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[Marie62]

I've recently started taking Angeliq and I'm feeling sick with a very acid stomach, I've taken 2 tablets so far and this started a few hours after I took the first one.
I'm 55 and had my final period around my 50th birthday was getting bad flushes and was prescribed Elleste duo about a year ago,was ok on that at first then was hit with depression and anxiety within 3 months of taking it,changed to Kliovance as I thought the lower dose would help but the depression and anxiety hit about 3 months after that!!!
Reading around this forum I thought the progesterone in Kliovance could be causing the anxiety and depression and also hair loss so weaned myself off it by taking half a tab and felt ok.
So now I asked the doc to try angeliq as I've read it's a kinder progesterone and good for hair loss but it's really upsetting my stomach, I've taken it with food but doesn't seem to make any difference.
I don't know whether to persevere with it or just stop taking it altogether, I feel I'm never away from the doctors and taking away valuable appointments that seriously ill people need but when the depression and anxiety hit I just panic and run to the docs!
I've probably actually messed up my hormones by stopping and starting these HRTs but I don't think straight when depression hits and get so frightened.
I've noticed a pattern though, I seem to be ok for about 3 months then along comes the anxiety/depression,lasts for about 3 weeks then I'm ok.
Sorry for rambling.
I feel ok mentally just now it's just this acid stomach,so the question is do I carry on with the  angeliq hoping the stomach problems will settle or just try and get through menopause without hrt ? It's so frustrating I don't know if these bouts of depression are caused by HRT or if I would have them anyway, can more or less cope with the flushes but the mental effects are horrible.

[CLKD]

Firstly if someone is seriously ill they won't be in the GP Surgery  .  They would be eligible for a house call or be in Hospital already.

I took 1 Nurofen the other day for low back pain and my gut moaned and groaned all afternoon  .

The gut can be sensitive at The Change ......... maybe speak with a Pharmacist tomorrow to see if there is something you can 'layer' with prior to taking it ? 

How was the anxiety and depression during your menstruating years?  If you suffered then maybe talk with your GP about how it is affecting your through processes in recent months?  What happens during those 3 months as you describe?

Some ladies find that they require an anti-depressant and/or an anti-anxiety medication along with HRT. 

[Marie62]

Thanks for your reply.
I've never suffered from anxiety or depression before, it all started when I took the HRT so that's what I think caused it or then again it could have been the menopause it's so hard to tell but I'm pretty sure it's hormonal.
I will try and see a pharmacist and see what they recommend as my stomachs burning just now :-(
I really don't want to take anti depressants as I'm so sure it's hormones that are to blame and don't want to have to go through side effects.
Thanks again

[CLKD]

You seem to have contradicted yourself ........ 'never suffered before, it started when I took HRT' - then you 'I'm so sure it's hormones to blame'  ...... HRT is un-likely to cause either in such a short time-scale.  You could ask the Pharamist it too!

[Annie0710]

Marie there's more variations of hrt you could look into, see at the top of the tabs of the page and maybe look at trying separates, i.e. Gel/patch oestrogen and utrogestan tablet vaginally, I've no experience of progesterone but I read on here so often that taken as a pessary (the same tablet you'd swallow) cuts down side effects loads

[Mary G]

Marie62, I was on Angeliq for quite a while and I did have a few stomach problems too, rather like indigestion together with constipation. 

I ended up topping it up with an 50mcg oestrogen patch and that was somewhat better and lifted my mood somewhat because I clearly needed a higher dose of oestrogen - it's a pity that Angeliq does not have a 2mg oestrogen dose.  Frankly, Angeliq on its own didn't touch the sides for me and gave me no symptom relief (sweating) but you might want to keep going with it for a little longer to see if things improve.

I can see the attraction of not having periods (I hate them!) but it is a bit of a trade off.  I find that continuous progesterone has a drag factor and gives me a constant lowish mood and also silent migraines.  Once I changed to a cyclical form of HRT (Oestrogel/Utrogestan) and was on the oestrogen only part of the regime, I instantly felt much better.  You still need progesterone on a cyclical basis and it means periods again but the bonus for me is that I feel good for the vast majority of the time.  Like you, I am not intolerant to my own progesterone and don't have a history of PMS/depression/anxiety, I only have problems with artificial forms of progesterone used in HRT products.

If you don't want periods and you are not badly progesterone intolerant, you could have a Mirena coil fitted for the progesterone part of your regime and use transdermal oestrogen gel which is better absorbed and dose flexible - part of the problem with oral HRT is that much of it gets lost in your digestive system.  You could also look at Femoston 2mg i.e. a higher dose of oestrogen with a better tolerated form of progesterone and you might want to look at this option first before committing to a Mirena coil.

I hope that helps.

[CLKD]

  Mary G

[Marie62]

Sorry CLKD I'm not very good at explaining myself what I'm trying to understand is, is it the HRT that causes anxiety/depression or would I have got it anyway if I had not taken it? I know women can get it during the menopause whether they're on HRT or not and I had no incident of depression before the menopause,basically no one can tell what causes it but what I meant was I believe it was either the hrt hormones or my own hormones that's to blame and I suppose the only way to find out is to come off it, don't really want to do this but am fed up going back and forwards to the docs, starting hrt then feeling awful after a few weeks, panicking,trying something else for the same thing to happen.
I had high hopes for Angeliq but the way my stomach feels just now I feel like packing it in 
Thanks for all your replies I've looked at all the different types of hrt available and it's all trial and error and every woman's experience will be different, it's been a rollercoaster that's for sure!! I think I will probably come off it and if symptoms become unbearable will look into trying a patch and give the doctor a break from my moaning 

[CLKD]

....... and despite the thoughts on here that HRT should be the first prescription given, if anxiety and depression are impacting on a lady's daily living as well as any ability to make decisions etc., then taking an AD/AA allows her to 'see the wood for the trees' [what ever that means  ].  Once she feels stable she can then consider if HRT is necessary in order to ease other menopausal symptoms.  Eventually she may even be able to use HRT as a single treatment.

Without stopping the HRT you have been prescribed you probably won't find out  - some ladies find keeping a mood/symptom/food diary useful.  I can easily forget how bad I feel when I feel good .......

[Marie62]

CLKD
You're right if I come off HRT and get the depression/anxiety I'll know it wasn't the HRT that caused it. I'm feeling ok mentally just now but there's always the fear it will come back!
Funnily enough when I first went to the doctor about my flushes she said as my blood pressure was quite high she wouldn't be prescribing HRT but gave me Citalopram as that would help with the flushes apparently, I lasted 5 days on that gave me a splitting headache, no appatite,teeth and jaw clenching and horrific nightmares so I am very wary of trying an anti d again.
Another doctor gave me hrt no problems and it was great until about 3 months in then the anxiety/depression started.
I feel I could just about cope with the physical symptoms but not the mental ones,I've always been a very easy going person, never had pmt or mood swings but that all changed during the menopause just wish it would hurry up and end 

[CLKD]

Some ADs do ease hot flushes apparently.  Any symptoms may be cyclic anyway if hormones are still fluctuating.

Let Members know how you get on  - experiences shared etc..

[Annie0710]

Marie I've never suffered low mood/anxiety either before menopause and I've read so many times how hrt can help, but I've been on hrt now for 19 years since I was 32.  This low mood/social anxiety started at @45 yrs old so has to be hormones but hrt doesn't help, although it seems testosterone replacement is helping a tad.  Because of arthritis in my lower back dr has put me on amitriptyline and I'm hoping it does the trick plus being an AD I'm hoping it helps with low mood/social anxiety too

[Marie62]

Annie0710
Heard that amitriptyline can help with mood might be something I would consider if my mood lowers again hope it works for you
Have never been to the doctors so often in my life since starting the meno think they're getting fed up with me now

[CLKD]

You'll be on 1st name terms soon 

[Marie62]

CLKD
Yep it's getting embarrassing now I'm like a dog with a bone trying to get the ideal treatment but I know deep down it doesn't exist,just going to power through it best I can, maybe I'll look back in a few years and laugh, bloody hope so