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[kenny]

Hi, having been on Angelique for approx 10 years my hot sweats came back with a vengeance 3 months ago. My GP changed me to Elleste Duet Conti , after 3 days my sweats disappeared,, result. However this weekend i am feeling crap, crying for no reason , i am on my 1st month of the new HRT,seen my GP, i also told her i have had 2 migraines which is something i only get maybe once a year. she has told me to stop taking it immediately and see her in 7 days. Anybody been through this, cant believe my original one stopped working,, or could it have not been related. Thank you.

[kenny]

Hi, thats interesting, i had no problems at all with Anglique so maybe should have stuck with it,,the flushes were so embarrassing i begged the GP to try something else, to be fair she spent ages looking for the best alternative to suit me. I am having a few personal issues but nothing that should be causing me to be crying like i am, one minute im okay the next minute floods of tears. Did you not have to change your dosage etc did it just eventually settle.Do you think the migraines could also be related..Thank you.

[Annie0710]

I was on elleste solo pills for 13 happy years then I started getting hormone problems, I switched to elleste solo patch o I could get  stronger dose and I felt awful ! 4 day migraine the lot, estradot patch suits me much better x

[Mary G]

kenny, I was on Angeliq for quite a while and it worked at first and then my migraines started up again - I won't bore on too much but I have silent migraines which are only triggered by synthetic progesterone and high doses of Utrogestan.  I then started topping up the Angeliq with an 50 mcg oestrogen patch but my gynaecologist said it was "too many different hormones" and I swapped to 100 mcg patches and Utrogestan but again, the migraines returned during the Utrogestan phase because I was not getting enough oestrogen out of the patches.

I then sought the advice of Professor Studd and switched from patches to Oestrogel (and testosterone) and have stayed on that regime ever since and it is brilliant apart from the few days of Utrogestan every 5 weeks or so.  I now take 25mcg DHEA tablets everyday which means I now produce my own oestrogen again and that makes all the difference and seems to keep the migraines away.

I agree with Stellajane, it is probably the norethisterone that is triggering your migraines.  I can't go near norethisterone, I had 5 attacks of silent migraine in one day while taking it. 

So the upshot of the whole thing is, your migraines are more than likely being triggering by synthetic progesterone which means you need to limit its use.  You could stick it out with your current regime for a while and see if things change or give the Angeliq another otherwise you might want to switch to a similar regime to me - obviously there is no guarantee it will work for you but it might be worth a try. 

It's a pity there isn't a higher dose of Angeliq available (i.e. 2mg oestrogen) because it has a better and more tolerated form of progesterone and that would probably work for you if it contained more oestrogen.  I found 1mg way too low. 

These are only my personal experiences and of course others may have had very different experiences using the same medication. 

[Hurdity]

Hi kenny

Sorry to hear about this and I agree with the others - yes the migraines could well be due to the norethisterone which is the problem. A better tolerated progesterone is in Femoston but I see this only comes in 1 mg doses too (for continuous combined HRT). Looking back at your posts I see you are around 58 so depending on when you became menopausal - it would be unusual to experience an increase in flushes more than around 2 years following menopause - or when the last period would have been. However oral HRT does depend on your digestion and liver and other things - so maybe you are absorbing less for some reason? All sorts of factors affect this - smoking, digestive differences, stress, maybe even alcohol too.

I agree maybe go back to the Angelique and see if the flushes settle - otherwise perhaps think of changing to patches which would give a more consistent dose as the hormones do not go through the digestive system or liver?

The other thing is has the doc done any blood tests because there are other reasons for flushes eg overactive thyroid so I would have thought a doc would want to rule out other causes?

Hurdity x

[Belladonna]

Isn't the prog in Angeliq drospirenone? I got horrible migraines and head pain with its big sister Yasmin which is the other one with that particular prog but with much stronger estrogen. I honestly was afraid I was getting a stroke! Switched to Estalis patch which has norethiserone and the pain is better. It really is so different what we react to and not.

I think that anything in a patch is much better tolerated than pills because it keeps your hormones at a steady level, whereas pills make it go up and down like a rollercoaster. Also the doses required are much smaller. Maybe you can try one of the patch HRTs?

[Dawncam]

Hi Kenny - I got exactly the same problem with elleste duet. It's the norethisterone. Not sure if it will settle for you but your doc should give you guidelines on how long to wait. It's a fairly aggressive progestin. Good at clearing you out though!

Mary G - could I ask if Studd prescribed the DHEA? I keep seeing this cropping up and would like to find out more. How has it helped you?

Dx

[Mary G]

Dawncam, I sussed out the DHEA thing quite by chance.  I was in Gibraltar and saw it on the shelf in a pharmacy and asked about it and thought it was worth a try.  Professor Studd doesn't prescribe it but my gynaecologist is a great believer in it and thought it was a good idea when I told her I was taking it.  I take 25mg everyday and it has made a real difference and I now produce my own hormones again which is vital for keeping my migraines away - I have more energy too.  I think I also produce a small amount of my own testosterone and progesterone because my periods have become lighter.

My gynaecologist thinks I should take 10mg everyday but when I reduced the dose, my migraines returned while on the Utrogestan phase so I have now reverted back to 25mg (on the advice of the migraine specialist) and it has made a huge difference. 

So have a read up on it and if you feel like giving it a try, you can easily order them online - you can't buy them OTC in the UK.  Obviously I can't guarantee that everyone will have the same positive results as me but what have you got to lose by trying them out?

By the way, they are suitable for men too and my partner also takes 25mg everyday. 

[Dawncam]

Thanks Mary G - what do you think it specifically helps with? I'm post Meno so any return of periods would be somewhat biblical! Also, what effects does it have on men?

Dx

[Mary G]

Dawncam, are you using HRT?  You should never take DHEA tablets post menopause unless you are taking HRT or have had a hysterectomy because you will produce your own oestrogen again and will need progesterone if you still have a womb - sorry, I should have made that much clearer. 

It is difficult to be precise about the benefits of DHEA and they will be different for everyone anyway but in my case, increased energy, lighter periods, keeping migraines away and feeling completely back to normal.  It would seem that producing my own hormones keeps the migraines away during the Utrogestan phase (the only time I get them) but again, other migraine sufferers might have different triggers so this might not work for them.

Benefits for men are mainly increased energy and producing more testosterone so much the same as for women really.  The recommended dose for men is 25mg everyday. 

[Dawncam]

Hi Mary G - yes I've been on hrt for about 5 years. Currently on Studd's regime 4 pumps gel and 7 days utro sequi. I've never really found the optimum level re. E and go between 3-4 pumps. Currently trying to use 4 as I was having a return of 'warm moments' daytime and nasty sweats at night, low energy/mood and foggy head. Haven't cracked the joint pain either. I'm lucky I don't ever seem to get headaches or anxiety but do have sleep issues although on 4 pumps sleep seems better.

Just wondering if something else in the mix might help and I could come down to 3 pumps as I'm not entirely comfortable on 4 although Studd doesn't have an issue with it.

I know other ladies from foreign parts seem to use DHEA (menomale I think) and have done some research - not all of it positive!

Think I'll start a thread, thanks so much for your info.

Dx

[kenny]

Hi, a quick update, it is now 5 days since my GP stopped my HRT until i see her again in 2 days. my mood took a dreadful dip and as soon as i mentioned i had had 2 migraines in the last month since taking the new HRT she was not happy.I have been actually okay as far as my mood is but today my dreadful headaches have started. I have posted in the past about me withdrawing from HRT but the headaches always force to go back on it..It is 11 years since my period and i have been on HRT on and off since..I am very tempted to stick to my original HRT Angelique , Where do i go now, help girls please.

[marras]

Hi Kenny I haven't any words of wisdom I'm afraid but just wanted to offer great sympathy for your horrible migraines. Have been a sufferer myself since the age of eight so know how awful they can be. I so hope for a solution for you. Big hugs.

[Mary G]

kenny, this is a difficult one because it would appear that Angeliq was no longer strong enough for you (i.e. your symptoms were returning due to lack of oestrogen) but you could give it another try and see if it works this time.  You obviously get on well with the progesterone in Angeliq so would it be worth doing what I did for a while and topping it up with some extra oestrogen?  It might be worth asking and you could say that you want to try it because you are sensitive to synthetic progesterone and don't want to risk trying others that might trigger your migraines.  You could use 1 pump of Oestrogel everyday or a 50mcg patch and if your womb lining did build up, it would automatically shed if you are taking progesterone everyday.  My gynaecologist said it was too many different hormones but that was just her personal opinion and I went along with it and changed my regime because I was not feeling as good as I should. 

Alternatively, you could think about trying Livial (tibolone) which is a bleedfree regime that many women get on very well with.  It is a steroid hormone with a testosterone component which you might find suits you well.

The only other regime I can suggest is the one I am on which is cyclical Oestrogel and Utrogestan but it does mean having periods and I imagine you would be reluctant to have periods again after such a long gap.  However, it is a very good regime and I get on very well with it so if all else fails, it could be worth trying.  If you suffer with migraines/headaches, I would not recommend taking Utrogestan everyday on a continuous combined basis. 

If only Angeliq was available with 2mg oestrogen.  Before taking the plunge, why not look up all oral forms of HRT that contain 2mg oestrogen and see if there is anything you like the look of but definitely avoid anything that contains norethisterone.

Sorry I can't be of more help, I know how difficult it is.

[kenny]

You ladies are amazing, have learnt a lot from your replies, will update you tomorrow after seeing GP. I have a headache today but it is not unbearable, tried different pain killers, nothing actually takes it away so it's defiantly hormonal. I'm quite surprised that I have had no hot sweats considering it's nearly a week since no HRT .