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[Sarai]

Now I have a lot going on healthwise, but I went on hrt back in April and immediately I was more tearful and anxious, feeling like I did pre menopause.
I'm on Evorel Conti 50 and due to change to a lower oestrogen Sequi version when I see my GP on Tuesday.
Is it really possible that the hrt has turned me into a quivering wreck?

[Just]

Hello Sarai, yes me too so I have an idea of what you are going through and I agree it feels like it has made me a wreck. I have health issues going on having been previously very fit and well. I have been on sequential hrt patches for 3 months (as I couldn't cope with the constant flushes and sweats on top of symptoms of my condition). I am now wondering if I rushed into it and have made a mistake! I was anxious about the length of time my recovery is taking but nothing like I've been in last couple of weeks where anxiety has massively increased. I don't know if you feel the same but I am now anxious about being anxious.
Good luck with the GP appointment.

[Sarai]

Just, it's awful isn't it. I've got spine fractures and chose hrt just for the bones protection element, I didn't want bisphosphonates.
At the time I had no real meno symptoms. But now I feel so anxious and unsure and scared. I'm even scared of white hospital envelopes now just in case they hold bad news. My hubby has to,open the post but still my heart races while he does.
I've had anxiety through my life but didn't at all at the point of going on HRT despite my fractures.
I'm praying halving my dose will help me or I have n9 idea what I will do.

[Mindfulmoomins]

Sarai, sorry to hear what you are going through. I too was coping better overall before HRT but did have anxiety and depression at times which I believe to be hormonal.

I then went on Evorel Sequi and the norehistine in it (the synthetic progesterone) made me really really anxious. To the point I couldn't work.

I am now trying bioidentical HRT in the hope that it will suit me better. I seem to be quite sensitive to hormones having had PND and PMT (which went stellar since peri).

This is a difficult journey and I hope you find something that suits you and improves things for you. As i've Seen another member say. HRT should definitely make things bette. Not perfect but better on balance.

Your GP may be able to refer you to a menopause specialist.

Xxxx

[Sarai]

Mindfulmoomins my GP would refer me yes.
As I recall from another thread you've gone on oestrogen / utrogestan haven't you, how are you finding it.
I'm beginning to think that all my lifelong anxiety, ms, pnd was all hormonal because mentally prior to April I was fine now I feel like I did in my 30's anxiety wise.
Such a damn nuisance.

[Mindfulmoomins]

Yes I am wondering too whether all my low mood and anxiety or at least a substantial chunk is hormonal. I was extremely happy and well until peri....

I am only a month into Estrogel and ultragestan. I am told it will take longer. I still just don't feel like me and feel low a lot of the time. It's bloody rubbish. I do however have less anxiety.

I am doing such a lot to try and help but my gut feeling is that I will need to get the hormones at the right level for me personally in order to feel better.

Xxx

[racjen]

Yep, me too. I never suffered from depression or anxiety until peri-menopause, then suddenly at age 45 wham, anxiety like I've never experienced before. Which then led on to depression cos it's so bloody awful and relentless and nothing worked to alleviate it. Labelled by all the medics as a nervous breakdown, no mention of hormones at all. Now i realise it was because i was peri-menopausal. Now been pitched back into it much much worse by sudden chemo-induced menopause. At least this time I know what's going on, but getting appropraite help is still incredibly difficult. I also have had awful anxiety brought on by progesterone, in  my case utrogestan, so this  could certainly be part ofyour problem.

[Bettythecat]

Hi Sarai
After the first lovely 2 weeks on Evorel Sequi I started to feel anxious and the sort of paranoia I used to feel aged aged 14 - everyone hates me, I'm being left out of things and really scary dreams which woke me up with a pounding heart and panic. It got worse with the progesterone weeks but then after 3 months I realised it was getting better and now seems to have faded away to ‘normal levels'. It sounds like I'm not quite as sensitive as some others who have responded but as this forum keeps proving, we're all different. I hope you find a solution before too long - hopefully it'll be out there xxx

[Just]

Thanks for the reply earlier Sarai. Sorry to hear about your fractures. I can understand you opting for hrt over bisphosphonates.
I didn't have bad anxiety at point of going on hrt either.
I hope halving your dose helps. I find it's hard to know if I need less, more or no hrt at all.
I really hope things improve for you.

[racjen]

Sarai, I hate to say it but i think this is the kind of problem your average GP just isn't equipped to deal with - they can cope with the standard patient who responds as expected, but if not they're going to struggle. I'd be asking for a referral to an NHS menopause clinic if you have one in your area, or if you can find the means to go private there are a number of really good specialists listed at the top of the page x

[Sarai]

Well today I decided I cut my 50 patch in half since I'm going for half the dose when I see the GP. I've put myself back on propranolol too.
I can't stand waking up with my heart racing all night long it's a joke.
I'm beyond myself with pain, fear, misery all mixed up it's awful.
I have to say, I had a hysteroscopy at the end of November and that has really messed with my system, the cramps got worse, my mood got worse, my boobs got painful, I'm sure no dr will even accept that that is even possible but hey it happened.

[Just]

I really feel for you Sarai. I find night times and mornings are just horrible and I am better the further into the day I get. The next night/morning it all starts again and I forget that I was reasonably ok the evening before.
Hope to hear you reporting back that the decreased patch and propanolol help.

[Hurdity]

Hi Sarai

I'm sure I have mentioned this before on your other posts and others have mentioned it on this one - it could well be the continuous progestogen in the Evorel conti - the norethisterone that Mindfulmoomins mentioned, that is causing your anxiety. It makes some women feel like they have pms and low-grade progestogenic side effects are recognised by the BMS as a potential  problem for some women on continuous combined HRT. It would be unusual for for a woamn who was post-menopausal to experience increased anxiety from taking a 50 mcg oestrogen patch. It acts to lift mood not depress it. I know you have already halved the dose but by taking it sequentially ( I do feel as I've said this before to you recently so apologies for repating myself!) you will only need to take progesterone intermittently and you should experience the feeld good factor of the oestrogen ( or at least the not feel bad factor!).

For what it's worth Dr Currie herself recommends Evorel conti half patches (off licence) for those who only need a low dose - this was given in answer to a question in one of the MM magazines.

Do let us know how you get on and hope you manage to get the right preparation soon .....

Hurdity x

[katyh75]

Oestrogen supplementation causes depressed mood in a significant minority of women. It left me feeling suicidal. I've tried both progesterone only and oestrogen and also combined regimes to determine which hormone was responsible and it was the oestrogen.