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[warwick01]

Anjia

Great news - things can only get better Really glad you stuck with it as I recall like me you thought about stopping.

I know from doing my research so women settle sooner than others. I can cope with the sweats its the spacey head that freaks me out

I miss my wine too but I was drinking a few glasses every night so may be in some way it's a blessing. I'm ok with a couple of beers.....yippee

Wxx

[Tempest]

Hello ladies.

Well, here's what's been happening with me:

I've just spent 10 DAYS in hospital (including my birthday).

I was admitted as an emergency after I became increasingly unwell - dizziness reached massive proportions and I couldn't stop vomiting. I was taken off Tibolone straight away and my Ob's showed that I was having episodes of extremely low blood pressure and my blood tests showed raised white cells and eosinophils. I have been through hell!

3 days after stopping Tibolone, all of this started to subside. I have received fantastic care - I am now taking it easy at home and am now on NO HRT AT ALL.

So far, all I've had is a few warm moments. It's been 12 days now since stopping everything. I'm sleeping through the night too - just very mild sweats at night which I am aware of but don't fully wake me. My energy is returning. Mood is level - no anxiety. Horrible hip pain which used to come and go on Tibolone is gone. Dizziness has completely subsided.

I recall Mer over in the surgical menopause thread having a very similar experience to mine regarding the dizziness, and all I can say is thank goodness she had the good sense to stop it before she became as ill as me!

I'm going for my DEXA scan next week and after consulting with endocrinology and various other Consultants I have seen whilst in hospital, I will NOT be commencing systemic HRT again. I have wasted a year of my life on this, and this last episode left me very seriously ill. The very senior endocrinologist I was under said that HRT is entirely a choice (even after surgical removal of ovaries) after the age of 45 as the bone and heart protective benefits of estrogen are enough from what our bodies have produced up to this age, and all that is needed is a good, healthy lifestyle and possible supplementation of calcium and vitamin D to support bones - weight bearing exercise is still the key though, as well as being generally active. Those most at risk from no HRT are people who have had an early menopause (before 40) or who have have had disrupted menses due to anorexia or other medical conditions. It is a CHOICE in all other women.

I am also seeing my Consultant Gynaecologist at the end of March and will be having a very thorough chat with him about localised HRT to prevent VA - at the moment all I have is dryness which I'm taking care of with YES VM moisturiser (new product which is proven to work as a non hormonal treatment for VA in women who can't take any form of HRT). If localised HRT is needed, I will of course use it to protect urinary and vaginal health and to help prevent future prolapse.

I feel this will probably be one of my last posts here on MM, as all of this had driven me bonkers and made me very ill in the end. I appreciate HRT works well for some, but for me it's been a nightmare.

Sending much love to you all - and please don't persevere with anything if you are starting to feel ill. Take a leaf from my book - it just isn't worth it and I stuck with the Tibolone for almost two months thinking that it MUST start to get better (instead, it turned into my worst nightmare).

Hugs to you all! xxxxx

[Elizabethrose]

Hi Tempest

I am so very sorry you've had to deal with all of this. I really hope you repair and feel 100% very soon.

Unfortunately whilst a God send to many, some very hormone sensitive women don't fare well on HRT. It really made me very unwell with absolutely no positives and it was being very carefully managed and monitored by specialists. I have been using Vagifem for the past few months which has helped the sudden onset of vaginal dryness brilliantly and although I am experiencing some side effects with it, they're certainly easy to live with.

There are a great many women who don't take HRT for whatever reason, it's not compulsory!! Many of my friends have fared very well without it, some have had to take ADs to help with some mental health problems.

Lots of us on here don't take HRT Tempest and we still post and offer and gain support from others, please don't feel you can't post anymore, you would be missed. However, if you feel this chapter in your life is over that's entirely your decision. Why not have a break rather than close your account.

I really wish you well and send you some of these.....

[Tempest]

Elizabethrose, thank you so very, very much! You're so kind - and I'm so glad you're tolerating the Vagifem despite the side effects (I'll be chatting to my Gynaecologist about this)!

Much love. xxxxxx

[Annie0710]

Aw Tempest I've been worried sick about you ! I wished you happy birthday via FB hoping you'd see it

You poor woman, my heart goes out to you for what you've been through and we've discussed this before and your gut feeling was to stop all hrt, I think you've done the right thing, so many women get by without, who knows I might join you even for me if it's to see how different I feel with/without
Please don't leave ! Above all though please promise you'll stay in touch with me  ? Xxxxxxx

[warwick01]

Hi Tempest,

I too have been really worried about you. I'm so glad you have received the help needed to feel well. It sounds like HRT including Tibolone was making things much worse. Like Annie if the dizziness doesn't ease for me I will be trying without.

Take Care Wxx

[Anjia]

Well so glad to see Tempest is on the mend and I wish her all the luck in the world but I have to say I would not stop Hrt as I tried before and felt very down we are all different on this journey.Also I feel very confused as I always thought that Hrt was protecting my bones now it seems like its not ?

[Hurdity]

Hi Tempest

So sorry to hear how unwell you have been and that you are now recovering. We all have to do what's best for us - firstly looking at the latest medical and scientific advice, but in addition of course - how this works for us individually, and it sounds like HRT does not work for you at the moment (not to say it won't ever...).

Thanks for for coming on here and letting us know and I wish you better health in the weeks and months to come.

I can understand not necessarily wanting to be forever posting on the forum - women come on here either needing advice or support or friendship, or to give advice and support, but it takes up a lot of time! It's great that you have made some friends on here that you are now in contact with off the forum so will continue to have that network - as well as this forum - should you want to - but no pressure nor any sense that you should carry on. Most women in your position do not leave - they just decide not to post either for ever or for some time - and this means you can still send and receive messages if you so wish! No-one will think any the worse of you though if you decide you want to leave completely!

All the best and take care.

 

Hurdity xx

[Hurdity]

Well so glad to see Tempest is on the mend and I wish her all the luck in the world but I have to say I would not stop Hrt as I tried before and felt very down we are all different on this journey.Also I feel very confused as I always thought that Hrt was protecting my bones now it seems like its not ?

Don't worry Anjia! The current thinking is that HRT does protect your bones! (Tibolone does too). Oestrogen helps slow down bone resorption (I think that's the right way round - or maybe it stimulates bone building?) so that bone does not break down. The extent to which it does this is dose dependent and even small doses of oestrogen give some protection. This is more important if you have a history of osteoporosis and the latter becomes more important the longer you live post-menopause.

If you are feeling well on it then do carry on - ideally at least until the natural average age of menopause. Also there are a lot of other health benefits of taking oestrogen and lack of it due to early/premature menopause is associated with some health problems.

As you say we are all different....

Hurdity x

[Anjia]

Thanks Hurdity I am going to carry on taking hrt I am post meno but going to stay on it as long as I think I need to x

[abbyH]

Tempest, so glad you are feeling better.. I'm also on the no HRT as I fear I'm one of those hormone sensitive women that is better without.. Keep updating us.. or send a message when you can and carry on looking after yourself won't you?

all the best axxx

[Menomale]

Dear Tempest,

Glad to know you're ok now, I was so worried you didn't answer pms and emails... I hope you keep posting now and then, this is a menopause forum not a HRT forum, and whatever you decide you will still be facing menopause and I will miss you anyway!

I'm also waiting to see if HRT is for me, so we belong to the same club!

Do stay in touch, many hugs!

XXX

[dazned]

This forum is called Menopause Matters,it's not called HRT Matters so please don't feel that not being on Hrt means you have nothing valuable to contribute. However if you feel more comfortable not doing so I'm sure we understand ,perhaps pop in now and again. There are a few of us on here not on hrt so you wouldn't be alone 

Anyway good health whatever you choose.

[walking the dog]

Good luck for the future tempest I will miss you so hope you dont go altogether xx

[Kathleen]

Hello Tempest.

I'm so sorry you've had a rough time but pleased you decided to call in and update us.

 I spent the early years of my menopause journey without HRT followed by three years experimenting with various types of patches and tablets, I then took a break and I'm now experimenting with Tibolone.

Throughout it all I have felt accepted and understood by the wonderful and knowledgeable ladies of this forum and I know that similar support will be there for you should you need it.

Sending hugs and best wishes for a bright future.

K.