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[Rosie2]

Hi Everyone, can anyone please help me & give me some advice. I have been on Elleste Duet Conti , for 3 weeks now, the initial side effects, headache etc have gone. The flushes have almost gone altogether, & i am sleeping better. The problem is, my mood is very low, I can cry over silly things and for no reason, then I can be very irritable and nasty.
I asked for a call from my GP, she now wants me to take Fluoxitine 10mg a day as well as the Elleste. She said that it would not be the HRT that was causing the mood changes???
Before taking Elleste I was suffering with mood swings, but they have got worse since taking Elleste.
Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I am so confused & also reluctant to take Fluoxitine.  Please Help x

[Butterfly22]

Hi I've taken a few hrt which have made me feel very low etc, I'm no expert but I no when I feel even worse then normal.
I had to stop femoston the other week because of this but I also have mild depression. But I take something for that and normally ok, now and again I may feel low but seemed to heighten my emotions.
If you can cope a bit longer it may very well settle though xxx

[Roseneath]

I had problems with Elleste Duet earlier this year. Terrible anxiety, dark thoughts, nightmares and brain fog. Came on within 48 hours of taking it. Phoned my doctor and she told me to stop taking it straight away. (My only perimenopause symptom was anxiety,insommnia  and  erratic periods so maybe that type of HRT was not  what I should have been on). Felt better straight away when I came off it. Maybe ask for a call back with your GP to discuss, don't struggle on.

[Hurdity]

Hi Rosie2 - only just seen this post of yours. I definitely would not take the Fluoxetine while you are trying to get your HRT sorted otherwise you won't know what's what - and if your low mood is due to low oestrogen or due to the progestogen in the HRT - then you would be taking a drug to counteract the effect of another!

The first thing is - what is your cycle doing or rather what was it doing before you started the HRT? I presume you are post-menopausal ie no natural period for 12 months at least? It is usual to give an HRT type 3 months for the side effects to calm down  - remember there will be physiological changes going on in your body and everything needs to settle and adjust. Having said that some women do find the progestogen in that type of HRT can cause pmt-like symptoms - and from what Roseneath said this is what happened to her.

There are many different kinds of hRT and the idea is that they should make you feel better not worse, eventually. We can help you through this and help you to try to find one that suits you - so that you feel better for more of the time on HRT than off it!

Hurdity x

[Rosie2]

Hi everyone, Thank you for your replies, it is so good to know that I am not alone with this.
Hi Hurdity,
I decided not to take the Fluoxetine, I agree with what you are saying, I need to know if HRT can help me , before I take something else.
I went back to see my GP yesterday & she has now put me on Femoston Conti 0.5mg/2.5mg.
I am not sure what the difference is, is it just that it is a lower dose?
I explained to my doctor that my moods were terrible, much worse than before taking HRT, & also the pain in my breasts is terrible!
I go back to the GP in a months time.
I am 53, & have been period free for 2 years and 9 months.
I am just hoping that things settle soon, I just cannot cope with the moods & the breast pain.
x

[Hurdity]

Hi Rosie2

All the different combi HRT preparations for post -menopause are listed here:

https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/postmeno.php

You will see that the one you have been given contains a different progestogen - dydrogesterone - which is better tolerated amongst sensitive women. However the doc has changed both the oestrogen dose and the type of progestogen. The oestrogen dose in the Femoston is the Ultra-low dose version half the dose of the lower of the Elleste Duet conti types (which come as 1 mg or 2 mg) so you could end up tolerating the progestogen but flushes and sweats returning because the oestrogen dose is so low.

In your position I would either have changed to Elleste Duet - at the same dose but the type that gives a bleed ie cyclical - so that you could see if you felt better on the oestrogen only tablets, or changed to the same dose of a different HRT type. At your age you would really benefit from a higher dose oestrogen and reducing it when your flushes have not quite gone doesn't seem to me the best suggestion!

However if the breast pain is caused by the oestrogen then that is a reason maybe to reduce it, although side effects from oestrogen usually settle and you have only been on it for a short time.

 I started HRT at almost 54 when I was very late peri-menopause ( previous period 5 months earlier) and the first one I tried was a 50 mcg patch and have been on that dose more or less ever since ( slightly higher now) for the past 10 years. No breast problems - even though I had lumpy breasts throughout my fertile life.

I don't know what else to say really - except try it but if your flushes persist then you definitely need a higher dose of oestrogen. Above all please do not despair nor give up - as you can see there are many different options and you do not have to suffer . I hope you feel better soon!

Hurdity x

[Rosie2]

Hi Hurdity,

Thank you so much for all the information. I am so pleased to have found this site, it is a really big help, I no longer feel alone. x

[Hurdity]

You're welcome

Hurdity x