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[Springchicken]

I hope this is the right place to post this.
I have changed my HRT 6 times now in the last 5 years. (am 49, started on the whole miserable hormone thing about 5 - 6 years ago) Started on various sequi and am now on femoston conti.....Each different HRT  seems to "work" for several months and then the effects gradually wear off and then I start to feel totally dreadful all over again. Dizzy, can't think properly, anxious, no concentration, very depressed, shaky, fatigued, anxious, stiff neck, hands & feet, a loss of manual dexterity and just an overall grim feeling as if someone has taken out my brain, stamped on it and then roughly stuffed it back in.I feel like half a person.

I was discharged from the menopause clinic 7 months ago. I have been back to my GP several times....I feel that GP's in general do not seem to know much about HRT and they tell me to go and ask the pharmacist for advice. I have explained to them that I can no longer work or have a social life due to my symptoms. I have had a range of blood tests (thyroid, blood sugar levels, kidney function etc - all normal). I feel pretty abandoned by the medics and have no supportive friends. I always manage to put on a bright face / attitude, try and be chilled and happy and try hard not to be a burden on anyone, and am pretty much going through this alone - 5 years. It seems to be getting worse.

Has anyone else been through this....i.e changing their medication when the "almost feel good" factor wears off? Maybe my physiology is not suited to HRT? I am reluctant to grab at various alternative / natural therapies without seeing results of long term well conducted trials. I have started meditating though! and being grateful for all the good things in life. No harmful side effects there!! It helps with anxiety and generally getting through each day, but I am not living a life.....I am just surviving. It is so horrible.

I sometimes feel as though I am going totally mad! I know I am not alone there This forum is fantastic and without reading the various posts and thoughts and feelings of others I would feel more alone than I already do. Thanks girls!

[Annie0710]

Hi spring chicken (I feel like a toughened turkey lol)

I've changed a few times

1999-2015 pill form elleste solo 2mg
2015 elleste solo patch - disaster , whipped off after a few days (horrendous migraine)
2015 - estradot patch 75mcg - still on it
2016- added in testosterone (still on it)

Are you post meno ? Because if you are Tibolone (livial ) has had some good reports

I'm still searching for the magic formula but might try Tibolone myself

X

[Kathleen]

Hello Springchicken and welcome to the forum.

Well, I could have written your post. Absolutely everything you have said resonates with me. I am 60 but managed through the menopause and didn't even begin HRT until I was 57 and hadn't had a period for three years. Since then I have tried tablets, various strength patches and gel. I am currently back to cutting off some of my patch in an effort to reduce the side effects from the progesterone although as the patch is a Conti one it means I'm also reducing oestrogen. Sometimes I feel you just can't win.

I did see a gynecologist privately but he could only suggest the mirena coil which I don't want plus when I described my emotional symptoms he didn't seem to understand. The GPs I've seen are helpful but admit to having very little knowledge of the menopause and how to treat it. I have a doctor's appointment in the New year and I may ask to try a different patch or even Tibolone which other ladies have suggested.

I am so sorry that I can't be of more help to you and hopefully one of the expert ladies will be along soon to advise you.  You are most definitely not alone on this roller coaster and you have my sympathy!

Wishing you well and keep posting.

K.

[warwick01]

Hi Springchicken

All symptoms are same for me. Started elleste duet at 51 and as I got further into menopause tried several variations of sequi and cont. Not really found that magic pill. Currently using 3 pumps of gell with northisterone for 7 days every 5 weeks.

Left my job 2 years ago due to not being able to cope with anxiety, panic etc (meno) like you I'm not living just plodding on. I don't go anywhere and no one really cares to be honest. I did try Tibulone last year but after 4 weeks VA became unbearable so whent back on the gel. My GP never offered Vagifem which I have started 5 days ago. Thinking of trying Tibulone againe as looking back it did improve my brain fog and my libido, so maybe trying it for 3 months will be beneficial.

I am 57 and hated my 50s

One thing for sure with HRT is one size doesn't fit all

Wx

[Lizab]

I've only been on hrt a year, so no, and I'm hoping that's not in my future. I'm curious to add to your question though, for those who have had to switch things up several times, has anyone tried citalopram or another anti-anxiety/anti-depressant for menopause symptoms instead of or along with the hrt?

[Annie0710]

Hi Springchicken

All symptoms are same for me. Started elleste duet at 51 and as I got further into menopause tried several variations of sequi and cont. Not really found that magic pill. Currently using 3 pumps of gell with northisterone for 7 days every 5 weeks.

Left my job 2 years ago due to not being able to cope with anxiety, panic etc (meno) like you I'm not living just plodding on. I don't go anywhere and no one really cares to be honest. I did try Tibulone last year but after 4 weeks VA became unbearable so whent back on the gel. My GP never offered Vagifem which I have started 5 days ago. Thinking of trying Tibulone againe as looking back it did improve my brain fog and my libido, so maybe trying it for 3 months will be beneficial.

I am 57 and hated my 50s

One thing for sure with HRT is one size doesn't fit all

Wx

Warwick definitely try Tibolone again WITH vagifem!

A local gynae prescribed me 2 pessaries twice a week as 2 a week weren't cutting it (no pun intended - I WAS cutting because of the VA)

I'm still getting sore labia etc so may need a cream too

X

[Annie0710]

I've been offered ADs Lizab but so far rejected them as I didn't have low mood or social anxiety before this started.  In fact just weeks before I crashed I was forever smiling and out at every given opportunity

But I'll never say never

X

[Pam Madra]

As Annie suggested try out Tibolone. I am perimenopause and my gynae wants to try out tibolone with me only half a tablet.  There is a trial in Melbourne going ahead with study of it in perimenopause women and tibolone. However it is  Too early days to say anything for me yet. Wish there was a magical wand and how lucky are those women who do not suffer from all these issues and they do not believe us and what we are going through

[warwick01]

Annie

Same here...... offered AD but trying to avoid them if possible, on reason don't want to take too much medication. I have no worries, a loving husband, its the  symptoms that caused my anxiety. Now I have GAD, social phobia, panic disorder not really depressed. I am 100% sure its hormones as post delivery of my daughter 39 years ago I suffered crippeling anxiety for 3 years.

Tempted to try Tibulone again as it was only due to VA because I stopped oestrogel I never continued with Tibulone. I'm reading some positive reports on this....... will keep you updated

Wx

[Annie0710]

Annie

Same here...... offered AD but trying to avoid them if possible, on reason don't want to take too much medication. I have no worries, a loving husband, its the  symptoms that caused my anxiety. Now I have GAD, social phobia, panic disorder not really depressed. I am 100% sure its hormones as post delivery of my daughter 39 years ago I suffered crippeling anxiety for 3 years.

Tempted to try Tibulone again as it was only due to VA because I stopped oestrogel I never continued with Tibulone. I'm reading some positive reports on this....... will keep you updated

Wx

Go for it Warwick ! And get the VA.  Treat VA as a separate issue

I hate social anxiety.  I so want to be out and about but the minute somewhere is suggested I turn into a headless chicken picturing the scenarios

I do go to most things but my god I suffer til we're on our way home or I've had a few Bacardis and couldn't care less where I am lol

X

[Hurdity]

Hi Springchicken

 

I really only changed once - I was in very late peri-menopause but started on a patch from the beginning as I was always a nil-by-mouth gal when it came to HRT - and it has always worked ( in terms of flushes and sweats and feeling generally oK). However the first one I tried (Evorel sequi) I didn't get on with the progestogen in the combi patches so I changed to transdermal oestrogen (patch) and separate progesterone, and have been on this more or less ever since ( almost 10 years) without problems.

The only thing I would say is some women find the continuous progestogen will cause some of the side effects you mention so if they don't settle but your flushes and sweats have gone and you are generally feeling well then maybe go back to cyclical HRT as many of us do? You have to put up with a withdrawal bleed but better that than the low grade side effects from the progestogen - all the time.

If you were not post-menopausal when you started HRT then it could just have been your own hormones breaking through? The problem also with the combi preparations is that you cannot increase the oestrogen without increasing the progestogen and maybe you need a slightly higher dose?

Fatigue can be caused by all sorts of things including low oestrogen. Also progesterone can cause fatigue at high doses, and low testosterone can also cause tiredness with fatigue and muscle aches - tell-tale signs are also low libido.

What were your actual thyroid readings from the last couple of blood tests? You might experience symptoms even though within range.

Also vitamin/iron deficiencies can cause similar symptoms so take a look at your diet maybe too?

I would suggest that all women should be able to find a hormone regime that suits them without having to resort to ADs, provided that they have not previously suffered from depression - ie it is new onset since peri-meno and there are no recent events in their life likely to trigger this.

Hurdity x

[Pam Madra]

yes I agree AD is of no help as I have tried them out for 2 years and feel the same without them and having had then for 2 years the same.

[peri]

I've switched a few times.  Peri symptoms became unbearable around 47 and I was given prempak-C.  To be fair this worked but I soon found this site and discovered there were other options that were better for me. 

After briefly trying elleste (made me depressed in the same way the contraceptive pill did) I went onto evorel 50 patches and utrogestan.  This has been by far the best regime I have tried and apart from feeling ill when I have the bleed (from progesterone withdrawal I believe) I feel good in the main. 

Next I switched to estradot believing it was same substance as evorel (just a smaller patch) but I felt as though I'd been poisoned, and discovered from someone on here they were made from different things, apparently one is soya and one is yam, so I went back to evorel.

Finally I recently trialled tibolone for 3 months but it left me feeling sedated and a bit flat so unfortunately the balance wasn't right for me.  So I am back on evorel 50 for now. I am considering the mirena to deal with the issue of periods/withdrawal bleed and am currently following the progress of others on here who have gone down this route.