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[Cowbell]

Hi there,  I am new to the forum, but have been reading other peoples posts over the last few months.  I was on Premique 625mg before it was discontinued.  I went to my doctor for an alternative, but after taking my blood pressure, he said he could not prescribe any more HRT because I had border line hypertension.  I said that I felt I needed HRT because I had originally started them after suffering bad mood swings and depression.  He said he would give me a mild anti-depressant to counteract that.  I didn't want to start down that road and never filled the prescription.  However, as the months went on I began to feel worse and worse.  Dozens of hot flushes and night sweats, but the worst thing was the anxiety I felt.  I made another appointment with my GP, but asked to see a female doctor.  She prescribed Kliovance 1mg/0.5mg and started me on blood pressure tablets.  Although the hot flushes and night sweats have improved the feelings of anxiety and depression have not.  After reading other posts of this forum I went back last week and asked to be prescribed Premarin and Provera 5mg, but she said Premarin has also been discontinued!  She said that the anxiety and depression had nothing to do with the HRT and prescribed Citalopram 10mg.  I started crying whilst in the surgery and didn't feel able to argue.  To be honest, the way I'm feeling, I'll take anything if it makes me feel better.  I have to go back next Thursday and I am feeling a little better, but have a constant knot in my stomach.  I don't know where to go from here.  I have never had children and my womb and ovaries are intact.  Can anyone give me some advice, I'm at the end of my tether!!!

[Butterfly22]

Ah hello and welcome, I'm so sorry your having a nightmare, it took me four years to settle on premique and was gutted it was discontinued.
I'm still looking myself, it's worrying if premairn is being discontinued as a lot of ladies are on that too, this was one reason I was scared to settle on this although it did not feel the same as premique to me.
Could you maybe try ustrogen with it?
I'm wondering if maybe you could try 20mg of citalapram at 10 is low maybe she was starting you low to see how you go.
Please don't feel alone as myself and others know exactly what your going through. Sending you a big hug xxx

[Cowbell]

Thank you so much for your reply.  It is so reassuring that I am not alone.  Feel like I'm going crazy at times.  To be honest, I don't know if Premarin has actually been discontinued or if she is trying to fob me off.  I rang Pfizer and was put through to an automated service which confirmed Premique and Prempac C had been discontinued, but did not mention Premarin!!

[Butterfly22]

Ah well your not alone, I wonder if you can check at boots, I did check a few weeks ago and they said all was ok it's still available, if I were you I'd say you asked at boots and you can still get it or is there another doctor you can see. Xxxx

[Cowbell]

Rang Boots as you suggested and they confirmed that Premarin IS still available.  I am not sure if that will be best for me in my circumstances.  If anyone can give me any advice on this, I would be very grateful.  I intend to ask my doctor for this again when I go next week.  Thanks for your support.

[Butterfly22]

Hi, do you mean not best for your blood pressure? Have you managed to take a look at the banner at the top with the different HRTs? Unfortunately a lot of women don't take one and that's it it can take a while to settle on something ok for you.
I've made notes so I no what I took, when and how I felt.
A lot of ladies really work well with the estrogen gel (rub into leg arm and can tweak it to suit you) and a separate progestrogen (some take orally some take vaginally) this seems to be a really good combination.
Are you still taking the citalapram xxx

[peri]

Hi cowbell

Sorry you're having such a hard time.  I took one of the conjugated pregnant mares urine types of hrt  (prempak c) and it did work.  I wonder if they're starting to discontinue the old types of hrt because they aren't as good for us and have been replaced by a new generation of hrt's which are much better for us (less risk) namely patches and gels. 

Also I do not think you should be pressurized into taking anti depressants if you do not want to go down that road (as you have stated).  In fact NICE guidelines state that GP's should be offering hrt as first line treatment for women presenting with peri menopausal symptoms and not anti depressants.  Do you feel strong enough to go back and state this (politely of course) and stick to your guns that you want to try another hrt.  It can be trial an error to find one that suits, but at the very least I think you should be allowed to explore this.

For what it's worth I switched from prempak C to evorel patches and found them even better + they worked immediately (for me).

Don't give up I feel there is a better solution for you if you can push for it.  Wishing you well and let us know how you get on x

[Cowbell]

I'm not very tech savy and have had some trouble using the site.  I am still on Citalopram and my anxiety and depression are slowly abating.  I really didn't want to take anti-depressants, but felt almost suicidal at one point, so am happy to do so to get on an even keel for the moment at least.  I meant would Premarin 0.625mg and Provera 5mg for example be suitable for me as I have my womb and ovaries still intact.  I'm a little confused, not thinking straight!  It looks as though it may be a case of trial and error with regard to different HRTs.

[Butterfly22]

Don't worry I've been going through the menopause for 18 years (started early) and been on this site for a few and I still find it confusing and still don't understand it all 😂
The premairn is the estrogen as you have your womb ect you need to take a progestrogen (provera) the other progestrogen is ustrogen, hope I've got that right and makes sense.
A lot of ladies take ADs I no some don't like taking them but I always think if it helps why not, better then feeling so flat, low ect. No mirical ever cure but just taking the edge off is something.

Look on the "treatment " tab at the top as that will give you a drop down menu and you can get a better sense of the different HRT.
id def say it's trial and error but loads of help on here on your way xxx

[peri]

Hi Cowbell yes I think they're suitable in that one is oestrogen and one progesterone which is what you need as you still have your uterus (if you can get them of course).  Maybe look at changing your hrt once you're in a better place.  The green tab at the top of the site lists all the difference types of hrt available so you can familiarize yourself x

[Cowbell]

O.k. everyone, thanks so much for your support and advice.  Looked at the various treatments etc as you suggested and will go armed, with my print outs, to the Doctor on Thursday.  The Citalopram has eased my anxiety a little, after upping the dose to 20mg daily (The doctor did say to increase it after 3 or 4 days, but they made me feel sick, so I didn't raise it until the fifth day).  I am therefore feeling a bit more in control of myself and hopefully able to speak up a bit more.  Will let you know how I get on.

[Hurdity]

Hi Cowbell

 

 Sounds like you haven't had the best treatment from your practice - I mean your female doctor telling you that anxiety etc is not a menopausal symptoms when you are also suffering from flushes and sweats! Also telling you that preparations are not available when they are. No wonder you are frustrated. Some progestogens used in HRT actually do increase feelings of anxiety and pms symptoms - and the one in Kliovance  (norethisterone) can have this effect in sensitive women. Also some women need a much higher oestrogen dose than the standard ones - for their mood to lift. 1 mg of tablet oestrogen is quite a low dose and how much is absorbed also depends on other factors eg digestion etc.

Hopefully you will be able to re-start HRT soon and tweak the dose to suit you and then perhaps you will be able to stop the anti-depressants - so that you can maybe try to find the right oestrogen/HRT dose that will lift your mood without needing them? Is your blood pressure controlled now?

I don't think you've said how old you are - nor what was happening to your cycle when you started the Premique - presumably you were post-menopause ie without period for at least 12 months?

Hurdity x