I am still going to stick it out though have felt crap for days- I need to give it the full 3 months. Could i ask a couple of questions? Did you feel bad in the first month and can you tell me what "bb" means?!
thank you- i do appreciate it x

[Keithee]

Hi vintage, sorry i meant btb- breakthrough bleeding.
I seem to feel extra irritable during the first week of pills when the estrogen is at its highest in the pills. Then I calm down but saying that I could still throttle someone this month!! My patience / tolerance has gone!!!
The first month I felt ok, I started after a very rare hormone free month which quite frankly scared me!!! Prior to this I was on brevinor then before that loestrin 20.
The first week I was extra irritable. You know where you have to hold your breath/ walk out the room before you explode? But it got easier.  But then came back 2nd month first week and the 3rd. It is like pmt just after your period. I had breakthrough bleeding throughout 1st month but put it down to hormonal imbalance from not being on anything before.
2nd month I had no btb but my boobs were really sore and even more massive!!
So, I've been taking evening primrose oil and it seems to have helped.  But now more btb.  And  tolerance of anything remotely annoying has gone!!!
I am seeing the quack next week. Will try stick it out 3 months full. See how a few weeks kids back at school helps 

[vintagefiend]

Thanks Keithee, it's really helpful to hear someone else's experience.
 I was ok first month though was on a very easy holiday which I'm sure helped! The second month- possibly from the beginning it's been difficult both in terms of depression and anxiety- I feel it's got worse as the month's progressed which does make me think it's the progestogen but obvs difficult to know really.
I haven't had sore boobs (and i'm pretty sure they haven't grown!) but had crampy abdo, not pelvic, pain last night and I read that prog can do that. I feel strangely reassured when I have physical symptoms like that as it shows me that perhaps my body hasn't settled into the pill yet, so fair enough that I still have swinging emotions. Obviously that's with hoping that my body and mind will settle on the pill eventually!
I read a forum where a few women had breakthrough bleeding on qlaira- all in the early stages though- some gave up because of it, some persevered and it resolved- i guess it demonstrates that the qlaira hasn't yet fully replaced your cycle?...so hopefully all that we're experiencing will go away in time- god! wouldn't that be marvellous- life can resume!
agree- kids being back at school a very good thing- one of mine on a 3 night trip, so v quiet house! Hope your visit to the doctor is helpful and I'll certainly post again if anything changes for me. Best of luck x

[Briony]

I am by no means an expert, but I am someone who stuck with it and 'rode' the initial side effects. Looking back, months two to four were my worst (bit low, very itchy, still had crazy anxiety) and it was nearly half a year before someone commented that I was 'like old B again' (they didnt know I'd started taking Qlaira).

My body is so used to it now, there are no side effects, regardless of which of the pills I'm taking. I have the odd blip (feeling anxious and always followed by slight spotting) but it never lasts more than a month - fingers crossed!

I tried stronger pills but couldnt hack the stronger estrogen (felt sick the whole time) and the stronger progesterone made me very loud and angry 

To be honest, unless a pill makes you feel horrendous, I really dont think you can judge it for several months when you have passed through the side effects. To say 'X makes me feel awful' after less than four months really should say 'the side effects of X make me feel awful'.

[jasper]

Really useful to read this thread as I am already not coping on day 10 of Zoely😫.

[Dancinggirl]

I do think it takes time for the body to adjust to any hormone supplementation - whilst the body welcomes the positive effects of oestrogen and sometimes progesterone there will inevitably be adjustments generally that may take time to settle.  This is why I get very worried when I read about women chopping and changing HRT types and doses within only a few weeks of starting any HRT treatment, in an attempt to reduce or control side effects - I'm afraid HRT needs patience and also an acceptance that there may be compromises. DG x

[Briony]

Totally agree DG. Anything less than 4 months and you're not assessing the medication, but its side effects.

[nothappybun]

I do think it takes time for the body to adjust to any hormone supplementation - whilst the body welcomes the positive effects of oestrogen and sometimes progesterone there will inevitably be adjustments generally that may take time to settle.  This is why I get very worried when I read about women chopping and changing HRT types and doses within only a few weeks of starting any HRT treatment, in an attempt to reduce or control side effects - I'm afraid HRT needs patience and also an acceptance that there may be compromises. DG x

I agree, when I was on Qlaira it did take around 4 months to be symptom free. It did get rid of hot flashes/sweats the first month but had to wait a couple more for the mood/insomnia to dissipate. I did have spotting and bleeding for the first three months and then just a very light one day bleed before the two white tablets.