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[NorthArm]

Hi Everyone

I haven't written for a while....life is so hectic, and I've been trialling new HRT in hopes that I can get back to a semblance of feeling normal again.

My question is, can you take EPO whilst also being on Climara 50 patch (weekly change) and noresthisterone 1.25mg (14 on, 14 off)?

After hitting the climeractc (such an apt word, lol!) in June last year, with horrible, severe symptoms - severe insomnia, drenching (constant) night sweats, freezing cold flushes in the day, debilitating anxiety and panic, extreme mood swings, flooding, constant bleeding for six weeks.....I've trialled several forms of HRT.

Initially, after bloods showed oestrogen through the floor and FSH through the roof, GP prescribed Premarin 5/125 along with 15mg norethisterone daily to control bleeding. He also prescribed fluoxetine 20mg and alprazolam / lorazepam to help with the psychological issues - the outcome was horrendous to say the least.

So I researched and found this forum.....I took Femoston 2/10 for two and a half cycles - initially had great relief on the oestrogen part, but the progesterone phase was horrendous! Went to see a gynaecologist (who was more concerned with IVF than meno as she was very unsympathetic) who didn't believe in patches (?) and prescribed Tibolone instead, despite me not being post meno yet. I also started taking 7.5mg mirtazapine at night for sleeping. That was ok for about 8 weeks, but symptoms started resurfacing......and the awful insomnia just wouldn't go. So I went back to my GP and asked for Estradot 25 to take with the norethisterone (at the recommended dose of 1.25mg). I titred up with the Estradot until I was on 50mcg, and have recently changed to the Climara 50 as it's a once weekly application rather than twice weekly (one less thing to remember lol). I was still having the anxiety, so about ten days ago started on 10mg paroxetine in the morning, and that seems to have done the trick. I'm pretty much back to my normal self, and once I've finished the 6 month script for Climara and have finished the norethisterone (only taking the norethisterone for financial reasons as it cost me $35 and I had an almost full pack after last year!) I'll be continuing with Climara and changing to Prometrium (micronised P) then.

I've also started going to sleep in the spare room (about two months ago) - my partner is a shocking sleeper, has apnoea, thrashes about all night, gets up to pee at least three times, and his snoring noise is legendary! It took about ten days to retrain myself to sleep through (lol, think training a baby to sleep) and I've pretty much slept like the sainted dead since. My partner has been deeply unhappy about it, but I need to take care of me, and my need to sleep is greater than his want to have me near, if you know what I mean. And he refuses to get help for his apnoea, and other health conditions, so why should I continue to suffer?

Anyway, this is quite the essay, but it is so nice to have a bit more stability back (at least for now lol!) and I wanted to share it.

I still have occasional flushes, but nowhere near as bad as they were, and was wondering if the EPO might help with that or will it interact with the HRT? I've worked so hard to get here, that I wouldn't like to un balance things again......I'm also taking magnesium 350 mg and a multivitamin and occasional calcium with vitamin D.

Thanks for any advice xx

[Hurdity]

If your flushes are not controlled on a 50 mcg patch then it sounds like you need to increase the oestrogen dose until they are eliminated? Not sure about interaction with EPO - I doubt there would be since EPO is a source of some of the omega fatty acids that can also be obtained from other supplements anyway. It's not taken for flushes but usually only for breast pain I thought ( that's what I was prescribed it for years ago). Used to be available on NHS but the evidence base was apparently inadequate.

Hurdity x