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[Peacegirl]

I'm post-meno and was happy on hrt for 6 years until symptoms returned and then it all got messy.
Currently on two smallish pumps of  estrogel and have just switched from 100mg utrogestan daily to provera as-hair falling out substantially again as it did with norethisterone.
For past 5 weeks I've felt like I had low grade flu and can only manage a few hours activity a day. Felt better 3 days after stopping utrogestan but today I feel ill again. Som gave I been wrongly blaming The progesterone for all my ills?
Main symptoms:
Feel awful in morning- like hungover and as I said flu-like.
Diahorrea every morning up to 3 times (this has been for years mind)
Achy bones
Weak muscles -struggle to carry a watering can which was so easy last year.
Mild dizziness

I was tested 6 months ago for uner-active thyroid, vitamin/iron deficiency etc and all was fine.

I'm relectant to go back to gp in case they think I'm a hypochondriac!

[CLKD]

Could it be glandular fever? 

What is causing the morning 'runs' - anxiety?  Change of diet?

I sometimes feel hung-over if I sleep too heavily.  Do you dream, if I have a 'busy' night I feel knackered in the morning.

My sudden dizziness is due to a nerve in the back of my neck ........

Sometimes thyroid function tests are 'within NHS Limits' but doesn't mean that it is 'right'.  Maybe have a look at a UK-based thyroid support web-site or the NHS site?

[Peacegirl]

Could it be glandular fever? 

What is causing the morning 'runs' - anxiety?  Change of diet?

I sometimes feel hung-over if I sleep too heavily.  Do you dream, if I have a 'busy' night I feel knackered in the morning.

My sudden dizziness is due to a nerve in the back of my neck ........

Sometimes thyroid function tests are 'within NHS Limits' but doesn't mean that it is 'right'.  Maybe have a look at a UK-based thyroid support web-site or the NHS site?

Thanks I know that 'sleep too heavily' thing as I do get that but this is much worse than than. Maybe its just old age - but then I'm 57 not 77 you know? Have had a good lookk at thyroid sites but the runs don't fit under-active and I'm not over. I've kind of had the runs for years but they just got worse the last few months. Oh well - i'm still standing.

[Annie0710]

Have you thought of increasing your gel by half pump to try ? It might also be worth looking at low testosterone symptoms

[CLKD]

It is the Trial and Error that is SO tiring! 

If 'the runs' aren't worse than years ago then accept it's 'you'?  I have slow transit which suddenly hastens up  usually when I'm stressed.

[Peacegirl]

It is the Trial and Error that is SO tiring! 

If 'the runs' aren't worse than years ago then accept it's 'you'?  I have slow transit which suddenly hastens up  usually when I'm stressed.

Isn't it! The runs are much worse 🙄

Annie, thanks I will look at the testosterone on my next specialist visit. And I do wonder if my estrogel pumps aren't quite full ones. Will try thst too.

[CLKD]

Have you altered your diet?  I know in the 10 mins. B4 a period began, even if it wasn't due, I would have to dash to the loo with 'the runs' HORMONES  .  We couldn't plan anything at that time of the calendar  .  Do the bowels wake you in a hurry?

[Wrensong]

As you mention your diarrhoea has got worse recently, I wonder whether it's possible that some of your symptoms are related to this.  Could you be dehydrated from the loss of fluid do you think?  Does the morning hangover feeling ease when you've had a good amount to drink? 

The weakness & dizziness also make me wonder about nutritional deficiencies - if 6 months since you were tested for these and bowels have got looser since then, I wonder whether you might now have poor absorption.  I understand completely your reluctance to go back to your GP, but perhaps have a think about whether the diarrhoea might be at the bottom of this (sorry for the pun!)  Are food intolerances a possible cause of the looseness, or perhaps dysbiosis (especially if you have had repeated courses of antibiotics)?  Even if as you say, diarrhoea has been the norm for you for years, a recent worsening would make me question whether this could be affecting your general health.

Not sure what to think about the change of progesterone -  but I wouldn't think this would account for the worsened diarrhoea, though prog does some funny things (most of them not funny-ha-ha) so I wouldn't rule anything out.  I believe progesterone is more often associated with constipation & my gynae chose not to prescribe Utrogestan for me as part of my initial HRT regime for just that reason.  The muscle relaxant effect is supposed to inhibit peristalsis, slowing passage of food.

I hope you manage to work out what's going on, but please do think about seeing a GP about the bowel changes - perhaps see if you can get an appt. with the one you feel most comfortable with.  You really don't want to be losing too much fluid or having absorption problems.

[CLKD]

   Wrensong

[Wrensong]

Hi Peacegirl, just another thought - sorry I've not followed the forum recently & am out of touch with everyone's background - but wondering whether you've been tested for coeliac disease or had a colonoscopy to have a look for inflammation in the bowel.  I think the weakness, flu-like feelings & aches & pains could come with gut inflammation & hair loss can result from nutritional deficiencies, though I know prog is notorious for this latter.  Sorry to focus on the tummy if you don't think it likely to be the cause of your other symptoms, but have a long history of troublesome nether regions myself  so tend to home in on this.  I'm always suspicious, knowing how widespread symptoms can be when the digestive tract malfunctions & how rotten it can make someone feel.

[CLKD]

It's the 2nd brain after all!

[Peacegirl]

Hi Peacegirl, just another thought - sorry I've not followed the forum recently & am out of touch with everyone's background - but wondering whether you've been tested for coeliac disease or had a colonoscopy to have a look for inflammation in the bowel.  I think the weakness, flu-like feelings & aches & pains could come with gut inflammation & hair loss can result from nutritional deficiencies, though I know prog is notorious for this latter.  Sorry to focus on the tummy if you don't think it likely to be the cause of your other symptoms, but have a long history of troublesome nether regions myself  so tend to home in on this.  I'm always suspicious, knowing how widespread symptoms can be when the digestive tract malfunctions & how rotten it can make someone feel.

Thank you so much for both your helpful and informative posts. I was very poorly this morning, though picking up a bit now so I've decided to keep my gp appointment next week instead of cancelling it again. This may sound dumb but my bowel movements changed dramatically after being in India for a year where I was quite seriously ill with and treated for amoebic dysentery. However this was 20 years ago lol so it doesn't seem possible it could still be affecting me now. Anyway maybe a stool test will reveal something. Thanks again x

[CLKD]

It could well have aggravated the bowel at the time and with menopause it may have irritated any weakness left behind.  Also, some of these 'bugs'/worms etc. can lurk.

As an aside - many men returning from the Far East PoW camps had a hanger-on in the form of a gut worm ...... for years it would give symptoms until a Consultant of Tropical Medicine found a mxi of drugs that killed the critter.

Be kind to yourself. 

[Wrensong]

Glad to know you have a GP appt coming up, but sorry you've been so poorly.  I remember from reading about IBS over the years that a gastrointestinal infection can cause the gut to continue to over-react long after the initial infection has passed, but I'm sure you must know far more about this than I do,  given the circumstances.  It must have been so draining for you and a horrible inconvenience to have to learn to live with.  The stool test seems a good idea though and I hope your GP will take you seriously and be sympathetic, especially given your history.  If the test shows nothing and you continue to be unwell, please don't feel you should put up with the problem - it sounds as though it's making you very unwell & I think there must be help out there for you if you can find a good gastroenterologist with the right sort of experience.  Fingers crossed for you & meanwhile, as CLKD says, do try to get as much R&R as you can.

[CLKD]

My friend had food poisoning from ice cream or under-cooked chicken many years ago (1970s) and there are food stuffs he still can't tolerate!